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If the gunbarrels were ranked based on image and sound, QoS would have ranked dead last. What's the hurry, really? It both looks and sounds like he needs to go and relieve himself. That is too much 'urgency' for my liking.
DAD I just plainly dislike, even without the gunshot effect. It's a slightly less annoying version of the gunbarrel I ranked last, which I'm sure will soon be revealed... at least I hope so.
Me too. I have become more and more of a nostalgic these last few years. Stuff from the late 90’s and early 2000’s just hit that soft spot for me. They take me back to my early teens.
I know everything (evil laugh).
Musically speaking in DAD vs QOS, I'd give the slight edge to QOS - but only by a whisker - I still find it a little derivative of his rendition from 'The Name Is Bond' in CR (just with a faster tempo and added triangle - which is admittedly nice). The issue I have with DAD is the overloaded DnB style percussion once Bond starts walking and fires. This said I hate the design of both the QOS and SF Gunbarrels with passion - absolutely fuggly... not a fan of that cgi matrix bullet thing in DAD either, but for whatever reason it offends me less as it feels true to the original stylised Maurice Binder gun-barrel.
And in a more general sense, I love of all these anyway. It's the Bond theme, for chrissakes.
I would be willing to bet this gunbarrel music would rise substantially in quite a few people's estimation just by making the percussion less busy.
Coco Chanel famously said: "“Before you leave the house, look in the mirror and take one thing off.”
I would say the same thing about the DAD gunbarrel music.
THE SPY WHO LOVED ME
and
TOMORROW NEVER DIES
The highest ranking achieved by TSWLM was 11th place, and the lowest was 23rd place. There were 7 votes in the tens and 3 in the twenties.
The highest ranking achieved by TND was 6th place, and the lowest was 23rd place. There was 1 vote in the ones, 5 in the tens and 4 in the twenties.
Both films scored a total of 89 points.
I ranked TSWLM in the 18th place. I find it to be more distinctive than quite a few gunbarrel cues that have already been revealed. A few details that I appreciate are the sound of the vamp in the first half, how the cymbal in the second half closely follows the rhythm of the guitar, and the synth chord at the end. This gunbarrel music is typically criticized because, after the gunshot, the music suddenly changes too much in its arrangement, a change that in fact happens right in the middle of the vamp (I wonder if the piece was recorded like that or it was constructed editorially). I've grown used to this quirk, to the point that I even enjoy it, although I acknowledge that, in a certain sense, it's not ideal. I like this gunbarrel music, but I couldn't rank it higher, as other ones are more elegant in their construction, and even more pleasing to the ear.
I ranked TND in the 17th place. Sure, it does away with the typical structure that will always be my favorite, but it's pretty cool in its own way, and as I said in an earlier post, it's good to shake things up occasionally. The high strings playing the vamp sound great, as does the flamboyant rising brass at the end. Ending the gunbarrel music with that is a good touch that leaves you in a state of expectancy.
Have you heard the alternate TND gunbarrel? This was the original version, later changed to the one heard in the film. The arrangement is generally the same, but with a different, simpler harp pattern and without the low horns at the end of each repetition of the vamp. This version has got less original touches than the version heard in the film, but it's possible I prefer it anyway. I like the harp better and the strings sound even cooler here. I think I don't even mind too much the fact that there are no wah-wah trumpets at the end.
https://vocaroo.com/1f5OWBxmGZUl
Tell us what you think about these rankings, and which TND gunbarrel you like better.
The final synth noise at the end of Spy’s is probably my favourite part between the two.
It's one of the most intantly recognisable variations of the gunbarrel but was never keen on that particular instrumentation, coupled with that bubbly-sounding last chord.
TND, on the other hand, is a terrific sounding gunbarrel and by far the best of those featuring that particular cue. Very classy and deserving of the 6th spot.
