107 replies to this topic

[Loomis]

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).

Now that a few days have gone by do you still feel this way?

[SecretAgentFan]

After the first listen I was kind of... not overwhelmed. The score seemed clearly made to underscore the images instead of trying to have a stand-alone value as some Barry scores had. Basically, the QOS score represents a presumably tight, fast, high tension film.

And that´s what it is supposed to do, folks.

Once again, it´s expectations that ruin a rounded judgement. If you go in expecting or wanting this score to be a new YOLT or OHMSS or even another CR with its melancholic YKMN theme or the Vesper melody (although both are used very cleverly again) then you will think that QOS comes up short.

But... after listening to it again, knowing now what it is, I began to appreciate the QOS score for what it is. A very subtle and intelligent development of old ideas mixing with new ones without losing the hard impact of the film´s harsh rhythm.

To clear up some misconceptions and prejudices:

- The action themes dominate and there are no melodic pauses!

NOT TRUE. Lots of quietly developing, melodic tracks, building up the tension.

- There is no Bond theme!

NOT TRUE. It is employed again and again but with great taste and subtility.

- Arnold is doing the DAD drum machine stuff again!

NOT TRUE. While the (edited) DAD soundtrack sounded repetitive and overblown (whereas the bootlegged complete soundtrack corrected this), QOS does use the drum machine but in a much more restrained way. It is just one more color, one more instrument and it does not dominate the score.

- There is no real new theme!

NOT TRUE. There are lots of new themes but they don´t jump at you. This is not a score that makes you hum along. This is not a 70´s or 80´s sci-fi score that I as a child loved to play. This is a grown-up, intelligent, multi-layered work. This does not mean that one cannot enjoy it for its visceral impact - you can do this, too. But you have to really listen to it, not just having it play in the background, in order to appreciate its texture and at times (for Bond) revolutionary approach.

So, in the end, I consider the QOS score one of the best in the whole series and, yes, even better than CR which I loved deeply.

[gkgyver]

Hm, well ... I did not expect a new OHMSS or YOLT. I did not even expect another TND. I expected nothing; CR was, in many ways, usual Bond fare, but with a new, sharper contour.
QoS wasn't on my radar at all until I saw the trailer and that little featurette with David Arnold.
What he said sounded intriguing, but still I expected no new Goldfinger or anything.

The score is clearly made to underscore the imagery, yes; of course, it is a film score! But while Barry underscored the imagery, he kept self- contained pieces of music - and that does not automatically mean bold sci-fi themes.
David Arnold writes music that fits the imagery, but it doesn't make people - who aren't specifically film score fans - who walk out of the cinema, pick up the soundtrack for re- evoking the imagery.
For that, the music is too disjointed and dissonant.

The question is, do Bond fans want that? Do we want that Bond scores slip quietly into the Bourne territory, not being able to detach themselves from the film?

I still have to hear the many themes, apart from the YKMN copy and Vesper's piano motif, would you mind giving some examples?

The other question that arises then is: when the themes don't jump out at you, and when music was made to fit the film, then why employ them? When you don't recognise the motif while watching the movie, that contradicts the whole principle of themes, in the Wagnerian sense, that themes are supposed to click with plot points, places or characters.

If the Quantum Of Solace score really is this revolutionary in the Bond series, then the essential question is: aside from the Bond theme, what makes this Bond music different from other orchestral action scores? What defines the new Bond sound?
It can't be the electronics, they were already employed in earlier Arnold 007 scores, although a bit differently I admit.
It can't be the subtle underscore, since this is just what it is, subtle underscore.
It also can't be the brassy outbursts, that reaches back as far as Barry goes.

The solution can't be to remove all characteristic elements and let the generic stand alone.

[coolhandmelo]

Hello Everyone....

Anybody know if there is going to be an expanded edition of this soundtrack with all the cues or is this version of the soundtrack it?

I remember when Casino Royale came out, iTunes had this Deluxe Expanded Edition with all the music cues and extra tracks for download. I was hoping there would be the option with QOS to download the expanded edition or the regular edition but all they have is the "regular" version...

Anyone heard anything?

Thanks!

[Von Hammerstein]

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.

Field Trip sounds very reminiscent of Bond Meets Bambi and Thumper from DAF. So far so good, and Another Way to Die has some flourish that sounds like the fanfare of TMWTGG.

