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Music in SPECTRE

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  • AceHoleAceHole Belgium, via Britain
    Posts: 1,731
    If Newman does return (shudder...) then send him the OP & TLD soundtracks to give him an idea of what a modern Bond score needs.
  • MalloryMallory
    Posts: 2,165
    Having now seen the film a third time I really like the soundtrack, and how it blends existing character themes from Skyfall with new character themes for Spectre.

    I also think there's a lot more unity in the soundtrack, with Hinx/Spectre having a piano arrangement that crops up quite a few times.

    However the re-use of action cues is a little lazy. I guess Newman is trying to build his own body of Bond themes and interpretations, so I can't fault him for trying.

    Stand out tracks for me include:

    Los Muertos Vivos Estan (love the Bond theme arrangement in this, just wish the soundtrack had the entire thing).

    Donna Lucia (a lovely, lush romantic theme that is incredibly effective)

    Crows Klinik (love the Hinx theme build up at the beginning followed by the lush strings over the landscape shot of the Hoffler Clinic on the mountain top)

    Silver Wraith (again, lovely suspenseful strings as they approach the crater base)

    Safe House (I love the way the Bond theme kicks in as Bond and Co are driving towards the CNS building. Absolutely spot on).

    Blindfolded (Love the badass first 20 seconds when Bond knocks out the two henchmen). Also the reinterpretation of 'The Moors' from SF as Bond makes his way through the old MI6 building.

    Westminster Bridge (again, the whole thing just screams Bond, and the full theme as they blast up the Thames is excellent.

    Out of Bullets (reprises Madeliene's theme, and again, a lush orchestration that suits the scene perfectly).

    So overall an 8/10. A good refinement of the Skyfall soundtrack, more evolution that revolution.
  • 0iker00iker0
    Posts: 501
    vasilismf wrote: »
    I did not liked the score when I listened the cd, and I made a bad review of it here, mentioning that is partly the same as skyfalls and worse than that, but now that i sw the film i have to admit that it goes well with the movie! Maybe i would like a better music for the action scenes but ok. The score is not that bad if you see the movie first, and then listen to the cd

    This is why I always wait to listen to the score until I watch the film. This.
  • echoecho 007 in New York
    Posts: 6,304
    eddychaput wrote: »
    AntiLocqueBrakes wrote: »
    I didn't think SP uses WOTW (and variations) enough. The music is appropriate…Bond might be on his last leg…its foreboding. The title theme is a great way to keep the story linked. The trick is to repeat the theme in different ways. TLD does a great job with this.

    I second the thought. I miss the days when the Bond score featured various orchestrations of the main theme consistently throughout. Last time that happened was CR. Even before that in TND, TWINE and DAD (although that was a sh*t song, so that wouldn't have been challenging) it didn't happen a whole lot.

    It's in QoS too. Check out the Siena chase when Bond jumps across the balcony and smashes the table.
  • TopGearJB007TopGearJB007
    Posts: 624
    Does anybody know the correct order of the Spectre soundtrack? It would appear it is out of sequence again as it was with Skyfall.

    Thanks
    TGJB
  • Dubble_uh_ohDubble_uh_oh
    Posts: 38
    I hate this score!! The sound of exploding diarrhea from a senior citizen sounds better!! Someone please dig up mr John barry from his grave and and perform cpr!! Moonraker score the absolute best in my honest opinion!!
  • brinkeguthriebrinkeguthrie Piz Gloria
    Posts: 1,400
    Just listened to the entire thing straight thru- boring (again) IMO. Only one -brief- Bond theme fanfare in Westminster Bridge. Otherwise, generic suspense. David Arnold needs to come back. Please.
  • BondJasonBond006BondJasonBond006 on fb and ajb
    Posts: 9,020
    The score is just awful, not as much as Skyfall's but almost.

    But the movie is that spectacularly good, that even Newman's noise can't hurt it.
  • brinkeguthriebrinkeguthrie Piz Gloria
    Posts: 1,400
    I miss the sound of "Surrender," Backseat Driver, and "Company Car" from TND. That is how the Bond music should go IMO
  • GetafixGetafix
    Posts: 11,425
    bondjames wrote: »
    Watched it again.

    Score is excellent. Absolutely superb imho, including the HINX intro/tune.

    However, I really think Newman blew it at the end in the London scenes from MI6 HQ onwards. It was just too loud (like Zimmer in Interstellar) to the extent that it became a little annoying (competing with what was happening on the screen). Apart from the start of the Bond theme (dah dah da da) blaring as Bond pulled out his Walter when trying to take out Blofeld's helicopter, the music seemed too much in this section for me.

    Overall I'm very happy with this score, as an accompaniment the film, but like SF, I won't be buying the soundtrack.

