Casino Royale (CD, Nov-2006, Sony Classical)

I loved the movie Casino Royale. It was one of the best Bond movies in a Long time. When I purchased the album I expected it to be great because I liked the movie so much. The soundtrack music did not move me emotionally like the movie had because it was only made to be played with the movie.and to stay with me long after the soundtrack was finished on my CD player. A great soundtrack has to do more than just provide adequate music to the scenes in the movie. This soundtrack was purely meant to be used in conjunction with the film.

Biggest disappointment was when i was expecting to at least hear the new reworked version of the Bond them "The Names Bond...James Bond" and they used an old version from the "Thunderball" area...

Save your money and buy the Casino Royal DVD and pay attention to the soundtrack during the film.



Track List:

01 African Rundown 6:52
02 Nothing Sinister 1:27
03 Unauthorized Access 1:08
04 Blunt Instrument 2:22
05 CCTV 1:30
06 Solange 1:00
07 Trip Aces 2:06
08 Miami International 12:43
09 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 Names Bond...James Bond 2:49
--------
01:14:08

This CD captures all the perfect orchestrated sounds form the movie. You can listen to this, close your eyes and recreate the screen shots in your own interputation.

In my opinion ( and I am a fan Jazz and big band) the sound tracks just keep getting better and better.

Can't wait to try Quantum of Solace.

I have always loved a little classical to balance out a music collection, so buying this CD was only logical. But simply put, I love this CD! The score by David Arnold was top notch, complete with edgy openings and a sweeping ending that I really loved. Track 8 had to be the longest score( next to the last one on the Dark Knight score) I've ever heard, but it was non-stop pulse-pounding. I still play it in the car.

Now there is only one dislike, the opening title song from Chris Cornell wasn't on it. Other than that oversight, the rest was great.

If you have followed David Arnold's work on Bond and other movies, you know his sound... His way of mixing the old with the new...

Now Casino Royale is a perfect statement made by Mr. Arnold. This soundtrack really captures the old Bond feeling with some John Barry romantic style, mixed with some very typical tight action music.

It is a very interesting soundtrack indeed. One that has to be listened to in it's original uncompressed form that is a CD. It's a good orchestral recording with many new things going on everytime you listen to it!

Of course the themes are the most memorable like "Vesper". That piano theme is also featured in Quantum of Solace. With that unforgettable theme you instantly know and feel for Bond...

All in all a great comeback for Bond as well as his music...

I collect Bond soundtracks (among others)and couldn't recall the music from this film so ordered the soundtrack. After I played it I knew why I hadn't remembered it. Its uninspiring and dull. Hope the Quantum of Solace soundtrack does better.

Magnificent album of symphonic music which makes us live again of memorable scene of this James Bond after four long years of expectation since " Die to another day "
thanks to Daniel Craig the new BOND et David Arnold for this great album.

I love all the Bond soundtracks, I just needed to bring my collection current. The majority of the soundtracks I had are on records, the new ones are CD.

The seller was great and honest. The CD arrived on time and in excellent condition. David Arnold's work is amazing and he brought the classic of Bond to a new generation.

"Casino Royale" is a great Bond film indeed. But there are two rather sad low points, 1) Chris Cornell's title song "You Know My Name" (co-penned with David Arnold, composer of the score), and 2) David Arnold's score, but just to a certain degree.

I have very little to say in favor of the song. The theme is incorporated in the score as it should be the case with every Bond song, IMO. But I really find the song being dull, most unmemorable. Ugly, if you like. And this goes for the title sequence in the movie as well, to a certain degree.

David Arnold got lots of bashing for his last Bond score, "Die Another Day". Too loud, too much use of electronics, too much of the same tricks he established with his first Bond film, "Tomorrow Never Dies". But if you know Arnold's "Godzilla", you also know where his Bond sounds come from. To a quite important degree, I would say. Especially with "Godzilla", I've learned how much inspiration the composer drew from his earlier work to do something appropriate for "Casino Royale", which is certainly not a bad score, of course. But, you know, John Barry - well, I won't go into this any further...

The chase sequence, "African Rundown", is impressive, very muscular music and most fitting for that part. I also found the teaser music very good. So it's a pity you must download that track from iTunes in order to get it. And this leads me to the word that sums up the soundtrack album release, it's a MESS.

1) The title song is not on the soundtrack CD (as bad as it might be - see Madonna's - it should be on every soundtrackalbum from a Bond film.
2) The iTunes trick: some parts are not featured on the CD, which is normal. Now comes the trick. These parts can be downloaded, the song can be downloaded, everything can be downloaded, but you can't find a CD release with the complete program...

It's almost a year the film came out, I'll be happy to see it again. I can't remember when I've listened to the CD the last time. Somehow, that's telling, isn't it?