Die Another Day

I don't listen to mainstream "song" music, but I can say that Madonna's title song is quite listenable, despite worldwide tenderizing... It, also, is only trying to support the very cutting edge Bond movie credits.. It may not be traditional.. but neither was the film. I found it to be quite enjoyable, as the nifty strings were loud enough to outweigh the slashing electronic beats. The only thing the song really needs is some better lyrics, but for someone who doesn't even listen to music with lyrics, this is a minor complaint.

Oakenfold's take on the James Bond theme is rather unremarkable... I think it just takes up space better suited for more of Arnold's score

And onto the score itself. I havent heard THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH YET, but this is certainly a departure from TOMORROW NEVER DIES. The score opens with David Arnold's VERY NIFTY gunbarrel music, which has classic brass that subsides and lets the very groovy, cutting-edge electronic noises come into play... you can practically see Brosnan walking while the reflections dance around the gunbarrel. This track subsides into passable suspense before THE HOVERCRAFT CHASE, a neat little action track that has some neat Bond orchestra intertwining with techno-thrashing that is sometimes pretty dull but other times exciting. Overall... a great opener.

SOME KIND OF HERO is a very dark, almost totally orchestral track that is tense and moody and culminates in a very subdued statement of the quieter parts of the Bond theme.

I clump the next three tracks, WELCOME TO CUBA, JINX JORDAN, JAMES AND JINX together because they are essentially one idea. WELCOME TO CUBA is a fun little change of pace, with some almost goofy Cuban-flavored music. Fun, but unremarkable, and the next two JINX tracks serve their purposes in the film and no more.

The score then falls into a subdued but tense spy rhythm to accompany Bond's sneaking about in Iceland, and introduces the soaring vocals that signal the presence and power of ICARUS, a deadly satellite.

LASER FIGHT bridges this music into a steady stream of rollicking action music. WHITEOUT is a great cue that lets the orchestra state the prominent notes with the electronica fading into a great supporting role. ICED INC. is the electronic counterpart of WHITEOUT, and more than ones it degenerates into screeching techno mishmash.

ANTONOV is the CD's showcase, a sprawling 12-minute track that starts out with some groovy spy underscore and ICARUS carnage before becoming the exciting orchestral finale for the film's climax. I especially dig the relentless grit of synthesizers supporting the bombastic (ah... good old Arnold bombast) horns at 9:20 into the track.

To Madonna haters and those who declare the newer Bond flicks as disgraces to the series, I can see how this score will leave you in the dust and hating every second. But for those who like their action a bit more edgy than most, this soundtrack will be your ticket, as it was mine. Almost a 4 star effort, but if you liked the film, I reccomend you check this out!


Some Kind of Soundtrack   May 14, 2003
 6 out of 16 found this review helpful

Now that DIE ANOTHER DAY has been released, the hype has all but vanished into oblivion and the film has been scrutinized to infinitum I think it is time to take a good look or good listen to the Soundtrack album to this film on Compact Disc. Madonna's "Die Another Day" main title unfortunately does not hold up on its own. It is very un-melodic, very un-Bond and very forgettable. Unequivocally it's about the worst Bond theme ever written. David Arnold's score really doesn't fare much better. He seems unable to imitate his own music more so than that of John Barry's. Even when he does seem influenced by John Barry such as on track 7: "Jinx Jordan" the music is off mark and is totally ludicrous. Bond senses are supposedly consumed by this iconic figure of female pulchritude emerging from the sea as the music so emphatically suggests. However, Jinx Jordan is probably one of the most unfeminine Bond heroines in the entire series. Why should such erotic music be composed for this female killing machine? This music and the following track: "Jinx & James" thus make no sense at all. As for the action music I can only describe it as a `cellar full of noise." Without question, this is my least favorite James Bond soundtrack. The only cut I liked by Arnold was track 6: "Welcome To Cuba" which somehow had the only ring of sincerity about it perhaps because it was rather nostalgic for the simpler days. I was also very surprised that I enjoyed track 2: James Bond Theme (Bond vs. Oakenfold) because it seemed to aspire to the notion of keeping the cinematic Bond current without forgetting his musical roots.


Stale Mate   April 30, 2003
 2 out of 6 found this review helpful

After two very good James Bond scores it sounds as if David Arnold has gone stale on 007. There is really nothing new here. He seems to be consumed by his own compositions for relentless action scenes, which have become very tiresome. I am starting to believe that Arnold actually lacks innovation. This is a very weak soundtrack. Even his interpolations of the James Bond theme are lacking enthusiasm. Most Bond fans always beg to have the gun barrel music included on the soundtrack. It's included here but it's ineffectual. Only the love themes which sound inspired by John Barry are exemplary. The real problem with this soundtrack is that most of the music is sorely lacking in motivation or purpose. It's just action music for the sake of action.