Spectre title song - Writing's on the Wall

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Comments

  • AceHoleAceHole Belgium, via Britain
    edited September 2015 Posts: 1,731
    I wasn't planning on listening to it and still don't think I will after reading the comments here. Smith just isn't an artist whom I find interesting, he's far too bland.
    He's got talent and is a good singer, sure - but that does not automatically make him right for Bond.

    I'll hear it when I see the movie & with a bit of luck the song will work as a whole with the titles after the PTS...
  • HASEROTHASEROT has returned like the tedious inevitability of an unloved season---
    edited September 2015 Posts: 4,399
    ChromeBeat wrote: »
    For me it's OK, but only OK. I'm a bit disappointed that since the departure of John Barry (and to a lesser degree David Arnold), there doesn't seem to be anyone exercising any form of creative challenge over the main title themes. I understand that they need to be commercially successful to keep the studios happy and support the marketing campaign, but surely we can have something that's commercial and of a decent pedigree? SS says he wrote the song in 20 minutes, and as a musician I think it shows. If Mr Barry had been around, he would have sent Mr Smith back to the piano to try again. Just adding well orchestrated Bondian strings to a somewhat average / unmemorable ballad does not make a Bond theme.

    Barry wasn't without his misfires as well... "The Man With The Golden Gun"?.. that song was awful..

    3 of the best Bond songs in the whole Barry era weren't written or arranged by Barry.. "Live And Let Die" (Martin).. "Nobody Does It Better" (Hamlisch).. and "For Your Eyes Only" (Conti)
  • bondjamesbondjames You were expecting someone else?
    edited September 2015 Posts: 23,883
    Just listened to it 5 times (to let it sink in). He was right to release that 15s clip a few days ago. That is the best part of this PoS imho, along with the 1st minute or so of his vocal (with the piano) afterwards. The falsetto doesn't work for me at all.

    Those comparing it to Michael Jackson are doing a tremendous disservice to the King of Pop .. More 1980's Michael Bolton "How Am I Supposed to Live Without You" imho.

    I really know nothing about Sam Smith because I don't listen to pop radio so I had no expectations or preconceptions, but to me this sounds 100% like a commercial decision. There's no other excuse for giving us this 100% teenage shmaltz, imho.

    Well, my expectations of SP have declined dramatically if this is the best thing they can come up with, creatively.

    However, if it gets some of these teenagers that they seem to be going for to fork out the money for the film, then at least they will have succeeded in one respect. Now let's have a decent score (Newman has to save this thing now......).

    I could tell that even Nick Grimshaw of Radio 1 had no enthusiasm in his voice after it finished (just going through the motions....."what a record!! that's huge...")
  • 4EverBonded4EverBonded the Ballrooms of Mars
    Posts: 12,480
    I'll say more in a day or two. But I'm not having a go at Smith for any particular reason, he is an unknown singer to me until now ... I simply don't like his voice very much, but esp. the falsetto part. I am critical of the song itself; not the worst song (DAD and AWTD) but certainly not great by any means, in my opinion (which these all are ... just our own personal tastes and expectations).
  • SandySandy Somewhere in Europe
    Posts: 4,012
    HASEROT wrote: »
    ChromeBeat wrote: »
    For me it's OK, but only OK. I'm a bit disappointed that since the departure of John Barry (and to a lesser degree David Arnold), there doesn't seem to be anyone exercising any form of creative challenge over the main title themes. I understand that they need to be commercially successful to keep the studios happy and support the marketing campaign, but surely we can have something that's commercial and of a decent pedigree? SS says he wrote the song in 20 minutes, and as a musician I think it shows. If Mr Barry had been around, he would have sent Mr Smith back to the piano to try again. Just adding well orchestrated Bondian strings to a somewhat average / unmemorable ballad does not make a Bond theme.

    Barry wasn't without his misfires as well... "The Man With The Golden Gun"?.. that song was awful..

    It's fun but awful, oddly Lulu makes it work, but on a comedic level not a musical one. I will add another misfire: Moonraker, especially that undescribable disco version. What was Barry thinking of?
  • Posts: 4,617
    HASEROT wrote: »
    patb wrote: »
    Bond is a professional killer confronting his life long bad guy. I don't see this reflected in the song. A real shame, a real shame

    thats not just what the movie is about... yes, that's the overall plot... but there is an emotional subplot going on as well - which this song fits perfectly
    HASEROT wrote: »
    patb wrote: »
    Bond is a professional killer confronting his life long bad guy. I don't see this reflected in the song. A real shame, a real shame

    thats not just what the movie is about... yes, that's the overall plot... but there is an emotional subplot going on as well - which this song fits perfectly

    so we have a song that fits the sub plot? great

  • AceHoleAceHole Belgium, via Britain
    edited September 2015 Posts: 1,731
    bondjames wrote: »
    I really know nothing about Sam Smith because I don't listen to pop radio so I had no expectations or preconceptions, but to me this sounds 100% like a commercial decision. There's no other excuse for giving us this 100% teenage shmaltz, imho.

