Music in SPECTRE

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Comments

  • Posts: 11,425
    I always find Newman's scores slightly soporiphic.
  • AceHoleAceHole Belgium, via Britain
    Posts: 1,731
    Getafix wrote: »
    I always find Newman's scores slightly soporiphic.

    That's putting it mildy. Newman should be a patron of the International Insomniac-relief Association, if you ask me...
  • Posts: 11,425
    AceHole wrote: »
    Getafix wrote: »
    I always find Newman's scores slightly soporiphic.

    That's putting it mildy. Newman should be a patron of the International Insomniac-relief Association, if you ask me...

    I was trying not to be too harsh.

    I just find his scores so polite and unexciting. There's absolutely zero adrenalin in his music - like it's been stripped of character and personality. It's like the musical equivalent of prozac or magnolia paint. It just sort of blands everything down to a rather dull evenness.

  • dominicgreenedominicgreene The Eternal QOS Defender
    Posts: 1,756
    I would like to see some guitar (metal influence?) on parts of the soundtrack. I think that would suit Daniel's Bond, and it really gets you pumped up.
  • edited April 2015 Posts: 501
    I believe Newman is one of the best composers out there. Not too melodic or symphonic sometimes, but brilliant. His scores always match what we're watching perfectly. Just remember some of his work. Some of his better work. Including Grand Bazaar, Istambul from Skyfall



    Or his American Beauty score



    Or Road to Perdition



    Or The Green Mile



    Or Shawshank Redemption



    Or, more recently, Saving Mr. Banks




    He's not John Barry, but no one is. He certainly is much better than David Arnold, Bill Conti, or Eric Serra.

    P.S. this is not an April's fool's day joke. I'm still not used to this tradition, for we don't have it in Spain.
  • AceHoleAceHole Belgium, via Britain
    edited April 2015 Posts: 1,731
    I would like to see some guitar (metal influence?) on parts of the soundtrack. I think that would suit Daniel's Bond, and it really gets you pumped up.

    Agreed. Electric guitar would be far more suited to the current 007 incarnation than the synth/electronic cues which have tainted the soundtracks since the 90's, in my opinion.

    Someone like Johnny Marr or Kirk Hammet would add a much needed sonic edge to Craig’s Bond.
  • edited April 2015 Posts: 164
    0iker0 wrote: »
    Some of his better work. Including Grand Bazaar, Istambul from Skyfall



    I like this one as well, although it pretty much sounds like what John Powell did on Bourne. Skyfall in general did at times, I'm surprised people didn't mention this.

    Here's another.


    I don't agree on the part where you said he's better than David Arnold, though. At least not for Bond. I think CR and QOS are two of the best scores in the franchise. They have the perfect balance of classic and modern with some very memorable themes and melodies.
  • edited April 2015 Posts: 11,425
    The American Beauty score is the only Newman score that stands out for me as really adding something significant to the film. His ethereal, other-worldy sound (which all too often just comes across as dull) fits the film very well and enhances it. The main theme is of course also very memorable. I have no doubt it played a large part in the critical success of that film, and Mendes' Oscar.
  • Posts: 501
    0iker0 wrote: »
    Some of his better work. Including Grand Bazaar, Istambul from Skyfall



    I like this one as well, although it pretty much sounds like what John Powell did on Bourne. Skyfall in general did at times, I'm surprised people didn't mention this.

    Here's another.


    I don't agree on the part where you said he's better than David Arnold, though. At least not for Bond. I think CR and QOS are two of the best scores in the franchise. They have the perfect balance of classic and modern with some very memorable themes and melodies.

    And Tennyson and Enquiry, which one should listen to always in a row. For me, they're one.

  • I don't get the negativity surrounding Newman's score for SF. Everyone is entitled to their opinion of course but the score has some great pièces. Shes' Mine from SF is one of my favourite pieces from any score in the Daniel Craig era.

    Its a great action piece and fits perfectly with the onscreen action.

