In Episode 20 we conclude our three-part retrospective of the music of Bond, James Bond. Having already covered the pioneering Bond sound of John Barry and the funk of the Moore era, in our final episode we make it through the emergence of David Arnold as the Bond musical heir apparent, and Thomas Newman’s recent work. Join us as we finally answer the question to end all questions: which is the greatest Bond score of all time, and which is the greatest song?

Episode notes:

3:45 – Arnold, David Arnold
7:04 – Tomorrow Never Plays the Fanfare
11:25 – The fanboy composer?
13:05 – Surrender’s presence in the score
19:23 – Arnold’s neo-Barry romance writing
23:48 – The World Is Sort Of Enough
28:00 – Arnold’s muscular action writing – the submarine escape
33:48 – Score Another Way (electronically) in Die Another Day
40:04 – Bond joins the choir
44:25 – Blond, James Blond
50:18 – Parkour percussion
54:10 – You Know My Chord Progression
59:20 – Vesper’s Theme
1:01:28 – Quantum of Solace
1:05:08 – Watery woodwinds at the opera
1:07:40 – DC3s, tempo, chromaticism, and the peak of Arnold’s action music
1:10:48 – Thomas Newman, Bond’s new man
1:12:35 – M’s retiring brass statements
1:16:50 – Bond on a boat
1:19:47 – Severine and Newman’s romantic strings
1:26:45 – A Spectre haunts 007
1:30:10 – The Writing’s On The Train
1:32:08 – At the end: our favourite score, and our favourite song

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