[Harmsway]

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).

Now that a few days have gone by do you still feel this way?

I do.

[Ellis Quarterman]

The Best track is Someone Wants to Kill You, by far
I also like Target Terminated.
You can hear traces of AWTD in Time To Get out and another one that I cant remember the name of. I really liked this soundtrack, Maybe i liked the CR one more though, still brilliant stuff from Arnold.

Take a listen peeps

Edited by Ellis Quarterman, 30 October 2008 - 07:58 PM.

[AZabko007]

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

Really? Different how? If anyone else finds a difference let it be heard here!

[gkgyver]

Quick thought: is it possible that "DC 3" is the gunbarrel?

[DamnCoffee]

No, It isn't. The gunbarrel is a more 'loungy' version of the Bond theme.

[Ellis Quarterman]

Quick thought: is it possible that "DC 3" is the gunbarrel?

I dont think so, I think they'll still use the BOND theme
Also the tracks go in order of the film, DC3 is not at the end

[gkgyver]

Goldfinger's wasn't in film order too!

Just a shot in the dark ...

By the way, I adore the sticker on the CD:

"Featuring the new classic 'ANOTHER WAY TO DIE' performed by JACK WHITE and ALICIA KEYS"
and below, in microscopic print:
"Plus original music by David Arnold"

[Double-Oh Agent]

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.

I completely agree with you on the final two paragraphs Gobi. The short tracks are the best--every time I hear them I wish they would keep going. Ultimately, I rate this as my least favorite of Arnold's scores.

As for the action cues, they aren't exciting enough--or should I say they seem to lack a bit of the 007 style. Then there are a handful of occasions where I really start getting into the music, where I think Arnold is starting to rev up the action cues and beginning to make them exciting and then poof--as with the short cues--they're over.

Of the longer cues, the best ones are Time To Get Out, Pursuit At Port Au Prince, and Oil Fields.

Also, I, like others have said, miss the gunbarrel and the James Bond Theme on the soundtrack. As someone pointed out earlier, Craig supposedly "earned" his Bond theme at the end of Casino Royale, so where is it on the CD other than a handful of notes in a couple of songs? We are talking about a 007 film/soundtrack aren't we? It doesn't have to be plastered everywhere on the CD, but it should be present.

In conclusion, let me be clear. I am a big David Arnold fan who really enjoyed all his other Bond efforts, but his work this time underwhelms me. As a result, I find that Tomorrow Never Dies and The World Is Not Enough easily remain his best.

[JADSTERSDAD]

Well... interesting. VERY interesting.

I was one of the band of the vocal 'haters' of the song and I haven't changed my view after hearing it over the (also disappointing) titles. It's sad but I just wanted the titles to be over. What a contrast to CR where the titles/song gave me the kind of buzz I always had with the pre-credits sequences. Ah well.

At least it wasn't over the end titles! That was the Bond theme plus 'Crawl, End Crawl' by Arnold, performed by FOUR TET. Nice, but strange. If they gave DA the end credits, why didn't he write another song a la Surrender? Or was he not allowed to? The plot thickens....

Also, who's idea was it to put the song at the end of the album? I like to think it was someone's (Arnold, the producers?) idea of a 'hidden message' to the performers. You goofed and this is where your song belongs!

I liked the score very much, although it reflects the film very much in it's concentration on action. The quieter, linking moments though are really interesting and inspired. I just wish the composer had a decent song to work from and incorporate. I know people have said that AWTD is referenced in the score, but I honestly, honestly couldn't tell where. Perhaps because there is zero melody.

Nice use of the Bond theme motifs, Vesper's theme etc. But why, oh why put the gunbarrel at the end? I get it, I suppose. They were looking for another moment to rival the 'Bond, James Bond' one in CR and perhaps felt that - as the film is a direct continuation - it wouldn't work to have it at the beginning. I totally disagree and it needs to be back where it belongs in Bond 23. I somehow sense a lot will change in that next movie. I hope so. Not that I didn't like this one, but it seemed like a) an 'experiment' and CR part two. The rallying cry now has surely to be "we need Daniel Craig's 'Goldfinger'!!'"

