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The Rebellion is Reborn vs. The Adventures of Han


Josh500

The Rebellion is Reborn vs. The Adventures of Han  

86 members have voted

  1. 1. Which do you like better?

    • The Rebellion is Reborn
      42
    • The Adventures of Han
      44


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I'm pleasantly surprised. I like "The Adventures of Han" very much... It's catchy, immediately engaging, and immensely listenable, almost like JW from the 70's! 

 

That said, at this point I still prefer "The Rebellion is Reborn"! (I might change my opinion later, though, once I've listen to Han more often.)

 

 

 

 

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It just came out but I can safely say that I prefer The Adventures of Han.  It's more streamlined and satisfying.  Rebellion is Reborn's juxtaposition of Rose's Theme and the Acht-To theme doesn't work for me, partly because I'm not too big on either theme in the first place (Rose's Theme is a bit too sugary and the Acht-To Theme feels very underdeveloped (the A theme sounds like a B-theme and the B-theme sounds like the A-theme with more notes)).  

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There's the poll we have been expecting.  Han by far.  I really like RiR, but Rose's theme never really soars and the C theme is just so so.  I love the string ostinato in Han.  You get the feeling it is the A theme in Williams's mind and the rest is just there to serve it. 

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1 minute ago, kaseykockroach said:

Any reason why we're comparing these two bits in particular? :blink:

 

My guess is because they’re both recent and back to back? I think Adventures of Han vs Han Solo and the Princess may be a better comparison since both involve Han... but they sound nothing alike.

 

I voted RIB but I think AOH is amazing as well.

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Maybe it's just because it's new but Han's Theme sounds like it is being performed by a smaller orchestra than we usually have for SW music. The whole piece sounds thin.

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15 minutes ago, artguy360 said:

Maybe it's just because it's new but Han's Theme sounds like it is being performed by a smaller orchestra than we usually have for SW music. The whole piece sounds thin.

maybe it's the sound mix..

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10 minutes ago, bollemanneke said:

Not to cause trouble, but I'm going to say it anyway. I really, really don't understand why people are loving this new track so much. As a JW concert arrangement, it's just bad. Reading between the lines of other topics, I distinctly get the impression that most people are determined to love it because it's written by JW, not because it's anything special. That's sad. Someone claimed it was the best he had written since Hedwig's Theme. There's a limit.

It's jwfan!

Everything new is the best music Williams has ever written!

 

And yes, I would agree with you as I said earlier, that the Williams name helps a lot in loving a piece.

 

edit:

Speaking for myself:

I think the theme itself, the one at 1.41-1.57 with that harmony, is the best action theme in the tonal language Williams has written since...Duel of fates I think.

(as you see I specified it very much: action and tonal - so that leaves out of the comparison music from eg. Geisha, Munich, Lincoln, or the atonal action pieces of WOTW etc.)

 

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28 minutes ago, filmmusic said:

maybe it's the sound mix..

Maybe it's the mix but to me it just sounds like fewer players and fewer instruments than you typically hear playing a new SW theme.

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I'm not sure if I like the theme better but The Adventures of Han is definitely a better piece overall. I like both (three?) themes in Rebellion is Reborn but always wished for two separate concert suites for those.

 

Karol

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Both are very good, not great though. Not sure which one I prefer to be honest. Giving RiR the edge for now I guess.

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2 hours ago, bollemanneke said:

Not to cause trouble, but I'm going to say it anyway. I really, really don't understand why people are loving this new track so much. As a JW concert arrangement, it's just bad. Reading between the lines of other topics, I distinctly get the impression that most people are determined to love it because it's written by JW, not because it's anything special. That's sad. Someone claimed it was the best he had written since Hedwig's Theme. There's a limit.

 

I would just like to put my hand up and say that this definitely doesn't apply to me. :)

 

I am myself surprised at the flak this piece is getting on here. In particular I don't understand what is incoherent about it. It proceeds very logically to my ears.

