John Williams Oboe Concerto - Prelude

John Williams's Oboe Concerto was made available commercially on Williams's 81st birthday.  It was written specially for Boston Pops oboist Keisuke Wakao and performed with the accompaniment of the Boston Pops Orchestra, conducted by John Williams himself. The entire concerto is about 19 minutes long, but my comments will focus on the "Prelude" movement.

The movement starts with a jaunty theme from the strings before the oboe joins in. The oboe gives off a lighthearted vibe, akin to traipsing deer, flighty birds, or wispy grass.  As it proceeds, the accompanying strings take on darker overtones, and the oboe becomes more cautious sounding. The strings try to recapture the gentleness from the beginning before becoming even more ominous.

The strings give way to the oboe, which flits and darts musically while the strings slow builds again in the background. This time, the strings climax on a smoother, more melodic theme bringing back the calmer tone from the start of the movement. This calmer tone remains for the rest of the piece, ending on the oboe by itself.

I enjoyed listening to this movement.  It gave me both the feeling of optimism as well as a weariness or doubt as the middle of the movement has a more dissonant vibe.  With the oboe, I can't shake an image of nature, of some lone creature or plant in the middle of a large forest fending for itself.  The music itself is somewhat ambiguous so other interpretations could be read into it.

What I'm Listening To Now...

1. The double disc soundtrack to Biohazard: The Darkside Chronicles: This is an amazing soundtrack, which is a distinct improvement over the Umbrella Chronicles. The tracks go from operatic to eerie lullabies in no time flat. Some of the tracks are performed by an orchestra, still rare for video game soundtracks. Also, there's plenty of themes from previous games, now fleshed out with greater sound quality. With over 2 hours of music, there's a lot to listen to with this release. B+

2. Kylie: Live in New York. This online exclusive is a two hour recording of Kylie's recent concert in New York. A nice mix of old and new songs, it's a great treat for Kylie fans, especially the ones in the States. (Especially the price considering the amount of music involved.) It even comes with a booklet PDF for those of us who remember when things were printed on paper. B+

3. The reissue to John Williams's score to The Accidental Tourist. On the back end of his "Blockbuster Years," Williams took time to write music for this intimate film. His score revolves around two main themes that get a lot of use in the soundtrack. Unfortunately, the album is just a direct rerelease of the original album, with no added tracks. Though, there are linear notes on the score that are very informative. B-

In recent news, John Williams's "Black Sunday" score is finally being released. Given a chance, I'd like to listen to it.

Also, a limited edition soundtrack to TV's The Flash will be up for preorder next week. I will be first in line for that.

A Simple Gift

If you're one of those people who don't like downloading music and are still waiting for John Williams' "Air and Simple Gifts" to be released on CD, now your wait's over.

"Air and Simple Gifts" will be available in the all-encompassing Yo-Yo Ma Collection. By just buying this 90 disk collection, you will finally be able to hear the four minute song. It is limited to 200 copies, since there's only 200 people on the planet who can afford the $790 set.

If you think I'm making this up, click here.

The Last Indiana Jones Soundtrack?!

When Revenge of the Sith came out, I reviewed (and perhaps overanalyzed) the soundtrack, which is John Williams's last Star Wars score. When Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull came out, I didn't really say anything about what is potentially Williams's last Indiana Jones score. That is about to change.

Williams's Crystal Skull score is probably the best example of the composer's use of his more modernistic approach towards adapting one of his most memorable themes. The tone of his Star Wars prequel scores sounded, at times, experimental, as if Williams was consciously looking for new sounds to use. But with Indy 4, Williams knew exactly what he wanted and went for it.

Another big difference is the Crystal Skull utilizes a lot of older themes from the original trilogy. "Spell of the Skull," "Warehouse Escape" (not on album), and "Journey to Peru" all contain direct quotes from Raiders of the Lost Ark. "The Snake Pit" also hints at the "Basket Game," while the "Jungle Chase" has some smatterings of the "Desert Chase" and perhaps even the tank scene from Last Crusade. This doesn't even cover the use of the Father Theme from Last Crusade, Marion's Theme, and of course the Raiders March.

