David Arnold Albums (9)
'Die Another Day'
Release Date 11/12/2002
Tracks 14
Label Warner Bros.
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Enough heralds the unofficial end of composer David Arnold's interest in orchestral writing, bridging the gap between his subsequent immersion into electronics by fusing more traditional symphonic arrangements with sleek synthesizer textures and computer-generated rhythms. From a cinematic perspective, this is predictable and at times pedestrian stuff, embracing the familiar elements of the thriller genre to workmanlike effect -- Arnold is more than proficient at crafting taut, suspenseful melodies, but the score follows a far-too-familiar trajectory, building tension as if the composer was following a blueprint. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
David Arnold's first Bond score, Tomorrow Never Dies, was better than the film itself, and better than Sheryl Crow's theme song, which was one of the lamest entries in 007's history. The World Is Not Enough, the sequel to Tomorrow Never Dies, is a different matter entirely. The film was directed by Michael Apted, meaning it's the first time in a long while that the Bond franchise was given an established director with a reputation for making challenging films. He hired a great cast -- not just Pierce Brosnan, but Robert Carlisle, Denise Richards, Sophie Marceau, Judy Dench, and John Cleese -- and let Arnold run wild. The result is a terrific soundtrack, filled with excitement, melodrama, and romance. Musically, he runs the gamut from jazzy lounge music to exciting orchestral outbursts underpinned by techno. He also gets a first-class theme song from Garbage -- they expertly modernized the classic Bond sound, while turning in a strong melodic tune -- and, even more impressively, coaxed Scott Walker to contribute a moody, loungey closing song, "Only Myself to Blame." It's not among his best songs, but it's hard hearing Walker at the end of the record and film and wish that he could have sung the main theme, as well, since his stylish baritone perfectly fits Bond. Still, that's nitpicking, since this is the best Bond soundtrack in a long time. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
David Arnold, the composer of the Independence Day soundtrack, assembled a talented roster of musicians for his James Bond project. The tracks include the most famous themes from the super spy series, including "Moonraker," "Diamonds Are Forever," and "Nobody Does It Better." The covers by the Propellerheads, Leftfield, Pulp's Jarvis Cocker, and LTJ Bukem are inspired and novel approaches, but it is Aimee Mann who fully claims "Nobody Does It Better" for herself and makes it nearly impossible to believe that she didn't write and record it first. The only real criticism is that it seems too skimpy to have only 11 tracks. Where are the cool reinterpretations of Live and Let Die," "A View to a Kill," and especially "Goldfinger"? A cool addition to the James Bond fan's collection, though not a replacement for the originals by Duran Duran, Shirley Bassey, Wings, and others. ~ JT Griffith, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
A post-modern Western score boasting a sagebrush lyricism and epic scale comparable to John Barry's Dances with Wolves (an obvious and profound influence), David Arnold's Last of the Dogmen sometimes suffers under the weight of its heavy-handed melodrama, but its bombast and beauty nevertheless demand attention. For better or worse Last of the Dogmen owes much of its sensibility to Hollywood's golden age, resulting in larger-than-life orchestrations that teeter on the brink of self-parody -- the structural complexity of Arnold's approach can grow tiresome with prolonged exposure, but taken in short bursts the music soars, thanks in no small part to the London Symphony Orchestra's focused, sculpted performance. For all its flaws, Last of the Dogmen remains one of Arnold's most effective and rewarding efforts, and it's a shame he's yet to return to its approach in the years since. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Composer David Arnold (Independence Day, The World Is Not Enough) brings exactly what one would expect to the table for director Roland Emmerich's teleportation-based science fiction tale. By utilizing familiar space motifs in the vein of John Williams and integrating electronics and bits and pieces of Middle Eastern folk music into the Egyptian-themed tale, Arnold dutifully takes the "space opera" to some new vistas, but the overall effect is as familiar as a gun that shoots laser beams instead of bullets. ~ James Christopher Monger, All Music Guide
