Thomas Newman's Skyfall Score.

With Mendes coming on board, he brought along his own composer, Thomas Newman, famous of course for his own style of swelling, emotional scores. How do you feel he handled his Bond score? At times I thought it still sounded like Arnold's work, especially during the action sequences, but it has to be said, I thought Newman hit it out of the park when it came to later aspects of the film, Tennyson, Mother and The Chimera, which appear on the soundtrack album are all fantastic and make the score album a great listen. What did you guys think?

Haven't heard the score album yet, but I was very happy with his work as used in the film.

M wrote:

Haven't heard the score album yet, but I was very happy with his work as used in the film.

Definitely worth a purchase, piece of advice though, make sure the volume isn't too high when you first listen to it, the little burst of orchestra that kicks the album of made me jump. On a bus. Full of people no less. :oops:

I've now had a chance to listen to the soundtrack on its own and it stands up much better than I expected. The three tracks you mention are all excellent as is Severine, appropriately enough the most melodic and beautiful track. Close Shave is a bit too close to some of James Newton Howard's work on Waterworld for my liking, and New Digs is refreshingly muscular but clearly influenced by John Powell's work for the Bourne movies. Then again, what isn't these days?

Definitely a step up from David Arnold. Everyone raised their game for Skyfall.

Erica Ambler wrote:

I've now had a chance to listen to the soundtrack on its own and it stands up much better than I expected. The three tracks you mention are all excellent as is Severine, appropriately enough the most melodic and beautiful track. Close Shave is a bit too close to some of James Newton Howard's work on Waterworld for my liking, and New Digs is refreshingly muscular but clearly influenced by John Powell's work for the Bourne movies. Then again, what isn't these days?

Definitely a step up from David Arnold. Everyone raised their game for Skyfall.

I don't mind Arnold's work, but sometimes listening to his score albums is like being inundated with never ending noise. I can't believe I forgot to mention Severine's theme, really beautiful and very, very romantic.

Brave New World is another powerful track.

Erica Ambler wrote:

Brave New World is another powerful track.

Ideal for listening to when saving the world in your pyjamas. :)

This is the Waterworld track Close Shave reminds me of. I think it's the pipes more than anything.

I hear what you mean, though it's a real bamboo flute in Close Shave (played by Phill Todd, who had to battle focal dystonia) rather than an EWI (correct me if I'm wrong) in that WATERWORLD track - which gives it a very different character. Plus there's real pizzicato strings. The SKYFALL track is more rom-com than New Age.

The BOURNE track that New Digs reminds me of is Treadstone Assassins from IDENTITY.

I was out for my walk there earlier on and when Close Shave started playing, I couldn't help but have Kevin Costner with webbed feet in my head. It was scary, but yeah, definitely some similarities. Same goes for Treadstone Assassins and New Digs, but I think New Digs stands up on its own, that little burst of guitar from around the 1:03 mark is particularly enjoyable.

I like it almost as much as David Arnold. I think it lacked Bond theme (should have been more, other than the CR track), but the rest was great.

Walecs wrote:

I think it lacked Bond theme.

The Bond theme is all over the score in clever variations. In fact, there's very few cues without it.

When Silva has his helicopter blow up the DB5, there's a variation of the Bond theme which is brilliant. Makes you want to get some gas canisters and a stick of dynamite. :)

Largo's Shark wrote:

Walecs wrote:

I think it lacked Bond theme.

The Bond theme is all over the score in clever variations. In fact, there's very few cues without it.

Yes, but I wanted more of the "dum di di dum dum" and "da da, da dam" bits.

Walecs wrote:

Largo's Shark wrote:

Walecs wrote:

I think it lacked Bond theme.

The Bond theme is all over the score in clever variations. In fact, there's very few cues without it.

Yes, but I wanted more of the "dum di di dum dum" and "da da, da dam" bits.

You'll probably have to wait for David Arnold on that. Even John Barry became less reliant on the Bond theme over the years and would only occasionally play in the films.

I really like Newman's score.

I didn't miss it the main theme too much to be honest. I think I've kind of become accustomed over the last three movies to not expect it until the end credits now.

I thought it was refreshing. Pretty much every time Bond took a step the theme would blast.

Anyway, I'm really digging Newman's score now I've given it a proper listen. It's doubtful, but here's hoping he throws out a couple more.

Made a change for Craig to be accompanied by the Bond theme. Top use when the bulldozer mounts the VW's.