 

On the other hand I find RiR much less coherent, to the point where I just haven't had the urge to relisten to it since I first played TLJ.

 

Then again I wouldn't call TAOH anything SPECIAL. I'm pretty sure it's not the greatest JW theme of the 21st century. But it's very good.

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2 hours ago, crocodile said:

I'm not sure if I like the theme better but The Adventures of Han is definitely a better piece overall. I like both (three?) themes in Rebellion is Reborn but always wished for two separate concert suites for those.

 

Karol

Yes, but I feel there isn't enough meat on the bone for the two themes to warrant separate suites.

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8 hours ago, Not Mr. Big said:

Somebody should combine Rose's Theme, Ach-To's Theme, and Han's Themes into one concert arrangement.  

 

That sounds like a job for Hans Zimmer! 😂 

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3 hours ago, bollemanneke said:

Not to cause trouble, but I'm going to say it anyway. I really, really don't understand why people are loving this new track so much. As a JW concert arrangement, it's just bad. Reading between the lines of other topics, I distinctly get the impression that most people are determined to love it because it's written by JW, not because it's anything special. That's sad. Someone claimed it was the best he had written since Hedwig's Theme. There's a limit.

So, you are voting for RiR? 

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3 hours ago, bollemanneke said:

Not to cause trouble, but I'm going to say it anyway. I really, really don't understand why people are loving this new track so much. As a JW concert arrangement, it's just bad. Reading between the lines of other topics, I distinctly get the impression that most people are determined to love it because it's written by JW, not because it's anything special. That's sad. 

 

I don't agree with you. This is a very good piece, regardless of who wrote it. For JW, it's not the best of the best, obviously, but it's still above average.

3 hours ago, bollemanneke said:

Someone claimed it was the best he had written since Hedwig's Theme. There's a limit.

 

That said, this is crazy. It's not nearly as good as Hedwig's Theme, which is among JW's all-time best!

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I like both of the themes used in The Adventures of Han. They are very catchy. However, The Adventures of Han as a concert arrangement seems slapdash and frantic, and doesn’t work for me. Maybe it will grow on me. I am not a fan of Powell’s score, but I admit he does put these themes to good use at multiple points.

 

But The Rebellion is Reborn is clearly superior, to me. Both themes are strong, and the concert piece is good. It didn’t require any growing on me.

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Han's two themes are much more congorous with each other (to the point that to my ear they still sound like two parts of the same theme) than Rose's theme is with the Island motif. As such (and this is coming from one who likes the concept of The Rebellion is Reborn, and especially likes Rose's theme) I have to say, The Adventures of Han is the better piece of the two.

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1 hour ago, John said:

“The Adventures of Han” is nice, but it’s no “The Rebellion is Reborn.”

 

That's what I thought too.

 

But the more I listen to Han.... 😂 

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2 hours ago, kaseykockroach said:

Weirdly enough, Chewie's theme sounds more Williams-y to me than Han's does.

 

Not to me.

 

Chewie's Theme does sound like something JW would write, but not more so than Han. 

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I love both. But the energy in Adventures of Han is in incredible, they should check the power of the batteries of Johnnys pacemaker!! No 86 year old human being should compose and conduct this kind of furious stuff!!!😱😱😱

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Even as a mix of 2 completely separate themes, as a listening experience from beginning to end I find Rebellion is Reborn to be more cohesive and complete than The Adventures of Han which sounds more disparate with the various action sections and the initial fanfare and the false ending both sounding somewhat out of place. 

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3 hours ago, Steve McQueen said:

Did you expect Adventures or Rebellion to be in the lead?

 

I thought "Rebellion" would be in the lead, since I prefer that one myself.

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I think Rebellion is more formally pleasing. The island theme is stately and rose's theme while being a bit too sweet is a good theme and romantic and lush.

 

The storytelling in RiR is a bit nebulous as the themes have nothing to do with each other. So the flow and their interaction doesn't really tell a story.

