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Another week, another great cue from The Rise of Skywalker to talk about. Since a lot of what we've been celebrating in this score has been its leitmotivic richness, I thought I'd change things up and offer a piece that is pretty athematic on the surface: the FYC track "Advice" (or, probably more properly, 7m8 "Father Knows Best"). I don't have a whole lot to say about this sequence, other than it strikes me as very effective, more so because Williams avoids any too on-the-nose statement of Kylo Ren's themes here. There's a few other cues in SW that feature this sort of two-voice counterpoint in high strings ("Death of Dooku" comes to mind), but this is the most poignant. The closest comparison I can draw is with the similarly evocative, sad "Watching the Eclipse" from Angela's Ashes. There's no direct reference to "Torn Apart," to my ears, but the harmonic language in m. 16 does venture into similar harmonic territory). Instead of further analysis, I thought I'd offer a transcription of the stringy part, before the orchestra swells and Kylo/Ben tosses his saber. (Alas, this one's by ear and thus prone to inaccuracy, esp. in rhythm -- no score leaks for this one unfortunately AFAIK...)

It's a thematic transformation (that's a proper term) rather than a straightforward thematic statement, meaning that it's been significantly altered, so it's going to sound different, to the point where you could easily miss it if you're not exactly listening for it. As @Falstaft pointed out, it's unusual for Williams to work this way, and I would agree, especially in Star Wars, where references to themes are usually made abundantly clear. But here's what I mean by the thematic transformation (or development, as I called it in the analysis). In "Advice", the original rhythm has been stripped away, the harmony is entirely different, and the tempo is slowed way down. BUT the intervals and contour (melodic shape) are much the same, so it retains some fundamental aspects of the original and is still recognizable. See below. The square bracketed sections all do this kind of thing. I show the original transposed to the same note as "Advice" for comparison. Hope that makes things clearer!

Oh, wouldn’t we all! (Quiet, @Thor.) Especially after realizing that we’ve already heard some tantalizing little bits of otherwise unheard cues: 1M2R Hand Opening, 2M11R Alt - BB and Rey, 5M40 The Beam Is Released, etc.

Great track! I took a crack at analyzing this overtop of @Falstaft's excellent transcription. Williams actually de-composes Anthem of Evil for the first half of the passage, as Kylo is deciding whether or not to give up his evil ways. It's done by passing the main developments of the theme from melody to bass and back to melody (the solid square brackets). There are smaller developments of the theme as well at the same time - shown in dotted brackets. This is just too good! When Kylo says "I know what I have to do but I don't know if I have the strength to do it", then we get a new motive (unrelated to other themes as far as I can tell) that is passed between the upper voices - a more positive, upward-striving motive. I see this as a musical representation of him giving up the evil and striving to climb out of the emotional hole he's dug himself into as Kylo. The developments of the Anthem of Evil, though, are pretty subtle and reward careful listening. It also leads nicely into the more obvious Anthem of Evil references just before the brass come in, making the cue really hang together well. To me, these are part of what makes this score top-notch and a great final musical entry in the saga, even as Williams is in his late 80s!

This is why I come to JWFan, for little treats like this. I had not noticed this at all previously but I can hear it clear as day now. Thank you @Ludwig and thank you @Falstaft!

