What do you think of Adele's "Skyfall" theme?

Loomis wrote:

I guess no one ever went broke underestimating people's taste for "classic Bond". But I don't know why they didn't simply get Bassey back.

Adele is my favorite thing about the song. And I don't like the idea of going the Bassey route. Bond has to move on.

I like the song pretty well. It has a Bondian sound without being an awful wannabe-Goldfinger. I just think the song could use just a tiny bit more "oomph" in places.

Speaking of "oomph", I'd like to give Adele some "oomph" in places.

It's a unique Bond tune. It sounds archetypally Bondian without sounding like any particular tune that's gone before it.

Also, while one might give SF low marks for originality based upon reliance on the Bond theme, that reliance disappears after the first quarter of the song. So I rate this one fairly high in the originality department.

And what can I say about Adele? I didn't realize vocal talent like that still existed. She's a spark of brilliance and beauty in our tenebrous age. I doubt Bassey could have done as well, and I'm a tremendous admirer of Bassey.

Perilagu Khan wrote:

And what can I say about Adele? I didn't realize vocal talent like that still existed. She's a spark of brilliance and beauty in our tenebrous age. I doubt Bassey could have done as well, and I'm a tremendous admirer of Bassey.

I listened to "No Good About Goodbye" and "Skyfall" back to back. I just don't think Bassey would have fit "Skyfall". Bassey to me is more show, Adele more soul.

Yeah, the lyrics are a bit flat, but I like them well enough. "I like the "stand together" part. And Adele sells the hell out of it. Wish they'd given Don Black a ring, though.

The White Tuxedo wrote:

Loomis wrote:

I guess no one ever went broke underestimating people's taste for "classic Bond". But I don't know why they didn't simply get Bassey back.

Adele is my favorite thing about the song. And I don't like the idea of going the Bassey route. Bond has to move on.

I like the song pretty well. It has a Bondian sound without being an awful wannabe-Goldfinger. I just think the song could use just a tiny bit more "oomph" in places.

Speaking of "oomph", I'd like to give Adele some "oomph" in places.

I agree with it needing more "oomph". Kind of seems a little too laid back. I do like the song however. It is definitely one of the better theme songs for the series since 1995. Much better than the crap we were subjected to with DAD and QOS.

Moore wrote:

The White Tuxedo wrote:

Loomis wrote:

I guess no one ever went broke underestimating people's taste for "classic Bond". But I don't know why they didn't simply get Bassey back.

Adele is my favorite thing about the song. And I don't like the idea of going the Bassey route. Bond has to move on.

I like the song pretty well. It has a Bondian sound without being an awful wannabe-Goldfinger. I just think the song could use just a tiny bit more "oomph" in places.

Speaking of "oomph", I'd like to give Adele some "oomph" in places.

I agree with it needing more "oomph". Kind of seems a little too laid back. I do like the song however. It is definitely one of the better theme songs for the series since 1995. Much better than the crap we were subjected to with DAD and QOS.

I'd say it's my favorite Bond song since GE. The only real competition is "You Know My Name". It has better lyrics and goes for it's target more aggressively than SF, but I like the mood of SF a lot more.

For the record, I like TWINE okay, find TND servicable, think DAD sounds like a damned car alarm, and I'd say "Another Way to Die" is... I don't know what to say about it.

I'd love to hear a decent remix.

Meanwhile, 2/3rds of Guardian musos readers appear to hate it.

Here's a sample of negative comments:

Quote :

Dire, X-Factoresque drivel.
Bjork or someone with a remotely interesting voice would have been nice, but the masses just want an artless belter.

Quote :

This is utter shit. I was utterly bored after 2 minutes and I was waiting for the big breakout and it just kept going exactly the same, with the inane lyrics and dreary melody.
Isn't she meant to be one of the greatest singer/songwriters ever? Yeah right, a couple of big selling albums and she's being compared to all manner of greats, what a disgrace.
And I totally agree with DusterUK, 'You Know My Name' is a really good tune, full of emotion and kicks along at a great pace.
This is just dreary crap which having heard it will make me go and get my popcorn and drinks whilst it's on. Thank you at least for that insight so I don't waste time queuing before the film.

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Who the hell cares? I wish Bond would just disappear along with the British Empire. What on Earth is the Guardian doing? Pathetic.

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Just makes you wish Shirley B from Tiger bay was doing this thing, it certainly exposes adele for the lightweight she is, vocally and musically speaking...is...

Quote :

It's bloated... heavy... over-hyped. Impregnated with smarm. And the song sucks big time, also.



Just be grateful Justno Beaver isn't British and was given the gig.

