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Those people should all go fuck themselves. The end.

So I've completed my first film viewing, two OST listens and have been listening to isolated tracks all night. I was a little negative last night focusing on the things I didn't like about the score, as I was still digesting the film itself (which I consider flawed but ultimately an excellent and daring addition to the series). The score, overall, is sublime. This has to be the most thematically dense score in the entire series, and surely the most slavish JW has been to existing thematic material. For months we've speculated what TFA themes would be jettisoned prequel-style (considering his disinterest in developing his prequel themes across that trilogy) but instead we find a score rich with development of almost every theme from TFA. I'm sure we'll debate the merits of this OST presentation for years to come, lamenting that so and so wasn't included (and yeah, why on earth they recorded Main Titles fresh but reused the TFA recording), but this is an almighty OST with nary a dull moment. An earlier poster put it brilliantly when they said JW was clearly shaking the dust off with TFA and took a while to get back in the swing of things, but TLJ feels like no time has passed at all since he finished with ROTS. I often comment that parts of TFA don't sound particularly Star Wars-y, especially the thin underscore, as if JW was going through the motions and still recapturing that 'mode' of writing style. As if the further along he went the more Star Wars-y his cues felt. This score is just effortless, a gob-smacking triumph for a man at 85, writing music with such complexity it puts most other film composers to shame. Bravo to the mixing department (Murphy and Sullivan) for their sublime mix. It retains the clarity of TFA's recording but we've returned to a fuller orchestral sound. Far less heavy on the brass, it's a wetter recording that feels right at home with the LSO's prequel scores. Amazing how two scores by the same orchestra on the same stage with the same recording setup can have such a radically different sound! Really makes you question why they went so dry and brass-focused with TFA (a recording which, after hearing live with a full orchestra, was a real disservice to the score as performed). And although the film seems light on new material upon first listen, there's at least 4 significant new ideas that I've picked up on: Rose's Theme Luke's Island Life Theme New First Order Motif/Fanfare (first heard in Escape and reprised throughout the complete score) Admiral Holdo's Theme (mostly unreleased) I'm only at page 7 of this thread but these are just my initial thoughts.

Yeah...

Absolutely loved this movie. I have no quarrels at all. The only thing that was weird was the milking of the tits, which is growing on me. I tend not to overly scrutinize stuff i thoroughly enjoy, because why? The stuff on Canto Bight was perfectly fine, it moved alone and they were off the planet before it over stayed it's welcome. It came full circle in the end too, and I really want a Rebel Alliance secret ring. We also cut back to the main story enough that it doesn't matter. I absolutely don't understand anyone's gripes with the movie. Leia's force move was fantastic imo, I understand if people don't like it but it clicked with me. The music I think shined quite a lot and was mixed pretty damn well, although sometimes they should let the explosions fall behind the music, because music is more powerful than explosions (to me)

Is anyone else totally in love with how Williams ends the score? Those chimes of Rey's theme slightly off and the harp just not fully finishing as you'd expect. He's saying "to be continued" in music form. Gorgeous.

OK so I listened to the album three times now after watching the film twice. Overall I like it. It has an amazing amount of vigour and enthusiasm. Williams hardly sounds his age. The OST is a nice summary of score's major ideas and moments (while missing some important moments). But I have to say there are some things that bother me still. One, there is WAY too much Force theme. And second, some of the sequences really lack coherence. They are extremely energetic, yes, but so incoherent sometimes. I am just baffled by some of transitions in the big battle sequences and end credits. Do you think it is because Williams had to conform his material to a constantly changing cut? Karol

And yeah, the last minute of The Spark has to be the most perfect combination of visuals, direction and music Williams has been involved with for well over a decade. I can't even describe how I felt watching this sequence unfold, after the most heartbreaking reappearance of Luke & Leia (first time in 34 years!). There is just no other living composer who could've written anything better for that scene; utter perfection right down to the last note. To say the entire crowd was in awe watching this sequence would be an understatement. The level of engrossment in the theater was palpable, due in no small part to the music. I don't recall a single moment in TFA, not even Solo's death, with this level of filmic aspiration. Probably the only thing from TFA that comes close, so far as perfect synergy between music and images, would be Jedi Steps? I just really wish they found a way to cut down that middle act, because the film grinds to a halt for half an hour. They should've removed that entire Del Toro/Canto Bight subplot and had Rose/Finn break into the Supremacy straight away. It was also a huge mistake, in a film with only two main story threads, to have such a static and helpless plotline. The characters are basically stranded and incapable of doing anything for about 90 minutes, which really deflates the drama. I kept thinking, 'get on with it,' which is never a good sign for your pacing.

