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SPECTRE: Thomas Newman is Back! (appreciation topic)

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  • RC7RC7
    Posts: 10,512
    Gustav_Graves wrote: »
    But God, one must love that big choir Mr Newman used for this score!

    Easily the best bit of the track, by a mile.
  • antovolkantovolk
    Posts: 3,164
    Classic FM just confirmed the track is "Backfire".
  • antovolkantovolk
    Posts: 3,164
    And here's my YouTube upload.
  • w2bondw2bond is indeed a very rare breed
    Posts: 2,252
    Well that was totally underwhelming. Second half of the action track is ripped straight from Skyfall which is hardly the pinnacle of great Bond music.

    Just another generic movie soundtrack.
  • DaltonCraig007DaltonCraig007 They say, "Evil prevails when good men fail to act." What they ought to say is, "Evil prevails."
    Posts: 15,718
    Ok, I just listened to the 2nd track (the action one). Pretty good until it gets to the end and it's a blatant rehash of the Grand Bazaar of SF.
  • CraigMooreOHMSSCraigMooreOHMSS Dublin, Ireland
    Posts: 8,218
    w2bond wrote: »
    Well that was totally underwhelming. Second half of the action track is ripped straight from Skyfall which is hardly the pinnacle of great Bond music.

    Just another generic movie soundtrack.

    The usage of the Grand Bazaar track didn't bother me too much. I like the links. It's the use of electronics throughout that dulled it for me.

    The brassy statements are good, and the choir was a great idea. I think the score will at least be better than Skyfall.
  • w2bondw2bond is indeed a very rare breed
    Posts: 2,252
    CraigMooreOHMSS wrote: »
    w2bond wrote: »
    Well that was totally underwhelming. Second half of the action track is ripped straight from Skyfall which is hardly the pinnacle of great Bond music.

    Just another generic movie soundtrack.

    The usage of the Grand Bazaar track didn't bother me too much. I like the links. It's the use of electronics throughout that dulled it for me.

    The brassy statements are good, and the choir was a great idea. I think the score will at least be better than Skyfall.

    That I agree on. But Skyfall is hardly a benchmark to aim for.

    It's not like SF had a bad score, just generic.

  • Gustav_GravesGustav_Graves
    Posts: 11,119
    The thing I like about Thomas Newman's scoring is his lush and big use of strings. Way way more as compared to David Arnold's overuse of horns. It therefore sounds more 'classical'.

    By the way, I think it's NOT fair to say that Thomas Newman is "blatantly rehashing previous music". Completely unfair! HE GAVE HIS OWN INTERPRETATION to an action theme and cues of Monty Norman's Bond theme. This is what gave fame to several of John Barry's themes also. The repeated use of the 007-theme for instance, but also Vesper's theme which David Arnold used again in "QOS". We don't call those "blatant rip-off's" either.

    Also, these are only two tracks so far. Be daring to stop all the comparisons for a while and take it for what it is: Beautiful movie music. Try to...let it grow inside you....to see the beauty of it takes some re-thinking...and not only pre-conceived conventions. It's why my music taste is so broad. Not saying that others don't have a big music taste...

    This kind of backlash is a bit unfair I think. Same thing with Sam Smith's song.
  • matt_umatt_u better known as Mr. Roark
    Posts: 4,343
    Very nice tracks. Backfire's coda is lovely and Grand Bazaar's reprise fits perfectly.
  • w2bondw2bond is indeed a very rare breed
    edited October 2015 Posts: 2,252
    If there's one aspect about Bond movies I'm strongly opinionated on, it's the score. Barry set the bar so high that, to be honest, I'm setting myself up for disappointment.

    All I'll add is they should get the Game of Thrones composer (or someone similar) to do the score. At least I was associating his themes with the TV show, and with the various houses depicted in it.

    You could put Grand Bazaar in any action movie and it wouldn't be out of place
  • MurdockMurdock The minus world
    edited October 2015 Posts: 16,351
    Donna Lucia was great.
    Backfire... convoluted, way too repetitious and generic. The middle part with the choir was great then the reuse of Grand Bazaar was uninspired and very lazy in my eyes.

    I want David Arnold back or Joe Kraemer helming the music department from here on out.
  • RC7RC7
    Posts: 10,512
    matt_u wrote: »
    Very nice tracks. Backfire's coda is lovely and Grand Bazaar's reprise fits perfectly.

    Hopefully it will fit perfectly, but unless you've actually seen the film I would imagine that's a tough thing to say definitively.
  • w2bondw2bond is indeed a very rare breed
    Posts: 2,252
    I just listened to a few random tracks of ramin djawadi's score from Iron Man and Pacific Rim and that's the kind of music I want to hear. And just for reference, Jurassic World's theme from this year is so grand
  • antovolkantovolk
    Posts: 3,164
    How is reusing an established action theme from Skyfall a problem? Especially as it's the same composer and that SPECTRE is essentially a third sequel to CR, not to mention a SF sequel...
  • CraigMooreOHMSSCraigMooreOHMSS Dublin, Ireland
    Posts: 8,218
    Gustav_Graves wrote: »
    The thing I like about Thomas Newman's scoring is his lush and big use of strings. Way way more as compared to David Arnold's overuse of horns. It therefore sounds more 'classical'.

