107 replies to this topic

[deth]

Hmmmmm,I don't use/have Itunes.

there are OTHER ways... although if you do the other, then I hope you buy it as well

[Jeff007]

Upon a few listens it's really growing on me. I'm hearing a mix of Casino Royale and Die Another Day within the soundtrack. I really enjoy the Bolivian Taxi Ride and Bond in Hati and Talamone short cues. I'm guessing that there will be a big James Bond theme in the end credits since it wasn't dominent in the score.

[MajorB]

I've listened to (I think) all of the tracks through the "illegitimate" though publicly available source and will buy the CD next Tuesday, or as soon thereafter as it actually shows up in U.S. stores. (Which I think everyone should do who currenly is listening to it for free.)

My impression is very favorable overall. I agree that there's a certain amount of "Arnold muddle" tracks where the scoring feels haphazard and arbitrary. But I also agree that there's some really gorgrous, haunting, different stuff--"Night at the Opera" is a good example. Like nothing I've heard in a Bond score. I think the Craig Bond films are bringing out the best in Arnold. I'm really looking forward to having the whole thing on CD next week.

Only disappointment is the sparing use of the Bond theme itself. Since DC "earned" it at the end of CR, I was hoping it would feature more in QoS. And while I share others' disappointment in not getting the gunbarrel track (yes, dammit, the gunbarrel is ridiculously important to some of us!), I didn't have my hopes up. The original STs have usually omitted it--the fact that it was added to several of the expanded remasters from the 60s/70s is an enduring joy for me.

[mister-white]

Giving it my first real listen through right now, have to say, disappointed, where's the Bond theme? Probably another Forster cut. Plus, I lost confidence in David Arnold as a good Bond composer when I heard the gun barrel in TWINE. Still think he should have been a one score composer.

[HildebrandRarity]

Arnold's score for QUANTUM OF SOLACE is his most subtle and sophisticated work for Bond yet. It's a terrific score, and probably the best non-Barry Bond score (and this comes from a fella who was calling for Arnold's dismissal not too long ago... Arnold really won me over).

But is there a single thread of a melody linking everything together...A 'Quantum Theme' or a 'Solace Theme' anywhere?

Is there something in "Field Trip" or "No Interest In Dominic Greene" that gets expanded, for instance?

[gkgyver]

Well, no. Simple answer.

May be the first non-thematic score since GoldenEye. And even that had a romance theme. You'd really have to go back as far as Dr. No to find something equally non- thematic.

[HildebrandRarity]

I have not bought the soundtrack CD yet (I don't think it's actually out til next week) but having heard it on Youtube, there seems to be a DiamondsAreForever~y 'Quantum Theme' (if you could call it that) in pieces like Field Trip and No Interest In Dominic Greene...but I could be mistaken.

[Harmsway]

I have not bought the soundtrack CD yet (I don't think it's actually out til next week) but having heard it on Youtube, there seems to be a DiamondsAreForever~y 'Quantum Theme' (if you could call it that) in pieces like Field Trip and No Interest In Dominic Greene...but I could be mistaken.

There are small few-note motifs that get woven throughout the score (ala a "Quantum Theme," a "Bond action theme," and some others), but they're not developed into full themes the way, say, "Vesper's Theme" was. They're more restrained and subtle than that.

Indeed, I daresay QUANTUM OF SOLACE is the most thematically subtle Bond score we've ever had. There's a lot of stuff Arnold re-uses throughout the score, it's just not at all in-your-face.

[B. Brown]

Here's my review of the soundtrack, previously posted on Mi6 Forums...


[Potential Spoilers Within Track Listing]

There is part of me that enjoys David Arnold's newest addition to the Bond series. However, there's also a part of me that wishes he'd done things a tad differently. Overall, I think this was Arnold's best attempt at a Bond score.

The first track begins with "Time to Get Out", which begins very dark. At first, you'd think it was very generic Arnold. However, it later explodes into pulsing strings and brass, to make a charged action piece. I can see where he's borrowed from other Bond scores for this one, which made me a bit worried about listening to the rest of the track. However, near half-way, the song sounds, for the most part, original. Very thrilling, and action-packed.