[Harmsway]

At least it wasn't over the end titles! That was the Bond theme plus 'Crawl, End Crawl' by Arnold, performed by FOUR TET. Nice, but strange. If they gave DA the end credits, why didn't he write another song a la Surrender? Or was he not allowed to? The plot thickens....

Forster took credit for the choice of end title music in an interview.

[Cruiserweight]

Favorite tracks:
6. Greene & Camille
7. Pursuit At Port Au Prince

[Bond... Raybond]

Having listened to the soundtrack repeatedly since it arrived in the post and now having seen the finished film, am I right in believing that the CD is the entire score (minus source music, gunbarrell and end credits)? I had the score pretty well memorised and was ticking off the tracks in my mind as I watched the film. At first I thought a wonderful light Bond theme arrangement used in the film was not on the album, until I got home and found it on track 19 (Oil Fields).

My impressions of the soundtrack? So far I like it. It doesnt have the immediate thematic style that the CR album had, but it does have some great tracks that stick in my mind. Even more so now that I can place them against their respective scenes from the film. I love the electric guitar in Pursuit at Port-au-Prince. But I have to agree that there are too many short tracks, many of which are better than the longer tracks. Some great arrangements that would be lovely in a longer version.

So can anyone confirm if the album is 'complete'? And does anyone know if the gunbarrell/end credits music is available, or will I have to rip it from the DVD when it arrives in 2009?

[HildebrandRarity]

So can And does anyone know if the gunbarrell/end credits music is available, or will I have to rip it from the DVD when it arrives in 2009?

For those of us who have the cd but have to wait for the film, how does the gunbarrel music sound? Comparable to any two or three others? And what about it's tempo as I hear that the gunbarrel walk by DC is "fast/brisk"?

[shadytreewejustdoredyouract]

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?

Yes. Night at the Opera is the Quantum theme which also appears in Greene and Camille - and will hopefully be reprised when Quantum take centrestage for Bond 23. It's a fantastic theme - up there with Capsule In Space.

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.

Totally. It's really playful. You get the feeling that Arnold feels DC is so bedded in the role now that he can at times be as mischevious as Barry was with Connery in Diamonds. There's a touch of Bond Meets Bambi and Thumper about it as well.

[agent007jb]

Here is my take on the Quantum of Solace soundtrack.

The review of this album has been made possible through the generosity of Chris B., Jennifer F. and everyone at RCA/Jrecords/Sony Music Entertainment.

The four year hiatus between Die Another Day and Casino Royale was a time of much uncertainty for the Bond franchise. Pierce Brosnan had proved bankable, though his films were met with varying degrees of critical acclaim. After completing Die Another Day, rumored bitterness between the Bond star and some of his co-stars ultimately pushed the producers towards a series reboot and what better than with the novel that started it all. The 2006 Martin Campbell directed version of Casino Royale was a critical and commercial success and featured a fresh cast in front of the camera, with a seasoned crew behind it. The franchise was again ready to resume the pattern of releasing a new film every two years. The 2008 film Quantum of Solace would see Daniel Craig resume the role of James Bond with Marc Forster directing and the scoring duties assigned again to British composer David Arnold.

David Arnold began his professional relationship with James Bond on Pierce Brosnan’s second film, Tomorrow Never Dies. Since the films release in 1997 he has been the Bond producer’s composer of choice for all the films released thereafter. Quantum of Solace marks the composer’s fifth consecutive James Bond soundtrack and his “You Only Live Twice” if you were comparing his track record with that of John Barry. Special mention again goes to longtime friend and colleague Nicholas Dodd who has been the orchestrator and conductor on all of David Arnold’s previous scores (both Bond and non Bond). His closeness with Arnold and the similar writing styles they both share is a reason why the scores they work on features such similar music patterns.

The Quantum of Solace album begins immediately with the films score and while a title song has been included this time, its position has been demoted to the final track. With the film still a few weeks away, reviewing this album blind does pose some interesting challenges. It isn’t quite confirmed if there will be a traditional gun barrel opening that is usually overlaid with a few bars of The James Bond Theme. The score album also offers no hints to such an opening and the track titles themselves avoid possible film spoilers (an oversight on the Casino Royale soundtrack) by using generic names. Bond soundtracks in the past usually present the score in chronological order with the film, and one can assume that the same holds true here. “Time To Get Out” starts the score with a soft eerie opening comprised of light strings, horns and subtle ambience. The track picks up quickly and offers a richer soundscape of brass, strings and a subtle six note leitmotif that will be used throughout various parts of the score.