In other words, there's a plethora of themes in use, not to mention the three new ones written for the movie. "The Adventures of Mutt" (which won a Grammy) is pure swashbuckling music from the 1930s with hints at the Raiders March. As far as I can remember, the theme is only used during two chase sequences. Spalko's Theme and the Crystal Skull's Theme both have a seductively evil sound to them. Spalko's and, to a lesser extent, the Russian motif are used throughout most of the film, but the Crystal Skull's theme dominates the later half of the score. There are many good variations of this theme that can be found on the album.

Which brings us to the biggest problem with the score: presentation. In the movie, the score is pretty much left alone with only a couple cuts and splices. The album, on the other hand, just doesn't have enough room to adequately represent the score. It truly needed to be released as a two disc set (much like ROTS needed to). The Incredible Hulk and Benjamin Button both had two disc releases, so why can't a bigwig like Williams get one? The album seems to favor the creepier aspects of the score focusing on the Crystal Skull theme. It's a shame that the "Jungle Chase" was edited as such, but the end credits are a lot tighter than ROTS.

Probably down the line we'll get the complete score on CD, maybe in time for Indy 5. Hearing this score, I wonder why Williams couldn't have done something similar with the Star Wars scores. The score: A+ The album: B

"Air & Simple Gifts" On iTunes

As an update on something I wrote on earlier, John Williams' "Air and Simple Gifts" is now available for purchase on iTunes. For 99 cents, you can now own the beautiful piece performed by Yo-Yo Ma, Itzhak Perlman, Gabriela Montero, and Anthony McGill. Unless you already downloaded it from some seedy website or somewhere.

(Ahem.)

Air and Simple Gifts

Anyone who was watching the recent inauguration of the Big O may remember hearing "Air and Simple Gifts," performed by the quartet of Yo-Yo Ma, Itzhak Perlman, Gabriela Montero, and Anthony McGill. The piece was composed and arranged by John Williams and features the Shaker song "Simple Gifts" composed by Joseph Brackett. Williams chose this theme, because it was used by Aaron Copland, one of the Big O's favorite classical composers.

The first minute and a half consists of the "Air" segment, a steady and sombre tune with the violin taking the lead, weaving a cautious yet lilting theme. Then, the first hints of "Simple Gifts" are heard, and the overall pace starts to change as more and more variations of the Shaker song are added. This builds into a fuller statement of Brackett's theme around the two minute mark. The theme is first played by violin and cello and then piano next, before the violin and cello pick up the theme again, this time more fragmented. The "Air" theme is reprised briefly before its eerie finale.

The first time I had heard it, I wasn't sure what to make of the song. It was certainly in tone with Williams' more modern works, but it wasn't quite what I was expecting for an inauguration, especially its almost melancholy opening. Luckily, thanks to the Internet, it took me roughly five minutes to find it somewhere to download the song, so I didn't have to go to youTube every time I wanted to hear it. (To be honest, I'd have bought it on iTunes if it was available.) Upon multiple listenings, I could really appreciate Williams' complexity and use of "Simple Gifts," and more importantly, what he could accomplish with just a quartet. Mind you, a quartet of four extremely talented performers.

The song is of hestiant hope, which is appropriate, considering the times we live in.

CD Review: The Clone Wars Soundtrack

The Clone Wars is the latest entry into the Star Wars franchise, a pilot movie for the upcoming television series. Kevin Kiner got tapped to score the movie (and presumedly the tv series.) Is he a John Williams wannabe? No. Kiner wasn't afraid to write music totally different than what's usually expected in a Star Wars film. And that's why many people are very disappointed with this soundtrack.

Let's first look at Kiner's strengths. Kiner's very talented at writing energetic pieces; the action pieces are clearly the highlight of the score, and the City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra just sounds lively and robust. But listening to "Battle of Christophsis," it sounds like Kiner pulls more from Silvestri or Goldsmith rather than Williams. Again, this is not necessarily a bad thing, but I wonder if Kiner made an effort at avoiding to sound like Williams. Afterall, it is refreshing to hear his ethnic music for the Teth planet.

Unfortunately, his weakness lies in thematic material. Again, he could just be avoiding Williams' themes, but even his own themes are sparsely used. His main theme (heard at the beginning of "General loathsom/Ahsoka") is hinted at from time to time, but never full blown. Kiner's use of Williams' main Star Wars theme is limited to 15 seconds in the main title and a 45 second end credits. I want to like his version of the theme, but it feels too clunky and half hearted.

