Datameister

Yeah, the OST transition is really how it was supposed to be in the film. The idea of going big and loud in that moment where all the other films went small and quiet is interesting. The two performances just don't quite work together. I wish JW had started that cue ("Boys Into Battle") with a re-recorded lead-in from the main title, allowing the orchestra to really crescendo properly into the new material. Even just starting with one or two sweetener bars could have helped—maybe a swell of bass drum, tam-tam, and brass.
 
But again, I do like the idea. It certainly feels more "Williams" to me than the drum overdub heard in the film, though I suppose it's effective in its own way too.

Dang, I totally forgot about both Star Wars Stories. Oops. I like both endings, but just how much I like them depends on how far back in the film you go. I think R1 has one of the strongest third acts of any Star Wars film, even if the end itself can feel slightly sudden (and marred a bit by digi-Leia). For Solo, some of my most positive feelings about the whole film come just from the finale on the Falcon. Still, if we're just comparing final scenes, I don't think either of those is a contender for first place for me. I still say that ANH, pre-DVD ROTJ, and AOTC are the most perfect.
 
(If we were talking about the music and not the films, it becomes a neck-and-neck race between ANH, ESB, and AOTC, with ANH ultimately taking first.)

Agreed on all points! And yes, those are trumpets.

Soooooo...OST is easy. TLW for me.
 
Score in film is a little harder. I give it to POA, largely because of the overuse of tracked statements of the new main theme in TLW. It feels especially incongruous in the roundup scene.
 
Score expansion is harder still, because I'm so deeply grateful for both. But TLW is complete, and POA isn't, so I'll give it to TLW. (I also can't help noticing that I've listened to the TLW expansion more often than POA.) And of course, the inescapable reality is that POA is never going to be a totally satisfying standalone listen because of its numerous short cues and superlatively eclectic nature.
 
Which brings us to score overall. Uhhhh...damn, that's tough. I'd argue that POA reaches greater heights of brilliance. There are countless moments that just absolutely dazzle me with their fun, inventive spirit. TLW is just a bit closer to "pedestrian JW"...except then there's that percussion section, which he uses very differently than in his other scores. Boy, do they groove. And of course, it's a more coherent whole. I guess I'll give it to POA today. Ask me next week and I might disagree with myself.

I'm no expert but I doubt he'd run into legal trouble with this. If he wanted to really play it safe, he could change the highest part of the melody, which does bring Schindler's List to mind again.

Soooooo...OST is easy. TLW for me.
 
Score in film is a little harder. I give it to POA, largely because of the overuse of tracked statements of the new main theme in TLW. It feels especially incongruous in the roundup scene.
 
Score expansion is harder still, because I'm so deeply grateful for both. But TLW is complete, and POA isn't, so I'll give it to TLW. (I also can't help noticing that I've listened to the TLW expansion more often than POA.) And of course, the inescapable reality is that POA is never going to be a totally satisfying standalone listen because of its numerous short cues and superlatively eclectic nature.
 
Which brings us to score overall. Uhhhh...damn, that's tough. I'd argue that POA reaches greater heights of brilliance. There are countless moments that just absolutely dazzle me with their fun, inventive spirit. TLW is just a bit closer to "pedestrian JW"...except then there's that percussion section, which he uses very differently than in his other scores. Boy, do they groove. And of course, it's a more coherent whole. I guess I'll give it to POA today. Ask me next week and I might disagree with myself.

Are we talking about the themes themselves, or the concert suites that act as formal standalone statements of some of them?
 
If it's the former:
 
Gold - the Force theme
Silver - ESB love theme
Bronze - Rebel fanfare
 
If it's the latter:
 
Gold - Leia's Theme
Silver - Main Title (the long OST edit)
Bronze - Rey's Theme
 
Insert standard disclaimer here: This is a really tough thing to rank, I might give different answers another day, yada Yoda yada.

This. I don't know specific numbers, but this.

This. I don't know specific numbers, but this.

I’m a fan too. Creates a nice sense of excitement about the film, establishes an important part of the film’s musical identity, and really doesn’t spoil much about the film. (I mean, granted, with a film based on a book you’ve already read, there’s not much to spoil, but still.)

Dude. You came into the thread and told people to stop having the discussion they were having. (Or, as you just put it, "get the hell outta here.") Then you said it again just now, while incorrectly claiming that I've been focusing on the release's shortcomings. (I've been extremely complimentary.) Not sure what to tell you, bud.
 
Anyway, I'm sorry if you're annoyed by me; not my intention. Feel free to avail yourself of the forum's "ignore" functionality; I think I may explore it myself.

