007 Bloodstone Composed by Richard Jacques
Promotional Release (2010)
Rating:
9/10
“...undoubtedly
RICHARD JACQUES has created a modern classic Bond score — no mean
feat.”
A Man of Action (Scoring)
Review by Marius Masalar
RICHARD JACQUES is a man of action. You
know him best from his work on award-winning games like Headhunter and
Mass Effect, and if you were a fan of those titles, then his latest work
on JAMES BOND 007: BLOOD STONE may just be the score you’ve been waiting
for from him since it combines the best of both worlds and then some. As
he describes it, it was the kind of project every composer wants to get,
but in many ways it seems clear that he was the most appropriate man for
the job given his style, experience, and connections to the developers,
Bizarre Creations. The question, then, is whether or not he made the best
of it.
If the opening of the generous score is any indication, then the answer is
a resounding yes. “M Puts Her Trust in Bond” (1) is a suave and beguiling
introduction to the score, beginning dark and moody before unleashing the
memorable main theme just after the two-minute mark. Screaming trumpets
and lush jazz harmonies are the hallmark of the Bond series, and even
though RICHARD JACQUES crafts entirely new themes for the game, the spirit
of the originals is clearly evident. With hardly a pause for breath,
“Athens Harbour Chase” (2) further develops the theme in a frenetic action
cue that recalls the best of the Headhunter material with an added dose of
scale and style. This is what the latest films’ music should have been
like. Rounding off the opening is “Fireworks at the Acropolis” (3), a
tense continuation of the action material that further cements us into the
Bond mindset.
Combat eases off toward the end of the cue just in time for “Turkish
Delight” (4). The softer secondary theme wafts across in a sultry and
downbeat arrangement that includes some subtle but significant synth work,
establishing the contemporary edge of this Bond. “By Any Means Necessary”
(5) is JACQUES’ opportunity to demonstrate to us yet again that he is
tireless when it comes to producing compelling action material. You’ll
notice that each of the action sequences are quite long and don’t resort
to dull looping to pad the length; each cue is expertly crafted and
sophisticated in its development, despite the constant pacing. This is the
essence of cinematic gameplay cues — consistent but not repetitive.
Dropping off into darker places, “The Torture of Malcolm Tedworth” (6) is
an uncomfortable sequence with appropriately tense and brooding musical
accompaniment.
In the first noticeably ethnic-flavoured cue, “Bazar Chase” (7), JACQUES
augments his orchestral complement with a battery of middle-eastern
percussion for an authentic groove. Despite its effectiveness, it falls a
bit short of delivering the intensity of “The Package” (8), wherein the
orchestra takes up the main theme again in sharp, punctuated form while
allowing the percussion to keep us grounded in the foreign feel. Not
slowing down, “Istanbul Arena Showdown” (9) hits the ground running but
doesn’t last very long: it is the shortest track on the score and hardly
carries much weight on its own as a result. “Casino Crack” (10) finally
offers some respite from the brisk pace with another atmospheric respite.
The synths are back for some atmospheric underpinnings while the brass and
strings conspire above. In case you were getting sleepy, “No More Bets”
(11) resumes the action with a long and satisfying fight cue of ferocious
potency. Nevertheless it fails to distinguish itself among the stronger
action sequences on the album.
“Pomerov’s Lair (12) is an important but restrained moment of stealth;
establishing tension without raising the stakes too high — you’re James
Bond, after all. Of course, sometimes even 007 has to turn tail and flee,
and “Escaping the Refinery” (13) helps him do it in style. Its brevity is
favourable in this instance because it leads into “Siberian Pursuit” (14),
which is among the score’s strongest action cues. Beginning in a fairly
generic manner, it soon launches into strong thematic statements and
pulsing brass stabs. Changing gears, “Contact in Bangkok” (15) is the
score’s longest and most dynamic track. Beginning with a far-east
ambience, it slowly builds and grows into a dark and propulsive action cue
with some fantastic rhythmic and melodic figures swirling through the
latter half. Not to be outdone, “Truck Chase / Track Down” (16) carries
right on with another long and frenetic section of thrills before dying
down into a gentler gameplay ambience.
Worth mentioning is the ease with which JACQUES explores this style.
“Rogue Agent” (17) is just more proof that the BLOOD STONE score is far
from mindless pastiche; the composer is in his element and having fun, and
the result is an inescapable sense of authenticity. “Welcome to Burma Mr.
Bond” (18) is another example of percussion setting the ethnic feel as
Bond travels to yet another destination. The taikos and stick clicks play
a role in the corresponding action track, “Evading the Mercenaries Camp”
(19), as well to great effect. The impression continues unabated into
“Unexpected Landing” (20) where some extremely dramatic rhythmic shifts in
the second half provide tremendous excitement.
“Firefight At The Dam” (21) maintains the extra edge as the score
approaches its closing minutes. An abrupt ending only briefly detains the
extraordinary tour de force that is “Bond Confronts Rak” (22). JACQUES
really unleashes everything in this final overwhelmingly intense action
sequence. If you don’t feel like you’ve just saved the world when the
track comes to a crashing conclusion then something is amiss. Of course,
no Bond story would be complete without the ‘gotcha’ moment. “Twisting the
Knife” (23) delivers it, and after a few false stops finally succumbs to
“The Demise of Nicole Hunter” (24), the score’s satisfying (if
melodramatic and dark) conclusion. And, clearly, no Bond score would be
complete without Monty Norman’s iconic “The James Bond Theme” (25) to
round it off.
So what, then, is the verdict? Well undoubtedly RICHARD JACQUES has
created a modern classic Bond score — no mean feat — but what else? Well
for starters, fans of his past work will appreciate that the music not
only works in-game but also, as with much of his work, provides a wholly
satisfying standalone listening experience. Unfortunately, the crisp and
impressive performances of the musicians and pristine mixing of the
ensemble is a double-edged sword: after more than an hour of having a
world-class brass section screaming at you, you may actually need a
martini to take the edge off. Some of the action tracks are just so
intense that the brief interludes between them simply aren’t enough to
balance the mood; it would have been nice to hear more of how the composer
handled the quieter sections and how the score’s main themes could be
developed less energetically. But what it lacks in subtlety, RICHARD
JACQUES’ work on BLOOD STONE more than makes up for in authenticity,
style, and sheer fun. And whether because of his history as a trombone
player, his penchant for action material, or both of those things and
more, it’s abundantly clear that everything has come together for him in
this score. He’s having fun, and the feeling is infectious.