The Force theme and the imperial March seemed to be hinted at in "The Shield," while "General loathsom/Ahsoka" has a snippet of the Force theme before changing into a new theme. "Fight to the End" contains the only full statement of Williams' Force Theme as well another hint of the Imperial March. And that's pretty much all the John Williams music present in the score. (I should mention that the beginning of "Admiral Yularen" resembles the Cloud City theme from ESB, but i don't know if this was intentional.)

Overall, the music is well done and excellently performed, but stronger use of themes would make this album sound more than a collection of diverse clips. C+

Recommended tracks:
03. The Battle of Christophsis
08. Anakin Vs Dooku
10. Destroying the Shield
11. B'omarr Monastery
13. The Shield
16. Obi-Wan's Negotiation
26. Courtyard Fight
31. Fight to the End

Top 10 Soundtracks of 2005

Anyone who knows me, or even looks at this list, will know that I'm very biased, but hey, it's my list, okay?

1. Revenge of the Sith
2. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
3. Munich
4. Memoirs of a Geisha
5. Goblet of Fire
6. Corpse Bride
7. War of the Worlds
8. Kingdom of Heaven
9. Fantastic Four
10. Batman Begins

CD Review: Memoirs of a Geisha

To put it simply, the latest score by John Williams is the complete opposite of his previous work, The War of the Worlds. Williams returns to his more thematic roots while abandoning his usual large orchestra for soloists featuring everything from cellos and violins to the erhu and koto. This creates a more intimate sound, making it more fitting for a love story.

There are two main themes in the score. Sayuri's Theme, presented on the first track by Yo-Yo Ma, can be heard through out the entire score. It's a simple piece that builds with energy and emotion. The second theme, The Chairman's Waltz, is introduced about half way through and is more subtle than Sayuri's Theme.

Itzhak Perlman performs the Chairman's Waltz. Some may say that it's a bit of stunt casting to have Perlman and Ma working on this score, but they compliment Williams' music perfectly, and it probably doesn't hurt that they've both worked with Williams before.

Most of this score is very subdued. This makes for a very relaxing listening. With the inclusion of ethnic instruments, Williams has managed to create a sound very different than most people expect from him. Coming away from the movie, people may have thought that Tan Dun had done the score.

While some tracks still sound very John Williams ("Finding Satsu" and "The Fire Scene"), the whole score is a nice departure from the typical John Williams score. B

What I'm Listening to Now

1. Memoirs of a Geisha - John Williams
2. Intensive Care - Robbie Williams
3. Godzilla VS the Sea Monster - Masaru Satoh
4. Fantastic Four - John Ottman
5. Corpse Bride - Danny Elfman

I've been meaning to write some reviews to a number of these albums, but haven't had the time. Please bare with me since work's kept me very busy.

Grevious and the Droids

One of the shames of the prequel trilogy is the many cuts in John Williams's music there were. One of them from Episode 3 is from very early in the movie is called "Grevious and the Droids" from the OST. Only about a minute of this track is present in the film. Now, with a DVD player and CD player, you can listen to what John Williams had originally intended.

Start the music at 0:18:15 of the movie. If you did it correctly, the brass flair (about 0:17 into the track) will coincide with the exterior shot of Grevious's flagship and the faint Luke's theme will be playing while Anakin gives his witty comeback to Grevious. (I was trying to be sarcastic about that "witty" thing.)

CD Review: War of the Worlds

In their billionth collaboration, John Williams composed the music for Steve Spielberg's latest movie, War of the Worlds, and for better or worst, it's nothing like you've heard before from Williams.

For one thing, there is no main theme, hardly any new thematic material at all. There are no hallmark sentimental/lighthearted/heroic themes found in most of Williams' scores for Spielberg. Instead, most of the music is very abstract and atmospheric. In fact, all of the music (at least on this soundtrack) is very dissonant, mournful, and tense. Even the optimistic sounding horns in the Reunion soon succumb to the reserved and tragic sounding Epilogue. Making this one of Williams' darkest score to date.

Not to mention his most modern. Here, he has strayed from most, if not all, of his traditional formulas. Like my remarks on Episode 3, Williams takes the path less traveled with creating complex orchestra sounds to create fear and panic instead of just throwing together a theme that could create the same effect.

