1894 replies to this topic

[THX-007]

I love Newman's score! Second favorite behind Kamen's score for LTK. I really would like Newman to come back and do another.

Me too or at least give another composer a shot instead of just having David Arnold have the monopoly on Bond scores. There are far more interesting composers out there besides Arnold. I really Newman's score because it did something different while at the same time adding brilliant touches of the classic Bond sound.

[x007AceOfSpades]

To be honest, I think the Skyfall is my favorite now, can't stop listening to it! Move over LTK, Skyfall is taking your place!

[THX-007]

To be honest, I think the Skyfall is my favorite now, can't stop listening to it! Move over LTK, Skyfall is taking your place!

While On Her Majesty's Secret Service will always be my favorite, I do rank Thomas Newman's score very highly. Its certainly the best Bond score in a loooong time, possibly the best since Goldeneye

[x007AceOfSpades]

Its certainly the best Bond score in a loooong time, possibly the best since Goldeneye

Agreed!

Hearing it IMAX sound was just amazing! Whether or not Mendes comes back, I hope Newman does.

[THX-007]

Its certainly the best Bond score in a loooong time, possibly the best since Goldeneye

Agreed!

Hearing it IMAX sound was just amazing! Whether or not Mendes comes back, I hope Newman does.

I didn't see in IMAX but I take your word on it. Newman's score accompanied a great theater moment which I've written about in other threads. The reveal of the Aston Martin. I knew it was coming because I saw the photos and the featurettes. When they're outside the garage I knew exactly what was behind it. He opens the door. Darkness. Lights come on. Newman's horns blare and the reveal of the Aston martin. Crowd goes nuts. Bond theme kicks in as the Aston stylishly pulls of the garage and drives away. Great moment.

[MattofSteel]

I continue to be blown away by Newman's work. It's actually - and I'm prepared for the flaming, here - surpassed a few of the Barry scores for me.

[TheHouseholdCat]

Thanks for the reply. That's what I thought. The one review I read of the score made it seem like Arnold actually contributed to the score, but I assumed they just meant his arrangement.

I think the violins on Breadcrumbs definitely had something Newmanish to them.

I continue to be blown away by Newman's work. It's actually - and I'm prepared for the flaming, here - surpassed a few of the Barry scores for me.

Well, what is true about some of the Barry scores is that they didn't quite get me. Something like On Her Majesty's Secret Service is undoubtedly a great piece of art, but some other scores were not that memorable.

Edited by TheHouseholdCat, 11 November 2012 - 05:34 PM.

[MattofSteel]

And for someone who claimed not to do a lot of in-depth listening prior to starting work on the film, Newman's Skyfall score displays a pretty damned in-depth awareness of what makes Bond music Bond music.

[Satorious]

Personally I think a few people were rather quick to dismiss the soundtrack just because it wasn't David Arnold or whatever. Having given it a number of listens now - it has it's layers and depth - moreso than most. This is by far my favourite non-Barry soundtrack. I hope Newman gets the chance to revisit the series again soon. It has an updated feel, at last I feel that Daniel Craig has his a unique Bond voice (even if I did find the theme renditions "by the numbers" and too Arnoldesque).

[MattofSteel]

Yeah...I'm still partial to the Arnold scores out of pure nostalgic value. But Newman's work is the best non-Barry/Arnold contribution in the history of the series.

By far.

[Syndicate]

Anyone here know what is the name of the score that is the very first 12 seconds of the U.S. Skyfall trailer, and it go up to little bit after when M say "You better know what at stake here." It not in the soundtrack, I don't know is it in the movie, since I have not seen it yet. Is It just a score written just for the trailer or a score from some other movie used for the trailer.

I know that The Shark have written a list of scores from the movie that are not on the soundtrack at all. Is it anyone of those, anyone know. I was hoping to rip it off the CD and use it as my new ringtone.

[The Shark]

It just a score written just for the trailer

Bingo.

[DominicGreene]

Yes, that order looks about right to me.

On first showing, my stand-out track is possibly "Tennyson". Works fantastically with the scenes in question.

