The Score of Skyfall

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  • Posts: 11,119
    You know, the last track of the album, track 31) 'Old Dog, New Tricks' is veryyy Barry-esque. Must be some kind of casino source music, a bit like 'Try' from John Barry's 'On Her Majesty's Secret Service'. I love it.
  • Some guy uploaded the entire thing on youtube.
    http://www.youtube.com/user/Liradrin/videos?flow=grid&view=0
  • doubleoegodoubleoego #LightWork
    Posts: 11,139
    So, there's no full Bond theme then?
  • tqbtqb
    Posts: 1,022
    no
  • doubleoegodoubleoego #LightWork
    Posts: 11,139
    Bond 23 aka SF doesn't have a full orchestrated Bond theme and it's supposed to be celebrating 50 years?? And the movie is being hailed as if not the best but one of the best in the series??.......with no full Bond theme??

    My enthusiasm for this movie has now taken a nose dive. The gunbarrel moved?? I could live with that but no full on Bond theme is just unacceptable!
  • doubleoego wrote:
    Bond 23 aka SF doesn't have a full orchestrated Bond theme and it's supposed to be celebrating 50 years?? And the movie is being hailed as if not the best but one of the best in the series??.......with no full Bond theme??

    My enthusiasm for this movie has now taken a nose dive. The gunbarrel moved?? I could live with that but no full on Bond theme is just unacceptable!

    This upsets me a lot. I can't understand why the addition of these Bondian elements would be ignored by the crew. The non-fans couldn't care less where the GB is, but the fans like us do. I know that the Bond series has to be updated as the years go on, but what advantage is there to not having the theme used more, or to moving around the GB?
  • MurdockMurdock The minus world
    Posts: 16,351
    It seems like after Die Another Day, they have used the James Bond theme less and less. It's hardly heard in Casino Royale and It's practically non existent in QoS. Are EoN getting tired of Paying Monty Norman royalties or something?
  • tqbtqb
    Posts: 1,022
    There could be a full bond theme in the movie, just not the score.
  • edited October 2012 Posts: 3,274
    xolani wrote:
    FIRST CONCLUSION: I was surprised how much Zimmer I could hear from this.
    My thoughts exactly. Some parts sound like they could have been lifted from the recent Batman-movies, fx 'She's mine', 'Welcome to Scotland' (01.08-01.38), 'Jellyfish' (0.13-0.20) and 'Kill them first' (0.30-)

    There are also parts of John Williams in there, 'Take the bloody shot' (0.52-1.02), and of course a lot of Barry/Arnold.

    A decent soundtrack from Newman. Doesn't sound like there's any repeating theme though, which I think is a shame.
  • edited October 2012 Posts: 1,310
    Finished up listening to the entire Skyfall soundtrack. I tried to love it, I really did. But I found the whole thing overtly bland and repetitive. There are a couple stand out tracks such as "Brave New World", "Komodo Dragon" and bits of "Take the Bloody Shot" and "Deep Water". Apart from the action cue that we saw in the
    clip of Bond with the digger and the train,
    from "Take the Bloody Shot" and the epic sounding portion of "Brave New World" I cannot remember a single cue on the soundtrack.

    By no means is the soundtrack BAD, but as a listen by itself, Newman's score is forgettable to me. All this being said, I'm very sure that it will all fit very nicely into the film itself.
  • MartinBondMartinBond Trying not to muck it up again
    Posts: 859
    doubleoego wrote:
    Bond 23 aka SF doesn't have a full orchestrated Bond theme and it's supposed to be celebrating 50 years?? And the movie is being hailed as if not the best but one of the best in the series??.......with no full Bond theme??

    My enthusiasm for this movie has now taken a nose dive. The gunbarrel moved?? I could live with that but no full on Bond theme is just unacceptable!