Williams is also very inventive with his orchestrations. Instead of using a theremin, he uses a choir ( or is it the string section?) to sustain this very high pitch sound that can be heard at the end of The Intersection Scene and the beginning of Confrontation of Ogilvy. I really enjoyed his use of brass, the somber horns at the end of Reaching the Country and Epilogue. The Ferry Scene is the stand out action piece, while Escape from the City sounds more like typical Prequel action music. There are a few tracks that have more of a traditional Williams feel to it, like Attack on the Car, and the brass build up in Return to Boston. The dissonant horns towards the end of Reaching the Country remind me of Boba Fett's Departure.

My only real problem with the soundtrack is the narration. You see, the point of buying a soundtrack is to hear the music that everyone's talking over in the movie, so having someone talk over it in the album defeats the purpose of buying it, doesn't it? Luckily, the narration is only two tracks, and the voiceover for the Prologue works well with the music, thanks to Morgan Freeman's smooth voice, but I don't like it during the Reunion, when after an hour of music, Freeman pops up again and ruins the mood, not to mention the end of the movie.

This score sounds like a mix between Minority Report and Episode 3. It's one of the best examples of Williams' "modern" style and like most of his modern works, rewards repeat listenings. At first, I'd have given this score a B tops, but every time I listen to it I find more that I like about it. B+

Favorite Tracks:
2.The Ferry Scene
3. Reaching the Country
4. Intersection Scene
10. Separation of Family
11. Confrontation with Ogilvy
12. Return to Boston
15. Epilogue

John Williams' Music in the Movie

Commenting about where the music is in Revenge of the Sith is probably going to have spoilers.

"Revenge of the Sith:" It starts with the main title but with its usual fade-out music, then there's some new music that goes into the militaristic Force Theme as featured in the track and continues with the music from the track until Grievous' motif. It then goes into new music and tracked music. I don't really know where the last two minutes are used.

"Grievous and the Droids:" I heard about thirty seconds of music towards the end of the track, when Obi-Wan and Anakin are fighting Grievous in the ship's bridge. Where's the rest of this track?

"Grievous speaks to Lord Sidious:" Pretty intact up until Grievous' motif, the rest of the track is from the end of the movie where Padme's leaving for Mustafar.

"Anakin's Dream:" Intact in the movie.

"Palpatine's Teachings:" From all over the place: the beginnings from part of the opera scene, then goes into about 15 seconds of when Palpatine reveals himslef to be a Sith, then the part with the Imperial March hint and the Force Theme are from anakin facing the Jedi Council, and finishes with Obi-Wan meeting up with Bail and Yoda.

"General Grievous:" All cut up: Begins with Obi-Wan taking a boga and listening in on Grievous. Fragments of it are used during the chase and final battle between the two of them.

"Padme's Rumination:" First part is used as Anakin considers going to Palpatine. The second half, that sounds more foreboding, is used after Anakin and Palpatine have killed Mace Windu.

"Anakin's Betrayal:" Mainly used for when the Jedi are slaughtered. Sounded like it started from the middle of the track. I'm also sure that part of this track is used for when Anakin confronts Padme on Mustafar.

"Enter Vader:" Intact. It's featured when Lord Vader goes to Mustafar.

"Anakin's Dark Deeds:" It starts with Anakin killing the Separatists, then I can't tell if the middle is used, but the ending is used when Anakin's on the bridge/ledge.

"Anakin Vs. Obi-Wan:" Pretty intact expect for a few pauses in the film. The Imperial March music is used when Yoda confronts Palpatine.

"Battle of the Heroes:" A substantial amount of it is used when Obi-Wan and Anakin fight on the lava.

"Immolation Scene:" Intact.

"Birth of the Twins and Padme's Destiny:" Pretty intact, expect the track ends before the final rendition of the funeral music that actually covers Padme's funeral.

"A New Hope:" Some new music at the beginning.

"End Credits:" The whole Throne Room sequence is edited out.

5 Most Listened to Tracks

5. "Enter Lord Vader" Once you hear this in the movie, it will make total sense, and you'll have a new appreciation for it.

4. "The Immolation Scene" One of most emotional and well composed tracks on the score.

3. "Anakin Vs. Obi-Wan" Battle of the Heroes and the Imperial March. What else do you need?