Perhaps one of the biggest problems throughout this score is Arnold’s abrupt shifting between pleasant and fast paced action music. Horror films use the music cliché of quick abrupt high pitched strings whenever the filmmakers try to get a jump out of the audience. Arnold seems to treat his action music like a light switch, turning it on and off when the on screen action calls for it. This isn’t to say that Arnold’s style is bad, however it is something to prepare yourself for if you decide you want to crank up the volume on the albums lovelier romantic cues. “The Palio” remains a good example of Arnold’s light switch technique as this track starts out soft and light but quickly introduces some blaring brass and techno drum effects.

Quantum of Solace offers a handful of short cues sprinkled throughout the album with two ending up being back to back right from the start. “Inside Man” runs just over 30 seconds and features a unique performance on what sounds like an electric guitar playing very subtly a small portion of The James Bond Theme. The echo from the electric guitar does make this observation a bit difficult to pickup, but it is a neat effect and I believe a first for a Bond score. Bond’s visit to Haiti appropriately enough features a very ethnic sounding cue heard in “Bond In Haiti”. This jungle sounding cue uses guitars, percussion and woodwinds to capture the sound of a Caribbean island.

The late Michael Kamen would use a Latin guitar quite frequently in his score for the 1989 film, License To Kill. David Arnold would take a page from his predecessor and use it in the rather fun sounding track “Somebody Wants To Kill You”. A guitar plucks away in the foreground before the tempo of the music picks up by way of brass and hand drums. The cue retains the Caribbean flavor of its predecessor and quite successfully offers a high adrenaline feel.

David Arnold always knows how to write really good string pieces and the very subtle opening of “Greene & Camille” reflects this. A pan flute later accompanies the strings and plays a slight callback to a previous Arnold score, Die Another Day. The track continues to be dark and ominous as some slight percussion elements and brass echo the now frequently heard six note motif. Some very light piano keys can be heard faintly in the background, perhaps linking the score with the yet to be heard title song. “Pursuit at Port au Price” sounds as though it was a companion piece to the previous track with its continued use of synthesizers and eerie strings. Following an echoplexed “howl”, the music picks up its pace by introducing some heavy rock and roll elements into the cue. Drums and electric guitar are prominent layered underneath some heavy brass and techno elements. The Sinking of The Devonshire from Tomorrow Never Dies and Laser Fight from Die Another Day make musical cameos before the track finishes with slight reference to The James Bond Theme.

“No Interest in Dominic Greene” opens with a very nice solo piano (along with some synthesized elements) in a piece of music that sounds as if it was partially inspired by the 2002 James Bond video game, Nightfire. The simplicity of the cue is given some depth as strings and brass enter following a lead-in by the six note motif. Electronic drum loops and real mini hand drums give closure to this slightly suspenseful piece. “Night At The Opera” starts out like an extension from “No Interest In Dominc Greene” with its slight ambience and low horns. David Arnold builds the track slowly by carefully introducing electronic elements first and then layering it with strings, brass and percussion as the electronic ambient music continues to loop in the background. The piece contains some very enjoyable arrangements, especially with the strings and brass both playing the infamous six note motif simultaneously.

“Restrict Bond’s Movements” can best be described as a dramatic piece of music for when the ultimate decision is made to stop Bond in his tracks. Like many of the cues heard so far, the music is subtle with low strings and brass used to carry the piece. “Talamone” is a short track too, but it attempts to pack a lot in that small window of time. The mandolin makes a return appearance for a few brief seconds and David Arnold’s secondary six note motif is heard more noticeably amongst the pleasant strings.

The lovely solo piano theme for Vesper makes a return in “What’s Keeping You Awake”. Arnold does very little to deviate away from the original composition and one can assume that this piece accompanies a scene in the film where there are recollections of Vesper. The themes importance in the previous film makes its return here very welcomed. Hand drums, mandolins and charangos perform an ethnic flavored arrangement of The James Bond Theme that only lasts for about 50 seconds, the entire duration of the track “Bolivian Taxi Ride”.

