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Neil Alcock (The Incredible Suit) questions David Arnold.
Interesting bits:
-CR music was more organic because DA fitted it to DC's physicality and alpha-maleness.
- The Bond theme in CR is hinted at whenever Bond acquired another bit of his typical attributes (winning the Aston, putting on the tux…).
- DA prefers to have the DNA of the score represented in the title song, but admits that's not always possible when the artist insists on not changing the track.
- DA has no interest in a "Shaken and Stirred" album part II.
- DA believes that action movie soundtracks nowadays have to compete with a lot of noise from the other Dolby channels, whereas in John Barry's time it was simple stereo. The new sound recording technology means that music has a different role, accentuating the sound in front of the camera.
- He actually quite likes what Eric Serra has done with the GE score.
- The sound of Le Chiffre's rope touching Bond's "behind" was turned down by half, because censors objected to the excruciating sound.
- Madness is DA's term for the slide whistle in the TMWTGG car jump and the double-taking pigeon in MR.
- DA would like to score Independence Day II if the producers asked him to.
The thing that David Arnold could do that Thomas Newman cannot, is co-write a good title song, produce the title song and then work that and other repeating themes and motifs into the score itself . That is arguably the defining characteristic of a good Bond score.
It's becAuse Arnold has that flexibility that I think he was better suited to Bond than Newman. Just like Martin was perfect for LALD because of his pop production credentiAls.
I can't actually think of another composer working now who could do this. Randy Newman?!
I don't think Arnold comes close to Barry's genius but I do think he produced better and more memorable melodies and themes than Arnold, especially in CR and QoS.
I watched the Second Best Marigold Hotel yesterday and thought the music was okay. Turned out it was by Thomas Newman. Most of it is just borrowed Bollywood tunes though.
He's a very interesting guy to listen to. I met him in February when I went to his concert and you can feel the energy he gives off from across the room. Lots of life experience in there.
That is true. After it became apparent how little he had to work with when Madonna's theme tune was revealed, he had to.
I think that the Craig era has offered not the best music the franchise had to offer, I would go as far in stating that every Bond era was better. I would like it if EON started looking for some decent composer for 007 in this new century.
I know people complain about it being overused in TND but I thought it was awesome. The JB theme is a character as much as Bond himself. It shouldn't be restrained anymore. It's not hard to weave it into music either.
I thought Eric Serra's music is GE was very low key, and a relatively weak point in an otherwise very good film. Then TND came along, and Dave Arnold's score for that film was terrific, which really lifted the film.
As much as I love the theme, I agree with many that it's way overused in that film. Just as I thought it was misused in FRWL where Bond is just checking for bugs in the hotel room and the theme is just blaring. Of course, that was tracking music, not a part of the recording of FRWL, but still an odd place to put it.
I'd rather have More Bond theme then little to none. I can't stand this modern themeless generic music. A Bond score needs a good helping of James Bond theme. As for that moment at Carver's Press, don't bother me. Bond's a badass and it was used perfectly. It doesn't lessen the theme or turn it into parody. I guess the Star Wars theme by John Williams was overused and made Star Wars a parody, Or Jerry Goldsmith's Star Trek theme. I guess those were parodies too.
What I thought was overused was the version from Dr. No used in FRWL, YOLT and OHMSS instead of a new arrangement for each film. I wouldn't have a problem if the last few films used it fully at least once in pivotal moment.
Which is exactly why the Bond franchise needs to buck this trend and be different. But Babs does not have the creative vision to see or implement this. She is not bother about the musical side of things.
Really memorable about it either.
I agree. There are several composers out there who are delivering superb melodic scores for film, and most notably for tv (Game of Thrones or Penny Dreadful come to mind). EON just doesn't seem to give a 's'. If they keep churning out $bn films with mediocre music, they won't be convinced that it's worth trying.
There actually aren't any David Arnold specific threads, to be fair. We could possibly rename it to an Appreciation Topic, so Arnold and Newman have one for their respective fans.
Indeed Murdock. I presume, Gustav, you are also going to include your own Thomas Newman Appreciation thread in your crackdown?
Talk about free speech. Are you Max Denbigh in disguise?
It just needs a more creative composer. There are several out there (including in the TV space) and EON should focus on it post-Mendes imho, rather than going back to a formulaic if respectful fan of the series who has perhaps done all he is capable of (creatively) for the franchise (surely after 5 attempts........)
I completely agree with you.
I concur. Bond missed the spirit & heart that Arnold brought to his scores - but surely he has had his chance with it, and didn't really hit any great heights other than a couple of cues in TND & CR each...