Though I'm no big Craig fan, I have come to accept him as part of the Bond formula, at least for now. I heard he is slated for one more appearance in the role... after the forthcoming Bond 25 in 2020 (such a long wait!). I feel as though Craig has grown into the role, or has at least demonstrated to me that he's capable as MI6's best operative. For now.
First up... the rock'em'sock'em kick-out-the-jams franchise revitalizer Casino Royale. Released in 2006, Casino Royale served as a reboot of the James Bond world, momentarily setting aside most everything we knew from the four previous decades of Bond in cinema.
So, a new film - a reboot, a new actor... now how about the theme song? It's a killer: You Know My Name, as sung by Chris Cornell. Quite the comeback after that Madonna song died another day on the previous Bond flick.
You Know My Name is a powerful rock song, tempered only slightly by Bondesque orchestral touches. Heavy both musically and lyrically, the tune is complemented by the very cool visuals of the opening credits sequence. I'd say this film's opening credits are among the best - or may be the best - in the whole Bond series. The imagery, music - and lyrics, set the tone for the story-to-come perfectly, creatively using elements that would play into the 007 adventure, and in a graphic animated style that is both retro (think classic 60's Bond?) and modern.
Cornell cut his teeth as a primo singer for "grunge/alternative" (I prefer "metal") band Soundgarden in the 80's and 90's... and a bit beyond that. He could achieve a smooth yet masculine vocal tone yet could soar with biting screams. None of that Sam Smith fluff here - but we'll get to that later.
Though You Know My Name is nothing like McCartney's Live and Let Die theme song, I feel the same way about the two: they both work with current (of their time) heavy rock sounds that fit the Bond template... both instrumentally and lyrically.
Next up: Quantum of Solace. The movie is a dud. The theme song is a dud. I hesitate to even discuss the song Another Way to Die. But I'll give it a little run-down: instrumentally, it's messy, sounding like an amateurish and haphazard assembly of riffs and sound bytes. I think it's trying to be another You Know My Name with it's pseudo-heavy guitars, but the plinky piano bits don't work well here. And the Bond-like horn parts sound too forced, as though just punched in here and there during digital assembly... just a puzzle that was messily assembled. Oh, and don't get me started on the shrill and off-key vocals. Nothing cool or pleasant or subtle or powerful about Alicia Keys' cringey hollering. It just doesn't work. Not for me, anyway. Yuck.
And then along came Skyfall. Woohoo! Okay, now I cannot claim to be a fan of Adele. I'd only ever heard one other song by her before her Skyfall theme came along. I liked it (Rolling in the Deep) well enough, but not so much that I sought out more of her music. But the Skyfall movie theme really knocked it out of the park. Finally, somebody re-captured that aura of the early Bond classics. Adele did it here, with an Oscar-winning performance that pretty much rivals that of the classy Bond theme songstresses of the 60's and early 70's. She worked with her own team to write the song, and they ingeniously devised something that would have (with different lyrics) worked seamlessly with Goldfinger or Diamonds Are Forever.
Adele possessed the vocal qualities that make a Bond theme.... um, sing. And Skyfall has become one of the best-loved theme songs of the whole 007 series. It's certainly among my favourites. Just listen to that lush orchestral sweep (à la Bond) in the opening, the subdued piano-and-voice-only first verse, the slow build to the grand chorus, the effortless and compelling famous Bond musical motifs. It plays like the movie does, gradually swelling to the huge finale... then a very soft and brief dénouement. There is nothing forgettable about the Skyfall theme song. Oh, and great movie, by the way... finally re-introducing a bunch of traditional Bondisms for a fun and nostalgic tie-in with the modern world of 2012.
After an excruciating wait (as usual, it seems), the next Bond film finally hit the silver screen in 2015. The long-awaited Spectre was unleashed on 007 fans... most of whom expected some truly old-school escapism. I mean, that title says it all. There has been no evil SPECTRE organization in the Bond movies since Diamonds Are Forever in 1971. So... anticipation was high.
The movie was semi-satisfying. Daniel Craig did his job admirably, as did the rest of the cast, with what they were given to work with. Unfortunately, later in the film, there were what I think were missed opportunities to grow the characters, their stories, and the James Bond mythology. Certain scenes seemed to serve little or no purpose, lacking a polished, finished feel. Despite its small-ish flaws, Spectre is pretty good as far as Bond movies go. I mean, every actor who filled those 007 shoes experienced at least one stumble at the cinema. Craig came roaring out of the gate, so it was hard to top Casino Royale... but a darned good track record so far.
My biggest issue with Spectre is its theme song, Writing's On the Wall. Instrumentally, it's actually quite nice, following - maybe too closely - the successful formula of previous themes. Nothing special or terribly memorable, but better than serviceable. But I don't care one bit for the alternately soft, weak bits or the high-pitched whispers of Sam Smith. Not a fan. His style of delivery just doesn't fit the Bond structure for me. I mean, would the BeeGees have been the right choice for a Bond theme back in the 70's? Maybe, but I think not. Either beautiful female vocals or throaty masculine ones worked... but a guy singing like a woman? Nope. Hey, no offence to the BeeGees, either, because I do like their music. But it's a matter of context, how appropriate it is for its intended use. Anyway, I'll likely skip those opening credits - that song - whenever I watch Spectre.
That brings us up to date on James Bond movie theme songs. It's been an interesting analysis, one I never really thought much about before... besides deciding a handful of my favourites. To really hunker down and pick apart the music revealed more about it than had occurred to me before, and the process helped me see how I felt about the Bond themes... objectively and subjectively, especially the latter, since I attach a lot of nostalgic importance to many of the older pieces that I grew up with. The two biggies that immediately come to mind are You Only Live Twice and Nobody Does It Better, a couple of faves that'll always top my list.
I wonder who will feature on the Bond 25 theme. A vocalist, a band? Maybe bring back Adele? That might ensure another solid super-hit. What we want is a memorable song that works well for the movie and stands up to repeated listens on our music playlist. That's not too much to ask, is it?
Rock on, Bond.
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