Interpolations of The James Bond Theme have been sparingly used throughout the score, but with “Field Trip”, Arnold devotes the entire 40 second track to the opening and close bars of the theme. The arrangement is subtle, and the closing portion features a nice jazzy tapping of the cymbals. The very beginning of “Forgive Yourself” features an onoxious combination of techno elements and blaring horns, however for a majority of the track, the music is very subtle with low strings and piano. Towards the end, the Vesper theme is referenced.

The soft gentle pounding of distance drums compliments the echoing pan flute heard in “DC3”. The first 50 seconds of the track continue in this pattern, but just past the midway point, Arnold injects some synthesized drum effects to help give it a bit of peep and the combination works effectively well. Right from the start of “Target Terminate” the music is fast paced and combines techno ambient effects, blaring horns and strings. Seasoned Bond listeners will possibly notice that the track does borrow a lot from The Bunker, which was heard on The World Is Not Enough soundtrack. For the entire four minute duration, the track does not let up once and is non stop action.

Following such a high adrenaline action piece, “Camille’s Story” would spin the music into a 180 degree direction. Vesper’s theme returns as does the pan flute and woodwinds heard in previous tracks. The mandolin also takes front stage with some nice quick finger work. A brassy, splashy Tomorrow Never Dies styled rendition of The James Bond Theme is segmented throughout “Oil Fields”, though a majority of the track is enhanced by some slight synthesized ambience and percussion. Some really awesome percussion and electric guitar work is used creatively in “Have You Ever Killed Someone” which provides a distinctive island sound before closing with the six note motif.

With a runtime of just over eight minutes, “Perla De Las Dunas” is the meatiest track on this CD. Since Tomorrow Never Dies, Arnold has tacked some lengthy cues towards the end of his scores, usually over the finale climatic showdown. These lengthy cues afford Arnold a larger musical canvas for which he develops some strong themes and expands on already established ones. The opening of the track is subtle with a mixture of ambient effects and percussion loops, though some screeching strings quickly kicks the music into overdrive. Electronic techno drum effects lifted from Die Another Day mix with blaring brass horns. A small flute loop imitating a cue from Michael Kamen’s License To Kill score is also heard at the 3:50 mark. The music simmers a bit at 4:30 and only gets carried by some gentle strings, flute and light percussion before gaining a bit of pep to play a few bars of The James Bond Theme. Arnold continues to revisit his Die Another Day score, quoting elements from the Colonel Moon theme in the tail end of “The Dead Don’t Care About Vengeance”. “The Dead Don’t Care About Vengeance” also began on the right foot with some pleasant strings that change abruptly over to electric guitar.

Traditional Bond movies usually always end with James Bond finishing his adventure in the arms of a lovely women and David Arnold knows how to compose some lush romantic string based cues to accompany those endings. If “I Never Left” marks the end of the Quantum of Solace film, Arnold again closes on a romantic note. The Vesper theme makes its final return under an ensemble of strings and lone piano.

Throughout James Bond’s 45 year history, Bond title songs have had a number of unique “firsts”. First female performer, first instrumental, first number one hit, first time not using the films title and now first duet. It was announced that alternative rock composer Jack White was going to pair up with R&B singer Alicia Keyes to perform together the title theme for Quantum of Solace. Like its predecessor, Quantum of Solace does not use the films title as its song title and instead “Another Way To Die” was chosen. Jack White would compose and produce the song without David Arnold’s involvement and the final outcome was a rap, rock and roll song layered with muffled vocals, bad lyrics and a terrible shouting match between its two performers. “Another Way To Die” offers very little by way of how a classic Bond theme should sound, however the brassy orchestral arrangements in the background are a highlight, if not for a few brief moments. The song is certainly not the worst to come out of the music department over at Eon Productions, but that doesn’t mean it’s any more enjoyable than such misfires like The Man With The Golden Gun and Die Another Day. Danny Kleinman is going to have his work cut out for him with this one.