Agreed. Tennyson sounds awesome. Along with Tennyson my favourites must be,

Komodo Dragon (Love the Skyfall cue)
Severine/Modigliani
Skyfall
Kill Them First
Mother
The Moors
Breadcrumbs
Shanghai Drive
Jellyfish
Deep Water

My least favourite is Silohette. It sounds so generic.

When the Aston Martin is revealed, breadcrumbs plays, you can hear the bongos.

Edited by DominicGreene, 13 November 2012 - 04:44 AM.

[thecasinoroyale]

Ok - time to eat my words.

THanks to the guidance of a helpful chap on the forums, I'm having my first listen to the soundtrack now. And it's winning me over.

It's not loud, proud and crazy - it's tender, emotive and exciting. It's helping me paint a picture of what I saw on screen, and confirms Newman's score is complimenting what we see, not over-shadowing it.

I'm at the moment listening to... "Day Wasted" and the tracks have been beautiful - especially the Shanghai portions. I just can't wait until I get to "The Bloody Shot" to see if that's the track that I love best out of the whole film from the pre-titles.

A brave new world. A brave new film. A brave new score. I certainly didn't give this the time I should have, but glad I am now. Ooh, "Quartermaster" just starting...

[thecasinoroyale]

...and here's "The Bloody Shot".

God, I was getting nervous and tense here at my desk at work - picturing it all in my head: the chase, the fight, the dialogue, the bloody shot...good gravy, it's a great cue!!


The last minute is exceptional and I've never felt more danger from the final 45 seconds of music than this...

[occhile007]

Now that I've seen SkyFall twice in IMAX, and listened the soundtrack for a consecutive 4 days since I obvoiusly am obessed, I will say that Thomas Newman did a damn good score to this movie. It is fresh, classy and plays perfectly with the movie. Sorry to those who said Eric Serra's score to GE was better, but this one has distinictive themes and sets itself way higher than that score. I will say that I'm very glad I did not purchase the score before I saw the movie. It makes the score ten times better. And I do like the fact that David Arnold's James Bond theme was used at the end of the film. Arnold strikes again...haha. My rating of the score...10/10. Better than Arnold? I don't know yet. QOS's soundtrack it tough to beat. Only time will tell...

[MattofSteel]

Serra's GE score doesn't hold a melted wick of a candle to Newman's SF effort.

[The Shark]

Both very fine Bond scores.

[occhile007]

@mattofsteel - "Exceptionally fine shot..."

[Yellow Pinky]

I was never a fan of Serra's GE score, though I can now appreciate it as a bold experiment that has aged considerably better than I ever would have expected. I can now say that I truly enjoy it for its willingness to push the envelope.

I saw SF in IMAX this past weekend and was more than satisfied with Newman's score. I enjoyed it immensely more than any of Arnold's scores, though I am not an Arnold hater.

[Matt_13]

The music fit the imagery. I'm a huge fan.

[quantumofsolace]