I was very wrong about SKYFALL's score. Works beautifully in the film. Hope some of the unreleased bits find their way online (including the re-recorded "The Name's Bond, James Bond," which sounds a good deal better than the CASINO ROYALE version).

Has it been put into film order by anyone? I don't think it is as I have it. :/

Was a few weeks ago in the other Newman thread:

Python wrote:

01. Grand Bazaar, Istanbul
14. The Bloody Shot
Adele - Skyfall (abridged version)
02. Voluntary Retirement
15. Enjoying Death
03. New Digs
10. Day Wasted
05. Brave New World
06. Shanghai Drive
07. Jellyfish
08. Silhouette
09. Modigliani
17. Close Shave
31 Old Dog, New Tricks (probably unused)
13. Komodo Dragon
12. Someone Usually Dies
04. Severine
16. The Chimera
11. Quartermaster
18. Health & Safety
19. Granborough Road
20. Tennyson
21. Enquiry
22. Breadcrumbs
23. Skyfall
24. Kill Them First
25. Welcome To Scotland
26. She’s Mine
27. The Moors
28. Deep Water
29. Mother
End Credits Medley:
Gunbarrel / The Name's Bond... James Bond (abridged re-recording), then fades into...
30. Adrenaline, which fades into...
14. The Bloody Shot (abridged version), which fades into...
13. Komodo Dragon (abridged version)

Well, there we go.

I really like "Old Dogs New Tricks". Don't recall hearing it in the film.

Someone should make an abridged version of the title song if they haven't. Sounds like they chopped the hell out of it.

"Old Dogs New Tricks" was originally for the shaving scene, but Mendes thought it was too suggestive so the new cue "Close Shave" was more playful and I think it works better. Still, it's nice they included the deleted track, hopefully more cues will surface.

Unreleased tracks.

1. Grand Bazaar, Istanbul (Film Version) - the opening clusters (0:02 to 0:57) last a lot longer in the film, IIRC.
2. The Bloody Shot (Film Version) - French horns sound an Ab Major chord as the camera whip pans to the tunnel (should be at 4:22), missing on the album.
3. The Funeral - Second of the film's three quotes of the "M Theme."
4. Bond Enters the Office Tower - Bond enters the lobby and follows the trail of dead security guards to Patrice. A variation on the opening clusters from Grand Bazaar, Istanbul, but subtly different. Segues to Jellyfish.
5. The Elevator Stops - Gothic, Barry-esque minor chords and ominous low strings (think Bond At The Monsoon Palace from OP) as Bond climbs from under the elevator to the 67th floor. Should be between 0:44 and 0:45 on Jellyfish.
6. Circle of Life - Bond dispatches two of Severine's bodyguards with the steel briefcase, but the heavyset one tackles him, and they both fall into a pit with Komodo dragons. They fight until Bond is slammed to the ground. Only the first 30 seconds or so are missing. The rest can be found in Granborough Road from 0:32 to 1:04 and 2:00 to the end.
7. Silva's Capture - Bond takes out Silva's goons and calls in the cavalry. Features a great rendition of the Bond Theme.
8. Hydrogen Cyanide - Very effective cue, starting as M tells Silva that he'll be transferred to Belmarsh Prison, and he demands her to say his real name. IIRC, it ends when Bond enters Q's lab. It's variation on the chords heard in Someone Usually Dies, without the guitar ostinato, with stopped horns instead. The chilling electronic microtonal pitch wavering and clusters for when Silva takes off his apparatus can be also be heard at 1:37 to 1:50 in that track.
9. Temple - Silva adopts a new disguise as Metropolitan police officer at Temple Station, as Bond tries to find him in rush hour. Ends when Bond jumps onto the train.
10. Granborough Road (Film Version) - Same as the album version, except with two inserts. Tense stopped horns with interpolations of the chugging octatonic ostinato in low strings and guitars as Bond tries to find Silva amid lots of police officers. There's also low strings at the end for when Bond has Silva at gunpoint in the catacombs (one of the officially released clips).
11. She's Mine (Film Version) - I might be wrong, but I remember a longer introduction in the film for when Siva's helicopter lands.
12. The Name's Bond... James Bond (Skyfall Version) - Different from the one heard in CR, and not just in the orchestration. Features the take on the Bond theme's chords heard in You Know My Name and Adele's Skyfall (Em-C/E-A rather than Em-C/E-Cm6-5).