    Did anyone think otherwise? SS was quite obviously chosen for his commercial appeal, not for his suitability.
  • HASEROTHASEROT has returned like the tedious inevitability of an unloved season---
    edited September 2015 Posts: 4,399
    90% to 10% now..

    wow..

    makes me feel real small for actually liking it... like there is something wrong with me - everyone else hates it, why don't i?.... guess i have no clue what is or isn't good music. *shrugs*
  • edited September 2015 Posts: 3,333
    bondsum wrote: »
    Say what you will, but this is probably the most significant Bond theme ever. This theme is 100% about the movie and Bond, not about being catchy or poppy or Thunderball-esque as some of you expecting Thunderball 2.0 though.

    How is this probably the most significant Bond theme ever? Such a bold statement needs some clarification to back it up. Significant how?

    Because it's Bond singing in a vulnerable position. If you understand Bond and what's happened in the previous films, you'll know why it feels significant. The song is all about the character and his desires and past.

    No, I understand Bond alright. Probably understood him long before you were even born. But again you don't mean what you say... what you mean is do I understand Craig's interpretation of Bond, not Bond per se? Basically I just didn't understand what you meant as you didn't give any specific reasons for this significance of yours. I trust you must've read the screenplay to deduce that DC's Bond is vulnerable in SP, as it was M that was the vulnerable one in SF and not the other way round? Anyway, I always saw him more as psychologically damaged than vulnerable. Either way, it doesn't prevent the song from being middle of the road. Kind of reminds me of a Daniel Bedingfield song. It's ok... but it ain't a classic to my ears.
  • MurdockMurdock The minus world
    Posts: 16,351
    I didn't hate it. I like the music, just not Smith's vocals.
  • dominicgreenedominicgreene The Eternal QOS Defender
    Posts: 1,756
    For the naysayers, just imagine it's 1977 and the song thing happened. You're patiently waiting the radio from the next Goldfinger theme and you get "Nobody Does It Better". Same scenario.
  • HASEROTHASEROT has returned like the tedious inevitability of an unloved season---
    Posts: 4,399
    For the naysayers, just imagine it's 1977 and the song thing happened. You're patiently waiting the radio from the next Goldfinger theme and you get "Nobody Does It Better". Same scenario.

    don't ask them to do that.. it's impossible.
  • MurdockMurdock The minus world
    Posts: 16,351
    I find Nobody does it Better superior to Goldfinger anyway. ;))
  • edited September 2015 Posts: 3,327
    Ignore what I said earlier...the song has downloaded automatically to my iTunes without me knowing. So it is working in the UK.

    As for the song, I think its a grower. Its a little slow, but its much better than the likes of DAD and AWTD. I reckon after a few more listens this will be highly thought of in the same way SF is.
  • bondjamesbondjames You were expecting someone else?
    Posts: 23,883
    Murdock wrote: »
    I didn't hate it. I like the music, just not Smith's vocals.

    Agreed. The music is saving this thing. This is not Carly Simon, that's for sure. I've yet to figure out what it is, but I'm sure I'll come up with a suitable adjective at some point.
  • HASEROTHASEROT has returned like the tedious inevitability of an unloved season---
    edited September 2015 Posts: 4,399
    Murdock wrote: »
    I didn't hate it. I like the music, just not Smith's vocals.

    the vocals are half the song.. thats 50%.. and you always round up if something is 50% or more.. so it's full on hate, sorry ;)
  • MurdockMurdock The minus world
    Posts: 16,351
    bondjames wrote: »
    Murdock wrote: »
    I didn't hate it. I like the music, just not Smith's vocals.

    Agreed. The music is saving this thing. This is not Carly Simon, that's for sure. I've yet to figure out what it is, but I'm sure I'll come up with a suitable adjective at some point.