His next track is "The Palio", which makes for a very intense track. I do hear some borrowing and unoriginality for the most part of this song. However, I've heard opinions from others that claim this is a rip-off of a John Powell piece- the main chase theme from The Bourne Ultimatum score. I have all of the Bourne scores, and did a little comparison myself. I really can't hear it. Yeah, I'm sure you could sit there and pick up tiny cues that sound similar... and yeah, they're both action pieces. Other than that, it's not a rip-off. If Arnold ripped-off anyone here, then he ripped-off himself. Music from Die Another Day seems to haunt this score.

"Inside Man" was the first great track from the score. It's just a very stylish and cool theme, and I love the use of the guitar. It's very effective. No complaints with this, or it's clone that shows up later in the score. All I can describe it with is the word "cool."

"Bond in Haiti" is a bit messy, to me. It starts off with some Haitian beats and noises, which worked well. Later on, a guitar comes in, and it just doesn't seem to mix well with the beats. I just don't care for it.

"Somebody Wants To Kill You" is an interesting track. I like the string instruments, and the wood-winds. I didn't care for the brass and that over-powering synth beat that came later in the track. That theme sounds really cheesy and cheap. It sounds like something you'd hear in a xXx action film, other than Bond. I suppose for the rest of this track, I was rather disappointed. The tense strings weren't done well at 1:16. They sound too fake. Later on, we get a bit of musical continuity... or perhaps unoriginality? You decide. It sounds a lot like the airport music from Casino Royale.

Track six, or "Greene and Camille", is nothing too special. It begins like a typical Arnold suspense/dark piece. The wind instrument used in this just doesn't fit. It doesn't seem right. It doesn't sound good to me. I didn't care for that. The rest of this track is nothing special. Sounds a bit like the suspenseful/dark themes from Casino Royale, or Die Another Day. When it comes to re-listening to this score, this'll be a track to skip over.

"Pursuit at Port Au Prince" reeks of Die Another Day. As a matter of fact, the techno/synth action pieces in this track are very much like "Iced, Inc.", from the Die Another Day score. At first, he starts out with this new guitar that he's introduced with this score. It sounds all right. I think it works sometimes, and other times it doesn't. Behind the guitar is a bit of brass. However, then we break out to pure techno crap. The techno loops and synth beats sound incredibly terrible. What a disappointment, too, as this chase scene in the film will probably be great. There is a ray of hope at the end of this track, though. The crap ends, and we hear that stylish guitar theme from the "Inside Man" track. Very Bondian. It's accompanied by some strings and a faint drum beat. It works great at the end. I suppose you could say this track isn't 100% crap.

"No Interest in Dominic Greene" opens up with an interesting tune. Dark and subtle, and I enjoy it. The rest of the track includes winds, brass, and of course, some synth effects. It's not a bad track, yet it's nothing special.

I can't really understand how everyone enjoys "Night at the Opera". I'll give Arnold points for originality. Other than that, it's really not anything special, either. Mixed with the film, I'm sure it'll be great though. The strings are a nice touch, though. I enjoy them in this track.

"Restrict Bond's Movements" doesn't offer too much. It seems as this is simply a track to mix with events in the film. Looking at it from that perspective, I think it'll fit well, given that the scene is fit for the track.

"Talamone" is a favorite of mine from this score. It's like an Italian version of the film's main theme, and I think it'll work well. The track is very short, and seems as if it's meant for a small travel/transition scene. I think it'll work great.

"What's Keeping You Awake" doesn't offer too much, musically. We do get to hear the return of Vesper's theme, though. It's good that Arnold's keeping up with the musical continuity.

Meant to be another, I believe, transition track, "Boloivian Taxi Ride" offers a very subtle South American version of the Bond theme. All of the beats and strings work well. No major complaints here.

Yet another very short track, "Field Trip" offers a quality version of the Bond theme. It's quite sylish, and I almost want to say that it's quite Barry-esque towards the end. No techno/synth effects here. All in all, pretty well done.

I smell, or rather hear, Die Another Day once again in the following track. "Forgive Yourself" opens up with some synth effects that take me back to "Iced, Inc." Later on, we hear some piano, and more synth noises. The track doesn't offer much.

"DC3" includes some subtle sounds at the beginning, and later breaks out into a synth beat/brass mixture. Once again, I'm taken back to the sounds of Die Another Day. The guitar in the background makes for a good musical effect, though.

"Target Terminated" takes me to the final pieces of music used in Die Another Day. Are we noticing a pattern here? I sure am. Thanks to the wonderful iTunes program, I'm able to hop away from this track, to the Die Another Day score in another playlist, to parallel the tracks. Very similar, in my opinion. Overall, in this track, there's too much techno for my taste. I don't care for it too much.