TND was just a spot higher for me at #10. I’ve got a soft spot for that piece of music, more traditional than Goldeneye for certain, and a wonderful introduction to David Arnold’s work with the series. As far as comparing the original to the alternative, I have to say that I feel the extra strings added to the original version gives it the edge imo, but I do think that alternative piece is quite nice. Maybe they could’ve snuck it into the film in some other place?
I'm not really keen on the way the riff comes in dictated by the gunshot- the vamp gets cut off before its third statement. Feels a little messy.
Speaking of instrumentation differences, the gunbarrel music they used in the film has woodwinds playing along the strings, but the unused one doesn't (at least I don't hear them).
Good observation: it is like in NTTD (albeit more subtle).
I agree it's a bit messy, but I have grown to enjoy the sudden change in the music. It's not unlike Bond himself surprisingly revealing a gun.
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One of the things I like about the TND gunbarrel (albeit one not exclusive to it) is the galloping ride cymbal combined with the bassline. It's so pleasing to the ear, especially at that laid back tempo.
TND is certainly the most classic of Arnold's Brosnan-era instrumentations, but I think he started the trend of using a different section of the Bond theme, and this was later copied by Newman and Zimmer. So Arnold loses points for that.
I understanding your point, but Arnold returned to the classic part for DAD and QOS. I don’t mind him changing it up for two entries, but I do appreciate him returning to a more traditional approach in his later Bond career.
THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH
Highest place achieved was 4th, while lowest place was 24th. It received 2 votes in the ones, 3 votes in the tens and 5 votes in the twenties. It scored a total of 97 points.
I ranked TWINE in 16th place, one spot above the similar-sounding TND. I prefer it slightly to TND because I feel TND, with its purely orchestral arrangement, leaves me yearning a bit more for the traditional gunbarrel structure pioneered by John Barry, whereas TWINE, through the use of synths, succeeds at taking the gunbarrel format that Arnold invented and moving it in a different, more distinctive direction, that makes it feel more like its own thing. I also find the synths used to be tastefully incorporated into the cue.
What about you? How do you feel about TWINE's place in this ranking game?
SPECTRE
The highest place achieved by Spectre was 3rd, while the lowest place was 23rd. It received 2 votes in the ones, 3 votes in the tens and 5 votes in the twenties. It scored a total of 103 points.
I ranked Spectre in 20th place. I definitely prefer it to No Time to Die, because the percussion is much richer. It also wins points for originality, with that extended intro with the altered Bond chords. I also like the synth that precedes the gunshot chords (heard as the Columbia logo fades out). This gunbarrel music might not include the riff, so I can't rank it too high, but it does have a lot of swagger.
What do you think?
I gave NTTD the edge, though. I do like music a little more.....and that the image opens on the PTS.
OCTOPUSSY
Yes, ladies and gentlemen, John Barry has entered the game. The highest place Octopussy received was 10th, while the lowest place was 22nd. This one received 7 votes in the tens, and 3 in the twenties. It scored 108 points.
I ranked it at 11th place. Sure, there are other gunbarrel cues I prefer, but I still love this version's deliberate pace, martial feel and pleasant woodwind/brass/strings melody combined with rich percussion. The arrangement is so pleasing to the ear!
What about you? Does this arrangement do anything for you, or does it leave you cold or indifferent?
My feeling is that, despite many similarities in their arrangements, the slower, heavier gunbarrel music in OP better suits that film's old-fashioned sensibilities, whereas the leaner, faster arrangement in AVTAK better suits that film's slightly more modern and grittier feel (especially considering those San Francisco locations).
Apart from that, I think the OP and TLD arrangements are closer to each other than the OP and AVTAK arrangements. I find the differences between OP and TLD to be more subtle (the louder horns at the beginning and the end being the most noticeable change), whereas the AVTAK gunbarrel, with its lack of tambourine and of strings in the riff, is more clearly distinguishable right off the bat from OP.
But I vastly prefer TLD to all of these as I find its arrangement to be much more polished.