    All in all, I still wonder how Newman's score is going to pan out in relation with Smith's them or if it's even incorporated. my hopes on it are low.
  • SandySandy Somewhere in Europe
    Posts: 4,012
    HASEROT wrote: »
    90% to 10% now..

    wow..

    makes me feel real small for actually liking it... like there is something wrong with me - everyone else hates it, why don't i?.... guess i have no clue what is or isn't good music. *shrugs*

    Not sure if 90% are hating it! I think most people are on the fence like me. I don't hate it but don't love it either, it's a good song I'm just not sure if it is a great song. I think it might result in a smashing title sequence though.
  • Posts: 4,617
    Bondjames - as usual, I agree. Will you be reviewing your estimates re ticket sales. I really do think this will have an impact?
  • HASEROTHASEROT has returned like the tedious inevitability of an unloved season---
    Posts: 4,399
    Sandy wrote: »
    HASEROT wrote: »
    90% to 10% now..

    wow..

    makes me feel real small for actually liking it... like there is something wrong with me - everyone else hates it, why don't i?.... guess i have no clue what is or isn't good music. *shrugs*

    Not sure if 90% are hating it! I think most people are on the fence like me. I don't hate it but don't love it either, it's a good song I'm just not sure if it is a great song. I think it might result in a smashing title sequence though.

    hmmm....

    no it's 90% hate.... probably about 7% on the fence... 3% like it.
  • Posts: 4,617
    Can we predict that in 12 months time, it will match this?

    The song won the Academy Award for Best Original Song;[9] it had been the first Bond theme to receive an Academy Award nomination since the 1982 song "For Your Eyes Only" and was the first Bond theme to win the award.[46] It also won the Critics' Choice Award for Best Song;[47] the Golden Globe for Best Original Song;[48] and the Brit Award for British Single of the Year. Adele gave her acceptance speech at the last of those awards through a video message, as she was in Los Angeles preparing for her Academy Award performance.[49] It was also nominated for the Satellite Award for Best Original Song but lost to "Suddenly", from Les Misérables.[50] "Skyfall" was also named the Best Original Song by the film critics associations of Houston,[51] Las Vegas[52] and Phoenix.[53] The song won at the 56th Annual Grammy Awards for the Grammy Award for Best Song Written for Visual Media.[54]
  • dominicgreenedominicgreene The Eternal QOS Defender
    Posts: 1,756
    bondsum wrote: »
    bondsum wrote: »
    Say what you will, but this is probably the most significant Bond theme ever. This theme is 100% about the movie and Bond, not about being catchy or poppy or Thunderball-esque as some of you expecting Thunderball 2.0 though.

    How is this probably the most significant Bond theme ever? Such a bold statement needs some clarification to back it up. Significant how?

    Because it's Bond singing in a vulnerable position. If you understand Bond and what's happened in the previous films, you'll know why it feels significant. The song is all about the character and his desires and past.

    No, I understand Bond alright. Probably understood him long before you were even born. But again you don't mean what you say... what you mean is do I understand Craig's interpretation of Bond, not Bond per se? Basically I just didn't understand what you meant as you didn't give any specific reasons for this significance of yours. I trust you must've read the screenplay to deduce that DC's Bond is vulnerable in SP, as it was M that was the vulnerable one in SF and not the other way round? Anyway, I always saw him more as psychologically damaged than vulnerable. Either way, it doesn't prevent the song from being middle of the road. Kind of reminds me of a Daniel Bedingfield song. It's ok... but it ain't a classic to my ears.

    I think he has desires that he puts away and tries to hide the bad feelings. And he's accustomed to this. He's made himself his own psychopath when in reality he's not. But yes, I got that, as that makes sense (about the story).
  • DaltonCraig007DaltonCraig007 They say, "Evil prevails when good men fail to act." What they ought to say is, "Evil prevails."
    Posts: 15,718
    Good song musically, but man Sam Smith's vocal is ruining it. I've never had too much problems about his singing but here it's just awful. But ok, I'm sure Kleinman will give a kickass opening sequence so I can focus on that during the film.
  • HASEROTHASEROT has returned like the tedious inevitability of an unloved season---
    Posts: 4,399
    patb wrote: »
    Can we predict that in 12 months time, it will match this?