    By the way, I think it's NOT fair to say that Thomas Newman is "blatantly rehashing previous music". Completely unfair! HE GAVE HIS OWN INTERPRETATION to an action theme and cues of Monty Norman's Bond theme. This is what gave fame to several of John Barry's themes also. The repeated use of the 007-theme for instance, but also Vesper's theme which David Arnold used again in "QOS". We don't call those "blatant rip-off's" either.

    Also, these are only two tracks so far. Be daring to stop all the comparisons for a while and take it for what it is: Beautiful movie music. Try to...let it grow inside you....to see the beauty of it takes some re-thinking...and not only pre-conceived conventions. It's why my music taste is so broad. Not saying that others don't have a big music taste...

    This kind of backlash is a bit unfair I think. Same thing with Sam Smith's song.

    Your passion is always a source for admiration, @GG
  • MakeshiftPythonMakeshiftPython “Baja?!”
    Posts: 8,188
    I'm puzzled that anyone would refer to Newman's music as "generic" and then suggest David Arnold should return, who's the epitome of generic scores. Arnold should never return, there are many better composers more worthy of a crack at Bond.
  • Gustav_GravesGustav_Graves
    Posts: 11,119
    Murdock wrote: »
    I want David Arnold back or Joe Kraemer helming the music department from here on out.

    Give the poor man a break please :-(. Only two tracks and you're asking for change? I find that a bit impatient and also disrespectful towards Thomas Newman.

    I think EON should keep an eye on Henry Jackman and Daniel Pemberton (NOT David Arnold or Joe Kraemer). But here I go as well! Thomas Newman is the composer. Accept it. And if you don't instantly like it, then please let it grow to you....listen to it more often. 'Growers' in music also have a certain beauty.
  • Gustav_GravesGustav_Graves
    Posts: 11,119
    antovolk wrote: »
    How is reusing an established action theme from Skyfall a problem? Especially as it's the same composer and that SPECTRE is essentially a third sequel to CR, not to mention a SF sequel...

    Exactly @Antovolk. Completely agreed. Moreover, this is an appreciation topic foremost. Don't loose that aspect of this topic pls.
  • MalloryMallory
    Posts: 2,165
    Backfire - sounds fantastic. I can easily imagine the Db10 and the Jaguar roaring through the streets of Rome to this.

    As for the use of the Grand Bazar motif - why not. Its essentially one of Newmans interpretations of the Bond theme. Fits the music well and I do like it linking up with SF in that regard.
  • bondjamesbondjames You were expecting someone else?
    Posts: 23,883
    I'd take Pemberton or Kraemer for B25. Not Arnold (he's had his 5....or was that 6)...

    I agree it's too early to write this score off on the basis of two tracks. Let's hear it all and then pass judgement. Backfire is rather generic & incoherent though (And perversely reminds me of something Arnold did for CR....can't place it though) but not terrible.
  • matt_umatt_u better known as Mr. Roark
    edited October 2015 Posts: 4,343
    RC7 wrote: »
    Hopefully it will fit perfectly, but unless you've actually seen the film I would imagine that's a tough thing to say definitively.

    I didn't say "definitively".
    [-X :)

    I was speaking about the track itself.
  • suavejmfsuavejmf Harrogate, North Yorkshire, England
    Posts: 5,131
    I like the 2x featured tracks thus far. Looking forward to the 23rd when my copy of the CD arrives.
  • aaron819aaron819 Switzerland
    Posts: 1,208
    I agree with @Gustav_Graves and @antovolk . I love that he has incorporated Grand Bazaar into the track. 10 more days! :) :)
  • WalecsWalecs On Her Majesty's Secret Service
    Posts: 3,157
    Hopefully he'll reprise Q's theme from Skyfall as a leit motif for the character.

    But what I seriously hope (and I'll be REALLY disappointed if otherwise) that Newman will use Writing's on the Wall as a love theme for Bond and Madeleine.
  • bondjamesbondjames You were expecting someone else?
    edited October 2015 Posts: 23,883
    Ok, I have listened to Backfire on loop a couple of times.

    It's not bad, and on more listens the similarities to Grand Bazaar drift away and it stands on its own.

    My concern (and I realize it's too early to pass judgement) based on this one track is that it could have come from another action film (not necessarily Bond). This is the kind of stuff Arnold gave us for years, and Newman too in SF. The compositional finesse & defining 'hook' that we have come to expect from Barry or any of the other 'one off' Bond composers for that matter is missing from this piece.

    I hope for better from the rest of this score. It's not terrible though...on par with SF and Arnold's work.....which is to say Bond deserves better.
  • antovolkantovolk
    Posts: 3,164
    Walecs wrote: »
    Hopefully he'll reprise Q's theme from Skyfall as a leit motif for the character.

    But what I seriously hope (and I'll be REALLY disappointed if otherwise) that Newman will use Writing's on the Wall as a love theme for Bond and Madeleine.

    Yes to both, especially WOTW. That would be beautiful.
  • suavejmfsuavejmf Harrogate, North Yorkshire, England
    Posts: 5,131
    More use of the Bond theme in Backfire would have been nice, but it hits the 'thrill element' nicely.
  • bondjamesbondjames You were expecting someone else?
    Posts: 23,883
    Donna Lucia is great though. With visuals it's going to really impress.
  • suavejmfsuavejmf Harrogate, North Yorkshire, England
    Posts: 5,131
    Yes. It has class.
  • Gustav_GravesGustav_Graves
    Posts: 11,119
    antovolk wrote: »
    And here's my YouTube upload.

    So the IFPI is chasing you and hunting you down also @Antovolk :-P?

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