J records (part of Sony Music Entertainment) is contract holder for Alicia Keyes and her involvement would result in the label being primed with releasing David Arnold’s Quantum of Solace score. Another Sony Music Entertainment subsidiary, Sony Classical was responsible for the Casino Royale score and that pressed album offered 74 minutes of orchestral underscore, though rights issues would cause You Know My Name to be omitted. J Records rectifies past mistakes and presents over 55 minutes of David Arnold’s score with the films title theme tacked on at the end. As with any Bond soundtrack (or soundtrack in general), you always have to wonder what music was left off this CD release. With the film still a few weeks away, only a comparison with the album against the finished film will reveal the missing cues. Sony Classical sold bonus tracks from the Casino Royale score, however those tracks were quickly used to make complete score bootlegs that were later sold to music collectors via online services such as eBay. With internet piracy a constant concern, expect bonus content to possibly get nixed for this release. With Quantum of Solace having a runtime of 100 minutes, it does make you wonder exactly how much music was recorded for the film. Regardless of how much music is missing, the 55 minutes of techno/orchestra is adequate for the casual listen.

Cosmetically the soundtrack album borrows from the films final theatrical poster and the overall presentation features a very simple look that is covered with sepia overtone. Praise also goes to the J Records artwork department who opted out of creating a traditional booklet for the liner notes and instead chose to present the album credits on a six page, double sided fold out poster. One side of the “booklet” features the mini “moody” Quantum of Solace theatrical poster. The reverse side features the album credits surrounded by pictures in small circles representing the trademark gun barrel opening dots. The albums credits are informative and should help give clues as to the types of unique instruments David Arnold used in his score. There is however no other information about the film or the music. When properly folded and placed back in the albums jewel case, the films “moody” theatrical poster acts as the soundtrack cover, with a track listing on the reverse side. The track listing is also on the back of the jewel case and this time offers individual track times.

David Arnold has been well represented on CD for his five James Bond soundtracks. Tomorrow Never Dies received two album releases as well as countless bootlegs mastered off the DVD’s isolated score. The World Is Not Enough and Casino Royale had length albums courtesy of MCA and Sony Classical. Die Another Day was however a lackluster release by Warner Bros though a two CD bootleg would offer the complete score. The Quantum of Solace score feels less like a successor to Casino Royale and more so like a musical retelling of Die Another Day. While an enjoyable album, it doesn’t hold up to the level of fulfillment that Tomorrow Never Dies, The World Is Not Enough and Casino Royale offered. While better than Die Another Day, Arnold better be careful of the fine line he is walking and above all else….tone down on the techno.

3 ½ stars.

[GALLAGHER]

I liked the soundtrack as a whole but hated the theme song. It takes an age for anyone to sing and when they do you wish they hadnt, to quote a friend of mine.

[Donovan Mayne-Nicholls]

Why do we need to have the complete James Bond theme on EVERY single soundtrack??

It's not just a question of the complete James Bond theme...
It's just a question of having the opportunity to get the WHOLE score, that's all...
(the CD capacity allows it... so I don't see why, very often, we can get only some cues of the movies soundtracks instead of the complete score).
I see one reason : to create the need of buying 2 CD, the short then the long version!

Having seen QOS twice on the same day and listened to the soundtrack in between screenings, it appears than other than the gun barrel JB theme (which isn't a full length version but just an intro), the score in its entirety is on the CD. The film is short so I'd already considered that for the first time DA's score would fit into an 80 minute disc (all other scores exceed the 90 minute mark). Also, there are quite a few source music tracks that aren't DA's (such as Tosca). I'm attending a third screening tonight (film opens here on Thursday) and as I write I'm listening to the CD to have the score fresh when I see the film but I could say with enough certainty that it's all there which would account for very short tracks making it onto the CD.

[Double-0-7]

Talamone

Beautiful track, nice to hear You Know My Name referenced in there.

yeah, I loved how Arnold pulled that off, very subtle

Very nice indeed! What's Keeping You Awake also sounds very reminiscent of the Casino Royale sountrack.

I have been listening to the soundtrack as background music and have grown used to it. I will have to see how it fits in with the film to pick favorite tracks.

[Donovan Mayne-Nicholls]

After viewing QOS a third time, I'd say all that's missing from DA's score:
1-balcony scene at the party
2-Grand Andean hotel at night
3-Bond and Felix at bar
4-End titles fanfare

[HildebrandRarity]

Ok, so i've been listening to the cd which I bought a week ago...both at home and in the car. Every day for seven days straight.

The following review, however, does a better job than any I could do:

“Time To Get Out” starts the score with a soft eerie opening comprised of light strings, horns and subtle ambience. The track picks up quickly and offers a richer soundscape of brass, strings and a subtle six note leitmotif that will be used throughout various parts of the score.