In a way, "Camille's Story" takes me back to Michael Kamen's Licence To Kill, for some reason. I really enjoy the strings used here, and the guitar... or is that a mandolin? It's most likely David Arnold's keyboard. However, it makes for a nice theme, and "Vesper's Theme" is hinted at the very end of the song, with a short piano bit.

"Oil Fields" includes a nice Bond theme, recycled from "The Vanish". Of course, that track is from Arnold's expanded score for... you guessed it: Die Another Day. It's actually good to hear this theme being re-used though, and low on the techno sounds. It works well in this track.

"Have You Ever Killed Someone" brings back the opening theme from "Jinx Jordan", and a major theme from Die Another Day. Of course, it's re-worked a tad, but any avid Bond score listener with the right ear can figure this out. After this, it breaks into some drums, which work well, I think. We start hearing this major guitar that keeps showing up in the score. That works well, too. Brass is introduced, also.

"Perla De Las Dunas" has its ups and downs. It's the longest track from the score, and contains quite a bit of music. It opens up with some subtle themes, which are done well. We hear the guitar come into play, along with some brass. This also works well. At 2:40, my favorite piece of the song plays out. This brass theme really reminds me of a John Barry piece... I see it as a modern day version of the chase music used in "Battle at Piz Gloria", from the On Her Majesty's Secret Service soundtrack. I REALLY enjoy this theme, and it's a shame that it only has a short running time in this track. After this, we get some typical Arnold music. Synth effects, which sounds too much like the music used at the end of Die Another Day.

"The Dead Don't Care About Vengeance" starts to conclude this soundtrack. Again, we hear the very stylish guitar theme that began in the "Inside Man" track, along with some Bondian beats that can be heard in the back ground. It's a very stylish theme that helps to end this score.

Finally, "I Never Left" leaves us with a very sympathetic and affectionate track. "Vesper's Theme" returns for a moment and the soundtrack ends. Well, actually, it leaves us with that Keys/White mess of a Bond theme, which I won't bother going into.

Final thoughts:
This soundtrack shows us that Arnold is attempting something new... for the time being, at least. The introduction of a very bold guitar was something I enjoyed about this score. Actually, it made some of the tracks seem plain-old cool. However, as I clearly pointed out, Arnold needs to work on his originality. Much of this score seemed to borrow from Die Another Day. In a way, this is alright, considering that he's giving some decent themes another chance. On the other hand, it shows that he'd rather return to another score, scrape some themes from it, and then re-work it into the new score. If I listen to my favorite Bond score, You Only Live Twice, I don't hear John Barry doing this. In other words, I think there are a lot of improvements to be made in David Arnold's music.

Do I want Arnold back? Well, I think the Bond producers have pretty much decided that he'll be the Bond music man for a while now. However, I'm actually interested in hearing his next Bond score. He took a new direction, and a step ahead with this score, in a way, despite some unoriginality... so, perhaps with the next score, he'll improve, and take another new and refreshing approach to the James Bond score. I was glad to hear Arnold use more than one theme, though he may have been forced. We were given Vesper's Theme, along with the Quantum theme, and of course Bond's theme.

Is the score brilliant? By no means.

Is it better than his previous works? Perhaps.

I enjoyed it a lot more than Casino Royale and The World Is Not Enough. Though he borrowed much from Die Another Day, it was good to hear it being worked in a better manner. So, you could say I like it more than that score, too.

In summary, I'm going out on a limb here and saying this is Arnold's best Bond score. No, we don't hear much of the Bond theme, and yes, he still uses his synth crap. However, I hold it higher than Tomorrow Never Dies because it isn't as pumped with synth, and contains more stylish themes and melodies.

This is Arnold's beginning of redemption, for me. I hope he really makes some great music for the next film, while staying away from synth and keeping things original.

We shall see...

Ranking:

Quantum of Solace ::: 6/10
Tomorrow Never Dies ::: 4.5/10
Die Another Day ::: 3.5/10
The World Is Not Enough ::: 2/10
Casino Royale ::: 1.5/10

[deth]

wow man... harsh on the previous ones. 1.5/10... really?

[B. Brown]

Yeah. The CR soundtrack doesn't offer much to me. And it wasn't the change I was looking for, which also left me severely disappointed. I was hoping for more. It seems like most of the soundtrack is filler stuff, and I hardly go back to it for a listen.