    When I heard "Breadcrumbs" I did get that shiver down my spine, If only Newman had the guts to use the full theme. It seems like composers are afraid to use the theme, while Arnold used it whenever something big was going on, like it's supposed to be used!
  • SandySandy Somewhere in Europe
    edited October 2012 Posts: 4,012
    I just finished listening to the whole thing and I'm glad the initial fears I had after listening to the previews did not confirm. This is a wonderful soundtrack! I'm not saying it's better or worse than Arnold's ones, it's just different from what we had before. It's very much in line with both Newman's style of composition and with Bond's tradition (there is a strong influence of TB in my view). It also feels like one piece, the kind of thing you can listen apart from the film without feeling lost, which is sometimes the fault of many soundtracks that don't seem to be able to have a life of their own once we leave the theater room. I'm buying this one! For those who say there is no Bond theme I don't know what to say other that I don't agree! It is all over the soundtrack, just not in the classical way. I prefer it this way, it gives a fingerprint to this soundtrack that makes it unique. My favourite track is perhaps Deep Water, I love how it increases in intensity in an almost operatic way.
  • MartinBondMartinBond Trying not to muck it up again
    Posts: 859
    Exactly the problem. The bond theme "is there" for a few seconds each track it's in, not one great blaring one that makes you jump up "This is a Bond-movie"...
  • Posts: 130
    It seems that some people heavily rely on all the traditional elements (gunbarrel, the "full-Monty") to identify a movie as a Bond movie.

    I don't. As soon as I see the actor, as soon as the suspense starts, as soon as there are some exotic locations (THAT is the one thing I couldn't live without!) I know I'm watching a Bond movie. They are still so different from any other film franchise.

    Also: its always easy to fall back to the Bond theme. Arnold has admitted so himself. I like how Newman has elements of it ALL OVER the score. That makes it much more effective, and retains the "formula" to a degree.
  • SandySandy Somewhere in Europe
    Posts: 4,012
    xolani wrote:
    It seems that some people heavily rely on all the traditional elements (gunbarrel, the "full-Monty") to identify a movie as a Bond movie.

    I don't. As soon as I see the actor, as soon as the suspense starts, as soon as there are some exotic locations (THAT is the one thing I couldn't live without!) I know I'm watching a Bond movie. They are still so different from any other film franchise.

    Also: its always easy to fall back to the Bond theme. Arnold has admitted so himself. I like how Newman has elements of it ALL OVER the score. That makes it much more effective, and retains the "formula" to a degree.

    It's my opinion exactly. I prefer to have elements of it scattered all over the soundtrack, reassuring me it's a Bond film, a Bond soundtrack, than having the obvious cues over and over.
  • Posts: 7,653
    Sandy wrote:
    xolani wrote:
    It seems that some people heavily rely on all the traditional elements (gunbarrel, the "full-Monty") to identify a movie as a Bond movie.

    I don't. As soon as I see the actor, as soon as the suspense starts, as soon as there are some exotic locations (THAT is the one thing I couldn't live without!) I know I'm watching a Bond movie. They are still so different from any other film franchise.

    Also: its always easy to fall back to the Bond theme. Arnold has admitted so himself. I like how Newman has elements of it ALL OVER the score. That makes it much more effective, and retains the "formula" to a degree.

    It's my opinion exactly. I prefer to have elements of it scattered all over the soundtrack, reassuring me it's a Bond film, a Bond soundtrack, than having the obvious cues over and over.

    I do agree with the sentiments that with this 5o year jubilee the James Bond theme could have been given some massive workout. AND I do miss Adele her single on the album. But I am overal very pleased with the result and it will get more playtime at my house as the previous 2 ost's combined.

  • CraigMooreOHMSSCraigMooreOHMSS Dublin, Ireland
    Posts: 8,199
    SaintMark wrote:
    Sandy wrote:
    xolani wrote:
    It seems that some people heavily rely on all the traditional elements (gunbarrel, the "full-Monty") to identify a movie as a Bond movie.

    I don't. As soon as I see the actor, as soon as the suspense starts, as soon as there are some exotic locations (THAT is the one thing I couldn't live without!) I know I'm watching a Bond movie. They are still so different from any other film franchise.

    Also: its always easy to fall back to the Bond theme. Arnold has admitted so himself. I like how Newman has elements of it ALL OVER the score. That makes it much more effective, and retains the "formula" to a degree.

    It's my opinion exactly. I prefer to have elements of it scattered all over the soundtrack, reassuring me it's a Bond film, a Bond soundtrack, than having the obvious cues over and over.

    I do agree with the sentiments that with this 5o year jubilee the James Bond theme could have been given some massive workout. AND I do miss Adele her single on the album. But I am overal very pleased with the result and it will get more playtime at my house as the previous 2 ost's combined.