“The Palio” remains a good example of Arnold’s 'light switch' technique...this track starts out soft and light but quickly introduces some blaring brass and techno drum effects.

“Inside Man” runs just over 30 seconds and features a unique performance on what sounds like an electric guitar playing very subtly a small portion of The James Bond Theme. The echo from the electric guitar does make this observation a bit difficult to pickup, but it is a neat effect and I believe a first for a Bond score.

David Arnold always knows how to write really good string pieces and the very subtle opening of “Greene & Camille” reflects this. A pan flute later accompanies the strings ... The track continues to be dark and ominous as some slight percussion elements and brass echo the now frequently heard six note motif.

“Pursuit at Port au Price” sounds as though it was a companion piece to the previous track with its continued use of synthesizers and eerie strings. Following an echoplexed “howl”, the music picks up its pace by introducing some heavy rock and roll elements into the cue. Drums and electric guitar are prominent layered underneath some heavy brass and techno elements.

“No Interest in Dominic Greene” opens with a very nice solo piano (along with some synthesized elements) in a piece of music that sounds as if it was partially inspired by the 2002 James Bond video game, Nightfire. The simplicity of the cue is given some depth as strings and brass enter following a lead-in by the six note motif. Electronic drum loops and real mini hand drums give closure to this slightly suspenseful piece.

“Night At The Opera” starts out like an extension from “No Interest In Dominc Greene” with its slight ambience and low horns. David Arnold builds the track slowly by carefully introducing electronic elements first and then layering it with strings, brass and percussion as the electronic ambient music continues to loop in the background. The piece contains some very enjoyable arrangements, especially with the strings and brass both playing the infamous six note motif simultaneously.

“Talamone” is a short track too, but it attempts to pack a lot in that small window of time. The mandolin makes a return appearance for a few brief seconds and David Arnold’s secondary six note motif is heard more noticeably amongst the pleasant strings.

The lovely solo piano theme for Vesper makes a return in “What’s Keeping You Awake”. Arnold does very little to deviate away from the original composition and one can assume that this piece accompanies a scene in the film where there are recollections of Vesper.

Interpolations of The James Bond Theme have been sparingly used throughout the score, but with “Field Trip”, Arnold devotes the entire 40 second track to the opening and close bars of the theme. The arrangement is subtle, and the closing portion features a nice jazzy tapping of the cymbals.

The very beginning of “Forgive Yourself” features an onoxious combination of techno elements and blaring horns, however for a majority of the track, the music is very subtle with low strings and piano. Towards the end, the Vesper theme is referenced.

The soft gentle pounding of distance drums compliments the echoing pan flute heard in “DC3”.

Right from the start of “Target Terminate” the music is fast paced and combines techno ambient effects, blaring horns and strings. Seasoned Bond listeners will possibly notice that the track does borrow a lot from The Bunker, which was heard on The World Is Not Enough soundtrack. For the entire four minute duration, the track does not let up once and is non stop action.

Following such a high adrenaline action piece, “Camille’s Story” would spin the music into a 180 degree direction. Vesper’s theme returns as does the pan flute and woodwinds heard in previous tracks. The mandolin also takes front stage with some nice quick finger work.

A brassy, splashy Tomorrow Never Dies styled rendition of The James Bond Theme is segmented throughout “Oil Fields”, though a majority of the track is enhanced by some slight synthesized ambience and percussion.

Some really awesome percussion and electric guitar work is used creatively in “Have You Ever Killed Someone” which provides a distinctive island sound before closing with the six note motif.

With a runtime of just over eight minutes, “Perla De Las Dunas” is the meatiest track on this CD...The opening of the track is subtle with a mixture of ambient effects and percussion loops, though some screeching strings quickly kicks the music into overdrive. Electronic techno drum effects lifted from Die Another Day mix with blaring brass horns. A small flute loop imitating a cue from Michael Kamen’s License To Kill score is also heard at the 3:50 mark. The music simmers a bit at 4:30 and only gets carried by some gentle strings, flute and light percussion before gaining a bit of pep to play a few bars of The James Bond Theme.

Arnold continues to revisit his Die Another Day score, quoting elements from the Colonel Moon theme in the tail end of “The Dead Don’t Care About Vengeance”. “The Dead Don’t Care About Vengeance” also began on the right foot with some pleasant strings that change abruptly over to electric guitar.