Quote :

Crumbs....really boring no effort spent in composing that was there. Was it done in just one key ? Just sounds like a draft version of diamonds are forever.

Quote :

'Crumble' is simply a terrible word to have in a dramatic song; to have it in the chorus, where it's both prominent and repeated, is disastrous.



And the backing vocals are really bad. (And the backing vocals are really bad).

Quote :

The function of film background music is to set a mood for the screen action but, itself, it should be completely "invisible". On that basis, this succeeds perfectly. No fault to Adele it's just a very weak, uninspired song which barely scrapes in as adequate because of a vaguely-Bondish modality.

Quote :

Generic pap. Incredibly meh.
I have to stick up for Jack White and Alicia Keys though. I thought Another Way To Die was pretty bad-ass. I second the opinion that Muse would have been a better choice.

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This is the first time I've heard Adele sing. I'm absolutely blown away at how mediocre and lifeless and bored she sounds.

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It makes Madonna's attempt sound classy!

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sounds like a fat amy winehouse. be honest.

Quote :

Let the skyfow
When it crumbows
We will stand tow
Terribow.
This truly, truly dreadfow.
Horribow.
Frightfow.

Quote :

Irritating from the very first couplet..."End" does not rhyme with "Ten".

It goes on... trying to rhyme "then" with "again", "end" with "moment" and "then" with "stolen".
lazy, lazy....

Quote :

It doesn't have that wow factor, the lyrics are terrible, this is beneath what both Adele and Bond got us used to... truly unremarkable.
And when she sings SKYFALL, change it for SCAFFOLD: tragically hilarious.

Quote :

Fucking loved it until I read all the comments. Now I hate it just like everyone else. In fact it's so bad, it's put me off music altogether.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/musicblog/poll/2012/oct/05/skyfall-adele-bond?commentpage=3#start-of-comments

Quote :

Let the skyfow
When it crumbows
We will stand tow
Terribow.
This truly, truly dreadfow.
Horribow.
Frightfow.

Best since GE, easily.

I believe trevanian mentioned this somewhere else, but one major issue with this song is that the instrumentation seems to overpower the vocals. The instruments sound flat, too. Maybe this will be corrected in the film?

I hope it's a totally different mix.

Largo's Shark wrote:

I'd love to hear a decent remix.

Meanwhile, 2/3rds of Guardian musos readers appear to hate it.

Here's a sample of negative comments:

Quote :

Dire, X-Factoresque drivel.
Bjork or someone with a remotely interesting voice would have been nice, but the masses just want an artless belter.

Quote :

This is utter shit. I was utterly bored after 2 minutes and I was waiting for the big breakout and it just kept going exactly the same, with the inane lyrics and dreary melody.
Isn't she meant to be one of the greatest singer/songwriters ever? Yeah right, a couple of big selling albums and she's being compared to all manner of greats, what a disgrace.
And I totally agree with DusterUK, 'You Know My Name' is a really good tune, full of emotion and kicks along at a great pace.
This is just dreary crap which having heard it will make me go and get my popcorn and drinks whilst it's on. Thank you at least for that insight so I don't waste time queuing before the film.

Quote :

Who the hell cares? I wish Bond would just disappear along with the British Empire. What on Earth is the Guardian doing? Pathetic.

Quote :

Just makes you wish Shirley B from Tiger bay was doing this thing, it certainly exposes adele for the lightweight she is, vocally and musically speaking...is...

Quote :

It's bloated... heavy... over-hyped. Impregnated with smarm. And the song sucks big time, also.



Just be grateful Justno Beaver isn't British and was given the gig.

Quote :

Crumbs....really boring no effort spent in composing that was there. Was it done in just one key ? Just sounds like a draft version of diamonds are forever.

Quote :

'Crumble' is simply a terrible word to have in a dramatic song; to have it in the chorus, where it's both prominent and repeated, is disastrous.



And the backing vocals are really bad. (And the backing vocals are really bad).

Quote :

The function of film background music is to set a mood for the screen action but, itself, it should be completely "invisible". On that basis, this succeeds perfectly. No fault to Adele it's just a very weak, uninspired song which barely scrapes in as adequate because of a vaguely-Bondish modality.

Quote :

Generic pap. Incredibly meh.
I have to stick up for Jack White and Alicia Keys though. I thought Another Way To Die was pretty bad-ass. I second the opinion that Muse would have been a better choice.

Quote :

This is the first time I've heard Adele sing. I'm absolutely blown away at how mediocre and lifeless and bored she sounds.

Quote :

It makes Madonna's attempt sound classy!

Quote :

sounds like a fat amy winehouse. be honest.

