18 replies to this topic

[The Admiral]

Not many people talk about the Goldeneye music? Is that because it wasn't really that good? Do you think it (the film) would have been better if it had David Arnold doing the music? I certainly do!

After watching Goldeneye yesterday, I summed up the music to sounding like people flushing toilets and drain pipes clanging against each other! It wasn't exactly the best music at all.

[The Admiral]

"A Pleasant Drive In St Petersburg" - that's the one you mean. It has the Bond theme in the background, but it sounds as though it's being played by a kid on a cheap keyboard that they got for Xmas! There is only one reference to the Bond theme in the whole tune.

"Run, Shoot and Jump" on the other hand is a bit better. From the Military Archive scene where Bond and Natalya escape. I think that this may be the better of the whole albumn, it has one good, solid tune being played all the way through it. Actually, it is at 0:24/1:04.

I think that the music for Goldeneye, bought the Bond Series into the 90's, but now Arnold has done a better job, and kept it in line with the films.

[White Persian]

I've just watched GoldenEye again and while I still wish they'd discovered David Arnold one picture earlier, there are times when Eric Serra's score works quite well. Not a lot, but a few. In the pre credit sequence its quite eerie, and nicely suggests the inside of some vast industrial set up. So far so good. But when Bond goes into action, you desparately need the Bond theme to kick in ( something Arnold understands) and it didn't. Maybe a rousing score might have disguised the sheer impossibility of the plane stunt.
It works too, in the first meeting between Bond and Trevelyan after the latter's "death", and the "That's what keeps you alone" scene on the beach. He tries in the tank chase sequence to go into full Barry/Arnold mode, but doesn't really succeed, and the climax really needs the magic Bond touch. However I do like the Tina Turner song, which has some clever lyrics reflecting Brosnan's own position about Bond.

[The Admiral]

I've just been listening to "Run, Shoot and Jump" from Goldeneye, and I take back all I said about the music from Goldeneye. I think it finished off the "Cold War" theme to Bond really well. Bond battling the Russians. It's really good!

[Blofeld's Cat]

As a stand alone, the score was OK, but compared to other Bond movies it's only fair.
The End Titles song was awful, and not in keeping with the Bond world.

[M.]

I always liked the music score for GoldenEye. David Arnold is king, but Serra did quite a good job of setting a Russion mood.
However, the tank chase : the one found on the CD is not the one used in the movie. The one in the movie is much better - the Bond theme is much louder recognizable there.

[Vargas]

I suppose comparing Serra's GEye score to Arnold's following work is alike to comparing JBarry's established style ie FRWL onwards to George Martin's LALD, Hamlich's TSWLM, Conte's FYEO and Kamen's LTK.
It depends on what you're after.
These guys arranged scores more orchestrally like John Barry and re arranged the Bond theme as and when.
Eric Serras was mainly synth and very little 'Bond' about the whole thing.

John Barry did use more syth/rock styles in TLD -Necros' walkman music, the chase sequence in Bratislava, but the established elements were still there.

Arnold's approach is more akin to this using syth but not getting too far away from the established orchestral arrangement style.

I think TND said - 'OK people we're back to traditional 'Bondian' stuff here' and he's building on that.

Small point of interest. When TND first came out on cinema I bought the soundtrack and there are some cues missing - the bike chase sequence in particular.
(You notice more when you get the video/dvd.)
When TWINE was I realised Arnold uses a similar theme to TND's bike chase for the boat chase in TWINE. Have you noticed?

[R]

Just a couple of passing points about the whole Arnold v Serra debate.

The Bond theme does make another appearance in Goldeneye. In the pre-credits, there is a short rumble of the main melody done on kettle drums, very nice. However, just a bit late when Bond has jumped back into the plane, at he very least there should be the fanfare when the plane re-appears and flies over the factory.

And I have to say that the one thing I don't like about Arnold's scores to date is that he doesn't use the main melody in the gun-barrel opening. I know it might sound a bit picky, but it just doesn't seem right without it.

[Vargas]

'And I have to say that the one thing I don't like about Arnold's scores to date is that he doesn't use the main melody in the gun-barrel opening. I know it might sound a bit picky, but it just doesn't seem right without it.[/quote]

They are different but I think they still have the right feel. Especially on TND.
Serra's version was certainly different.

[mkkbb]

Just to clear some things up:

The music for the tank chase in GoldenEye was rearranged by John Altman (the orchestra's composer) because the producers felt "A Pleasant Drive in St Petersburg" wasn't Bondish enough for that scene.

Tomorrow Never Dies' soundtrack was missing some cues, but this is because Arnold was still recording them when the CD was to be released. So a second CD was released with ALL the scores to the film (and a fine release it is too). You can get it here: http://www.amazon.co...9927994-1834209

I think David Arnold is doing an exceptional job scoring the Bond films. The only criticism is I think he relies too much on the Bass instruments. Everything sounds so bassy you don't get any little sounds like triangles or whistles Barry used to used that really made Bond scores what they are. I noticed recently Eric Serra achieved that with his Seveneya scores (They were brilliant Bond scores, his synth scores like "Ladies First" was shuddering).

I hope Arnold can continue scoring the Bond films (I see he is dong Bond 20) but also hopes he uses the title theme more in his scores, and the Bond tune a bit more.

[The Admiral]

Does anyone else think that "The Experience Of Love" - the ending song for Goldeneye, sounds like a song that would have gone well with one of Tim Daltons films? The song at the end of License To Kill sounds very similar to it I thought.

[Blue Eyes]

The Experience of Love is a good song, but not very Bondy (then again nor is Scott Wolfs). It's a bit like "If There Was a Man" by the Pretenders.

[The Admiral]

That's the song I meant - If there was a man. I've got that song, it's not Bondy, but it's good.

[Blue Eyes]

Yes I got it of Napster. It's a good song!! But Surrender is still one of the best closing songs Not that it's from GoldenEye or anything! lol

[mrmoon]

I don't know if I dare say this but I was quite a fan of Eric Serra's score for Goldeneye. And believe me Along with production design, Music to me is the most vital asset to a bond movie. I think the reason I believe it worked well was that it was relevant to the movie. The whole sound made you feel as though you were in Russia. I am glad Arnold has taken over now but as an Introduction to the 90's Bond I think Serra did a good job.

Oh yeah and Arnold thinks Serra did a great job.

[The Admiral]

I know what you mean - about the Russian sounding Music, but I think David Arnold could have made it better.

I suppose though it's up to the individual

[Blue Eyes]

I like Serra's music for the Russian feel but I personally think that Arnold could have done it a lot better! It lacked Bond!

[ENJ]

I agree that it would of been better if Arnold did the music for Goldeneye.

Even though I haven't seen Goldeneye in a while, i can only remember a few parts of the music. But a lot of people didn't like Serra.

Arnold is doing a great job, mixing more modern sounds with the traditional twangy James Bond sound.

[Blue Eyes]

Actually I think that Seraa did one Bondy piece (thinkinga bout it now) the Tank Chase!