Though, "Blunt Instrument" was badass.

[Mr_Wint]

Nice review B. Brown

I don't agree with you, but Arnold's QOS score has grown on me. I now realize that the themes are there... you just have to listen to it over and over again until you notice. Still think that the thematic material is very weak and TWINE is still his best score, IMO.

I like the actiontheme that start around 2:15 in "Time to get out" (it is quoted again around 2:05 in "Somebody Wants to kill you").

[Cloned]

Nice review B. Brown

I don't agree with you, but Arnold's QOS score has grown on me. I now realize that the themes are there... you just have to listen to it over and over again until you notice. Still think that the thematic material is very weak and TWINE is still his best score, IMO.

I like the actiontheme that start around 2:15 in "Time to get out" (it is quoted again around 2:05 in "Somebody Wants to kill you").

TND was his most stylish, and brought back the Bond theme after Serra's hesitation to use it. It had a central theme you could identify with, and Arnold basically had every type of scene in the movie that he wanted to score.

TWINE was probably his most thematically accomplished score, interweaving the traditional Bond theme (almost to overuse), the title theme, Elektra's theme, and his "Pipeline" theme. To be honest, I think TWINE contained Arnold's best extended action cues.

DAD was a patchwork of TWINE-styled themes combined with some new elements. DAD actually had a lot of thematic elements throughout the score, but I thought it lacked coherence - there wasn't a resonating theme. This is where his longer action cues started to lose focus and become scattered.

CR was Arnold's re-invention, moving away from the overuse of the Bond theme and crafting several elegant pieces, notably Vesper's theme and his use of the YKMN motif in various ways. It was fresh, and I thought it was pretty good. Still, the longer action cues get a bit repetitive and, again, lack coherence and unity.

QoS is probably Arnold's most ambitious Bond score, combining completely new ideas, instruments, and arrangements. He still re-uses some of his old themes (you can hear Pipeline and a bit of DAD and CR scattered around), but I think it he utilizes them better here. It does have a core theme, and some other smaller elements that give the score some unity. His long action cues are improving, and I agree with whoever said that this is most subtle Bond score. There's a lot of stuff underneath, and while the themes aren't as memorable as, say, Vesper's theme from CR, they still make for great listening.

Edited by Cloned, 25 October 2008 - 04:11 AM.

[B. Brown]

I put DAD higher than some of the others because it fit best with the film.

The techno/synth stuff worked perfectly for the film it was associated with.


TND's score worked great with the film, also.

I find TWINE and CR to be very bland, and I don't think they offer much. Rather boring, actually. I hardly go back to them for a listen... well, I hardly go back to most of Arnold's stuff.

However, I find the QoS score to be very easy to go back to. I think it offers quite a bit, and I enjoy it.

[gkgyver]

Does anyone else find the Diamonds Are Forever feel of "Field Trip" rather cool?
It kind of transports me into the African desert, when the dentist gets killed.

[Glockenspiel]

I've got the CD now (I just bought it 2 hours ago).
Do you know if the track number 2 called "the palio" can be heard in the movie before the titles, or not?
Thank you for your answer...

I've got too "the Best of Bond... James Bond" CD.
And sorry, but the track called "James Bond theme" by John Arnold is actually not a film track at all... It's just a very bad (imo) "modern" version of the James Bond theme.
Finally, there's no interest (imo, once again) to buy this CD.
"You know my name" is the same version as the Chris Cornell's album version we know, but not the film version.
"DAD" is the album version (with the long ending, which is not in the film).
"Goldeneye", however, is more or less the film version, with the short ending (as featured in the movie). Actually, it's the single version which could be heard on the 2 tracks CD sold in 1995.
And... that's all.

[deth]

Does anyone else find the Diamonds Are Forever feel of "Field Trip" rather cool?
It kind of transports me into the African desert, when the dentist gets killed.

True, it does kind of have that feel doesn't it! I find the second half also has a really strong Goldfinger vibe to it.

[DamnCoffee]

Does anyone else find the Diamonds Are Forever feel of "Field Trip" rather cool?
It kind of transports me into the African desert, when the dentist gets killed.

True, it does kind of have that feel doesn't it! I find the second half also has a really strong Goldfinger vibe to it.

I agree with both points, It really does have a real old school, early Connery vibe to it. That's what I love about it - It's playful and fresh. That's why it's probably one of my favourite tracks on the soundtrack.

