Since 1981 (For Your Eyes Only) I’ve generally managed to go to the opening day of each new Bond film. (Although after the disaster that was Goldeneye I was in no particular hurry to go to Tomorrow Never Dies.)
When Brosnan started, they shifted the normal opening weekend to be on or about my birthday, so now I often have to “adjust†the day I go see the films to coincide with a birthday dinner. Our baby sitter has been sick all last week, so it doesn’t look like I’m even going to get to see Casino Royale on my birthday tomorrow.
In lieu of seeing the film, I did go out an buy the soundtrack so I could listen to it while using my extra time to re-read the original novel. (A novel I haven’t dusted off my bookshelf since 1979.)
What I can’t help noticing is that, while I cheered David Arnold’s brilliant capturing of the John Barry “feel†in the early parts of Tomorrow Never Dies, his work has gotten more and more repetitive in each subsequent film. Now, I’m the first to admit that there’s a lot of repetition in John Barry’s scores, too, but somehow they remain “fresherâ€. This score might well just be more of Die Another Day. It’s enjoyable, but it drifts off into the background, until you get to track 25, The Name is Bond… James Bond and the old John Barry arranged, Monty Norman composed James Bond theme kicks into high gear. It certainly ends the album on a high note.
Unless you bought your album all digital like from the iTunes music store, which has 13(!) bonus tracks not available on the CD, nor are they available for individual purchase.
I’d have to disagree. I thought Tomorrow Never Dies was a terrific score, especially Backseat Driver, Helicopter Ride etc. Subsequent scores used more electronic stuff, and I loved that too, but the exciting tracks were the ones explosive tracks containing grand orchestral cruscendos propelled by urgent drumbeats (Casino is a particular favourite on The World Is Not Enough). With Die Another Day, despite the strange new effects, it did start to feel a little tired.
Casino Royale has taken it all back to the music itself, and the themes are more complex and involving than any of the previous Arnold scores. The more I listen to it, the more I like love it, and I can’t see myself getting tired of it anytime soon. The underuse of the James Bond theme, in anticipation of track 25, is deliberate within the narrative of the film, but the score always sounds distinctively James Bond even without it.
It’s a bummer about iTunes. Of course, I’ve been without iTunes access, but now I will have to seriously consider buying the album a second time.
I’d have to disagree. I thought Tomorrow Never Dies was a terrific score, especially Backseat Driver, Helicopter Ride etc. Subsequent scores used more electronic stuff, and I loved that too, but the exciting tracks were the ones explosive tracks containing grand orchestral cruscendos propelled by urgent drumbeats (Casino is a particular favourite on The World Is Not Enough). With Die Another Day, despite the strange new effects, it did start to feel a little tired.
Casino Royale has taken it all back to the music itself, and the themes are more complex and involving than any of the previous Arnold scores. The more I listen to it, the more I like love it, and I can’t see myself getting tired of it anytime soon. The underuse of the James Bond theme, in anticipation of track 25, is deliberate within the narrative of the film, but the score always sounds distinctively James Bond even without it.
It’s a bummer about iTunes. Of course, I’ve been without iTunes access, but now I will have to seriously consider buying the album a second time.
Ah. Well, having got iTunes back, I have discovered that we don’t get the extended version on the UK iTunes anyway. Given that they have provided me this shiny new MacBook, I feel a bit ashamed of the unprintable adjectives that popped into my head concerning Apple just now.
Ah. Well, having got iTunes back, I have discovered that we don’t get the extended version on the UK iTunes anyway. Given that they have provided me this shiny new MacBook, I feel a bit ashamed of the unprintable adjectives that popped into my head concerning Apple just now.
I really enjoy the TND soundtrack and all of the David Arnold scores.
I think I was halfway through a thought and lost my train of thought when I was writing that. The earlier half of the film (deliberately, I think) was a wonderful homage to the John Barry scores, and then it progressed into the more Arnold-esque style – which I still like a lot – he’s absolutely my second favorite Bond composer. But, what I notice is that, perhaps because it is electronic, the general incidental music of the later part of TND and all of TWINE and DAD have a certain similarity that gets a bit monotonous when listened to back to back.