  • SirHilaryBraySirHilaryBray Scotland
    edited April 2015 Posts: 2,138
    Has anyone noticed this. In QOS when Bond is in Haiti, after taking care of Mr. Slate he leaves the hotel, Camille drives up in the hidious gold Ford KA and tells Bond to get in. Arnold's music on top and the subsequent shots of the car moving around the streets. The film appears to stop for a minute and you are now watching a TV advert for the Ford KA. It's such a blatantly conceived piece of film and music to give that impression. Apart from that I can not critique Arnold. In Skyfall during the Shanghai scenes when Bond holds on to the elevator under carriage. The scene is very similar to the one in The Dark Knight china scene which only came a short time before it. I thought it would be best to the distance the memory of this so it did not look like art imitating art. Instead Newman choose Sticatto Bass Cello and Brass similar to Zimmers Batman soundtrack which only reminds the viewer further that we have just seen this in Batman. Apart from that I have no problem with Newman either.
  • dominicgreenedominicgreene The Eternal QOS Defender
    Posts: 1,756
    AceHole wrote: »
    I would like to see some guitar (metal influence?) on parts of the soundtrack. I think that would suit Daniel's Bond, and it really gets you pumped up.

    Agreed. Electric guitar would be far more suited to the current 007 incarnation than the synth/electronic cues which have tainted the soundtracks since the 90's, in my opinion.

    Someone like Johnny Marr or Kirk Hammet would add a much needed sonic edge to Craig’s Bond.

    Completed agreed as well. Those guys are amazing on the guitar, it would add so much to the soundtrack.
  • AceHoleAceHole Belgium, via Britain
    Posts: 1,731
    AceHole wrote: »
    I would like to see some guitar (metal influence?) on parts of the soundtrack. I think that would suit Daniel's Bond, and it really gets you pumped up.

    Agreed. Electric guitar would be far more suited to the current 007 incarnation than the synth/electronic cues which have tainted the soundtracks since the 90's, in my opinion.

    Someone like Johnny Marr or Kirk Hammet would add a much needed sonic edge to Craig’s Bond.

    Completed agreed as well. Those guys are amazing on the guitar, it would add so much to the soundtrack.

    Johnny Marr worked with Hans Zimmer on the 'Inception' score, so I see no reason why a similar collaboration shouldn't be possible between Howard Shore and someone like Marr, Hammet or even Jeff Beck...
  • dominicgreenedominicgreene The Eternal QOS Defender
    Posts: 1,756
    AceHole wrote: »
    AceHole wrote: »
    I would like to see some guitar (metal influence?) on parts of the soundtrack. I think that would suit Daniel's Bond, and it really gets you pumped up.

    Agreed. Electric guitar would be far more suited to the current 007 incarnation than the synth/electronic cues which have tainted the soundtracks since the 90's, in my opinion.

    Someone like Johnny Marr or Kirk Hammet would add a much needed sonic edge to Craig’s Bond.

    Completed agreed as well. Those guys are amazing on the guitar, it would add so much to the soundtrack.

    Johnny Marr worked with Hans Zimmer on the 'Inception' score, so I see no reason why a similar collaboration shouldn't be possible between Howard Shore and someone like Marr, Hammet or even Jeff Beck...

    Can't wait for the mediocre score Newman will give us...
  • Posts: 501
    I still don't get why you think Newman is mediocre.

    Another example from The Shawshank Redemption

    Meet Joe Black
  • Posts: 725
    Getafix wrote: »
    AceHole wrote: »
    Getafix wrote: »
    I always find Newman's scores slightly soporiphic.

    That's putting it mildy. Newman should be a patron of the International Insomniac-relief Association, if you ask me...

    I was trying not to be too harsh.

    I just find his scores so polite and unexciting. There's absolutely zero adrenalin in his music - like it's been stripped of character and personality. It's like the musical equivalent of prozac or magnolia paint. It just sort of blands everything down to a rather dull evenness.

    Yes. Listening to all of his scores here just totally confirms my sense that he is a really bad fit for SP. He writes skillfull background elevator music for dramas. And unlike Horner who can weave memorable melodies into his scores, Newman seems totally incable of that. For me, his music, like Logan's scripts, totally lacks the ballsy swaggering quality a Bond requires. They went back and corrected Logan's weak script. No fix will be possible for what I fear, as some others have posted, will be SP' weak link. He won't kill the film, but he sure won't elevate it.

