1894 replies to this topic

[The Shark]

I dont pretend to be a musical expert but what is so bad with Arnold?

His music is overly fussy, messy, melodramatic, soulless, over-orchestrated, needlessly bombastic, dull and too tied to Barry's sound.

[Vauxhall]

I love it so far with New Digs, I assume being the track for his Turkey side trip, being my favorite.

I believe "New Digs" fits in when...

Spoiler

Bond arrives at the MI6 underground bunker for the first time.

[roger no more]

I don't know how other young Bond fans' feeling but to me an old fans I really disappointed , very disappointed by those previews..it can be used for any movies......

Just clicked in a few places to get an idea. I don't want to hear the whole thing until I see the film nor do I want to look at too many track titles. I am very happy with what I hear. I'm a big fan of David Arnold so I was a little worried with the announcement of Thomas Newman. I knew he was a very capable composer but wasn't sure if he'd offer what I personally expected for a 50th Anniversary Bond score. As this is Craig's first "proper" Bond movie (in a sense), it only seemed appropriate that the music would have to follow suit. Newman has laid all my fears to rest. I was worried we'd get a GoldenEye score for the 50th!

..I think it maybe be more worse than that....

[Shrublands]

Well, count me as one who is delighted with this.

I love it - and like it more and more, the more I hear it.

[graric]

In some parts it sounds almost like a progression of some parts of Arnold's QoS score, while being reminiscent of parts of the approach taken by Serra in Goldeneye, while sounding very much like Thomas Newman (looking forward to hearing some creative use of the Bond theme in the full tracks!)

[Rich Douglas]

Love it too...Im not hearing John Barry at all, just Thomas Newman.

And I think thats a great thing! Excited to hear more!

[PPK_19]

I was worried we'd get a GoldenEye score for the 50th!

Nothing wrong with the GoldenEye score! Serra gave the film a very post Cold War feel, loved it.

But obviously we're wanting something different for SF. I have complete faith in Newman.

[junkanoo]

Tangerine Dream's "Love on a Real Train"

Which is itself a rip-off of Steve Reich's Music for 18 Musicians.

Fine. But then don't go down the "original, bold, fresh" path ...because if these are the tracks that Newman wishes to get out there ... I'm underwhelmed.

[The Shark]

Tangerine Dream's "Love on a Real Train"

Which is itself a rip-off of Steve Reich's Music for 18 Musicians.

Fine. But then don't go down the "original, bold, fresh" path ...

I meant for Bond, not film scores in general.

[MattofSteel]

I don't hear a Serra comparison at all, personally. Barring 5-10 excellent minutes of it, Serra's score mostly sounds like one man sitting at a synthesizer playing with beeps and squeaks. Newman's music has depth, real complexity, and understands how to use an orchestra. The only comparison is that they're both "unconventional" as far as Bond scores go and maybe, because they wrap 5 installments of otherwise consistent Arnold, that's why we associate them.

I get more comfortable with the Newman stuff with each listen. I'm definitely coming around. There's just such a new tonal and harmonic approach (that is definitively Newman) which, I think, throws you on first listen. He shifts into major chords in ways Arnold never did. It makes the music uplifting, but also kind of rips you out of the "Bond"-ness of it rather unexpectedly.

It feels like a maturation of the Bond sound, quite frankly.

And it may just be these samples, but Newman has a tendency of using staccato strings heavily (guitar?) to really drive rhythms, even sometimes carry the melody. It's just a weird, distinctive thing he's always done. It adds a consistent sense of, well, almost "whimsy" to the music. Hmm.

[Simon]

Mendesian. New word of the day. I feel like I'm about to start throwing it around a lot.

Made me laugh.

The clips - sounds lovely and splendid. (I am no music expert either) And there were elements of Severine that reminded me of Meet Joe Black. Had to verify it was indeed Newman's work that was reminding me - and, yahoo.

For my part, I love the film MJB, and also very much so the music.

[The Shark]

Serra's score mostly sounds like one man sitting at a synthesizer playing with beeps and squeaks.

If you're gonna rip into Serra's score, at least do it well.

[Simon]

Meet Joe Black track I was being reminded of - in places.

Whisper of a Thrill.

[David_M]

I really like what I hear in the (admittedly short) clips. As for the claims that it doesn't sound "Bondian", well the Craig films have never felt "Bondian" to me anyway, at least not in the traditional sense. As long as they're re-inventing everything anyway, why not go all in?

If the rest of it sounds as good or better than this, it'll be the first soundtrack I've bought since LTK (which was enough to make me quit!).

Edited by David_M, 09 October 2012 - 04:18 PM.

[MattofSteel]

Serra's score mostly sounds like one man sitting at a synthesizer playing with beeps and squeaks.

If you're gonna rip into Serra's score, at least do it well.

Hey now, I sort of qualified it by saying there are 5-10 excellent minutes!

But, if you insist -

The GoldenEye Overture is interesting. Hate the sound - but it's driving, exciting, and unique. Suits the opening extraordinarily well. "We Share the Same Passions" and the "Bond/Natalya on the beach" stuff are both, I'll absolutely concede, brilliance. And "Run Shoot Jump" is a phenomenal action cue that should have been expanded far beyond its limited usage. I'll be generous - we'll call that 10+ very excellent minutes.