    I came away after second viewing feeling this score lacked any memorable moments and totally agree that much of it was just loud noise. Having said that, it didn't detract from my enjoyment in the way the SF score did. On balance a B-, but better than Serra or early Arnold.
  • twicelivingtwiceliving
    Posts: 3
    I like the music that was used in the scene with Moneypenny in Bond's house, but it is not included in the ost album.
  • dominicgreenedominicgreene The Eternal QOS Defender
    edited November 2015 Posts: 1,756
    Just noticed Los Muertos Vivos Estan is the most viewed single song from a Bond soundtrack, aside from the Bond theme from CR and the opening title themes.

    Not to mention the soundtrack has a ton of views on Youtube as well.
  • bondjamesbondjames You were expecting someone else?
    edited November 2015 Posts: 23,883
    dominicgreene wrote: »
    Just noticed Los Muertos Vivos Estan is the most viewed single song from a Bond soundtrack, aside from the Bond theme from CR and the opening title themes.

    Not to mention the soundtrack has a ton of views on Youtube as well.
    That is surprising in one way (there are so many other tracks in the Bond canon that are infinitely superior) but also not surprising in a way (it's such a brilliant rendition of the Bond theme done in an original and timeless way......and the whole 'sound' stays with you after the film). Arguably Newman's finest hour with Bond.
  • dominicgreenedominicgreene The Eternal QOS Defender
    Posts: 1,756
    bondjames wrote: »
    dominicgreene wrote: »
    Just noticed Los Muertos Vivos Estan is the most viewed single song from a Bond soundtrack, aside from the Bond theme from CR and the opening title themes.

    Not to mention the soundtrack has a ton of views on Youtube as well.
    That is surprising in one way (there are so many other tracks in the Bond canon that are infinitely superior) but also not surprising in a way (it's such a brilliant rendition of the Bond theme done in an original and timeless way......and the whole 'sound' stays with you after the film). Arguably Newman's finest hour with Bond.

    I made a mistake, Capsule in Space is higher. Still, high though
  • suavejmfsuavejmf Harrogate, North Yorkshire, England
    Posts: 5,131
    eddychaput wrote: »
    AntiLocqueBrakes wrote: »
    I didn't think SP uses WOTW (and variations) enough. The music is appropriate…Bond might be on his last leg…its foreboding. The title theme is a great way to keep the story linked. The trick is to repeat the theme in different ways. TLD does a great job with this.

    I second the thought. I miss the days when the Bond score featured various orchestrations of the main theme consistently throughout. Last time that happened was CR. Even before that in TND, TWINE and DAD (although that was a sh*t song, so that wouldn't have been challenging) it didn't happen a whole lot.

    Agreed.
  • echoecho 007 in New York
    Posts: 6,304
    CraigMooreOHMSS wrote: »


    There has been alot of criticism for this soundtrack (from me included) but I have been relistening to it quite a bit so I can go into my third viewing with a bit more focus.

    So far most of the criticisms still stand but I actually think the above track is very good. One of the few occasions where Newman's style stands out but also uses part of the Bond riff to good effect. I really like the piano theme he used here for when Bond and Swann part ways. This is where Newman seems to excel in comparison with his lacklustre action cues.

    I wish he had developed the piano theme more and turned it into Swann's main theme - and used it to harken back to Arnold's Vesper theme. It would have drawn a deeper connection between Bond's love for Vesper and his new relationship with Swann.

    I think it would have been nice for Newman to give a nod to the Vesper theme in one or two places. I also think this film was kind of crying out for a musical reprise of the previous three films, a la Bond's office scene after his resignation in OHMSS. Alas, no.
  • penbrunnerpenbrunner
    Posts: 26
    Murdock wrote: »
    I personally would like a more Barryesque score by Newman. More Bond theme and brass. Less repetitive electronic rhythms.
    Well, the music is a recycling of Skyfall, no doubt.
    The man has no clue in writing Bond music, actually I hoped he would go in the direction of John Barry but, no he repeated his same score.
    It has even the exact the Moors from Skyfall for a scene, a bit pathetic.
    Hope they will chose another composer for Bond 25, someone like danny Elfman, you should hear his first Mission Impossibe score, brilliant!

  • JWESTBROOKJWESTBROOK
    Posts: 5,745
    I fixed the SPECTRE title sequence song:

  • GetafixGetafix
    Posts: 11,425
    I agree a pretty poor score. Not at GE levels of awfulness but very run of the mill.

    I often hear people on here say that contemporary action scoring is just loud noise and after seeing SF I totally understand what they mean. Crashing and banging and incredible volume is my main memory of the SF score.