Let's get some positive comments up in here to balance out the negativity.

I think a score needs repeated listening (in its complete/expanded form, if possible) AND the passage of time in order to be properly compared with an older work.

It is probably the weakest Star Wars score written by John Williams. Attack of the Clones, The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi are the three weakest ones by far.

I love the comment about allowing Williams to retire in peace. It's as if Kathleen Kennedy kidnapped him and forced him to write the score at gunpoint.

A variation can be found in the track 'Chrome Dome' at around 0:26

"Battle in the Snow" from EMPIRE prominently featured two grand pianos, pounding out that bellicose ascending and descending triplet figure that heralded the advancing Imperial walkers.

I am fine with almost all of what is actually in the movie. What I'm not so sure about is how it is all put together (writing, editing etc). There seems to be a lot of small tiny weird things. Actually the single worst thing about the film is Rey's "I need your help because Kylo Ren is strong with the dark side" line. It made me laugh for some reason. First of all, she's already said it something like this earlier and, second, the delivery. Very prequel-worthy. Karol

The Fathiers is slowly becoming one of my favourite JW action cues

It's my favourite theme from the Saga too. That scene killed me. That and the gorgeous Yoda concert version. NO ONE ENDS A PIECE OF MUSIC LIKE WILLIAMS! It's all about them harp lines!

After listening to the album three times I must say that I really like it. Rose’s theme is really good and I liked that a lot of the previous themes returns. Hearing Luke and Leia again was great .

Here's the unreleased cue for Rey training with the lightsaber. It's actually a blend of Rey's Theme with the new Luke theme, so the new Luke theme appears at least THREE times in the underscore, not just two!

THIS! is so awesome idea! The magnificent Resistance!

I really wanted to like this... I liked Leia finally being able to use her force abilities, it just came across as a very awkward visual. The soundtrack i wasnt impreased with when i watched the movie, but listening to the album, i actually think its great. The Canto Bight section of the film really didnt belong there. It was boring, held up the plot and its message fell kind of flat. So did the relationship between Finn and Rose.But the biggest issue, which i find impossible that the die hard fans can disagree with, is the handling of Luke Skywalker. Mark Hammil was right to disagree with everything about the character. Luke is a character of understanding, of seeing the good in people. He refused to fight and kill Vader (Vader for gods sake, the evil, genocidal psychopath feared throughout the galaxy) because he saw a tiny spark of good. But we are meant to believe this man, with that quality to see good, wanted to murder his nephew because he MIGHT be evil? No matter how fleeting the moment, that isnt Luke Skywalker. And then after all of that he decides to quit and be a whiney bitch and let Snoke and Kylo destroy the republic including Leia and his friends. Please. Honestly, Rian Johnson has demonstrated a complete and utter lack of understanding of what Star Wars, its feel, tone and characters are.

My favorite moment of the OST is the last minute of Rebellion is Reborn with that kick ass Rose theme ending

Well, the joke is on them because some of the trailer music was based on Williams music.

It does make me feel smugly clued into real art and talent when I read idiotic criticism like those mindless hacks who spew their garbage opinions. Just imagine what it must be like to be of that low intelligence. They actually sit there and think to themselves that the score is boring, and nothing compared to trailer music. I sincerely feel sorry for them that they weren't raised better and that they didn't turn out like me, who can actually appreciate greatness. The smugness flows through me.