    That would have happened anyway wouldn't it: you dislike Arnold's music that much.
  • Posts: 114
    I honestly don't know what people are saying about the Bond Theme. Upon hearing the whole soundtrack myself I feel there's lots in there, subtlety so but enough so that you know it's more than just an action cue. Some of them are even designed around the theme in a very elongated way. I think alot of the cues have an elegant and classy feel, while some are generic, I feel within the context of the film would do no harm whatsoever and still help ramp the excitement.
  • The Skyfall OST were just released on Spotify. I am going through my first listening now. :)
  • MartinBondMartinBond Trying not to muck it up again
    edited October 2012 Posts: 859
    "Old dogs, new tricks" sounds to me like an "ending" track.

    spoiler tagged because it's my made-up storyline:
    Bond survived, getting in to the rebuild office, seeing Eve in there, having a little flirt, then he walks in the office of "M", reporting for duty...
  • Erm, spoilers?
  • MartinBondMartinBond Trying not to muck it up again
    edited October 2012 Posts: 859
    Erm, my imagination? ;)
  • doubleoegodoubleoego #LightWork
    Posts: 11,139
    We got the Bond theme cues in both CR and QoS and had to wait till the end of both movies to hear the full theme, although with CR, the positioning and use of the theme was a stroke of genius BUT, given the significance of this movie, relying on cue and a 20second snippet of the theme isn't enough.
    I hope to God that with this alleged editing Mendes has been doing post press screening, we get the full blown theme in there.
  • Posts: 7,653
    SaintMark wrote:
    Sandy wrote:
    xolani wrote:
    It seems that some people heavily rely on all the traditional elements (gunbarrel, the "full-Monty") to identify a movie as a Bond movie.

    I don't. As soon as I see the actor, as soon as the suspense starts, as soon as there are some exotic locations (THAT is the one thing I couldn't live without!) I know I'm watching a Bond movie. They are still so different from any other film franchise.

    Also: its always easy to fall back to the Bond theme. Arnold has admitted so himself. I like how Newman has elements of it ALL OVER the score. That makes it much more effective, and retains the "formula" to a degree.

    It's my opinion exactly. I prefer to have elements of it scattered all over the soundtrack, reassuring me it's a Bond film, a Bond soundtrack, than having the obvious cues over and over.

    I do agree with the sentiments that with this 5o year jubilee the James Bond theme could have been given some massive workout. AND I do miss Adele her single on the album. But I am overal very pleased with the result and it will get more playtime at my house as the previous 2 ost's combined.

    That would have happened anyway wouldn't it: you dislike Arnold's music that much.

    I dislike DA's work on the last two soundtracks as they offered him along with the reboot the chance to reinvent some great music. But as a composer he failed miserably to really come up with something new and exciting. I find that EON like before should find themselves a real house-composer that would make the music something special and extra like it used to be. And for me with DA they kind of lacked the interest of going out and shop for something new. DA at the end of the day had a chance to shine and all we got were sparkles. Compares to earlier Bondmovies we see that the movies got their own sound and a recognisable identity, I simply want that back.
    With the Newman ost I hear something new and fresh that lacked before, probably because Newman is a true composer and DA with his skills is not.

  • Posts: 11,119
    doubleoego wrote:
    Bond 23 aka SF doesn't have a full orchestrated Bond theme and it's supposed to be celebrating 50 years?? And the movie is being hailed as if not the best but one of the best in the series??.......with no full Bond theme??

    My enthusiasm for this movie has now taken a nose dive. The gunbarrel moved?? I could live with that but no full on Bond theme is just unacceptable!