And beyond that -

It's forgettable technical garbage, ambient computer-generated noise that attempts to reflect a changed real world but instead sucks all the joy and Bond-ness out of the cinematic universe. It hardly reflects the narrative or compliments the emotions onscreen. It discards everything that's familiar about the James Bond sound in the name of modernization and progressiveness, but ends up submitting a final product that's inferior to the original in virtually every way. There are literally sections which could conceivably be interchanged with a late 1980s pørnographic film score, and the effects would hardly be noticeable. On either product.

Most of it is - from my personal perspective - the antithesis of enjoyable film music.

[junkanoo]

Tangerine Dream's "Love on a Real Train"

Which is itself a rip-off of Steve Reich's Music for 18 Musicians.

Fine. But then don't go down the "original, bold, fresh" path ...

I meant for Bond, not film scores in general.

But it matters if it takes me out of the film and makes me wonder if Bond's going to be sucker-punched by some bat-wielding thugs.



That said, composing is the toughest of crafts. All I'm looking for is for a couple musical tracks that help make the film great and the rest of the tracks to support the film. If we get that, I'll be quite happy.

[MattofSteel]

That said, composing is the toughest of crafts. All I'm looking for is for a couple musical tracks that help make the film great and the rest of the tracks to support the film. If we get that, I'll be quite happy.

Quite. I'd imagine this is sort of like reacting to the otherwise-excellent QOS score if "Somebody Wants to Kill You", "Forgive Yourself", and "Target Terminated" had been the first previews released. Some solid tracks amongst them, but not exactly the highlights.

[Nicolas Suszczyk]

Still want Arnold back, but I'll give my final veredict when I hear the full thing.

[The Shark]

Serra's score mostly sounds like one man sitting at a synthesizer playing with beeps and squeaks.

If you're gonna rip into Serra's score, at least do it well.

Hey now, I sort of qualified it by saying there are 5-10 excellent minutes!

But, if you insist -

The GoldenEye Overture is interesting. Hate the sound - but it's driving, exciting, and unique. Suits the opening extraordinarily well. "We Share the Same Passions" and the "Bond/Natalya on the beach" stuff are both, I'll absolutely concede, brilliance. And "Run Shoot Jump" is a phenomenal action cue that should have been expanded far beyond its limited usage. I'll be generous - we'll call that 10+ very excellent minutes.

The Goldeneye Overture; The Severnaya Suite; We Share The Same Passions; Run, Shoot, And Jump; That's What Keeps You Alone; Whispering Statues; and For Ever, James - adds up to roughly 18 minutes - so I think you're selling it a bit short.

[Navy007Fan]

I like what I have heard so far. But as with any film score, half of how well it works depends on the visual context. Can't wait to see how these tracks marry up with what is going on on the screen!

[JimmyBond]

I really like what I heard. This is so much better than the bit of music we heard in the train clip. Six minutes worth of music and I already feel it's better than Arnold.

[Berni99]

Tony Lewis on twitter:

Tony Lewis ‏@MusicEditorcouk
@Skyfall007Fan @jamesbondbr the bigger cues aren't on this compilation.

[x007AceOfSpades]

It sounds fantastic! Loving it all the way!

[MattofSteel]

Tony Lewis on twitter:

Tony Lewis ‏@MusicEditorcouk
@Skyfall007Fan @jamesbondbr the bigger cues aren't on this compilation.

Exactly. And if you read that conversation history, he's not referring to duration. He's referring to the 'sound', as in, Newman's work is "subdued" (the person's words), but there's more conventionally Bondian music in the score as well. Promising.

[QOS4EVER]

I am just glad that I am not the only one who hates GoldenEye's score

[The Dove]

I am just glad that I am not the only one who hates GoldenEye's score

I too, initially, was not a fan of Goldeneye's score, QOS..but now I have come to love it as time has gone by.. A little something different now and then never hurts and keeps things interesting is my opinion.

Now as regarding our first preview of Newman's soundtrack...simply AWESOME!! Have to say that "New Digs" is my favorite of the three tracks.. as for those who might be worried about no Bond theme or Bond-esque feel to the score, RELAX!! I'm sure there is plenty of Bond theme in the other parts of the score. It's just being saved for when the soundtrack is released...or, if we're lucky, we get some more preview tracks!

[x007AceOfSpades]

I agree Dove.

It seems to have a Newman-esque sound, but it definitely fits in with today's Bond. Either way I love it!

This will most likely become one of my favorite Bond Scores, based on what I've heard so far!

[Mr_Wint]

That preview was somewhat disappointing. Not a good sign.

[FredJB007]

I am just glad that I am not the only one who hates GoldenEye's score

You're not. For me, its the worst of the series. And not even close.

[MattofSteel]

A casual Bond-fan friend of mine (well, call him more than casual, but not hardcore enough to recollect soundtracks) were having a discussion about GoldenEye (the film) recently, specifically, how much we loved it when we were younger. I mentioned how terrible most of the score is, to which he replied, "Really? I don't remember that at all."

So he watched the film again last week. Specifically called me afterward to sarcastically thank me for pointing out the score. "Now I can't watch it and not notice how terrible it is," were his exact words. "What the hell was that guy thinking?"