Quote :

Let the skyfow
When it crumbows
We will stand tow
Terribow.
This truly, truly dreadfow.
Horribow.
Frightfow.

Quote :

Irritating from the very first couplet..."End" does not rhyme with "Ten".

It goes on... trying to rhyme "then" with "again", "end" with "moment" and "then" with "stolen".
lazy, lazy....

Quote :

It doesn't have that wow factor, the lyrics are terrible, this is beneath what both Adele and Bond got us used to... truly unremarkable.
And when she sings SKYFALL, change it for SCAFFOLD: tragically hilarious.

Quote :

Fucking loved it until I read all the comments. Now I hate it just like everyone else. In fact it's so bad, it's put me off music altogether.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/musicblog/poll/2012/oct/05/skyfall-adele-bond?commentpage=3#start-of-comments

Confirms my already Stygian opinion of Guardian readers.

But what's Gravy doing posting on that rag?

No way does the instrumentation overpower the vocals. The production for this song is bang on.

This is by far the gloomiest of all Bond songs, and that's kind of the problem. It's just not very dynamic. (And I gotta say this 4:45 version of the song way overstays its welcome.)

The back-up vocals really throw me. They're actually the most unique feature of the song, as far as Bond songs go, but rather than being evocative, they come off as kinda silly. I'd like 'em if they kept to the thinner, more ethereal sound they have when they're first introduced and never segued into the full-on choral sound they get around 2:40.

Control wrote:

I believe trevanian mentioned this somewhere else, but one major issue with this song is that the instrumentation seems to overpower the vocals. The instruments sound flat, too. Maybe this will be corrected in the film?

Maybe someone on the web could EQ it to better enhance the vocals? (though that might draw more attention to the lyrics, which wouldn't help)

Harmsway wrote:

This is by far the gloomiest of all Bond songs, and that's kind of the problem. It's just not very dynamic. (And I gotta say this 4:45 version of the song way overstays its welcome.)

The back-up vocals really throw me. They're actually the most unique feature of the song, as far as Bond songs go, but rather than evocative, they sound kinda silly. I'd like 'em if they kept to the thinner, more ethereal sound they have when they're first introduced and never segued into the full-on choral sound they get around 2:40.

I agree with nearly all of those points. It's too long, and the back-up vocals are not to my liking. Though not as bad as "You Know My Name"'s "FORGET HOW TO FEEEELLL!!!!" and "SPIN OF THE WHEEEEEEEELLLLL!!!!!!!!!"

P.S. I virtually always hate back up vocals that repeat a line.

One of my favourite bits is the middle 8 ("Where you go I go..."). Some lovely string writing there, interesting harmonies (finally escapes the Bond theme), and the melody's it as its most lyrical.

That would work very well in the score.

2:54-3:17 should be cut.

The White Tuxedo wrote:

2:54-3:17 should be cut.

I'm 100% sure it will. It's just filler, and the chorus doesn't sound so great on its own.

Largo's Shark wrote:

The White Tuxedo wrote:

2:54-3:17 should be cut.

I'm 100% sure it will. It's just filler. and the chorus doesn't so great on its own.

Oh, I know that will get axed in the film. Anonymous gospel choir or Adele? Adele.

I'm predicting Laz. to tell us in approximately 4 hours that SKYFALL is everything he expected it to be, A bland forgettable, "Bondesque", lifeless, generic, dirge, that rips off John Barry and is yet another similarity to TWINE. All of our problems would've been solved if EON had the f*cking balls to hire Mozza, PJ Harvey, The Smashing Pumpkins or Robin. Yadda yadda yadda. SKYFALL will be pure sh**e and you'll all realise come next March.

Signed,

Largo's Lazenby.

You should have an army of Largonauts.

Largo's Shark wrote:

I'm predicting Laz. to tell us in approximately 4 hours that SKYFALL is everything he expected it to be, A bland forgettable, "Bondesque", lifeless, generic, dirge, that rips off John Barry and is yet another similarity to TWINE.

Are you posting this for the benefit of people who have registered with BAB since Lazenby. last posted?

Because we're all pretty much expecting that. Lazenby. has hated everything to do with SKYFALL from the moment it was given a release date. Why on earth would he suddenly do an about-face on that? Given his increasingly-aggressive attacks on the film, part of me wonders whether he hasn't been genuinely surprised by it, but is stubbornly refusing to admit he was wrong and so has redoubled his efforts to compensate.

It's a shame, really. He used to be one of the most intelligent guys around here. Now he's just full of irrational hatred and zeal to convince as many people as possible that the film will be a travesty.