Customer Reviews

Soundtrack

5 star:		(56)
4 star:		(27)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

Please meet David Arnold. A combination of John Barry and Bernard Herrmann, which adds a techno-electronical touch to the music. Certainly the composer to bring Bond into the new millennium, and certainly one of the most talented composers. May he stay with us and Bond for a long long time.

I believe what makes a great score is if it fits coherently with the film, and if it can stand on its own as music without visuals. True, John Barry is probably the first and foremost composer for any Bond film, but just like Desmond Llewelyn's Q in TWINE, a much needed replacement is made to create a James Bond for our time. Let's face it, who wants to see Llewelyn's Q go and be replaced by John Cleese's R? Sure he's funny but he's no Q. Yet with this kind of mentality, we can't really make Bond live for 19 more outings. Sometimes, we have to give the newcomers a chance to bring forth their creativity to liven a dying franchise. That's why I think David Arnold's score for both the TND and TWINE bring back John Barry's feel without really ripping him off. One, Arnold knows when to use certain instruments to heighten any scene (the use of the famous guitar twang in the theme is brought up very scarcely in the score for TND but when it does, it actually makes the scene exciting, and the score exciting as well.) Two, Arnold has brought back the sauve, sultry song stylings to the title tracks. And the theme song to TWINE is a great homage to Shirley Bassie, LuLu, and Carly Simon, and who better to perform the track than "Garbage?" I have to admit, after Eric Serra's terribly bland score for "GoldenEye," David Arnold is probably the next best thing to John Barry when it comes to scoring Bond Films.

As for Brosnan, I think he's pretty good. (To name the best would just spew forth an endless debate.) At least I don't laugh when he actually says his name is "Bond. James Bond." It's just a man saying his name. And when he orders that Martini, I actually see a man just ordering a drink. Brosnan has actually made Bond a human being, and that's not an easy task because it can come off as laziness. Besides, even Lazenby himself agreed that Brosnan's Bond can knock a better punch.

It's nice to see Scott Walker hit the mainstream (sort of) again! His "Only Myself To Blame" (left out of the movie...bummer) is far and away the best track on the CD. The rest of the music is just OK soundtrack music. Buy it for the Walker track.

First off I want to say that David Arnold has done a magnificent job at capturing the spirit of 007 for the new millenium. His blend of traditional Bondian jazz blended in with techno is perfect. This is very similar to what John Barry did for THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS sountrack. Unlike Eric Serra (GOLDENEYE) he stays in familiar territory instead of going somewhere totally new and foriegn. As for Garbage's title track, WOW. This song also captures the spirit of the great title songs with excellent lyrics, vocales, and instrumentals.

The soundtrack album has one major flaw.... missing cues. While I was satified with the amount of coverage the soundtrack album had (unlike TOMORROW NEVER DIES which left out the entire second half of the film), I was upset that essentials like the gunbarrel cue and the entire end title track (which sounded awesome) did not make the CD. Someone needs to let the producers of these soundtrack albums to make the entire CD complete.

Personally I think that this is one of the best James Bond scores ever written and rank it with great contempary John Barry scores like THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS. I hope that for BOND 20....... DAVID ARNOLD WILL RETURN...

I buy this CD for the title song, which I consider the best in recent years. The last song was a surprise - and I love it from the first time I heard the opening notes. Some of the reviews here said that it was odd and did not fit in with the Bond movies. I disagree. Somehow it fitted the occasionally melancholy Bond that Bosnan protrayed. Remember his 'old flame' in Tomorrow Never Dies ? "I know it was love. But when we're young, we think love will come again and again....."

The best Bond score since John Barry unfortunately bears ugly scars. The synthesizers ramble on louder than the orchestra, swiftly drowning some highly effective and evocative composing, including good melodies and bold orchestrations. It is a worthy attempt to update the 007 sound, but some imbecile decision-making buried the interesting material under layers of dentist drill noises (which could be appropriately and intelligently used were they not so conspicuous).

Ok, David Arnolds' score for the World is not Enough is one of the best bond scores I have heard yet. (I do own 13 out of 19 soundtracks), so I do speak with some authority on this matter. Unlike Tomorrow Never Dies, Arnolds score for this movie has a mix of techno and classic Bond music. For instance check out track 14. This track has the classic Bond theme, and has some music Arnold can call his own. Unlike Goldeneye, this mixture of music is both cool and refreshing. The title song by Garbage is one of the few I actually like in the Bond series. Tracks 2,3, and 6 are also excellent music. I liked Tomorrow Never Dies, but The World is Not Enough I loved. It takes first place in my books. One can definately say that David Arnold has brought Bond into the nineties and through the new millenium. Can't wait for the next installment.

After David Arnolds super great score for TND it was almost certain that the bond nusical tradition was going to be a reality in th 90's, Mr Arnold had saved us from another dreadful score from Mr ' Hey lets play the soundtrack on a keyboard I bought from Dixons ' Erric Serra. I know for sure that if I ever hear that Mr Serra's scoring another Bond film I Will strap a Tonne rock to my feet and throw myself off the Golden Gate Bridge.

However, I thought That Arnold's Score to TWINE was a great dissapointment. The reason for this is the vastly exagerrated use of elctronics, TND was mostly a very well written orchestral soundtrack with a very balanced amount of eletrical use, this is probably why it was such a success.

In this case Arnold goes a bit haywire in the elctrical area with loads of synthisized beats and weird noises which get to a point when you feel you have had enough. Unfortunatly the more soft orchestral tracks like -M's Confession- and -Elektra's Theme- are slightly dull and leave nothing to memory.

Another thing with this soundtrack which I like not is that all the action sequences are done using a fart load of electronics which are so loud that you can't hardly hear the orchesra accompinment and the more soft toned pieces are done using the orcestra only. I would have been supper great to have heared more tracks like -White Knight- from TND on this CD, it would have changed everything.

Well, all this said the soundtrack does have the up side. The front cover is quite good and the 'Movie Trailer' track which you use on your computer (the last one) is really cool!

Bravo David Arnold! You have done it again. You have composed an excellent Bond score. Once I press play, I don't stop listening to it till it's over. Just the right amount of Synthesizers. My Favorite track has to be Submarine. You've out done your Tomorrow Never Dies score. It is great from Garbage's title song to Scott Walker's "Only Myself to Blame." If you want a good Bond score, get The World Is Not Enough.

After David Arnold's blunderous Godzilla score, it's good to know the man hasn't lost his touch. This music is great! A very good balance of the techno and the classic stuff. Can't wait for the movie.