Should the "Classic Trilogy" be re-scored?

[Beowulf 4]

While this may be sacrilegious to some of you, I quite like the idea. We already know that parts of ANH are going to be rescored to include the "Imperial March", so how far of a leap would it be to go ahead and re-record the original scores? The general quality of the old scores is definitely lacking and not up to par with the Prequel recordings. Whether it is because of the technological advances in sound-recording equipment or better performances, there is a marked difference.

Of course...there are certain cues and tracks that I wouldn't want to be changed...ever...like "The Dark Side Beckons" or "Yoda and the Force", since these already work so well with the film,but it would be interesting to see/hear how this develops and I would trust Lucas and Williams completely to carry this out if it were to happen.

Oh...and please. For those of you who apply, spare me your endless tirades about how Lucas supposedly "raped" your childhood by making the prequels...that's another matter entirely.

[jsawruk 0]

No. Don't rescore. I personally think Episode IV is the best of all of them, so why alter the best? That's just me though. They are all good, and should be preserved for history as Williams originally intended.

[Beowulf 4]

I understand what you are saying jsawruk, but i'm thinking more about if should they be re-recorded for continuity's sake. I mean it would be quite odd going from the ostensible quality of Ep.III to the older scratchier characteristic of the CT.

If the effects (visual and sound) are all being revamped, then why not the music?

For those of you who are "purists", you'll always have your VHS cassettes to hear the original score.

[JoeinAR 1,949]

Seriously STUPID idea.

and we don't know that parts of Star Wars will be rescored.

Thats just another rumor that we will have to wait and see.

Joe, who imagines Lucas as some predator, who sees his original Star Wars as his victim. Its his best damn film, and he rapes it repeatedly. If he's going to fix a film, he needs to reshoot TPM and AOTC and fix those films flaws. There are more flaws in any 3 min of either film, than there ever was in all of Star Wars, or the ESB.

but I will concede that if he must change anything he should change the Dark Side Beckons, and Yoda and the Force. They are not important...

Its not like they are great pieces of music, at least not compared to the original Star Wars.

Beowolf, tough luck about Jason White, he wasn't even touched and tore his acl, just like last year. At least you have Hybl who aint too bad.

[Morn 8]

Yes, provided it is released on 4CD's with the original recording. Infact, after listening to the Skywalker records, I want more than just adding themes into new scores, how about a whole new revision of the music.

[Lurker 5]

NO!

NO!

No!

NO!

NO!

Neil

[Justin 2]

So you don't like the idea then?

Justin

[scissorhands 16]

Indysolo's answer proves that even if Williams writes the best music of his career, he will be criticized.

[Hlao-roo 389]

Oh boy, "The Asteroid Field" in glorified "Chase Through Coruscant"-style. I can't wait.

[Lurker 5]

Indysolo's answer proves that even if Williams writes the best music of his career, he will be criticized.

I'm fairly confident that Williams cannot improve on his scores to Star Wars, Empire or Jedi.

Neil

[scissorhands 16]

Indysolo's answer proves that even if Williams writes the best music of his career, he will be criticized.

I'm farily confident that Williams cannot improve on his scores to Star Wars, Empire or Jedi.

Neil

Perfection cannot be improved, but he can equalize it.

[Morn 8]

Perfection doesn't exist, there is always room for improvement. Something can get near perfection, but can never be perfection.

[scissorhands 16]

Perfection is an axiom, indeed. But it was only an expression.

[Lurker 5]

I never said the original trilogy scores were perfect, I just don't think Williams can improve upon them.

Neil

[Morn 8]

Except mixed results if he tries, in other words, some changes might make it worse, some might make it far better. That's what one usually gets with revisions (or.. special editions ) of music

[Trumpeteer 302]

Backing up Neil's comment:

No, no! A thousand times no!

[ocelot 508]

I'm going against Neil and most of the rest of you and say YES!

These are my thoughts:

1 - I definitely think they should get re-recorded wether there is new material or not. I would love to hear new recording by the LSO and Williams. I always thought they never sounded polished.

2 - It's OK to insert the imperial march into episode 1 (wherever WILLIAMS thinks it should go)

3 - If they do film new scenes with Bail Organa and Padme, then he should score those scenes.

Nothing more than that.

Ocelot

[tpigeon 3]

I'm going against Neil and most of the rest of you and say YES!

These are my thoughts:

1 - I definitely think they should get re-recorded wether there is new material or not.  I would love to hear new recording by the LSO and Williams.  I always thought they never sounded polished.

