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Comments
I wholeheartedly agree on the above points. Those were my exact feelings.
This is fundamentally why I can't stand it however. I find it a little too revealing without providing masculine cover. While Bond may have been naked in that chair in CR, he still demonstrated clear 'chutzpah'. There is no 'brass' or 'balls' for lack of a better word, in this song, which to me is essential to my expectations to a song sung from Bond's viewpoint.
Once again, spot on.
At the end of the day, unlike some, I'm unable to put a positive spin on this song. It's way too sappy & syrupy for my liking (based on my understanding of the Bond character), although the music that accompanies it is excellent.
Well written @Pierce2Daniel, even if I disagree with your overall assessment.
Yeah, have to agree there. Could easily see that fitting over DK titles, nice Spanish feel to fit in with the PTS.
It's a good point you make, there are many factors that affect every aspect of the final film, a lot of back office political decisions made in order to improve the chances of a higher box office (Denise Richards?)
I definitely agree that the score is very important to my enjoyment and we seem to be the minority, as I like and rank MR, AVTAK, DAF a lot higher because of Barry's score alone.
So I don't expect Newman to incorporate the theme song, and don't feel he is obligated to. What I want is a memorable melody, much like Barry provided with "Cable car fight", "He's Dangerous", "Chase Bomb theme", the elevator fight with Franks which all don't have the theme song. Barry's sounds made otherwise lacklustre fights epic (eg Golden Gate fight with Zorin)
Breaking Bond's Fall with WRITING'S ON THE WALL
Or, some people, with very open minds have listen to it several times and still don't like it. I am a long time Bond fan and enjoy a wide range of music. I've listened to this at least a dozen and a half times and still find it weak. Much of this weakness s in the vocal. I think Lady GaGa could have done a great job with a version of this.
I think I'm in the same boat. Its not the song ...the song is great but the vocals and style if the vocals.
YouTube now has some better covers. I feel that Smith is going to come off as a joke and a black eye for Bond.
Smith is talented I don't mean he is a joke by any means... but the falsetto just kinda blatantly shows a lack of range.
Maybe I'm wrong.. I don't mean to be too harsh. I don't like Smith's style but that's purely subjective.
I have to agree 100% with you both, excellent points I couldn't have said better. I received a lot of ribbing here for suggesting AVTAK and MR are among my favourite scores! Nothing touches OHMSS
Had to listen to it several times before deciding that I in fact liked it.
Reminds me a lot of The World Is Not Enough, actually. The falsetto is a bit jarring and overdone, but not enough to ruin it. Definitely not among the best 007 themes, but nor is it amongst the worst.
All I'm saying is this is a lot like the film twelve angry men. Slowly more people are switching sides. Those left are like the one with the glasses that hurt his nose and the racist, they will give up once their support is gone, or be ignored.
Wow! Not an easy achievement in the US music industry!
Which UK chart lists WotW as no.1 - iTunes yes, but I can't see any other UK chart that doesn't just show Bieber
<EDIT> just missed your posting @royale65 = so US
If you're gonna make a softer Bond theme, then you've got to make it fun like "All Time High" or "Nobody Does it Better".
I think the effectiveness of a Bong song depends on what the producers have got in mind for the visuals. I must confess that I was underwhelmed by Chris Cornell's "You Know My Name", but when the superb title sequence was added, it elevated the song immensely in my eyes.
As far as "Writing's On The Wall" is concerned, my take is that it sounds like a typical Sam Smith love song, although to make it sound "Bondian", someone has added lush strings. This makes it sound like a parody, rather than a homage. It’s a bit like mixing orange juice with milk -- nice on their own, but when you mix them you get a curdled mess.
However, "Writing’s On The Wall", in my opinion, is much better than the rubbish that Jack White and Alicia Keys expected us to swallow in Quantum Of Solace.
I just hope that Daniel Kleinman provides some good and wholly appropriate visuals to elevate this song by putting it in an appropriate context.
I can't imagine at all how this song will mix with the intended title sequence. In Kleinman we trust.
As for the song itself, I agree with the performer that it's a 'grower.' Two listens so far and I'm not loving it, but I see potential. It's just so jarringly un-Bondian in terms of the most publicly loved and appreciated Bond songs. Lana Del Rey's '24' would've been a much better choice in my view. Her song is also unorthodox and a grower but it gives me goosebumps in the good sense of the word. Some of the final notes of '24' remind me of the final few seconds of the OHMSS instrumental, especially with the clock spinning backwards.
Anyway, Writing's on the Wall is a bold choice for a theme - I think EON and Smith knew it would get mixed criticisms but also anticipate it to be a #1 hit. Lana, please try again next time!!
While there may be a very small number of people who don't like Smith's involvement because of his sexual preference, I think that too often the accusation of "homophobia" is an easy, lazy, way to dismiss those who don't like his vocals. For me it is his delivery, and voice, that ruins the song for me. With that said George Michael would have owned this, as would have Elton John and the late Freddie Mercury