Soundtrack Review: Tomorrow Never Dies (1997)

Posted by Jon Blough

October 23, 2008

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tomorrow never dies 00 tomorrow never dies front insert 300x300 Soundtrack Review: Tomorrow Never Dies (1997) This is a review of the motion picture score for Tomorrow Never Dies by David Arnold.

After Eric Serra’s wretched Goldeneye score, David Arnold’s superb effort for Tomorrow Never Dies may feel like a masterpiece. It isn’t one, but its synthesis of John Barry’s style, Arnold’s own bombast, and an appropriate layer of electronics forms one of the best action scores of the 90s. The new material Arnold injects into the series is some of the best work any new composer has ever injected into a previously established musical franchise. Arnold’s title theme, taken not from the repetitive, all-too-pop Sheryl Crow mess but rather the lower tones of K.D. Lang’s sultry piece played over the end credits, is electric in every performance, whether Lang’s powerful voice, takes by brass with that fantastic Bondian flair, or the ethnic performance that opens “Ha Long Bay”. A secondary fanfare from the title theme is as triumphant as they come. Both these themes work best in the sensational action cues, giving “White Knight” some of Arnold’s most addictive brass work and turning “Back Seat Driver 2” into a master class on how to continuously inject more and more momentum into a four-minute piece. Some traditional listeners may deride the electronics here, but for the most part they are exceptionally integrated with the orchestra, injecting a modern cool in with the retro atmosphere.

Yet it’s what Arnold does with the previously established formulas that are the real treat here. The score is rich with wild performances of the original bond theme, whether Arnold’s own guitar solos creating serious Barry nostalgia in “Hamburg Break Out” or the epic, propulsive brass statements over the second half’s major action cues, the best being the 7-minute, drum-thwacking extravaganza “Saigon Motorcycle Chase”. The love themes are a clear nod to Barry’s style for the emotion, though their highlights are easily their most melodic, swelling statements, ala Arnold’s own Independence Day, in “The Seduction/The Love Scene” and “Stealth Destruction, Mission Accomplished”. The menacing motif for the villain is superb in how it builds its brooding into over-the-top blasts on brass; few themes reek of such megalomaniacal triumph! Arnold would still produce exciting material for future Bond films, but never with such stylistic flair or retro cool. The 2000 album will suffice for casual fans, correcting the outrageous omission of the last third of the score from the 97 album. 2-disc rips (lacking in sound effects) feature plenty of good material though, like the superb extension of the film’s action climax.

97 Commercial Album (50:12)
1. Tomorrow Never Dies – performed by Sheryl Crow (4:51)
2. White Knight (8:30)
3. The Sinking of the Devonshire (7:07)
4. Company Car (3:08)
5. Station Break (3:30)
6. Paris and Bond (1:55)
7. The Last Goodbye (1:34)
8. Hamburg Beak In (2:52)
9. Hamburg Break Out (1:26)
10. Doctor Kaufmann (2:26)
11. *-3-Send (1:17)
12. Underwater Discovery (3:37)
13. Backseat Driver (4:37)
14. Surrender (Tomorrow Never Dies) – performed by k.d. lang (3:57)
15. James Bond Theme – performed by Moby (3:12)

2000 Commercial Album (75:44)
1. White Knight (8:29)
2. The Sinking of the Devonshire (7:06)
3. Company Car (3:07)
4. Paris and Bond (1:55)
5. The Last Goodbye (1:33)
6. Hamburg Beak In (2:53)
7. Hamburg Break Out (1:24)
8. Doctor Kaufmann (2:27)
9. *-3-* Send (1:15)
10. Back Seat Driver (4:34)
11. Underwater Discovery (3:36)
12. Helicopter Ride (1:34)
13. Bike Chase (6:44)
14. Bike Shop Fight (2:42)
15. Kowloon Bay (2:27)
16. Boarding the Stealth (4:38)
17. A Tricky Spot for 007 (2:48)
18. All in a Day’s Work (5:09)
19. Exclusive David Arnold Interview (11:02)

2-Disc Bootleg (1:46:00)
Disc 1
1.    United Artists Fanfare (0:17)
2.    White Knight (8:29)
3.    Jet Fight (1:14)
4.    Backseat Driver 1/Main Title Song (5:13)
5.    The Sinking of the Devonshire (7:09)
6.    Crew Killing (2:05)
7.    Danish Lesson (0:58)
8.    Driving To M16 Headquarters (0:19)
9.    Tomorrow’s Headlines (1:14)
10.    Company Car (3:07)
11.    The Party 1 (2:14)
12.    Slap in the Face (1:57)
13.    The Party 2 (1:51)
14.    Phone Call for Bond (0:47)
15.    Station Break (3:32)
16.    Carver and Paris (1:02)
17.    Paris and Bond (1:57)
18.    The Last Goodbye (1:33)
19.    Hamburg Break In (2:53)
20.    Carver’s Factory Fight (2:05)
21.    Hamburg Break Out (2:25)
22.    Bond Meets Kaufman (2:28)
23.    Recall-3-Send (1:17)
24.    Backseat Driver 2 (4:36)
Disc 2
1.    Bond Meets Wade (0:48)
2.    Freefall Preparations (1:39)
3.    Underwater Discovery (3:37)
4.    Chopper to Saigon (1:35)
5.    Escape From CMGN Tower (1:11)
6.    Saigon Motorcycle Chase (6:46)
7.    Bike Shop Fight (2:47)
8.    Ha Long Bay/Boarding the Stealth (7:08)
9.    Carver’s Plans (1:36)
10.    Backup Plans (3:47)
11.    The Countdown (3:34)
12.    Abandon Ship (2:03)
13.    Stealth Destruction/Abandon Ship (5:09)
14.    Surrender (3:58)