No school like the old school. 
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Good to have the podcast music in better quality. Sounds great. I have a feeling Zimmer’s score is going to be one of my favourites.
Guitar sounds great
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For those wondering - have seen confirmation that the Bond theme rework in today’s new trailers (that was also in the international/Asia/Pacific version of Trailer 2 from last Sept, and the ‘Now Your Enemy is My Enemy’ spot from 2020 before the first delay) is from the team at Audiomachine. Think this marks the first time in the whole Craig era it’s not Jeff Pfeifer
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Some new Zimmer bits here James Bond: Soundtrack Stories - Part Two: The Craig Years - BBC Sounds
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Paul Epworth saying “Well obviously I’m not gonna sing it” in this really off hand way made me laugh.
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That cue behind Malek, before Queen starts playing, is beautiful.
Isn’t it an instrumental version of the song?
In any event, this radio show offered more insight than the podcast.
A more mournful version of the main theme.
And, yes, this was definitely made later than the comparable podcast. Less keen on the “don’t tell them anything!” sound bites
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That special mentioned towards the end will be released on NTTD’s UK release date
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I actually thought this podcast was at least recalibrated after the many delays - but I guess you are right and I was wrong: they had already produced those episodes and just held them back until now.
That explains why it all seems to reheat stuff one could read or hear in the meantime.
I think the interviewers links are new, but using the material recorded for the first time they were going to be released
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Now, this is a probably reliable first opinion on the score CD - and I must say I would love that if it were true:
„I have been fortunate to receive an advance copy of the score. Made available to the press. Just had a quick listen to some of the cues. This is much better than I anticipated. Not a Zimmer sound design experiement at all. Very, very melodious in the slower cues. The action cues are a cross between Arnolds QoS and Newman. The brass is as Bondian as you can get. And. And. Boys and girls….John Barry is in there. Not just as an inspiration. Actual quotes from We Have All the Time in the World. Intervoven with snippets of the Eilish song. And a full, slower version of Barry’s OHMSS main titles. The James Bond theme is in there, but sparingly. Muscular, pounding phrases of it. Might be more of it in the film, than on the score. Not much Marr-guitar to be heard, so far.“
(taken from the filsmscoremonthly message board)
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Another review on the message board of film score monthly:
„Without giving away anything, the second track (“Matera”) creates instant goosebumps as it contains a musical cue that Bond fans across the globe cherish very much (no…it’s not the JB theme yet). It is poignant.
Although there are many audible influences of David Arnold and Thomas Newman, Zimmer’s brute and violent side shines through and dominates much of the score.
The Cuba track starts very erratic and continues the overall drum-driven score. A highlight mid-track is the short shift into a few second of Cuban Mambo…or is it a Cha-Cha…Salsa even? ?? Then, quite abruptly, back into brutal drums. It’s like a rollercoaster ride.
The Bond theme is appropriately used throughout with those moody guitar riffs beautifully shining through. “Back to MI6” utilises the prominent part of the Bond theme.
And then again…goosebumps! Track 11 (“Good to have you back”) is an entire rendition of another theme of the series. Quite a surprise. The piano segments of the Billie Eilish title song make an appearance in the next track, halfway through the score. Track 13 delivers a title theme rendition in quite a haunting manner.
The Norway Chase is typical Zimmer - drums, choir and strings, infused with Bond-esque trumpets. For the final 90 seconds it picks up considerable pace but fails to impress me.
From track 15 onwards, Zimmer presents the finale of the film. At first, it’s minimalistic and eerie, especially Track 17 (“The Factory”) which features long, ascending string segments. Track 19 (“Opening the Doors”) goes back to full-blown action with rich drum/trumpet arrangements and thick layers of usual Zimmer overload.
The final track before the Billie Eilish title theme, entitled “Final Ascent”, starts subtle and then turns somewhat melancholic, repeating the title theme piano and reducing the track down to it. Where I expected an action piece, I got a very strange and incredibly sad vibe from the music…like something big was ending. Soaring strings and piano that have the potential to make you tear up. It sounds like deep pain and big loss. The end is abrupt and it leaves you with a big question mark. It is the end of an era and I think, the music reflects that well.
Overall, Zimmer’s score is a mix of moody pieces, nostalgic excursions to past Bond scores and ear-piercing, drum-laden action tracks á la Zimmer. Musically, it fits well into the Daniel Craig era sound but I would personally rate it much higher than what Thomas Newman delivered for the last two films. My favourite part is the first half (Tracks 01 - 13), after that I didn’t really feel any connection to it without having seen the film itself“
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A guess based on nothing: could this be the return of the 007 Theme?
I’m liking the reviews. Sounds like it’ll deliver what I’m wanting.
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It is not the 007 theme. It is…
Summary
A new arrangement of Barry’s “OHMSS” main theme, just as “We have all the time in the world” is also used in the score, if rumours are true.
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And
Summary
yeah Matera is the track where the We Have All The Time In The World melody makes an appearance…
Really really interesting, aside from SF/SP there hasn’t been this major and very specific/purposeful lifting of another film’s signature songs/scores before in the franchise? I can see a lot of fans loving it, while critics hate it for cheap nostalgia shots
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That is the new go-to criticism of Bond films.
I think it is nice to go a little bit nostalgic. But it was clear from the deleted last dialogue line in SPECTRE that they wanted to give Craig this. And in that regard, yeah, why not bow to the legend?
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Given Keaton returning as Batman and many, many, many actors returning to their roles in Spider-man No Way Home, EoN just using a bit of music and 2 cars is massively restrained.
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Wait till you see the Lazenby cameo in the alternate universe.
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