    The song won the Academy Award for Best Original Song;[9] it had been the first Bond theme to receive an Academy Award nomination since the 1982 song "For Your Eyes Only" and was the first Bond theme to win the award.[46] It also won the Critics' Choice Award for Best Song;[47] the Golden Globe for Best Original Song;[48] and the Brit Award for British Single of the Year. Adele gave her acceptance speech at the last of those awards through a video message, as she was in Los Angeles preparing for her Academy Award performance.[49] It was also nominated for the Satellite Award for Best Original Song but lost to "Suddenly", from Les Misérables.[50] "Skyfall" was also named the Best Original Song by the film critics associations of Houston,[51] Las Vegas[52] and Phoenix.[53] The song won at the 56th Annual Grammy Awards for the Grammy Award for Best Song Written for Visual Media.[54]

    so what if it doesn't?
  • bondjamesbondjames You were expecting someone else?
    edited September 2015 Posts: 23,883
    I'm afraid I'm going to have to buy some earmuffs.
    patb wrote: »
    Bondjames - as usual, I agree. Will you be reviewing your estimates re ticket sales. I really do think this will have an impact?
    I'll have to think about that a bit @patb. This song may actually have a positive effect, who knows? I'm probably not in synch with mainstream music anyway, but there's something a little too melodramatic about this thing. Perhaps a little more pep could have infused more enthusiasm for the film among more people.

    However, in terms of the film itself being creative, my hopes are now much lower, yes.

    Box office wise, I've still got hope though, because DC and particularly Waltz/Seydoux are definitely capable of pulling it off. Sure hope so.

  • HASEROT wrote: »
    90% to 10% now..

    wow..

    makes me feel real small for actually liking it... like there is something wrong with me - everyone else hates it, why don't i?.... guess i have no clue what is or isn't good music. *shrugs*

    As I said before, it's personal taste :-)

    Sometimes it's 90/10
    Sometimes it's 70/30
    Sometimes it's 50/50
    Sometimes it's 05/95

    No need to feel small :-). But I do think that "WOTW" is liked less than "YKMN" and "SF" on average.
  • MurdockMurdock The minus world
    edited September 2015 Posts: 16,351
    Let the healing begin. :P
  • DaltonCraig007DaltonCraig007 They say, "Evil prevails when good men fail to act." What they ought to say is, "Evil prevails."
    edited September 2015 Posts: 15,718
    I've gone down the comments on twitter, I saw 4/5 positive tweets about it and dozens of negative ones.
  • HASEROT wrote: »
    patb wrote: »
    Can we predict that in 12 months time, it will match this?

    The song won the Academy Award for Best Original Song;[9] it had been the first Bond theme to receive an Academy Award nomination since the 1982 song "For Your Eyes Only" and was the first Bond theme to win the award.[46] It also won the Critics' Choice Award for Best Song;[47] the Golden Globe for Best Original Song;[48] and the Brit Award for British Single of the Year. Adele gave her acceptance speech at the last of those awards through a video message, as she was in Los Angeles preparing for her Academy Award performance.[49] It was also nominated for the Satellite Award for Best Original Song but lost to "Suddenly", from Les Misérables.[50] "Skyfall" was also named the Best Original Song by the film critics associations of Houston,[51] Las Vegas[52] and Phoenix.[53] The song won at the 56th Annual Grammy Awards for the Grammy Award for Best Song Written for Visual Media.[54]

    so what if it doesn't?

    It never hurts winning an Oscar. It doesn't matter either. But I do think this song in the long end will be seen more forgettable. Don't see it becoming a classic evergreen like "SkyFall".

    Whereas "SF" is more of the "Goldfinger" of our time, "WOTW" seems to become the "All Time High" of our days :-).
  • doubleoegodoubleoego #LightWork
    Posts: 11,139
    HASEROT wrote: »
    90% to 10% now..

    wow..

    makes me feel real small for actually liking it... like there is something wrong with me - everyone else hates it, why don't i?.... guess i have no clue what is or isn't good music. *shrugs*

    You're not alone. I don't listen to SS's music and when the 15 seconds teaser was released I liked it but reserved full judgement until I heard the whole thing. Many people clearly assumed the teaser to be wholly indicative of the rest of the song and that's something many people in general do; putting the cart before the horse.

    I like the song very much, it's by no means the best but it is first and foremost what SS said it was going to be, a love song. Secondly it's almost as if now all of a sudden many people are just discovering what the guy sounds like, as if he wasn't going to sound the way he did. Yes, taste and preference plays a big part but it's shocking to see so many people suddenly ignore all the prior information we were given about the song and artist.

    The song is different, which I like, has some classic elements without to it and isnt the chaotic mess that AWTD was. Funny thing is, had this song been a lot more traditional it would have been accused of being too safe and uninspired. Oh well, I'm sure DK is going to knock it out of the park with his title sequence to punctuate the atmosphere in a way that may elevate the song for those who dislike it.

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