2. "Anakin's Betrayal" Beautifully tragic and works so well in the movie that it'll make you cry your eyes out.

1. "Grievous and the Droids" Still my favorite track, despite hearing very little of it in the movie.

CD Review: The Revenge of the Sith Part III

Many describe this soundtrack as a disappointment, but I believe that it's a matter of what your expectations were from the start. If you were expecting each track to be like "A New Hope" (crammed with old themes), then yes, you'll be disappointed with this score. My only expectation was that Williams would, like the previous movie, do something completely different than his previous score. And in that aspect, Williams did not disappoint.

Rather than relying heavily on themes, Williams took the much harder task of using more nonthematic music. His use of themes in the score, or at least the measily seventy minutes (out of rumored 140 minutes he wrote), are more subtle and fragmented. Again, this left fans without a score oozing the Imperial March and the Emperor's theme. I was personally happy just to hear him use the main theme (Luke's theme) in the actual score again. ("Grievous and the Droids" and "A New Hope")

Also, Revenge of the Sith presented Williams with a chance to try some new sounds, especially the ambient droning in "Palpatine's Teachings." Unfortunately, some of his cues sound similar to already existing scores, most notably "Padme's Ruminations" which is commonly compared to Hans Zimmer's "Gladiator." Some have even flat-out accused Williams of stealing from his contemporaries. While I find that unlikely, I believe that Williams, with less experience creating such sounds, just ended up creating music that was not up to his usual standards and therefore sound similar to other scores. (Either that or Lucas tracked the music over Williams' original music.)

This album is for us diehard music fans. Those who just gloss over it, expecting easy themes to recognize and enjoy, will not like this music. Williams has woven a complex web of music, and I enjoy listening to it, time and time again, picking up those little jems: hints and fragments of past themes. And while more new themes would have been nice, the Battle of the Heroes theme and Grievous' motif easily kick musical butt.

To sum up, Revenge of the Sith isn't a perfect score and barely contains any new themes. But it's still the best prequel score. Williams seems to have really pulled out all the stops in trying to create the best music for the last Star Wars movie. And here's the reason why I'm giving this an A: I have always found that the two previous prequels scores have sounded a little flat. That the orchestra just doesn't sound the same as in the original trilogy. But the Revenge of the Sith score is vibrant and has that energy I usually associate with John Williams. A

CD Review: The Revenge of the Sith Part II

Here's the second half of my track by track analysis:

8. "Padme's Ruminations" (3:17): The other track that many people don't like. It starts with quiet synth sounds followed by wailling/moaning by a female vocalists, something akin to the finale from the last movie or Minority Report but not as good. I like the last minute or so when the orchestra joins in and creates some cool eeiry/menacing sounds. Overall, it's much too subdued for me to really sink my teeth into and enjoy. 5/10

9. "Anakin Vs. Obi-Wan" (3:57): Easily one of best tracks on the album. We're treated to samples of the "Battle of the Heroes" theme with interruptions from direct cues from the Empire Strikes Back duel music. (Mainly the Imperial March with a flourish from the Escape from Bespin cue.) It ends with a great use of the Force theme over chorus sounds. A great action cue that's more theme-oriented to keep old school fans happy. My only problem with the track (artistically speaking) is that up to this point, Williams has been very subtle with old themes, and it's a little jarring that all of the sudden there's a track that's blaring the Imperial March. Not that that's really such a bad thing. 9/10

10. "Anakin's Dark Deeds" (4:05): Opening quiet, this track contains more dramatic music backed by chorus while Anakin goes farther towards the dark side. The music is highly energized with its own motif that slowly builds into a grand overture. I'm curious to see how this track (and the next one) plays out in the movie. 7/10

11. "Enter Darth Vader" (4:14): Everyone's probably disappointed with this track because it's not four minutes of the Imperial March, me included, but with further listenings, it's really grown on me. It contains this upbeat march that persists through most of the track with some quiet undertones in-between. This march continues with a very militaristic tone that ends with a few bars of the Imperial March. The music climaxes with the Force theme and an all-too-brief snippet of the Emperor's theme, which is strangely enough its only appearance in the soundtrack. 8/10

12. "The Immolation Scene" (2:42): This is another favorite that grew on me. It begins with a very string-oriented elegy that's simple yet mournful. Horns pick up towards the end to create a very satisfying track. It's way too short though... Oh, well. 9/10