In the months before release, I kept seeing a very stern and wearied (potentially even "fallen") Luke Skywalker in the promo material. Then I saw the official poster and there he was again at the very top of the image looking quite sinister and all powerful, almost like Palpatine. There was crimson red everywhere, it was very dark to me that, as if it was to be a major theme and shift in tone (like ESB and TOD). Was blood to be spilled in The Last Jedi? Could Rey actually be seduced in this? Honestly, I was hoping she would be. Struggle with her demons etc etc and fall into darkness by the end (in time for potential redemption in Part III. I thought she was going to slay Leia at the end of the film. See, in the media last week, I kept hearing about some big twist that nobody would see coming and that the producers themselves had appealed to early viewers to keep the secrets to themselves so as not to spoil the big surprises this movie was said to have. I foolishly concluded that Leia dying at Ren's hands was it! It would have been so shocking and perfect. See, when I learn a movie has a big twist, nine times out of ten my brain's logic inevitability and annoyingly figures out what it is before I see the film, it's one of the reasons I try to stay dark these days and actually pay almost zero attention to movie journalism surrounding a film I might be interested in. I was well wide of the mark on this occasion though (typical!), and for me it's because they didn't have the guts to aim for something quite so strikingly unexpected. It's just another predicable SW movie after all. So yeah, I've spent the last few days wondering what the hell twists and surprises they were actually talking about. I still don't know.

She's joking. No human being is that stupid.

After all those years complaining about TFA's shitty treatment in the mix, along comes TLJ and could well be the best treated JW score, like, ever. Even better than Giacchino got for Rogue One. Is this driven by the director? Sound mixing team? I assume the latter were all the same film to film?

And you can hear it so clearly in the film, too! When it first appears in TFA, the initial couple of seconds are fairly lucid but it quickly becomes tough to make out parts. The first time it appears in TLJ, it comes out blaring, unmistakable, crisp. I am still just beyond thrilled by how kindly the mix is to the music this go-around.

Having seen the film, it's hard to fault JW with using old themes where he did or even the renditions themselves. I wish this movie was less reliant but each use of an old theme made sense and worked well in film. I guess I wish the film itself were different so JW would have written different music.

F*** me the first track of TLJ is amazing. Didn't care for it much at all at first but now I can't get enough of it. Those "March of the Resistance" quotes especially. Amazing stuff. I'm starting to unlock this thing after a disappointing first few listens and it's great.

Its fine dear, atleast you're pretty.

Stopped reading after that! This is the complaint of a fanboy. "Johnson didn't do what I wanted for the character .... crybaby emoticon" Do better!

Probably made up of a lot of "Rey=Luke's Daughter" fanatics who feel cheated that their favourite fanfics don't fit canon.

I was also thinking this today. At the end of the score we hear Kylo’s theme on a marching rythm and a bit of an extension - which could be a hint of what is to come. Now that Kylo seems to have dealt with his issues and becomes the Supreme Leader, it would be appropriate to have a First Order/Kylo Ren march theme for the final movie. I get the impression now that the films are made faster after each other, and since they immediately connect story-wise, the end result will be a far more cohesive SW trilogy than the prequels, musically speaking. Also about what has been said earlier, one might have personal issues with how this score is done compared to expectations, but I can’t think of a better way to score this film. It doesn’t ask for many new themes, and at least the other material has a clear leitmotivic purpose most of the time, unlike RotS for instance.

My copy arrived earlier this week, and it's been on a regular rotation. I don't know about anyone else, but I can't get enough of the later-to-be reprised material at onwards at 06:36 in Trapped in D Deck (the key sequence). Particularly the steadfast My Heart Will Go On brass allusion (07:40), sounding like a breath of air before plunging into a marvelously intense 3-against-2/4, rising/descending tug of war between horns in triads and trombones in fifths (that later becomes an almost literal representation of the Titanic's bow rising from the water) framed by an eight note pulse on Hawaiian puili sticks, punctuated in syncopated hits by a classic Horner gesture, hammered elbow clusters, anvils, and Bartok cello/bass pizzicati. I attracted some strange looks head banging to this in my car at a set of traffic lights, but #YOLO.

Perhaps Williams did intend to extend that little snippet heard in the opening shot of TFA and whenever we saw Starkiller Base, into a theme for this film, but after seeing it he realised that Kylo Ren is now the leader of the First Order, thus in Episode 9, his theme can finally be all-powerful in every shot concerning The First Order. I predict that Ren's Theme will be used now to fully musically represent the First Order, now that he's the Supreme Leader. I guess that was Williams intent.

Spot on! I always stop watching ESB before Lando shows up!

“Luke and Leia” is my favorite Star Wars theme - it’s so heart wrenchingly beautiful - and I’d hoped that Williams’ including it in recent concerts meant he’d remember it for the new score, if a scene gave him the chance to use it. I was already tearing up when Luke entered the Crait base and started to talk to Leia, but once their theme started, I really started sniffling. That whole scene was absolutely extraordinary and beautiful, a perfect final moment between Luke and Leia, and the music brought it to another level (as Williams usually does). I’m surprised more people aren’t talking about it around the web.