 

Han has more of a story to tell because the two themes are ralated and while it is not stately, it is very exciting! But one of the themes is rather weak.

 

I'm a bit conflicted! I voted RiR but I might have more listens on Han eventually. Han is thrilling for sure and the Searching theme certainly comes out and grabs you.

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It depends if we're talking about these two tracks standing apart from the films they stemmed from. If that's the case, Rebellion is Reborn. It's a very pleasant theme that really goes a long way in bringing forth that optimistic lift one thinks of when reshaping the future for the better of mankind. It has a wondrous quality to it that sounds almost more at home in the Potter universe than Star Wars, but I like it just for that. I also find it a little more cohesive.

 

However, if we're talking about the implementation of those themes in their respective films, I'll have to go with Han's. Rose doesn't really embody what the former theme means to me (or is capable of), nor does it get much of a workout in the Last Jedi score. The Adventures of Han, on the other hand, feels like a track where Williams wanted to hand off as many little odds and ends to Powell as it could, so that Powell could sprinkle them throughout the Solo score, and have them grow throughout the film. Adventures has more room to grow, but as is, my vote goes to Rebellion.

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7 hours ago, AzOutcast said:

It depends if we're talking about these two tracks standing apart from the films they stemmed from. If that's the case, Rebellion is Reborn. It's a very pleasant theme that really goes a long way in bringing forth that optimistic lift one thinks of when reshaping the future for the better of mankind. It has a wondrous quality to it that sounds almost more at home in the Potter universe than Star Wars, but I like it just for that. I also find it a little more cohesive.

 

However, if we're talking about the implementation of those themes in their respective films, I'll have to go with Han's. Rose doesn't really embody what the former theme means to me (or is capable of), nor does it get much of a workout in the Last Jedi score. The Adventures of Han, on the other hand, feels like a track where Williams wanted to hand off as many little odds and ends to Powell as it could, so that Powell could sprinkle them throughout the Solo score, and have them grow throughout the film. Adventures has more room to grow, but as is, my vote goes to Rebellion.

 

I guess my question is simply, which piece do you get more enjoyment out of while listening to it? Not in or within their respective movies, necessarily, but just these two pieces.

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You can kindaaaa get away with putting the “A” and “B” theme in the same concert piece with “Adventures of Han”, not so much with Rebellion Reborn, hence my vote. 

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18 minutes ago, Brundlefly said:

I would prefer the concert arrangements of The Fathiers and Holdo's Resolve, if they existed.

 

And if they existed I would prefer the complete releases of the Star Wars prequels trilogy and TFA and TLJ. 😂

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I have to say I am not a big fan of either of these concert arrangements.  Both are cases where he takes 2 themes and just kind of puts them into one concert arrangement, with the themes not really playing off each other at all.  It doesn't really work for me.  I MUCH prefer his 2018 Han Solo and the Princess arrangement over either one.

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5 minutes ago, Jay said:

I MUCH prefer his 2018 Han Solo and the Princess arrangement over either one.

 

I'll second that.

Hope it gets played again and recorded soon.

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Wednesday's / Thursday's performance in Boston was recorded and broadcast for free online yesterday.  That's why the Boston thread has seen so much activity

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Han, no contest for me. RIR still makes no sense to me—I'm not a fan of either of the themes, I don't like how they're mashed up, and I find the ending to be very weak, almost cringeworthy.

 

I find the ending (and opening) of Adventures of Han to be almost as weak (makes me cringe in a Mutt-like way), and it's not the sort of piece that perfectly encapsulates and develops the theme. But I really, genuinely enjoy the meat of the material.

 

It feels like JW wrote the themes, had some killer ideas in mind for action cues, knew he'd never get the chance to see them on the screen, and slapped them all together as a demo reel/humblebrag for Powell.

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'Rebellion is Reborn' is a great stand-alone piece. It's only the people who can't separate it from the movie that perceive the themes not working together. Musically i see absolutely no problem.

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