  • Mark_HazzardMark_Hazzard Classified
    Posts: 127
    Listening to Skyfall I am also not sure whether Newman can deliver an uplifting score. People can all what they want about Arnold, but the man brought some soundtracks that some distinct thematic and Bond sound. Newman delivered something that was kind of bland and boring, too much on the background and forgettable.

    In his defense, the track "Komodo Dragon" was quite intriguing as it incorporated both the Bond theme and Adele's Skyfall. It worked really well with the score. However, someone here on the discussion board said that Newman didn't compose this himself, but it was done by an assistant. Does anyone what the story exactly was? It this is true we can only hope the particular chap is back on board as well.
  • MurdockMurdock The minus world
    Posts: 16,351
    Hopefully Newman will compose all the music this time instead of casually lifting snippets of Arnold's CR score.
  • Posts: 501
    I much prefere Thomas Newman to both Horner and Arnold. It's not that I dislike Arnold and Horner, both of them have done some great work, but Thomas Newman is in another level. Again, he's not John Barry or Williams, but no one is.

    If Newman were not to do the next one, I'd rather have Desplat or Giacchino or even Alberto Iglesias than Arnold or Horner.


    Listening to Skyfall I am also not sure whether Newman can deliver an uplifting score. People can all what they want about Arnold, but the man brought some soundtracks that some distinct thematic and Bond sound. Newman delivered something that was kind of bland and boring, too much on the background and forgettable.

    In his defense, the track "Komodo Dragon" was quite intriguing as it incorporated both the Bond theme and Adele's Skyfall. It worked really well with the score. However, someone here on the discussion board said that Newman didn't compose this himself, but it was done by an assistant. Does anyone what the story exactly was? It this is true we can only hope the particular chap is back on board as well.

    Have you listened to the end titles of the Shawshank Redemption I just put up here?

  • jake24jake24 Sitting at your desk, kissing your lover, eating supper with your familyModerator
    Posts: 10,591
    Murdock wrote: »
    Hopefully Newman will compose all the music this time instead of casually lifting snippets of Arnold's CR score.

    Casually?
  • MurdockMurdock The minus world
    Posts: 16,351
    jake24 wrote: »
    Murdock wrote: »
    Hopefully Newman will compose all the music this time instead of casually lifting snippets of Arnold's CR score.

    Casually?

    Like it wouldn't go unnoticed.
  • jake24jake24 Sitting at your desk, kissing your lover, eating supper with your familyModerator
    edited April 2015 Posts: 10,591
    Murdock wrote: »
    jake24 wrote: »
    Murdock wrote: »
    Hopefully Newman will compose all the music this time instead of casually lifting snippets of Arnold's CR score.

    Casually?

    Like it wouldn't go unnoticed.
    Yet it was explicitly in our faces.
  • MurdockMurdock The minus world
    Posts: 16,351
    jake24 wrote: »
    Murdock wrote: »
    jake24 wrote: »
    Murdock wrote: »
    Hopefully Newman will compose all the music this time instead of casually lifting snippets of Arnold's CR score.

    Casually?

    Like it wouldn't go unnoticed.
    Yet it was explicitly in our faces.

    Exactly, which is why I hope Newman composes all the music this time around. Lifting music from Previous Bond films is pretty lazy.
  • Posts: 501
    Murdock wrote: »
    jake24 wrote: »
    Murdock wrote: »
    jake24 wrote: »
    Murdock wrote: »
    Hopefully Newman will compose all the music this time instead of casually lifting snippets of Arnold's CR score.

    Casually?

    Like it wouldn't go unnoticed.
    Yet it was explicitly in our faces.

    Exactly, which is why I hope Newman composes all the music this time around. Lifting music from Previous Bond films is pretty lazy.

    What did he lift for Skyfall? Bond Theme. Yes, what more? Why do you think he's going to lift Arnold's best score?
  • MurdockMurdock The minus world
    edited April 2015 Posts: 16,351
    0iker0 wrote: »
    Murdock wrote: »
    jake24 wrote: »
    Murdock wrote: »
    jake24 wrote: »
    Murdock wrote: »
    Hopefully Newman will compose all the music this time instead of casually lifting snippets of Arnold's CR score.

    Casually?

    Like it wouldn't go unnoticed.
    Yet it was explicitly in our faces.

