Skyfall soundtrack

[Dale Sams]

First I'd like to lobby for a section called "Star Trek (and other tv and film) music"

When I saw that Thomas Newman was doing the music, I was delighted...but after seeing the film, I thought any Newmanisms were buried under 'standard action film music'. Personally I don't think it even exceeds "Casino Royale", which at least has a few identifiable themes that resonate. I understand Newman's score was nominated (and won) some awards...maybe I should give it another go.

[SchwEnt]

FWIW... I own all the Bond soundtracks and have known and enjoyed them for decades.

I understand Newman is a well-regarded score composer.

But as I enjoyed many aspects while watching SF (the acting, writing, direction, cinematography, sound, etc) the one notable omission was the music. Having watched it in cinema multiple times, I cannot recall one outstanding musical moment (aside from the Bond theme during the DB5 reveal and that doesn't count).

Even thinking back now, I can't recall any music from SF aside from Adele's title song.

Every Bond should have a memorable score, even if it's a bad one. Skyfall is the only Bond I know (and I know them all) where I don't remember any particular music from the film.

Is it just me?

[Dale Sams]

I'm listening to some tracks now on Youtube...definitly can hear the Newmanesqueness, but overall I think they could have used a motif to tie it all up, and too much aping of Arnold in the action sequences.

[Starkers]

I'd agree it could have used Bonding up in places, but overall I like it, I have the CD and there's quite a few tracks I really like, especially some of the London centric ones, and Shanghai ones too.

[CorporalClegg]

Personally, I didn't care for it and thought it was one of the weaker Bond scores. For one thing, half the cues where CR retreads. It seemed uninspired to me.

[Dale Sams]

FWIW: My fave Bond soundtrack is OHMSS.

[SchwEnt]

^^^ OHMSS is outstanding. Excellent in the film, fantastic on its own, that's a Bond score.

[MickJo1701]

OHMSS is my favourite film of the series and has the finest score in my opinion too.

SchwEnt wrote:

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But as I enjoyed many aspects while watching SF (the acting, writing, direction, cinematography, sound, etc) the one notable omission was the music. Having watched it in cinema multiple times, I cannot recall one outstanding musical moment (aside from the Bond theme during the DB5 reveal and that doesn't count).

No its not just you I agree also, its a great film but it needed a David Arnold score, I really hope he's back to do the next one. I don't understand finishing the film by re-using the last cue from the end of Casino Royale either.

[CorporalClegg]

Dale Sams wrote:

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FWIW: My fave Bond soundtrack is OHMSS.

Mine too.

[JarodRussell]

I don't like the scoring of most action scenes, they sound pretty bland and generic to me, but I like the rest of the soundtrack very much.


I love John Barry's scores, especially OHMSS, AVTAK and TLD.

I also hope that David Arnold returns, and gets back to his Brosnan Bond style scoring, which was VERY Barry-esque.

[Starkers]

Another vote for OHMSS, and I love The Living Daylight's soundtrack.

I dunno, at times I thought Arnold overdid it "Bond goes to the loo, cue 007 riff, Bond buys a newspaper, cue 007 riff" but then he went too far the other way with Casino Royale!

But what do I know, I quite like the Goldeneye soundtrack

[Lonemagpie]

I'm not a newman fan so this was a little better than most of his stuff for me, but still a vast downstep from Arnold's average (though QoS was a disappointment from him) - it needs an Arnold re-score

[JarodRussell]

Starkers wrote:

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But what do I know, I quite like the Goldeneye soundtrack

I thought the soundtrack was what almost ruined the film.
GoldenEye would be the film I'd love to see/hear rescored by David Arnold.

[Lonemagpie]

JarodRussell wrote:

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I thought the soundtrack was what almost ruined the film.
GoldenEye would be the film I'd love to see/hear rescored by David Arnold.

Me too. (and nsna)

Though the musique concrete "Goldeneye overture" is genius - the way it builds the Bond theme out of disparate elements - but it works better as a standalone piece and the actual scoring within the film is rubbish.

(This is usually about the point where I tell the story of attending an MGM press do in 1997 and asking the studio rep if Serra was doing TnD - Arnold hadn't been announced yet - and the rep said "no, he's ruining The Fifth Element for us this year.")

[Starkers]

Well watched Skyfall again tonight and have to say I still don't really have a major problem with soundtrack, in particular I like a lot of the motifs that revolve around M.