den of geek nov 14 2012

By the time the world has stopped singing about Adele's apple crumble, the new Bond score has already been and gone - a fleeting effort with little to make it stick in the mind. Not even a hot pudding. It's a tough job to write the 23rd Bond score. With 22 before you, where's left to go? To his credit, Thomas Newman comes up with an answer. It's just not always a good one.
The whole album's tone is set from the first few bars of the opening number, Grand Bazaar, Istanbul: a brassy chord, full of 007 promise, which then splutters into a load of electric guitar. A taste of Bond, shaken, not stirred, into something else entirely.
From then on, it’s mostly a digital show. Synths push the tracks along, while guitars carry the tune instead of the orchestra. It's the kind of electronic-heavy composition that brings to mind two ominous words: Eric Serra. Fortunately, Sam Mendes' regular collaborator brings more depth to his score than GoldenEye’s disappointing effort.
Grand Bazaar wins points for its native percussion, which keeps the Bond flavour alive, but while it captures the geographical vibe well enough, where’s the tune? Compared to African Rundown, David Arnold’s opening to Casino Royale, it’s surprising how unmemorable this is. The brass section finally turns up near the end, introducing the 007 theme, but the rhythm always seems to take priority over the melody – a trend that continues for a lot of the film.
When Newman was announced as the Skyfall composer, it was obvious that the man behind American Beauty could handle the quieter moments. Tracks such as Voluntary Retirement have gorgeous long phrases, as French Horns hover on the peak of Bond’s iconic three-note riff before uneasily stepping down a semitone. But even that’s over swiftly: one minute in and the electronic instruments arrive again, turning everything into a world of tuned percussion and guitars.
The sound works well enough, particularly on New Digs, which suits the technology theme of the film’s plot; you could listen to that going into work in the morning and feel just like Tanner at MI5. The question is whether that’s what you want from a Bond score. Should it be a John Barry fest, symphonic and tuneful, or should it be something else?
Thomas Newman certainly manages the something else. Heavily building on his work on The Debt, his plucking riffs and dynamic pacing are solid complements to Skyfall’s action. Shanghai Drive’s distorted loops are atmospheric, repeating Voluntary Retirement’s two-chord shift, but it doesn’t feel like 007, or even that distinctive. Jellyfish and Silhouette almost border on Hans Zimmer with their furious low arpeggios, loud timpani, and trumpets jumping minor thirds. But just as things start to become bland, the score gives way to a pretty spell of piano – this is where Newman finally shines through.
That’s the irritating thing about Skyfall. Despite the score’s inconsistencies, there are parts where Newman nails the balance between his own voice and the franchise, delivering on the promise shown in WALL-E’s Rogue Robots or Lemony Snicket’s Hurricane Herman. Day Wasted gives Monty Norman's chord sequence a modern spin, reverberating it round a guitar. Someone Usually Dies lends it a quavering tremor we haven’t heard before. The Bloody Shot (the opening’s other, better, track) boldly holds on one note for 10 seconds as trumpets pile on top of each other in a brilliant crescendo. Brave New World and Severine even offer a brief taste of romance, giving moments to both the harp and the cellos.
All those flourishes come together on Komodo Dragon, the most Bondy track on the album. As Daniel Craig sails into a Shanghai casino, Newman adds swooning strings, brooding brass and a splash of the 007 theme. But what really makes the track work is the way it incorporates an inverted version of Adele’s tune. What Bond scores have always done well is integrate the title song into the mix. Skyfall does it rarely.
The titular 23rd track on the album, where you might expect it most of all, conveys all the loneliness of the Scottish highlands, but seems to have no connection with the rest of the soundtrack at all. That lack of a consistent theme only adds to the jarring atmosphere; those two repeated chords from Voluntary Retirement come back again and again, but it’s not quite enough to hold the score together.
The result is an uneven album that, like the film, is bold enough to take Bond in a new direction. The frustrating thing is that for half of the time, it manages it beautifully. The other half risks becoming forgettable corridor-walking music. And whether you want your 007 music to sound like Barry or not, that’s a slight shame.
As reports circulate of John Logan and Daniel Craig both jumping on board the next 007 outing, it leaves you with one question: who should get the Bond baton next? Newman again? Alexandre Desplat? Alberto Iglesias?

[SecretAgentFan]

The frustrating thing is that for half of the time, it manages it beautifully. The other half risks becoming forgettable corridor-walking music.

The frustrating thing is that "geeks" actually get quoted putting something down as "forgettable corridor-walking music" when it is anything but.

[Skull Kid]

That Den of Geek review pretty much nails my feelings ultimately. I think it is very fair, not overly critical, and somewhat accurate in its conclusions.

I wish there had been more sections like from 2.38 of the bloody shot in skyfall. Action music with a theme, exciting and driving. A one off in this score, despite the many other bits I enjoy.

And Alexandre Desplat would probably never get offered it, but he would be outstanding. The closest modern composer to John Barry for me in terms of aesthetic and mood, and anyone in any doubt of his ability to score a Bond film should listen to his score for Largo Winch. A superb score bristling with multiple themes, romance, and excitement. Anyone interested there's a decent taste of the score here, stick with it though:
We can but hope he will get a chance, although it seems painfully unlikely.

[ggl]

Just for the record.
"Talking" today with David Arnold via twitter (@DavidGArnold), he wrote this:

Those two and D Day Lewis for Lincoln surely best actor nominees and I couldn't choose between them.( I sort of can *cough Phoenix cough* )

@DavidGArnold Sorry if you already had said something, but What do you think of #Skyfall ? IMO Bond fans miss the Arnold touch...