    Having said that, I found it slightly better than SF in that I wasn't actually sitting in the cinema actively thinking how bad the score is. That is actually a rare occurrence for me and has probably only happened only twice - GE and SF. GE remains the musical low point in the series for me though.
  • bondjamesbondjames You were expecting someone else?
    edited November 2015 Posts: 23,883
    Getafix wrote: »
    I often hear people on here say that contemporary action scoring is just loud noise and after seeing SF I totally understand what they mean. Crashing and banging and incredible volume is my main memory of the SF score.
    I wasn't a fan of the action scoring, but it is pretty much par for the course these days (drone like noise). However, I really did like Newman's slower moments. They sounded very lush & rich to me, and quite Bondian, if not close to Barry's high standards, or even that of Hamlisch or some of the others.
  • GetafixGetafix
    Posts: 11,425
    bondjames wrote: »
    Getafix wrote: »
    I often hear people on here say that contemporary action scoring is just loud noise and after seeing SF I totally understand what they mean. Crashing and banging and incredible volume is my main memory of the SF score.
    I wasn't a fan of the action scoring, but it is pretty much par for the course these days (drone like noise). However, I really did like Newman's slower moments. They sounded very lush & rich to me, and quite Bondian, if not close to Barry's high standards, or even that of Hamlisch or some of the others.

    I haven't analysed it in great depth, but I definitely was less distracted by the score this time than with SF. On balance SP is a better score, but that's starting from a low base IMO.
  • MurdockMurdock The minus world
    Posts: 16,351
    I was distracted by how much music was recycled from Skyfall. And not in a good way. Newman's good with the sweeping romantic stuff like Donna Lucia but not good with the action. Makes me wish EON pulled a GE and got another Composer like John Altman to ghost compose a really Bondian piece of music to throw into some action sequences.
  • dominicgreenedominicgreene The Eternal QOS Defender
    Posts: 1,756
    We need more electric guitars in the scores like "Careless"
  • MurdockMurdock The minus world
    Posts: 16,351
    dominicgreene wrote: »
    We need more electric guitars in the scores like "He's Dangerous"
    Fixed. ;)
  • GetafixGetafix
    Posts: 11,425
    Murdock wrote: »
    I was distracted by how much music was recycled from Skyfall. And not in a good way. Newman's good with the sweeping romantic stuff like Donna Lucia but not good with the action. Makes me wish EON pulled a GE and got another Composer like John Altman to ghost compose a really Bondian piece of music to throw into some action sequences.

    Pull a GE? You mean another contender for worst score ever?
  • MurdockMurdock The minus world
    Posts: 16,351
    Getafix wrote: »
    Murdock wrote: »
    I was distracted by how much music was recycled from Skyfall. And not in a good way. Newman's good with the sweeping romantic stuff like Donna Lucia but not good with the action. Makes me wish EON pulled a GE and got another Composer like John Altman to ghost compose a really Bondian piece of music to throw into some action sequences.

    Pull a GE? You mean another contender for worst score ever?

    No, Eric Serra wrote a piece of music for the Tank Chase that EoN wasn't happy with.


    So they got John Altman to write a piece of music for the Tank Chase instead that was more classical and Bondian.
  • bondjamesbondjames You were expecting someone else?
    Posts: 23,883
    Serra went off the deep end with that tank score. I'm glad they nixed that quite frankly.
  • MurdockMurdock The minus world
    Posts: 16,351
    On the road it's quite fun to listen to but I'm glad it was replaced with Altman's track.
  • DonnyDB5DonnyDB5 Buffalo, New York
    Posts: 1,755
    This is my first time actually weighing in on Thomas Newman's score for the film. I honestly don't know why there was so much hate! I found the score to be thoroughly entertaining. He hits all the right elements, and evokes many different emotions in the soundtrack. There's mystery, suspense, exhilaration, and beauty. I've listened to every track and there was at least one thing I enjoyed about each one. These are my top 3...

    L'Americain: Especially from the 1:20-1:35 mark. The piano combined with the guitar make up the Bond theme & it sounds so smooth; almost even calming. Great musical combination.

    WOTW Instrumental: The instrumental of Sam Smith's song fits in so well in the film, especially during the context of the scene. Again, love the gentle sounding piano towards the end at about the 1:47 mark onward. Gives me goosebumps every time I hear it.

    Detonation: Another awesome track. Love the building suspense throughout, but my favorite part is around 2:50 & on when the downtempo Bond theme plays. Very epic & exciting.

    I thought the score was great. Although it was almost identical to Skyfall in parts I still enjoyed it & thought it suited the film quite well.
  • TheWizardOfIceTheWizardOfIce 'One of the Internet's more toxic individuals'
    Posts: 9,117
    DonnyDB5 wrote: »

    WOTW Instrumental: The instrumental of Sam Smith's song fits in so well in the film, especially during the context of the scene. Again, love the gentle sounding piano towards the end at about the 1:47 mark onward. Gives me goosebumps every time I hear it.

    So in compiling the top 3 tracks from Thomas Newman's SP score you have to resort to a track not even written by Thomas Newman?

    Says it all really.
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