    --> DN: Full Monty Norman James Bond theme
    --> FRWL: Full Monty Norman James Bond theme
    --> GF: John Barry's first new rendition of the James Bond theme, but was never played fully.
    --> TB: Full Monty Norman James Bond theme when end credits kick in
    --> YOLT: Full Monty Norman James Bond theme
    --> OHMSS: Full Monty Norman James Bond theme
    --> DAF: James Bond theme was never played fully
    --> LALD: James Bond theme was played in full by George Martin
    --> TMWTGG: James Bond theme was never played from start to end. Also here parts.
    --> TSWLM: James Bond theme completely reworked by Marvin Hamlisch in 'Bond'77'. Only parts of Monty's cues were used.
    --> MR: James Bond theme was played in full by John Barry
    --> FYEO: Heavily Mexican-flavoured reworked James Bond theme by Bill Conti during pre-credits. But never the full Monty Norman version.
    --> OP: James Bond theme was played in full by John Barry
    --> AVTAK: James Bond theme was played in full by John Barry
    --> TLD: James Bond theme was played in full by John Barry
    --> LTK: James Bond theme was never played fully by Michael Kamen
    --> GE: James Bond theme was never played fully by John Altman. His very own rendition it was, not 100% similar to Monty Norman's James Bond theme
    --> TND: James Bond theme was never played fully by David Arnold, allthough he heavily used parts of Monty Norman's theme.
    --> TWINE: James Bond theme was played in full by David Arnold during boat chase.
    --> DAD: Let's not talk about this mess.
    --> CR: Full James Bond theme when end credits kick in, by David Arnold
    --> QOS: Full James Bond theme when end credits kick in, by David Arnold

    So as you can see, there is no black and white use of Monty Norman's James Bond theme. In fact, each composer -Monty Norman, John Barry, George Martin, Marvin Hamlisch, Bill Conti, Michael Kamen, John Altman, Eric Serra, David Arnold and Thomas Newman- gave their own interpretation of the Monty's original theme,

    Moreover, Monty Norman's version was re-used in FRWL, TB, YOLT and OHMSS, but it was skipped in GF. And it didn't appear anymore after OHMSS.

    Then you have the so called 'jubilee Bond films', like the 15th anniversary for TSWLM and the 40th anniversary for DAD. Did we really miss the absence of Monty Norman's fully performed James Bond theme? No, not in my case. It were other aspects that really made or broke the quality of the movie.

    Actually, I have a thing right now for those one-time Bond composers, like Bill Conti, George Martin and Marvin Hamlisch. Highly underrated. And give them some credit for pumping some fresh blood in the franchise. That's what Thomas Newman is doing now.

    Yes, we don't hear the full version of Monty Norman's James Bond theme. But can 'Skyfall' PLEASE have its own originality? We fans can not have everything I think. And we already have this damn good James Bond song by Adele.
  • "Mother"/"Voluntary Retirement" - These two remind me a lot of the same orchestration & chord structure as used in Goldfinger. Cant wait to see visuals that go along with it.

    The Severine theme displayed in "Severine"/"Modigliani"/"Komodo Dragon" is extremely pleasant to listen to (and very Arnoldesque). Love it!

    "Old Dog, New Tricks" is reminiscent, as others have said, of "Try" from OHMSS.

    There are other tracks like "New Digs"/"Brave New World"/"Komodo Dragon" that are fun to listen. I especially like to touches of the Bond theme in the last two tracks.

    And "Breadcrumbs" - who's not to like that one! I just wish the theme would have kept going...

    Overall (for first listen) I think it's a good solid soundtrack, but I do feel it's a little bit of a let down. It would've been nice to hear a big, blaring Bond theme in there somewhere for the 50th, but we are just given little hints scattered throughout...which, don't get me wrong, I like (and prefer the Bond theme to be used that way). My biggest beef is while there are many Barry-oriented techniques used (such as different instruments for different locations), there is little use of themes throughout. I mean we do get Severine's theme, the Bond theme, but that's really it.
  • I have the entire soundtrack downloaded now. Listening to it NOW! All .m4a QuickTime format, but works perfect!

    MI6 supports bootlegging does it?

  • James Southall review at Movie-Wave here

    http://www.movie-wave.net/?p=2884#more-2884
  • Posts: 1,310
    I'm also a little upset that there is no full out Bond theme on this soundtrack. It sounded like we were going to get it at the end of "She's Mine", but it turned into something else.

    I've had a little while to sleep on the soundtrack if you will, and I've come to the conclusion that it'll be a good 'background' listen. There are some interesting cues for sure, but nothing so stand out-ish as to disrupt whatever I'm doing while listening.
  • edited October 2012 Posts: 130
    James Southall review at Movie-Wave here

    http://www.movie-wave.net/?p=2884#more-2884

    I completely agree with this assessment. :)

    New favourite track: 28. Deep Water! Showcases almost all the styles of the score in one piece.
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