Yeah, we've been conditioned to constantly want new themes which gives each score an identity. And while we do get a nice little theme with Rose, this score is more an exercise in precision writing allowing him to flesh out everything from TFA and balance it with the older themes in a more heightened way than in TFA as well. Nothing wrong with that, still a hell of a score.

Awesome! I'd love to add this one to my blog, if you don't mind? Also, as requested, here's my idea of a custom cover based on Paul Shipper's incredible poster.

Here's the Emperor's Theme

Here's the Poe's Theme statement from the opening battle that isn't on the OST

Yea, there's a lot of music in the film, and you know what else I noticed? It didn't really seem to be messed with at all. I mean, there wasn't any parts that felt like it was edited around and mucked with. There wasn't any parts that were tracked in from prior movies. There wasn't any parts that sounded like the OST for a while, then went off on some other path due to Inserts or tracking or editing, etc. It all sounded quite at home. Johnson seems to have treated the entire score with a lot of respect.

So let's see. The film is 2 1/2 hours and scored almost wall to wall. The OST is 77 minutes, but 4 minutes of that is a concert arrangement, so really we have 73 minutes of film score. We basically only have half the score, for sure. And having just coming back from the film after listening to the album 5-6 times so being pretty familiar with it, I can definitely say there are ABSOLUTELY some great unreleased highlights. Entire sequences aren't covered on the OST at all, and some themes get GREAT iterations in the film that aren't on the album. My #1 wanted unreleased highlight is a GREAT rendition of Rey's Theme when she trains by herself with the lightsaber. It was great! One of my bummer moments after I first finished the OST album was that he didn't do much with Rey's Theme, didn't take it into a big new place like I was hoping. Well after seeing the film - he did! The complete score features a LOT Of Rey's theme, and this scene in particular had one of the highlight moments. #2 is the Emperor's Theme when Snoke zaps Rey. Sounded really neat! #3 is Poe's Theme from the beginning of the film, after BB8 fixes his guns and he destroys the last cannon. We get a big grand statement of his theme in the film, but not the OST. The moment on the OST around 3:10 SEEMS like it should be that music, but its not - I wonder if the OST presents an earlier version, and he later recorded an Insert to make Poe's Theme bigger and more obvious. The other possibility is that it was just edited out of the OST. #4 is the second iteration of the Jedi Steps theme. He only uses it twice in the film, and the first one is on the OST but the second one isn't. Well, the second one was better than the first one. Bummer he put the other one on the CD! I don't remember any more specific highlights, but I very often noted music that wasn't on the CD. I'd love a complete release!

yes, rebellion is Reborn is in the credits I'm afraid your gravely mistaken .the unreleased music is AS GOOD as the stuff on the OST.

Just saw the film too -The score mix was ultra loud...like Zimmer scores. In fact I think this is the loudest mixed JW score ever (except some quiet underscore scenes where the music was suddenly dialed down) -The film is scored wall to wall. This is another fan edit project that will take YEARS of work if we don't get an expanded score or a sessions leak -Track 7 :Rebellion is Reborn. The opening with Rose's Theme is not in the film at all, and the entire second part with the military motif and the Rose Theme ending is in the End Credits (but not in the album credits) -I think there is one short statement of Rose'sTheme that is unreleased, but not too different from the rest -There is one kick ass variation of Rey's Theme when she's training with her lightsaber on the island that's unreleased. For those who complained about the lack of Rey's Theme on the album that was THE passage that should have been included -A truck load of action music with brass fanfares is unreleased -There's a short statement of Jedi Steps that's unreleased -There's a lot of cool variations of the TFA Resistance March that are unreleased I guess it's fair to say most of the true highlights are on the album, except for that Rey's Theme statement when she's training on the island. But there's some much unreleased music it's hard to say what we might discover by watching the film several times

Right now what strikes me is that TLJ is so much bolder and luch orchestrally than TFA It feels like the underscore from the days of Empire Strikes Back. The recurring themes don't seemed shoe- horned in like TFA It's immediately engaging, not after multiple repeats like TFA

As a JWfan, I want my concert tracks, but more than that, I would love one more huge blockbuster where the average fan says "I love the score." This may very well be that movie, and JW deserves the praise.