That was my immediate reaction to the Casino Royale soundtrack also. It’s an enjoyable soundtrack, but a bit of “more of the same” feel to me. I’m still waiting for my chance to see the film, and that could very well impact my appreciation of the music. (Which is one of the unique things about film scores.)
I completely agree that Backseat Driver is great… and I don’t have any Bond soundtrack with a track called “Helicopter Ride”! Could that be something different on the UK version?
“Helicopter Ride” was one of an extra 7 tracks that were released on a 1999 CD featuring all the tracks of the TND soundtrack bar those by Sheryl Crow and Moby, plus a David Arnold interview. These are all from the last part of the film, and they are excellent. I think they hadn’t been recorded when the original CD was released, but I can see why they thought it was worth putting out a second release. Listing here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tomorrow_Never_Dies#1999_Track_Listing
It’s just annoying it didn’t include the title track, to make it the definitive version, and I coud have got rid of the old one.
Not sure if it’s available in the US.
“Helicopter Ride” was one of an extra 7 tracks that were released on a 1999 CD featuring all the tracks of the TND soundtrack bar those by Sheryl Crow and Moby, plus a David Arnold interview. These are all from the last part of the film, and they are excellent. I think they hadn’t been recorded when the original CD was released, but I can see why they thought it was worth putting out a second release. Listing here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tomorrow_Never_Dies#1999_Track_Listing
It’s just annoying it didn’t include the title track, to make it the definitive version, and I coud have got rid of the old one.
Not sure if it’s available in the US.
There’s the disadvantage of buying the soundtracks when the come out and not checking up on them later. Amazon has that one used for $69. That’s a bit much.
I bought all the re-mastered versions that came out a couple years ago – at least the ones that had bonus material. I was most disappointed by the fact that the masters for Moonraker were lost and so no high quality, more tracks re-release ever seems likely on that one. I love the score, but the album was short and lacking lots of key music.
Well, for you lucky Americans who have access to the extra iTunes tracks, you can now order them to correspond to the film, as listed at http://www.davidarnold.com/
Licence: 2 Kills
You Know My Name
Reveal Le Chiffre
Mongoose Vs Snake
Bombers Away
African Rundown
Nothing Sinister
Push Them Overboard
Unauthorised Access
Blunt Instrument
CCTV
Bedside Computer
Solange
Trip Aces
Miami International
Beep Beep Beep Bang
I’m The Money
Aston Montenegro
Dinner Jackets
The Tell
The Inhaler
Stairwell Fight
Vesper
Bond Loses It All
Brother From Langley
Dirty Martini
Bond Wins It All
The End Of An Aston
Prelude To A Beating
The Bad Die Young
Coming Around
I’m Yours
City of Lovers
The Switch
Fall Of A House In Venice
Running To The Elevator
Death Of Vesper
The Bitch Is Dead
The Name’s Bond… James Bond
Well, for you lucky Americans who have access to the extra iTunes tracks, you can now order them to correspond to the film, as listed at http://www.davidarnold.com/
Licence: 2 Kills
You Know My Name
Reveal Le Chiffre
Mongoose Vs Snake
Bombers Away
African Rundown
Nothing Sinister
Push Them Overboard
Unauthorised Access
Blunt Instrument
CCTV
Bedside Computer
Solange
Trip Aces
Miami International
Beep Beep Beep Bang
I’m The Money
Aston Montenegro
Dinner Jackets
The Tell
The Inhaler
Stairwell Fight
Vesper
Bond Loses It All
Brother From Langley
Dirty Martini
Bond Wins It All
The End Of An Aston
Prelude To A Beating
The Bad Die Young
Coming Around
I’m Yours
City of Lovers
The Switch
Fall Of A House In Venice
Running To The Elevator
Death Of Vesper
The Bitch Is Dead
The Name’s Bond… James Bond