13. "Grievous Speaks to Lord Sidious" (2:49): This track is composed mainly of a upbeat fanfare. A chorus comes in at the end of it, and while it produces a good sound, the chorus seemed a little like overkill. The rest of the track seemed to be mainly quiet undertones except for a reinteration of the fanfare theme (or is it Grievous' motif?) and Across the Stars. While cool to listen to, it doesn't really add anything nor is it really that special of a track. 6/10

14. "The Birth of the Twins and Padme's Destiny" (3:37): The beginning of this track sounds very Harry Potterish. It also contains one of the only other thematic links to the other films: the funeral music from the Phantom Menace. (Is that a spoiler?) Anyway, the funeral theme is then repeated. The funeral theme really fits in with the overall emotional content of this score. 8/10

15. "A New Hope and End Credits" (13:06): "A New Hope" is wonderful yet short. It manages to perfectly flow from Leia's theme to Luke's theme and concludes with a full statement of the Force theme. The end credits, on the other hand, is a totally different matter. It's presented as Luke/main title theme, Leia's theme, Battle of the Heroes, Throne Room, variations on the Throne Room, and then back to the main theme. Unfortunately, at around 12 minutes long, the end credits just don't justify wasting that much space on this CD. Leia's theme and Battle of the Heroes are pretty identical to previous concert versions, and many transitions were awkward at best. I would have prefered an edited version with more music from the actually movie. A really disappointment compared to the end credits to Williams' last Potter film. "A New Hope" 10/10, End Credits 5/10 Average: 7.5/10

Next will be my conclusion to this review and final comments.

CD Review: The Revenge of the Sith

Well, since this is the last Star Wars soundtrack, i thought I'd do something different and do a track-by-track analysis. Here it is:

1. "Star Wars and the Revenge of the Sith" (7:31): It opens with the traditional main title theme, supposedly the same one used in Phantom Menace and not a new recording. Then before it does its usual fade-out, the orchestral explodes into a rousing action cue that dominates the rest of the track. An energized version of the Force theme appears early into the track. I could swear that from time to time I could hear the fragments of the droid army theme or at least the arena/ pseudo-droid army theme. Listen for the miltaristic snare drum. It will also be used on later tracks like "Enter Lord Vader" and "Grievous and the Droids." A great example of "modern" Williams-style action cue and one of the best action cues from the prequels. 10/10

2. "Anakin's Dream" (4:46): This track is one of the only cues containing Across the Stars from the previous movie. It's beautifully rendered with stings at the beginning, leaving a more conventional version later on. There's also a quiet hint of the Force Theme. 7/10

3. "Battle of the Heroes" (3:42): Considered the "single" of the album and the only new major theme. I really hope that this is actually scoring part of the final duel rather than just a concert piece. I'm still convinced that the theme is a clever reworking of the Duel of Fates, but I lack the music background to support that. It's not as powerful as Duel nor as lyrical as Across the Stars but a very rousing piece none the less and the use of the Force theme over the chorus doesn't hurt. 7/10

4. "Anakin's Betrayal" (4:04): This track is very powerful especially when the chorus and the brass rise to an emotional peak. I read somewhere that it's a reworking on the Across the Stars, but I haven't heard it enough to make that connection yet. I've heard what sounds like fragments of the Force theme, but maybe that's from part of Across the Stars. The last minute or so is very haunting that slowly builds and then tapers off. 9/10

5. "General Grievous" (4:07): To a casual listener, this track may sound like a mess: just a jumble of percussion and brass, but upon closer listening, you can hear Williams weaving a satisfying action cue. Within it is what I believe to be the Grievous motif. (But more on that later.) The Force theme also briefly appears at the beginning in a low, almost dissonant tone. About a minute and half into it, it starts reminding me of Jurassic Park music. Those who aren't a fan of prequel non-thematic music will probably not like this. I love it. 8/10

6. "Palpatine's Teachings" (5:25): One of the two least liked tracks on album by most Internet reviewers. It starts off with about 90 seconds of low moaning, which I love because of my own love of ambient-techno-sounds and am glad to hear Williams going for a new sound. As the orchestral starts to join in, we can hear a brief cue from Darth Vader's theme and a slightly longer statement of the Force theme. The music sort of lingers until the end: a reprise of the approach to Naboo from the Phantom Menace. I like the beginning; I like the end; but the middle could do with some work. 6/10

7. "Grievous and the Droids" (3:28): This is one of my favorite tracks on the album. It begins with a great use of brass that quiets down very quickly. We then catch the briefest of hints of Luke's theme before the action music kicks back in. The deep brass puctuate what I believe is the Grievous motif. It persists until the end of the cue with another quiet rendition of the Force theme. I can't wait to see what part of the movie this is from. (I'm hoping the final battle between Obi-Wan and Grievous) 10/10

Well, this is about half of the album. I'll be back soon with what I think about the second half.

