| Die Another Day |
| Composed by David Arnold |
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Orchestrated and Conducted by Nicholas Dodd Produced by David Arnold, Anita Camarata, and Caresse Henry Release Date: 2002 |
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Given your feelings regarding the direction of the Bond franchise, especially with what has come before in terms of the style that John Barry created for it, David Arnold either completely ticks you off or lets you grin with satisfaction. While Tomorrow Never Dies was Arnold's loving tribute to the Barry sound of the past, the Backseat Driver cue (among a few others) was a clear indication that Arnold had his own ideas for how the sound of Bond should carry into the 21st century. The melding of composed orchestral cues and programmed electronics continued with the next score, The World is Not Enough, arousing praise from those who liked what Arnold was doing, while giving a huge dose of consternation to those who tightly clutch their copies of Goldfinger and On Her Majesty's Secret Service (which, incidentally enough, was the first Bond score to utilize synth). With the announcement of the twentieth Bond film, the score community once again held its breath in anticipation of what Arnold would do this time around. I have long been a fan of the sound that Arnold has been developing for his scores, and I must point out that Barry did the same, both in On Her Majesty's Secret Service (in which the synth was used to set apart the fact that Connery was no longer with the franchise), and in The Living Daylights (which is very close to the way Arnold has used his electronics). Arnold's lush romanticism equally matches Barry's, and such cues as Jinx & James and Going Down Together really illustrate what Arnold is still achieving with the straight orchestral compositions. The final confrontation sequence at the end of the CD is also restrained in its use of sampling. But as much as those cues represent the conventional, the rest of the album hits the new style hard and heavy, representing one of the most ingenious uses of electronica and sampling that I've ever heard. At once the style is Arnold/Bond and at once something totally fresh. The electronics are different for the most part here than they were in The World is Not Enough. Arnold even has the audacity to sample the orchestra itself and works a technique where he plays it back on top of itself sdrawkcab (backwards)! This leads to some very cool moments within such powerhouse cues as Hovercraft Chase. The effect is immediately noticeable and utterly cool. Speaking of that particular cue, the intensity of it has to be experienced to be fully realized, and breaking down the way Arnold handles that sequence is next to impossible. Easily one of the best cues out of all the Arnold Bond scores, rivaling even Backseat Driver. If that makes you tremble with excitement, then this is definitely the album for you. Otherwise, you'd better steer clear as this is the style that permeates throughout. While the Bond theme is used sparingly about, little snippets of it are scattered liberally, plus Arnold is doing a lot of thematic work with the score. It hinders the album release however, because the short running time doesn't leave room for the cues that really evolve the themes, and I was left feeling like there was so much that I missed. The disc is mostly taken up with enhanced CD content (which you have to register for to actually access...how much does that suck?). It's very disappointing, but there is talk about an expanded album, which would help the score immensely. The Madonna title song is serviceable, but it feels like there is such a good song buried underneath what was actually delivered. Some of the sampling effects used for the underlying string section had me concerned that my CD was skipping. I was especially disappointed that it's not one of Arnold's creations (witness the travesty that was the Tomorrow Never Dies opening title), and it doesn't get quoted at all, like any proper Bond song should be. The Oakenfold James Bond Theme remix isn't that bad, and I actually prefer it to Moby's remix at times, but it runs a tad too long and eventually overstays its welcome. In the end, I am very pleased with this score. Where the style can go now, I'm not quite sure. But as long as it remains in Arnold's very capable hands, the future is bright indeed. **** |
| Track Listing - Total Running Time: 55:00 | |
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