A breakdown of the FYC tracks: 1 The Attack On The Jakku Village, Part 1 (5:27) 0:00-0:24 1M1A v3 - Starry Night 0:24-0:55 1M2A Fix 0:55-1:09 1M1A v3 [continued] 1:09-1:40 1M2B 1:40-1:50 1M2R (New Ending) - Hand Opening 1:50-2:17 1M3C I've Seen Too Much 2:17-2:34 5M40 The Beam Is Released 2:34-2:50 1M3D The Attack on the Village 2:50-3:16 7M61 Guns A'blaze 3:16-4:00 1M3D [continued] 4:00-5:03 1M3BR The Attack on the Village 5:03-end 1M4R The Arrival of Kylo Ren 2 The Attack On The Jakku Village, Part 2 (1:54) 0:00-0:09 7M66 The Control Room And Ren In Forest 0:09-0:16 7M67 Rey vs. Ren 0:16-1:19 1M4R The Arrival of Kylo Ren 1:19-1:34 1M4B Landing 1:34-end 1M4D Fix on Fix 3 The Scavenger (1:52) 1M5 Alt2 A Insert - The Scavenger 4 Lunchtime (1:13) 0:00-0:18 1M6 Alt R - One Quarter Portion 0:18-end 1M7 Flute Version - Lunchtime With Rey 5 I Can Fly Anything (4:09) 0:00-0:45 2M14R Alt Intro v2 - Finn Helps Poe 0:45-1:20 2M14R I Can Fly Anything 1:20-1:36 2M15R The First Escape 1:36-2:02 2M15R Insert 2:02-3:40 2M15R The First Escape [continued] 3:40-3:50 7M65 Father and Son 3:50-end 2M15R The First Escape [continued] 6 Finn’s Trek (1:35) 0:00-0:52 2M17AR Finn’s Trek 0:52-1:11 1M4R The Arrival of Kylo Ren 1:11-end 2M17AR [continued] 7 Follow Me and The Falcon (7:10) 0:00-1:13 2M18B Who’s Luke Skywalker? 1:13-2:54 2M18CR Follow Me 2:54-3:02 2M18C Insert II 3:02-3:09 2M18CR [continued] 3:09-6:41 3M20 (Fixed) R - The Falcon Still Flies! 6:41-6:49 5M44 Kylo Arrives At Battle 6:49-end 3M20 (Fixed) R [continued] 8 The Rathtars (1:19) 3M28 The Rathtar Attack 9 Snoke (2:08) 0:00-0:12 4M30A Starkiller 0:12-1:53 8M78 Snoke 0:25-0:32 6M54R Rey vs. Ren 1:29-1:53 6M53A We See Rey 1:53-end 2M17AR Finn’s Trek 10 You Got A Name? (1:32) 0:00-0:40 4M33R Insert - Gotta Name 0:40-end 4M33R You Got A Name? 11 I’m No Hero (1:06) 4M36R I Ran Into You 12 The Starkiller (1:53) 8M81 Sunbeam Strings 13 Kylo Ren Arrives At The Battle (2:16) 0:00-0:15 5M43 R (Fix) Find Rey 0:15-0:55 5M43A (Fix) Maz’s Treasure Chest 0:55-1:28 5M44 Alt Intro v1 - Kylo Arrives At Battle 1:28-end 5M44 Kylo Arrives At Battle 14 The Resistance (1:35) 0:00-0:32 5M47 v2 - Good Guys Shooting 0:32-0:50 8M77 The Resistance Theme 0:50-end 5M47 v2 [continued] 15 The Abduction (1:35) 0:00-0:27 5M48 We’ve Got What We Need 0:27-end 5M49A (Fix 11/5/15) The Abduction of Rey 16 Finn and Poe, United (2:01) 6M51R Finn and Poe, United 17 The Bombing Run (2:08) 0:00-0:09 6M56C (Fixed) To Lightspeed 0:09-end 6M68 The Bombing Run 18 On The Inside (2:54) 0:00-0:11 7M66 The Control Room And Ren In The Forest 0:11-0:24 7M62B Shootout 0:24-0:49 7M62 I Can Get Us In 0:49-1:30 7M62A On The Inside 1:30-1:38 7M62A Insert 1:38-end 7M62A On The Inside [continued] 19 Torn Apart (4:24) 0:00-0:50 7M65B Father and Son 0:50-1:08 7M65 Father and Son 1:08-2:05 7M65B [continued] 2:05-2:10 7M65C Leia Fix 2:10-2:33 7M65R Insert 2:33-2:58 7M65 [continued] 2:51-3:00 1M4R The Arrival of Kylo Ren 3:00-3:10 7M65 [continued] 3:10-3:24 7M66 The Control Room And Ren In The Forest 3:24-3:40 1M4R [continued] 3:40-3:43 7M67R It Is You 3:43-3:48 1M4R [continued] 3:48-end 7M66 [continued] 20 The Ways Of The Force (3:59) 0:00-1:03 8M80 Scherzo for X-Wings 1:03-1:20 7M67C Blowing Up The Oscillator 1:20-end 7M67A Rey vs. Ren 21 The Journey Home (2:19) 0:00-1:12 7M68A Light In The Snow and Flying Home 1:12-end 7M68 Flying Home 22 Farewell and The Trip (3:49) 0:00-0:29 8M72 Finding the Map 0:29-0:37 2M11R Alt - BB and Rey 0:37-1:08 8M72 [continued] 1:08-end 8M73 The Complete Map 23 The Jedi Steps and Finale (9:58) 0:00-2:11 8M74 Climbing The Mountain 2:11-6:57 8M75 Finale (11/11/15) 6:57-8:05 8M77 The Resistance Theme 8:05-end 8M75 [continued] The OST breakdown was previously posted here.