Star Wars Soundtrack Out

The newest (and last) Star Wars soundtrack was released on Tuesday. It includes a 70 minute CD plus an additional DVD entitled "Star Wars: A Musical Journey." I'll be reviewing it later this week or next, but there's plenty of reviews out already if you're curious. I'm sure John Williams has done another superb job.

Correct Track Listing for Episode 2

Here is how the soundtrack should have been labeled:

01. Main Titles/Kamino Storm/Arrival at Kamino
02. Across the Stars
03. Zam the Assassin/ Chase through Coruscant
04. Forbidden Love/Yoda and the Younglings
05. Departing Coruscant
06. Anakin and Padme
07. Jango's Escape/Return to Tatooine
08. Meadow Picnic/Dark Mysteries
09. Bounty Hunter's Pursuit/ Clone Army Revealed
10. Lars Homestead/ Search Montage
11. Tusken Camp/ Bringing Mother Home
12. Love Pledge/The Arena/Going After Dooku
13. Lord Tyranus Returns/Finale
14. On the Conveyor Belt (Bonus Track on Limited Edition)

CD Review: Attack of the Clones

John Williams's take on Episode 2 was totally different from the previous film, Phantom Menace. Replacing the vibrant yet shallow theme-oriented pieces is more a minimlistic score.

The main title starts off the album followed by one of my favorite motifs, that of Kamino. This is followed by a concert version of the only new theme in the movie, Across the Stars. This melodic and haunting theme is what I've been expecting from Williams and what he failed to produce in the Phantom Menace: a truly emotional piece that lives up to the Star Wars tradition.

Many of the older themes (the Force theme, Yoda's theme, Imperial March) are present as well as the ones from the first movie. (Duel of the Fates, Droid army theme, Anakin's theme) The use of the themes from Phantom Menace create a sense of continunity between the two films.

I personally liked to focus on three best tracks on the album, which make this CD a must. (Besides the Across the Stars suite, of course.)

First is the Chase Through Coruscant. This seven plus minutes action cue is a prime example of WIlliams's minimlistic efforts in the film. The piece is percussion-oriented with no major motif presented within it. It shows how much Williams' style has changed over the years since the days of "Asteroid Field" and "Here They Come." There is also a hint of electric guitar, just enough to anger hardcore fans and thrill fans like me who like their composers to experiment with new sounds.

Next is the eight minute cue "Love Pledge and the Arena." The music starts with a wonderful flair of Across the Stars, as Anakin and Padme declare their love. This is followed by a miltaristic motif, a re-working of the droid army theme, which dominates most of the Arena music. Lastly, the lengthly cues ends with more snippets of the love theme and the Force theme.

But neither of them hold a candle to the last track. It starts with a flurish of the Force theme and then switches into a haunting theme performed by a female vocalist. The music then builds up into full-blown fanfare of the Imperial March right before flowing into another touching rendition of Across the Stars. All of this finished off with the main Star Wars theme as the end crdits roll.

Most of the other tracks are softer pieces which include either Across the Stars or the Force theme. Jango's Escape and Bounty Hunter's Pursuit are average action cues, but pretty bland when compared to some more exciting cues Williams produced from Minority Report.

This would be a perfect score if it wasn't for the way it was treated. George Lucas had chopped it up in the movie. He took out the Arena music, and tracked most of action music for the Battle of Genosis finale from Phantom Menace. The soundtrack itself has many mislabeled tracks.

Overall, a great improvment, in my opinion, from Phantom Menace. It sounds more like a good and proper Star Wars soundtrack. Unfortunately, there is no "Ultimate" version of this soundtrack which is a shame because it deserves a proper treatment. B+