Anyone who develops the impression that this set is "deeply flawed" needs to have both their hearing and their reading comprehension checked, haha. I'm not aware of any members that are disappointed with this set in the slightest; it's obviously been crafted with great care, and the results are incredible. Also, some people have noticed some small hiccups in the source recordings. It's possible to love something while also noting its minor shortcomings.
 
If you prefer an "ignorance is bliss" mindset - not entirely unreasonable! - I'd recommend you don't participate in discussions about the release. Or perhaps create your own "positive comments only" thread. But this is a discussion board. Generally speaking, people are gonna...you know...discuss.
 

The approach you're talking about is certainly the one I enjoy the most as a consumer, but scoring sessions are expensive. I can fully appreciate the desire to only record stuff you're likely to actually use.
 
Take the first T-Rex attack in Jurassic Park, a favorite example of mine. As a moviegoer, I'm really glad it plays without music. As a film score fan, I really wish Williams had scored the scene. As a cheapskate, I think it was a really wise choice not to.

Dude.

Then get the hell out of this forum!! We(except pub you and some others) love films that are not necessarily perfect but have some great music, heart and soul in there, not only the appropriate music 

Regarding Sir Cadogan, keep in mind that Williams intended for the shawms and sackbut to be accompanied by the tambourine and drum. The percussion-only intro heard in the film wasn't part of how Williams wrote the cue; my assumption has been that it was either a decision made from the podium or an editorial creation that arose from recording the percussion separately. But the tambourine and drum were part of how Williams envisioned the cue.

You can watch whatever you please. Some evenings I want to just shut my brain off. Sometimes I want to be challenged, or scared, or educated. Sometimes I just want the comfort of watching something I've seen a thousand times. Sometimes I crave something emphatically new. Sometimes I want to laugh. Sometimes I want a show that just oozes "premium quality." Sometimes I'm just interested enough in a junky show to stick around for the ride.
 
Anyone who judges someone else for what they want to watch has too much time on their hands. Probably enough time to watch another show I still haven't seen.

I’m seem to recall Horner saying in some interviews (like 2014 or so) that he was “sketching ideas” for the second film. If so, I’m sure Simon would have access to those and I’d hope he would incorporate them into his score. Thing is, I doubt Horner sketched enough material to spread between 4-5 more films lol. 

“…like butter scraped over too much bread…” - Neytiri (from Harry Potter) 😉

You can watch whatever you please. Some evenings I want to just shut my brain off. Sometimes I want to be challenged, or scared, or educated. Sometimes I just want the comfort of watching something I've seen a thousand times. Sometimes I crave something emphatically new. Sometimes I want to laugh. Sometimes I want a show that just oozes "premium quality." Sometimes I'm just interested enough in a junky show to stick around for the ride.
 
Anyone who judges someone else for what they want to watch has too much time on their hands. Probably enough time to watch another show I still haven't seen.

My reading as well.

You can watch whatever you please. Some evenings I want to just shut my brain off. Sometimes I want to be challenged, or scared, or educated. Sometimes I just want the comfort of watching something I've seen a thousand times. Sometimes I crave something emphatically new. Sometimes I want to laugh. Sometimes I want a show that just oozes "premium quality." Sometimes I'm just interested enough in a junky show to stick around for the ride.
 
Anyone who judges someone else for what they want to watch has too much time on their hands. Probably enough time to watch another show I still haven't seen.

I'd need to take a listen to the scene again, but I seem to recall the tracking being pretty straightforward...been a long while, though.
 
I just finished my first listen of SS on this release. A fantastic job, clearly. My only disappointment is the omission of some of the trailer music. But it's a small nitpick against an otherwise beautiful release. Even more excited for POA now...but first comes COS. Meh. 😉

Galaxy's Edge for me, with Adventures of Han in second, followed by Obi-Wan. That's what my gut says, though I like all three.
 
I can't help wondering if Adventures of Han might have taken first if the suite had been recorded in at Abbey Road with the score proper. I've become increasingly preoccupied with figuring out why I don't like the sound of Williams's recent LA recordings, especially the trumpets. The musicians are obviously world-class; it must have something to do with the acoustics of the Sony Scoring Stage, the mics, the mixing, maybe even the use of C trumpets instead of Bb. Comparing Adventures of Han to the rest of the score or to Galaxy's Edge makes the difference really stark.

You certainly do get a wide range of sounds with The Raiders March, don't you? I don't know that I'd agree about placing Wallin's TLC mix over Murphy's KOTCS...but that's because of my distaste for Wallin's sound, not because of any fondness for the KOTCS recording. (As you said, I don't mean to be unkind; Wallin sure seems to be something of a legend in the scoring world, but his recordings are definitely not to my taste.)

Yeah, I must say, I just thought carefully about what you said about the family theme always sounding like this in HP1, and again, I don't understand why I never realised that. I still prefer the film version, but you're right. God, still discovering things after 21 years.