Josh500

As a matter of fact, I'm not. The only thing that struck me as really cute about the Varese Sarabande version is how, at the beginning of Parade of the Ewoks, you can hear those weird sound effects . . . it sounds almost like they had a young bear or tiger or something (perhaps an Ewok) running around the studio during the recording session and had made it squeal and moan at the right moments. That was missing from the JW version, but other than that . . . boy, it made me realize just how great a conductor JW really is.

Okay guys, first of all HAPPY NEW YEAR TO Y'ALL!!! Now to my topic. Everybody (or many of you) keeps emphasizing how great and brilliant and second-to-none the soundtrack to The Empire Strikes Back is. I've listened to it many times (along with the other 4 Star Wars scores) and I don't really get why this one's so especially great. Don't get me wrong, it IS a fabulous and wonderful Williams score, but why is this ESPECIALLY great? For me, all Star Wars scores (yes, even Attack of the Clones) are great, so I don't really understand what's so special about ESB. Is it just the movie that's great? If not, is it because of the Imperial March or Yoda's Theme? Is there a particular scene in the movie that made you say so? Am I missing here something?

Okay, I just got myself the Varese Sarabande release of the Star Wars trilogy. I listened to it twice from beginning to end I gotta say . . . who are we kidding? OF COURSE, the version conducted by JW is way better. The Utah Symphony Orchestra version, though I have to admit is a pretty decent effort, can't hold a lightsaber to the Skywalker Symphony version (to coin a particularly apt phrase). May the force be with John Williams and any orchestra he decides to conduct in the future!

I would have to say it still lies (hopefully) in the future, to wit the expanded version of the three Star Wars prequels . . . released in the same vein as the original Star Wars trilogy. That would be the day . . .

It's a much better album. The Williams conducted album is too dull in it's interpretations of the music. The Kojian album really has a drive to it that is missing from the Sony snoozefest of an album. You can read about the various rerecordings in this thread. Neil Okay, I just went through the thread and I gotta say . . . I've got to get the Varuan Kojian version as well. I've seen it many times in the store but have always avoided it because it wasn't conducted by Williams. I still believe that JW's version will be better, but if it's that good that some prefer the USO version over the SSO version, then it's certainly worth a listen or two. Josh, who's got two copies of the SSO version because he listened to it so many times that the first CD got worn out that it can't be properly played anymore.

The recording of 1990 -- The Star Wars Trilogy -- was never used in the films. The original scoring sessions as everybody knows were with the LSO, JW just recorded the best of the three soundtracks over again with the Skywalker Symphony Orchestra. By the way, does anyone have the recording of the Star Wars Trilogy with the Utah Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Varujan Kojian? How does this compare to JW's Star Wars Trilogy?

You are right. Williams had the most amazing period from 1975's Jaws until 1982's E.T.. During those years Williams wrote music of the highest possible quality. 1993 is from me an odd year: here Williams wrote two scores (Jurassic Park and Schindler's List) which, for me, returned Williams to his golden years perfectly. I'll always name those two scores along with Star Wars, Raiders Of The Lost Ark or E.T.. The biggest dissapointments were, again for me, The Phantom Menace and Harry Potter. These two productions almost begged for a golden age Williams score and although they are fine scores, they are not golden age material. Maybe Revenge Of The Sith or (hopefully) War Of The Worlds will expand Williams strongest scores, but I highly doubt it. Roald I disagree. With the Jurassic Park franchise, the Harry Potter series, and the new Star Wars-trilogy, JW is, to my mind, at the pinnacle of his career. On top of that, he's scoring such intellectual movies like Angela's Ashes, Seven Years in Tibet, and Memoirs of a Geisha. His scores are being nominated for the Oscar like every year, and he is rewarded with numerous awards for his work. I believe that, if his scores are suffering (case in point: Attack of the Clones) it's because the movies aren't what they're supposed to be . . . His scores have never been more complex, ingenious, and enjoyable to listen. P.S. Although, in truth, he's been at the top of his game ever since 1975 when he wrote the breakthrough score JAWS.

What are you guys yammering about? OF COURSE John Williams will score WotW. Do you really think Spielberg will go to someone else after making E.T., Close Encounters, A.I., and Minority Report with Williams??? I don't think so. :roll: P.S.: Don't worry about the tight schedule. By February 2005 JW will have completed the whole 2 hour score for RotS, and WotW opens on June 29!!! That leaves him plenty of time for WotW. (Remember, JW wrote the score to Jurassic Park in 2 months.) P.P.S.: It'll be a snowy day in hell before Spielberg goes to Zimmer. Trust me on that.

JW never recorded with the SSO again after the Star Wars Trilogy, did he? (I guess no orchestra in the world comes even close to the London Symphony Orchestra.)

Really? Do you know for which scores Silvestri used the SSO???

I regularly watch movies, but I have never, never, NEVER (I repeat: N E V E R) seen a film in my life. Thats the way it is . . . LOL

Does anyone know whatever happened to the Skywalker Symphony Orchestra? In 1990 (I think) John Williams recorded the Star Wars Trilogy with this orchestra, which was assembled by George Lucas so they didn't have to fly to London for the scoring sessions. I haven't heard of the orchestra since . . .

Rachel Portman - Only You. Jerry Goldsmith - Basic Instinct. Hans Zimmer - The Lion King. John Williams - Schindler's List. John Barry - Out of Africa. Ennio Morricone - I only know a few scores by him, but for me Lolita.

Don't really get what this has to do with John Williams, but whatever. My favorites are: The Wonder Years, The King Of Queens, Friends, ER, and CSI.

What does CDEC mean??? LOL

Where can you get a Star Wars CD three weeks before release date???

I was thinking one of the best works by JNH in recent years is the Theme from ER. I really love that. It's so dramatic, fitting, and kinda intelligent.

Elsa Schneider is arguably the most attractive. Marion Ravenwood is the best Indy-girl, though. I voted for the former . . .

What is the best chase music or music accompanying a quasi-chase scene composed by JW? For me, every Star Wars action cue, Chase through Coruscant (AotC), Incident at Isla Nubar (JP), Everybody Runs (MR), The Hunt (TLW). Anything else?

Tom Cruise once said in an interview (I think this was shortly after FAR AND AWAY came out) that he was really impressed with JW. I don't know whether he ever attended a scoring session -- although it wouldn't surprise me -- but just knowing how he felt about JW made me like him. Indeed, the opening scene of Born on the Fourth of July and the Land Race from Far and Away are two of the best-scored scenes in movie history.

Oh, any word yet? Is John Williams gonna score this picture or not? This may well decide whether the movie's gonna be a success or a flop.

Yeah, it's true. I've read it in one of the countless books about the Making of Titanic.

Does anyone know why Williams wasn't nominated in 1993 for Schindler's List AND Jurassic Park? In 1989 he was nominated for BOTH Indy3 and Born on the Fourth of July. In 2001 he was nominated for AI and HP. I think if there's any one JW-score worthy of a nomination that WASN't nominated, then it's Jurassic Park. (And you can't tell me it's because of the movie's overwhelming success when he won for E.T., Jaws, and Star Wars.)

Well, JW is nominated almost EVERY year. I think he will be next year, too, but whether he wins or not is a different question altogether.

Shame on you!!!