Casino Royale [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack] [Soundtrack]

David Arnold (Artist), Nicholas Dodd (Artist) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (November 14, 2006)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Soundtrack
• Label: Sony Classics
• ASIN: B000IOM1SW
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (78 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,853 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

ARNOLD DAVID CASINO ROYALE

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

77 of 87 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars No Main Title? I'll Wait For a More Complete Soundtrack, November 23, 2006

By 

John D. Pride (Atlanta, GA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Casino Royale [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack] (Audio CD)

I saw Casino Royale yesterday and loved the soundrack and score. Chris Cornell's "You Know My Name" had been brillianly reworked to include string and horn flourishes that put the tune up there with John Barry's best. Sadly, the exciting jolt of that song has been omitted from this CD, so one never gets to feel immersed in the experience of the film. This was a stupid, stupid decision, if you ask me. Chris Cornell has said that the decision to leave his song off the CD was his alone. First, it is hard to believe that two major forces like Sony and the TWE organization would give Cornell such a right-of-refusal. Second, what kind of moron decides to take his song off of a Bond soundtrack? Cornell is either lying or a complete idiot. He does, however, sound great on the main titles track. It should have been here.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good soundtrack for a good Bond flick., December 17, 2006

By 

D. Dorton - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Casino Royale [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack] (Audio CD)

The negatives first:

The title song is not on the album, nor is it on the import or iTunes version. The only way to get the title song is to buy the single, which may not be the same version of the song that was used in the film.

The cool version of the Bond theme that was in the trailer is not on the album. That is par for the course, though - the equally memorable trailer music for the Brosnan Bonds never appeared on those soundtracks, either.

The iTunes version has more music from the movie - supposedly including all of the cues recorded by David Arnold (though the tracks on the CD will have been chosen to optimize listening to in album form).

If the only reason you want this soundtrack is for multiple renditions of the James Bond theme, go buy Tomorrow Never Dies, because you'll be disappointed. Since the movie is about Bond becoming 007, the music holds back on the Bond theme, with only a few brief statements before a fantastic full-orchestra rendition in the last track.

All of that being said, this is a great Bond soundtrack. Even though there is sparse use of the classic theme (it only appears partially and briefly a couple of times before the end), this is still pure Bond. Arnold channels Barry and the classic Bond sound effortlessly, with brassy orchestral statements of the title song and the movie's themes that don't sound dated, but still would sound equally at home in Goldfinger.

Thankfully gone is Arnold's overuse of electronic music and manipulation from the last two outings. They are somewhat replaced by a heavier use of percussion than we're used to in Bond music, but it works well to lend energy to the action tracks.

We have energetic, percussive action music, classic Barry-esque brass and orchestra work, romantic themes for locations and Bond girls, a couple of hooks to previous Bond scores, and a thoughtful approach to scoring the development of a 007 in progress. The full rendition of the Bond theme is well worth the wait - no electronics, no remix dance version - just a great arrangement of the 007 theme that could have been played by the Monty Norman orchestra itself. Great stuff, and the best Bond soundtrack since Tomorrow Never Dies. Recommended.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the Best James Bond Scores ever Composed, February 1, 2007

By 

Alamo_guy - See all my reviews

This review is from: Soundtrack (Audio CD)

David Arnold's James Bond film compositions up to now have gradually fallen into an abyss of the mundane. Arnold's DIE ANOTHER DAY was just very weak overall. CASINO ROYALE is a complete about face. With CASINO ROYALE David Arnold provides us with his most innovative Bond score to date. You almost have to forget everything that Arnold has composed for the James Bond series prior to CASINO ROYALE.

He has proven up to now that he can accomplish two elements of a James Bond score. First, he can copy predecessor John Barry's style when using the James Bond theme very effectively if need be. Second, David Arnold has a definite talent for coming up with rousing Bondian themes like "Surrender" on the TOMORROW NEVER DIES soundtrack. "Surrender" was belted out by K.D. Lang but relegated to the end titles in favor of Sheryl Crow's humdrum concoction behind the main titles. "Surrender" was pure Bond but somehow the producers stuck it on the end titles. However, Arnold used the "Surrender" theme throughout the entire score and it was very effective.

Arnold innovatively uses that same approach on this soundtrack but with much more subtlety. He gives us both THE JAMES BOND THEME and the MAIN TITLE to CASINO ROYALE in piecemeal fashion. If you examine the soundtrack to THUNDERBALL you will hear that John Barry used almost the same approach. You really do not get much of THE JAMES BOND THEME throughout the THUNDERBALL soundtrack if you listen to it. In fact, you get the entire THE JAMES BOND THEME on this soundtrack on the last track of the album! If you listen to the soundtracks to GOLDFINGER, THUNDERBALL, YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE, ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE and DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER you get good background music, which are outstanding scores. That's what you get here. CASINO ROYALE is one of the best James Bond scores ever composed.

Unfortunately the Chris Cornell's main title song is not included. It is a very good theme that redefines for the cinema what drives James Bond. It does not sound like a Bond song at all, but it truly does work for the movie. I found the omission of that song to be very disappointing. I am really upset that it is not on this soundtrack CD.