Discuss: The 'Quantum of Solace' Theme Song - Love It or Hate It?
Filed under: Action, Thrillers, MGM, Sony, Fandom, James Bond, Remakes and Sequels, Daniel Craig
So last week, the official theme song for Quantum of Solace -- y'know, that new James Bond flick -- was formally released online, and above is the music video for Jack White and Alicia Keys' "Another Way to Die." This managed to slip past us, probably because we were all still drooling over Erik's chance to comandeer an Aston friggin' Martin (no, no, 'jealous' isn't quite the word...), and now that it's out, opinions are becoming considerably divided.
On his personal blog, Bond devotee David Cornelius of eFilmCritic.com said "it's, um, not good. Really, really not good. The Coke commercial focused on the catchy hook, which was good. But the rest of the song? Not good. We're talking "Die Another Day" not good. Argh."
Devindra Hardawar of /Film feels a little less harsh about it: "It's not a terrible song (see Madonna's for Die Another Day for a good example of that), but it certainly doesn't feel like anything new for the series. It seems as if it tries to do way too much, and the song ends up feeling overstuffed in the process."
Left in the apparent, admitted minority is Devin Faraci over at CHUD.com, who likes the song, if not the video.
As for me, I dig the thing, though it's stuck stubbornly in my head over the past couple of days, but I rarely think that's a bad thing. What say you guys? Is "Another Way to Die" worthy of our favorite double-0 agent? Or would you rather they had just adopted "Something of Boris" instead?
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
10-05-2008 @ 5:13PM
Batzarro said...
It was kinda meh. I expected a better one after the last one. Still, far from the worst and not a bad song in itself.
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10-05-2008 @ 5:17PM
Rufus said...
Eh...
I'm not a fan of that. The rift and orchestral movements are good, but I find it strange to envision the duo singing together over a slick intro sequence. It's a little too, 'brother and sister at a talent show' duet for me.
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10-05-2008 @ 5:31PM
donny said...
I actually like it...WAY better than Chris Cornel's attempt at a Bond theme with the last one (that was my least favourite...much worse than the Madonna one IMO).
Pretty good actually.
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10-05-2008 @ 5:43PM
StanleyNickels said...
The lyrics aren't great, but musically, I really dig it. The horns are what really sells it for me, even though it's more raw than the average Bond theme.
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10-05-2008 @ 5:56PM
Graham Rye said...
It's not difficult to understand why the duo of Jack White & Alicia Keys were chosen to record the new Bond theme -- nothing adds fuel to the publicity machine more than controversy as the Internet buzzes with people arguing about, or mostly slagging off, a new Bond theme.
On a first play I thought it was pretty awful too. But then after hearing the full track with both vocals it started to grow on me -- not in the way the superior Chris Cornell track did -- but it did start to sound better and better the more I played it, in fact quite a sexy raunchy piece of rock music, with White even craftily working in a few notes from his favourite Bond theme OHMSS (at 3:09 into the track).
In the final outcome, how the song works over the opening credits of 'Quantum of Solace' is really all it should be about.
However, once again it's a great pity that the soundtrack composer, David Arnold, wasn't involved in the writing of this main theme in order some of its thematics could be worked into orchestrations that would weave in and out of the movie's running time. All the Bond films featuring the main theme in the body of the music score are all the better for it, including 2006's 'Casino Royale'. When this coda was broken with 'Licence To Kill' (1989) it subliminally affected the cohesiveness of the whole film, as it also did in all the following four Pierce Brosnan 007 movies.
Graham Rye
Editor & Publisher
007 MAGAZINE
www.007magazine.co.uk
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10-05-2008 @ 5:59PM
Ghonius said...
, I won't remember this one in five minutes from now let alone in 5 years.
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10-05-2008 @ 6:33PM
Gary said...
I think it is quite excellent. It sounds like a Bond theme should do. Very dramatic, very ominous. It sounds as though it would work brilliantly as the opening to the movie. I honestly cannot see what people have a problem with at all.
It is the kind of track that will be a grower, It probably needs to breath for a little while.
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10-05-2008 @ 6:35PM
BondsBabe said...
When I first heard AWTD I thought it was just okay. It gets stuck in your head however, and the Coke ad did spoil us by giving us the best swaggering portion of the song. After a few thousand listens I enjoy the song quite a lot. I think once paired with the main titles all will be forgiven with the doubters.
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10-05-2008 @ 7:02PM
Christian M. Howell said...
Well, that was the first Bond video I remember that didn't have clips from the movie. I didn't like the video but I'd suggest not watching it and listening to the song.
I think it'll work well in context, the song that is. It seemed to evoke the new Bond.
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10-05-2008 @ 10:17PM
Chase said...
i thought the music was really good, the singing didn't do it for me though. it didn't feel right
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10-05-2008 @ 10:21PM
kevin m said...
i actually love the song
however...
i'm confused as to why they picked jack white and alicia keys to do the song for 007?
or why they even put those two together at all? lol i'm not complaining, it sounds great, but it's such an unlikely pairing, they're so different from eachother.
but anyways, i dont think this song is very 007.
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10-05-2008 @ 11:40PM
LiqwidZero said...
It sucks. A lot.
I'm hating the direction that Columbia/Sony has been taking with the new Bond movies. Maybe it's just me, but I just think the new casting choice (Daniel Craig) and the new musical direction has just been way off.
I just hope Columbia can fix this mess.
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10-05-2008 @ 11:41PM
John said...
The song itself sounds fine, but Jack White's voice is just too grating for a Bond theme. He lacks the vocal range for it....and I happen to be a big fan of The White Stripes as well as his work on the Cold Mountain soundtrack.
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10-05-2008 @ 11:47PM
F999KR said...
It is brilliant. I will love this song forever . The lyrics are great, it's so ... unexplainable . Better than madonna's attempt .
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10-06-2008 @ 12:25AM
mezzanine said...
Ehh, it's not bad. I prefer Madonna's song and Garbage's The World is Not Enough. I don't know many others.
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10-06-2008 @ 10:20AM
Adam said...
I like the song until they go into the "oooohhh" bit- it just kind of devolves when they get out of the verse and the chorus.
You Know My Name was a much tighter song.
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10-06-2008 @ 12:37AM
Wendy said...
Man, this just doesn't compare to the awesomeness of "Something of Boris" :P In all honesty, take away the lyrics and the tune would have been so perfect.
The Alicia Keys and Jack White song is just not complimentary at all... their voices don't suit one another - separately they sound great, but together it just sounds like they're both shouting.
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10-06-2008 @ 7:41AM
Giancarlo said...
Next time let Alicia Keys sing the song and the other guy just play the guitar!
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10-06-2008 @ 7:41AM
Brian said...
Anything new James Bond sucks. Bond is so overrated it's ridiculous. Yea sure the original was neat and new, but come on...Casino Royale? Are they actually continuing that garbage?
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10-06-2008 @ 8:01AM
davide said...
It's about two minutes too long. I get this plays over credits, and that since the dawn of the me generation movie credits have become laundry lists full of names and jobs I don't give a damn about, so I understand why it's so damn long. Still...
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