Soundtrack Review: Casino Royale (2006)

Posted by Jon Blough

October 28, 2008

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casinoroyale2 Soundtrack Review: Casino Royale (2006) This is a review of the motion picture score for Casino Royale by David Arnold.

What amazes me most about the music for Casino Royale (aside from action material) is how David Arnold wrote a score that is more intelligent than his superbly balanced score for Tomorrow Never Dies. As we are not dealing with Bond as we know him, Arnold subtly inserts hints of the original Bond theme into victorious moments. These hints make the epic unleashing of the entire theme in “The Name’s Bond…James Bond” all the more enjoyable. Further excitement comes from Arnold getting back to the thematic style that made Tomorrow Never Dies so strong. A rip-roaring brass fanfare based off the rockingly-good “You Know My Name” highlights most of the major action cues, though equally enjoyable moments come from the flowing bridge for the theme during the vista shots in “I’m The Money” and “Aston Montegro.” When the original Bond theme plays as counterpoint to this theme in “Blunt Instrument and Dinner Jackets”, you’d swear Arnold’s new theme had always been with the series. The major love theme for Vesper swells with the same majesty as those in Arnold’s first Bond score, with “City of Lovers” showing Arnold’s talent for making strings gush out evocative romance just like John Barry did. The theme’s death in “The Death of Vesper” is as tragic as anything composed for the decade. The mysterious theme for Solange is also a fine nod to Barry in its melodic patterns and the lull it achieves through its revolving performances.

The great selling point here has to be the action though, as we find Arnold working on a level not heard in the decade since he wrote Independence Day. “African Rundown” has to feature one of the most diverse, exciting percussive arrays to ever grace a score cue, and the rampaging brass usage forms one of the most consistently exciting cues of its year, if not the decade. Much as “Back Seat Driver 2” was a marvel for continuing to build up momentum throughout its runtime, this track continues to get more furious and enthralling in its energy, right up until its thunderous close. The lengthy “Miami International” builds up synthetic percussion and brass-led tension for its first half before aggressively lunging into an electric guitar-dominated close, while the final three action cues dig into the main theme in its more militaristic incarnations. Those who want something even MORE aggressive are invited to the rampaging brass in “Stairwell Fight”. “Dirty Martini” is more subtle but thoroughly engrossing in its tension, though some will be turned off by the abrasive dissonance to start the track. Alas, the subtle moments for the card game pass by with little to rave about. Sure, an approach similar to “Hamburg Break In” would have been inappropriate, but “Bond Loses it All” and “The Bad Die Young” are pretty skippable. Maybe if LeChiffre had a more intelligent thematic representation (Arnold should have learned after The World Is Not Enough that simple descending motifs are not menacing) these cues would stand out more. Those tracks aside, the score is close to perfect; it’s one of the smartest, most powerful action scores of the decade. Bet the house on this one.

Album Situation: Original album gets the same star rating but unreleased cues are decent and not having the Cornell song is a bummer

Best album: ITunes Complete Score w/Cornell Song
Original Album 74:07
1. African Rundown (6:52)
2. Nothing Sinister (1:27)
3. Unauthorised Access (1:08)
4. Blunt Instrument (2:22)
5. CCTV (1:30)
6. Solange (0:59)
7. Trip Aces (2:06)
8. Miami International (12:43)
9. I’m the Money (0:27)
10. Aston Montenegro (1:03)
11. Dinner Jackets (1:52)
12. The Tell (3:23)
13. Stairwell Fight (4:12)
14. Vesper (1:44)
15. Bond Loses It All (3:56)
16. Dirty Martini (3:49)
17. Bond Wins It All (4:32)
18. The End of an Aston Martin (1:30)
19. The Bad Die Young (1:18)
20. City of Lovers (3:30)
21. The Switch (5:07)
22. Fall of a House in Venice (1:53)
23. Death of Vesper (2:50)
24. The Bitch is Dead (1:05)
25. The Name’s Bond… James Bond (2:49)

ITunes Complete Score w/Cornell Song (91:53)
Disc 1
1.    License: 2 Kills (2:38)
2.    You Know My Name – Performed by Chris Cornell (4:04)
3.    Reveal LeChiffre (1:25)
4.    Mongood vs. Snake (1:16)
5.    Bombers Away (0:27)
6.    African Rundown (6:52)
7.    Nothing Sinister (1:27)
8.    Push Them Overboard (0:27)
9.    Unauthorised Access (1:08)
10.    Blunt Instrument (2:22)
11.    CCTV (1:30)
12.    Bedside Computer (0:41)
13.    Solange (0:59)
14.    Trip Aces (2:06)
15.    Miami International (12:43)
16.    Beep Beep Beep Bang (0:37)
17.    I’m the Money (0:27)
18.    Aston Montenegro (1:03)
19.    Dinner Jackets (1:52)
Disc 2
1.    The Tell (3:23)
2.    Inhaler (0:27)
3.    Stairwell Fight (4:12)
4.    Vesper (1:44)
5.    Bond Loses It All (3:56)
6.    Brother from Langley (1:41)
7.    Dirty Martini (3:49)
8.    Bond Wins It All (4:32)
9.    The End of an Aston Martin (1:30)
10.    Prelude to a Beating (1:17)
11.    The Bad Die Young (1:18)
12.    Coming Round (1:11)
13.    I’m Yours (1:04)
14.    City of Lovers (3:30)
15.    The Switch (5:07)
16.    Fall of a House in Venice (1:53)
17.    Running to the Elevator (0:28)
18.    Death of Vesper (2:50)
19.    The Bitch is Dead (1:05)
20.    The Name’s Bond… James Bond (2:49)’