@50_Bond I miss doing it too! Skyfall is great and amazing it's doing so well.v proud of them all.

@DavidGArnold Thanks!! Now that Mendes is not looking... Will you be back in Bond 24??

@50_Bond I would have thought Sam would want to do the next one after the success of this.

@DavidGArnold And that necessarily means Newman will be back?

@50_Bond I would think so. But if they ask of course I'd do it.

@DavidGArnold Thanks, David. A real honor to talk with you. We´ll be expecting you!!

Really nice guy, David Arnold!!

[The Shark]

Personally I find Alexandre Desplat a very dull composer. Doesn't help that the guy's everywhere right now, with an output-per-year comparable to Jerry Goldsmith in the 70s, except with much less colourful music and tied to fewer commercial flops.

Re: LARGO WINCH. The action music there is nothing like John Barry's.

That Den of Geek review mentions Alberto Iglesias. Much better choice. His TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY is one of the finest scores in recent memory.

[x007AceOfSpades]

I agree Shark, Desplat is a very dull, unimaginable composer.

[gkgyver]

Serra's GE score doesn't hold a melted wick of a candle to Newman's SF effort.

I never thought I would say this, but I prefer GoldenEye over Skyfall. At the very least Serra brought something new to the table.

The frustrating thing is that for half of the time, it manages it beautifully. The other half risks becoming forgettable corridor-walking music.

The frustrating thing is that "geeks" actually get quoted putting something down as "forgettable corridor-walking music" when it is anything but.

And who decides what is forgettable corridor walking music and what isn't? What continues to give me headaches is how people are very quick in completely dismissing people that say a score is bad, by claiming nothing can truly be bad, there can only be different tastes, wrong expectations are at fault and so on, while at the same time nobody ever seems to mention that the same can, and should, be said about opinions gushing all over a score. I bet half the people on this forum look at it through a pair of Double-0 glasses and willfully overlook shortcomings.

I for one completely agree with the above review.

Personally I find Alexandre Desplat a very dull composer.

That sentence makes your opinion even less valid in my eyes.

[Skull Kid]

Whilst I agree Desplat is somewhat over-exposed I'm surprised at the negativity about him! I suppose it's to be expected in an era where such luminaries as Gregson- Williams and Zimmer are ruling the roost with their subtle as a sledge hammer approach. Each to their own... The man actually has variety and class about him, and i would throw back that Tinker Tailor is no more inspired or interesting than Desplat's work. That's not a dismissal of the score, i actually like it also, but more a statement that i think it's not far removed from some of Desplat's work. Very similar in places, in fact.

Re: LARGO WINCH. The action music there is nothing like John Barry's

I never said it was! I said Largo Winch proved Desplat can do a spy score, and very well in my opinion. Perhaps it was a bad idea to link a random suite, obviously the full album and the film in context would show it much better. I won't flood this thread with more examples but to make my point again, I think Desplats general mood, use of strings and minor harmonies, texture and feel is the closest modern equivalent to Barry. I don't really jump straight to Barry's action music anyway when i think of him, it's great of course, but it's more the sweeping melodies, interesting and unexpected chord and melody changes etc. Maybe I'm pushing the point, but I'm surprised fans of John Barry are so quick to write off Desplat as dull and boring. Remember how angry everyone got when people did that with Newman? And Desplat is a maestro compared to Newman to be honest.

Sorry for these somewhat inane ramblings- I get passionate about things I like.

[The Shark]

The man actually has variety and class about him, and i would throw back that Tinker Tailor is no more inspired or interesting than Desplat's work. That's not a dismissal of the score, i actually like it also, but more a statement that i think it's not far removed from some of Desplat's work. Very similar in places, in fact.

Any examples?

And Desplat is a maestro compared to Newman to be honest.

Couldn't disagree more -- I find Newman's use of modality, unusual tone colours, influence from jazz harmony, minimalist textures, streamlined approach and dramatic understatement, much more compelling than what Desplat's got to offer (often just a poor man's Philip Glass), and all of which has more in common with the late John Barry -- but I digress.