Here's the review of James Horner Film Music, including how many music is actually missing from the OST, track by track analyses, and more! http://jameshorner-filmmusic.com/casper-expanded-edition-our-exclusive-review/

Wow! Now I absolutely can understand what you mean! It's pretty incredible you guys are able to find this kind of little subtle details. As just a SW fan, I'm amazed of your skills And yes, as you've said, SW references use to be way more clear for guys like me (super casual listeners) so this is very high level! Thanks for the explanation and for sharing this knowledge. Is super nice to learn this kind of things.

Since the box doesn't include the Shawm cue, I'd rather get the OSTs.

@Jay I knew the moment that I saw your profile GIF that it was missing something.... No longer.

Yup. The best you can buy!😁 And VHS source!

Yeah, he loved this stuff in the 2000's you hear it in AI, Revenge of the Sith (and for some reason I'm thinking Return of the Jedi with something Emperor related but I don't remember the track).

Perhaps they don't want to be directly linked to the stupid shit they say. At least we can point and say, yeah don't be a fuckwit like Bruce Marshall.

It's one of my favorites of any generation! The mechanics, with the blocks and edges, is so simple but really genius and unique. One of the most satisfying puzzle games I've ever played. The story is really fun and compelling too, but last night, after getting the new character's ending...I don't know, I think it broke a barrier for me and I suddenly started looking the game in a lesser light than I did before. At first I really enjoyed how they made one of the main characters less of a bitch, or at least a more sympathetic one, but now I feel like the expanded scope of the story actually take away some of the original's charm. Which is a shame, since the slight gameplay tweaks added are such a great addition to the original. Music is really effective, though Meguro's pretty limited as an orchestral composer. Yeah they're pretty much Art: The GameTM developers exclusively, huh. YES!!! *headbutts empty Mountain Dew can*

Since I’ve spent too much time poring over that November 11th cue list, let me just say that ‘Advice’ appears to be 7M8 Father Knows Best, and 6M20 Sabre Toss is instead for Rey on Ahch-To tossing the saber into the fire. Most likely an insert, but could also be a revised cue that’s only partially used. Also reminds me of “Ben Creeps Around” and a few War of the Worlds cues that also feature similar high, spare, string writing, without vibrato.

I think there is an arc going through Advice towards Farewell, which starts in Healing Wounds. In Healing Wounds we also have the strings use and the solemn brass chorale - at first in the context of Kylo being healed and the "taking hand" dialogue - and also a swell that foreshadows the kiss in Farewell; then the second time, in Advice such orchestration describes Kylo Ren's change of heart (responsibility?) and his decision to act heroically from then on and "get the girl", which culminates in Farewell, when Ben both presents himself changed, and repays a life's debt. What follows, in 3:43, is like a transition from the "decision" figure into something more in line with the "Rise of Skywalker" theme. Neat how the general orchestrational choices seem to form a thread continuity across the three tracks.

This is probably one of my favourite cues from the score, and written for one of the few scenes I actually liked no less! Every note, every little nuance feels so precise here: the haunting, almost ethereal string counterpoint that you mention (similar yet different compared to, say, Torn Apart from TFA, which it kind of mirrors), a very brief Anthem of Evil quote, and then the brass come to the front at the end and it is HEAVY. Reminds me of something out Revenge of the Sith, perhaps Padme's Funeral or Lament. That deep brass sound really hit when I first I heard this, it's hard to describe what it does for me exactly. It's a short cue that may fly under the radar for most folks, but it's indeed quite effective and, as you say, it restrains itself from using Kylo Ren's theme, which was the right call. Excellent analysis once again @Falstaft! I'd be curious to read what you have to say about a cue like Fleeing from Kijimi in the future as I think that has a bunch of neat stuff going in. Thumbs up! EDIT: Is there any connection between the horn section that I mentioned and the brief horn line at 3:19 of Farewell?

The box set is worth it just for Harry Gets His Wand and Through The Doors.