[Arbogast777]

Does anybody have any idea how much of this soundtrack is in film order??? To start I'd assume AWTD should be track 2, and Oil Fields seems like it is in the wrong place, other than that... ?

[The Dove]

Dammit..my local Target did not have the QoS soundtrack!! Ahh never mind, I can still pick it up at another store after my dentist appointment this afternoon. At least my trip to Target wasn't totally wasted this morning.. I was able to get The Cure's new album, 4:13 Dream.

[Johnboy007]

I picked up the only copy my campus bookstore had out. The cashier cheerfully joked, "I just put this out!"



Good stuff so far. David Arnold has delivered another excellent soundtrack.

[Harry Fawkes]

Oh yes. David Arnold has most certainly outdone himself this time. I love it. Two thumbs up! Great music. Haunting and passionate! Mind you I could have done with the Gunbarrel theme. I can never get enough of that!

Well done David!

[Navy007Fan]

I like this soundtrack!!!! Just enough of the Bond theme to make it interesting, but not overused. One thing, the order of tracks in the US iTunes store for this is different from the UK's (i.e. AWTD is the first track on the US version while it's last in the UK version). Any idea why?

[Arbogast777]

One thing, the order of tracks in the US iTunes store for this is different from the UK's (i.e. AWTD is the first track on the US version while it's last in the UK version). Any idea why?

Really!? I got the U.S. version and AWTD is track 24. One thing I DID notice was that AWTD is a slightly different version than I've heard before. I wonder how it compares to the U.K. version

[jaguar007]

I picked it up and am listening to it right now. Honestly it is hard for me to judge the music until I see how it is used in the movie.

[DCI_director]

Just bought QOS soundtrack and I have to say I'm very disappointed. To me, I was listening to a soundtrack to another movie and not a Bond movie. The "vesper" theme was cool in parts and Night at the Opera reminded me of Space March - it was very John Barry sounding to me. Made me think of the early Bond movies. For me, Tomorrow Never Dies was the perfect Bond score that David Arnold did. I enjoyed TWINE, even though I thought there was a bit to much techno and I enjoyed only SOME tracks of DAD and CR (I wasen't to impressed with that score overall either, but it had it's moments), but this one just seemed, well, down right boring to me. The action music I normally love, but this time I was just waiting for them to be over. I never thought I would say this, but I think I'm just going to put this soundtrack away and not listen to it again. Sad, because I love listening to Bond scores, but I'm just going to have to put this one away and hope that I enjoy Bond 23's score better.

[Qwerty]

Got mine today.

If only "Time To Get Out" was about 6 minutes longer!

[The Dove]

Finally was able to get my hands on a copy of the soundtrack at Borders this afternoon...my verdict? .......Absolutely brilliant soundtrack!! Arnold has taken his work forward in a logical progression from Casino Royale and has got some really interesting and mysterious themes woven into the score..i.e. A Night At The Opera.

[Gobi-1]

Count me as one of the people disappointed with the score. It's a huge let down after Arnold's score for CR. I agree with the previous comment that the score is disjointed and lacks a major theme. Small parts are more impressive then the whole. The action music is far too similar to TWINE and DAD except not quite so much techno. The heavy emphasis on percussion is welcomed but Arnold over does it and literally beats you senseless with it. To misquote a cliche about forest and trees I couldn't hear the music through the instruments. I was begging for some old fashion brass and strings and the James Bond theme in all it's glory.

The best of the soundtrack were the short cues. Inside Man, Bond In Haiti, Talamone, Bolivian Taxi Ride, Field Trip, I Never Left.

Overall I consider this to be a decent score but I think I have to rank it at the bottom of Arnold's five scores. I'm hoping it grows on me.

[gkgyver]

Well, in general, what I find a bit dissapointing with every Bond score since the Brosnan era is that they made the slight but noticable move from popular soundtracks to pure score.
It was always nice that you could play a Bond soundtrack to friends and family, and they would say "this is good music".

But in recent years, you play it, they get a bit bored and they would say "well, it's a score".
Not that Arnold was any worse, musically, than John Barry, but Barry was better at saying a lot with not so many notes, played at the right time.

I would say the last time we had such an universally appealing Bond score was The Living Daylights, ironically the last Barry. Licence To Kill lacked the zing, GoldenEye you couldn't possibly impose on anyone, and Tomorrow Never Dies made the final step.