"You know my name" - The title song from CASINO ROYALE by Chris Cornell.
Much has been made of the re-invention of the latest Bond Outing, which is undoubtedly grittier and dark than ever before. The title song too is a reflection of that.
None of that iconic signature theme first heard in Dr.No and immortalized in all later ventures.
Sedated animation replaces the de rigeur skimpily clad female figures in the title sequence.
A definite departure from the recent movies of the Brosnan era which all had female vocalists
(Tina Turner in Golden Eye,
Sheryl Crow in Tomorrow Never dies,
Shirley Manson led Garbage in The World is not enough &
Madonna in Die another Day).
Instead we have Alternative Superstar Chris Cornell (Temple of the dog, Soundgarden & Audioslave) teaming up with veteran movie composer David Arnold. Starting off in Cornell’s typical adult rock fashion with chiming guitars and brooding vocals, the track wastes no time building up to a heavy Chorus. The ominous groove that accompanies the line "The Odds will betray you" seems to be the unofficial theme for the movie, popping up whenever there’s anticipation or intrigue.