Now THAT is a score I want complete and available.

definitely among my Top 5 Horner scores, so I'm quite excited that it got an extended release, even if there's not that much unreleased music. Waiting for The Perfect Storm now...! (listening to the leaked complete score on repeat for days)

That article includes the back cover, which is really nicely done Nice splash art too

Don't be too hard on yourself; I could have done more😔 Nope. He lives in Southern California with the rest of the Hollywood wannabes

Brilliantly, on the lossless download from Presto Music, The Age of Innocence is credited to both Elmer and Leonard Bernstein... eye roll lol. Still, great album so far!

How inconsiderate of him.

I don't blame you - I don't believe a word he's saying either!

Back in stock at LLL's website for those that are interested

Not on the first one as I recall. At least nothing intrusive. Sound and performance are both really good. Great selections too, nice variety.

Even just holding the box set or putting my hand on it from time to time (yes, I do that) fills me with a sense of magic, even if HP3 is not 100% chronological and complete.

Yeah but you're still a sad fuck

Right, turns out all I need are headphones that go completely over the ears because my hearing aid's amplifier needs to be able to pick up the sounds. Ordered something rather big from €135, will see what happens.

Wow, that was really gorgeous! And I guarantee it would go by unnoticed if I was listening to the album as being too simplistic but sometimes just hearing something in isolation allows it to reveal its beauty in a new way.

Does no * after "Teaser" mean Horner wrote original music for a teaser trailer and included it on his OST presentation? Which track is it inside of if that's the case?

Wow, fantastic analysis @Ludwig. I was so focused on getting the notes right, measure by measure, that I missed these subtle developments of the Psalm of the Sith theme (I still prefer that label to Anthem of Evil! ). The motivic manipulations you've revealed remind me a bit of what Charles Leinberger calls the "micro-cell" technique in Morricone's writing. Not something we normally associate with Williams, but perhaps we should. It's quite impressive here. And, in a way, the concealed allusions to the Psalm of the Sith in this cue make for a great preparation of the next sequence, in which Kijimi is destroyed where we get the boldest statement of the leitmotif in the score. . Fixed! It didn't occur to me until now that there were two back-to-back saber tosses in this movie... I think that's absolutely right, and it's closely associated with Ben Solo's redemption throughout. Well-spotted, @Fabulin!

They probably just forgot to not include it.

A simple "yes" would suffice.

I have the Pioneer SE-MS7BT, which are quite decent mid-price headphones. They cover the whole ear. There's no noise-cancelling, but they're closed so there's not much sound leakage to the outside world and vice versa. They're bluetooth but can also be used with a removable cord. The padded headband and ear cushions are really comfy. They're a bit bulky, but I don't mind that. I have no idea if they're hearing-aid compatible.

Jurassic Park by John Williams: This is the score that made me a John Williams fan back in 1993 and even after all these years it still has not lost its magic. I love it!

You can actually see Williams at about 1:35 in this clip. And yes, it's a non speaking role. Thanks! That was definitely worth the eleven year wait! No problem.

The Tiomkin SACD has the The Thing as a bonus.

Over the last few days, every thread has been defiled by your 'humour'. It's annyoing.

It's a Holiday Monday here, so I decided to finish off my makeshift "homemade Mandalorian CD collection". Final step was to place the back covers in (and fit them to size, spines and al). Here's a few pics of the finished product for anyone interested in the progression. I believe the front covers were posted on the previous page of this thread. Not the most flattering angle or lighting but it's hard to take a photo without glare/reflection coming through. Mind you my spare cases have seen better days, and now bear no shortage of small cracks and markings (may help to dust them off though). Nonetheless, I'm quite pleased with how this turned out and now have a greater sense of confidence when it comes to this sort of thing, which may come in handy given that few scores will get CD releases in the years to come.

I am not a fan of his concert arrangements in general, because he just streamlines the themes so that they all sound the same emotionally by ending with a clichéd orchestral outburst. I even sold my Williams-Spielberg-collaboration-box.

Whoa! Nice to know, thanks!

Ok, so the plot will be: dinos get out of control and creates a musical.

All of it is a highlight.

I've been playing The Last Of Us exclusively with headphones on and its been pretty immersive, other than how hilarious abruptly the soundscape changes when you swing the camera to, say, looking outside vs looking inside where you are near the outside of a building for example

You're so right... I forgot the vinyl.