“I Never Left” marks the end of Quantum of Solace... The Vesper theme makes its final return under an ensemble of strings and lone piano.

The Quantum of Solace score feels less like a successor to Casino Royale and more so like a musical retelling of Die Another Day. While an enjoyable album, it doesn’t hold up to the level of fulfillment that Tomorrow Never Dies, The World Is Not Enough and Casino Royale offered. While better than Die Another Day, Arnold better be careful of the fine line he is walking and above all else….tone down on the techno.

3 ½ stars.

Some insightful commentary and helpful hints there. Thanks agent007jb!

Very interesting how the very knowledgable reviewer rates TWINE which, in my mind, had some memorable cues like Come In 007 Your Time Is Up/Thames Chase, Welcome To Baku, Elecktra's Theme, Caviar Factory, Submarine and Christmas In Turkey.

Highlights (i.e. the tracks which I keep going back to repeatedly):

1. Time To Get Out
3. Inside Man
7. Pursuit At Port Au Prince
8. No Interest In Dominic Greene / 9. Night At The Opera (esp. 9)
11. Talamone (Remindes me of my summer vacation in Italy this year)
12. What's Keeping You Awake. (A reworking of 'Vesper' from Casino Royale)
14. Field Trip. (A very Diamonds Are Forever~y vibe here)
17. Target Terminated.
18. Camille's Story. (Haunting and emotive mandolin work)
19. Oil Fields.
20. Have You Ever Killed Someone.
22. The Dead Don't Care About Vengence / 21. I Never Left.


Top marks for Night At The Opera (Quantum/Greene's Theme (?)), Camille's Story (A quazi~Solace Theme (?)), Oil Fields (for the James Bond Theme)
and Have You Ever Killed Someone? (for the nice percussion).

As for the five main action cues, I have to narrow it down to three by eliminating The Palio and Perla Da Las Dunas. I prefer Pursuit At Port Au Prince and Target Terminated, then Time To Get Out...but none of them "feel" outstanding really...at least not yet. I guess I have to see the movie first to narrow it down to one, perhaps two. Who knows, I might even choose Palio or Las Dunas depending on how it all fits on screen?

Anyway, those are my impressions after one week of listening. We'll see how it changes in just over a week and a bit.

[00Twelve]

Just really starting to listen to the score, so my early impressions:

"Night at the Opera" is definitely in my top echelon of favorite Arnold tracks.

"Field Trip" fantastically harkens back to 60s cool, and channels the best of Barry's work in DAF (and that is a compliment ).

The inclusion of Vesper's theme is very welcome. I think the piece to be Arnold's best romantic cue, and I'm glad that it haunts this score.

AWTD is growing on me. I found myself humming it today. It won't be a top 5'er, but it's neither a bottom 5'er.

[gkgyver]

I'm seeing the film this Sunday ... at last!

Just like with CR, I'm going to make my own edit of the score. Tracks like "Bond In Haiti" or "Bolivian Taxi Ride" are just completely useless to me.
Why is it that composers need to use those ethnic, local instrumentations? The effect - to Western ears - is so much stronger when you use the classic orchestra setup and add one or two layers of special instruments. Barry did it in Octopussy or Moonraker, and it's much for suitable for Bond.

[Blofeld's Cat]

Randall Larson gives a glowing review over at Music From The Movies.

He concludes his review with....

In Quantum of Solace, David Arnold’s music continues to embody both the propulsive action and the masculine sensuality of the James Bond character; it’s an extremely appealing score which embraces that duality and provides a charismatic intensity that mirrors the essential allure of the 007 character and his ongoing adventures.

I'm getting a woody!

[HildebrandRarity]

Randall Larson gives a glowing review over at Music From The Movies.

He concludes his review with....

In Quantum of Solace, David Arnold’s music continues to embody both the propulsive action and the masculine sensuality of the James Bond character; it’s an extremely appealing score which embraces that duality and provides a charismatic intensity that mirrors the essential allure of the 007 character and his ongoing adventures.

I'm getting a woody!

With eloquence like "propulsive", "masculine sensuality" and "allure" how can your coconuts not over flow with white sticky juice?!

Er, where's Zorin and Dee-Bee!?

[Blofeld's Cat]

Thanks for your input anyway.