    Exactly, which is why I hope Newman composes all the music this time around. Lifting music from Previous Bond films is pretty lazy.

    What did he lift for Skyfall? Bond Theme. Yes, what more? Why do you think he's going to lift Arnold's best score?

    Why couldn't Newman be bothered to do his own arrangements? He too good to rearrange it as the other previous composers? And CR is far from Arnold's Best score. TND is his best score.
  • Posts: 725
    0iker0 wrote: »
    I still don't get why you think Newman is mediocre.
    ....

    I don't think Newman is at all mediocre. He's obviously skilled and he is good with subtle non-intrusive music for dramas. That is no doubt why directors like to use him for films that are mostly dramas. I just think he is a bad fit for an action film like SP, that requires lots more than subtle background music. I have also yet to hear a score of his with a memorable melody.

    What really bothered me after listening to all of the links above to his scores, is that after playing each of them, they all seemed to just run together, and almost sounded like they were all part of the same score. I'm no film music expert, and this is all about taste, but I could hardly differentiate between his scores.
  • edited April 2015 Posts: 501
    Murdock wrote: »
    0iker0 wrote: »
    Murdock wrote: »
    jake24 wrote: »
    Murdock wrote: »
    jake24 wrote: »
    Murdock wrote: »
    Hopefully Newman will compose all the music this time instead of casually lifting snippets of Arnold's CR score.

    Casually?

    Like it wouldn't go unnoticed.
    Yet it was explicitly in our faces.

    Exactly, which is why I hope Newman composes all the music this time around. Lifting music from Previous Bond films is pretty lazy.

    What did he lift for Skyfall? Bond Theme. Yes, what more? Why do you think he's going to lift Arnold's best score?

    Why couldn't Newman be bothered to do his own arrangements? The Bond theme too good for him to rearrange as the other previous composers? And CR is far from Arnold's Best score. TND is his best score.




    It's close but it's not the same arrangements.

    And Casino Royale's score is superb. By far his best. For me, the Arnold-Bond scores go like this: CR, TWINE, QOS, TND and DAD
  • MurdockMurdock The minus world
    Posts: 16,351
    0iker0 wrote: »
    Murdock wrote: »
    0iker0 wrote: »
    Murdock wrote: »
    jake24 wrote: »
    Murdock wrote: »
    jake24 wrote: »
    Murdock wrote: »
    Hopefully Newman will compose all the music this time instead of casually lifting snippets of Arnold's CR score.

    Casually?

    Like it wouldn't go unnoticed.
    Yet it was explicitly in our faces.

    Exactly, which is why I hope Newman composes all the music this time around. Lifting music from Previous Bond films is pretty lazy.

    What did he lift for Skyfall? Bond Theme. Yes, what more? Why do you think he's going to lift Arnold's best score?

    Why couldn't Newman be bothered to do his own arrangements? The Bond theme too good for him to rearrange as the other previous composers? And CR is far from Arnold's Best score. TND is his best score.




    It's close but it's not the same arrangements.

    And Casino Royale's score is superb. By far his best. For me, the Arnold-Bond scores go like this: CR, TWINE, QOS, TND and DAD

    The Soundtrack Version differs from the Film Version. Watch the DB5 reveal. The CR version is used then when the DB5 leaves it turns into the Soundtrack version.
  • DaltonCraig007DaltonCraig007 They say, "Evil prevails when good men fail to act." What they ought to say is, "Evil prevails."
    Posts: 15,713
    Last time I saw SF noticed in the end credits right after 'Monty Norman's Bond theme' that David Arnold was credited for 'The name's Bond... James Bond' from CR. Did they really re-use that version of the theme? I must say it sounded very similar.
  • MurdockMurdock The minus world
    edited April 2015 Posts: 16,351
    Last time I saw SF noticed in the end credits right after 'Monty Norman's Bond theme' that David Arnold was credited for 'The name's Bond... James Bond' from CR. Did they really re-use that version of the theme? I must say it sounded very similar.

    Yes. Arnold's The Name's Bond...James Bond was used twice. Once briefly for the DB5 reveal and the final Scene in M's office and the End Credits.

    Here's the version of Breadcrumbs that plays in the film version.
    http://picosong.com/VNKD/
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