2 - It's OK to insert the imperial march into episode 1 (wherever WILLIAMS thinks it should go)

3 - If they do film new scenes with Bail Organa and Padme, then he should score those scenes.

Nothing more than that.

Ocelot

i completely agree with you, ocelot and beowulf. i think it would be a great idea, even if there was nothing re-scored. if they decided to insert the imperial march in Star Wars, as long as Williams is the man deciding where its going, i think it would be a great idea. it would also give the "complete saga" a little more continuity as beowulf pointed out.

tpigeon- watching football

[Lurker 5]

:wow:

Neil - who doesn't want the film altered, and actually wants the 1977 version released again

[Lurker 5]

it would also give the "complete saga" a little more continuity

I don't like "the saga". Give me Star Wars and I'll be happy.

Neil

[ocelot 508]

Y0u know that he will eventually release the original version, if only to make more money!

[tpigeon 3]

it would also give the "complete saga" a little more continuity

I don't like "the saga". Give me Star Wars and I'll be happy.

Neil

i completely understand why someone wouldn't want it re-recorded/re-scored. part of me doesn't want that either. but since i actually like the special editions and i usually trust Williams' judgement on this stuff, i think it would a really cool thing.

i have the old films, and i relish them, exactly the way they are. but i also love the new ones and admire very much what Lucas is doing. i know many people don't share that sentiment, but oh well, everyone is different.

so Neil, and everyone else who is totally against a re-scoring of the old films and disagree with Lucas's tampering with them in any way, i understand where you're coming from. Star Wars is what i grew up on. not the special editions, not episodes IV, V, and VI, but the Star Wars Trilogy. those three movies will always hold a special place in my heart.

i do have a few quarrels with Lucas about the Special Editions, but for the most part i think they're great. i watch them all the time. it's still Star Wars, despite the changes. it all comes down to fun. that's what these movies are all about. i think that in a way, people who obsess over having just the originals and are not open at all to what Lucas is trying to do, they are kind of missing the point of it all. all he is doing is making it the way he wanted them to be. he wanted to pull back and have us see the glory of Mos Eisley. he wanted a huge musical number in ROTJ, he wanted all that stuff. this is just his oppurtunity to go make it the way he orginally intended.

anyone here and artist? well, i have done my share of drawing. in school and on my own. i work very hard to get it exactly the way i want but because of restrictions, i just can't do it. no one ever wants me to go back and re-do something that's already complete. but i always want to because it roubles me that its not the way i intended it. maybe this isn't making any sense, but i understand why Lucas is doing what he's doing. and i very much admire him for devoting so much to this world he has created, the mythology that is Star Wars.

when i watch the special editions, i get the same feeling i get when watching the originals. i don't scrutinize and pick apart every little detail or go looking for flaws, saying "hey, that wasn't in the orginal, i don't like it!" that would be both pointless and missing the point. i still sit there in utter awe and enjoy every bit of the experience. it's Star Wars, and boy is it fun.

and to re-iterate my point earlier, i understand why so many of you would be against it. and to get back to the point of re-scoring, i think it would be neat to see how it turned out. i can trust that Williams knows what he is doing, if in fact he were to record it again and re-score a few scenes.

tpigeon

[King Mark 3,631]

No,not the movies...

But,all re-recordings Williams has done of SW music so far has been a mix of disappointment and somewhat improvements...could he actually re-do as is The Dark side Becons?I doubt it...then again The Throne Room and Imperial March sound better with the "Skywalker Orchestra"...

Maybe a re-recorded version of the scores would be better on c.d. only than in the actual films,like "classical music" has umptheent different recordings of the same piece.

K.M.

[Lurker 5]

Hey it's not just Star Wars. I wouldn't want any film re-scored, assuming the original was still usable. If it's a matter of restoration and the only way to include the original music is to re-record it, that's another story. But in the case of Star Wars the music exists and should not be replaced.

Of course the classic example of a movie being "rescored" is the 1982 re-release of Fantasia. Irwin Kostal re-recorded all of the music utilizing modern recording techniques. It was not well recieved, and that is why the only version of the film on video and shown in theaters is the original 1940 recording with Leopold Stokowski and the Philadelphia Orchestra.

Neil

[Justin 2]

Neil - who doesn't want the film altered, and actually wants the 1977 version released again

This probably won't happen anytime soon.

Justin -Who think the SE's are fine except for the Greedo bit.

[ymenard 54]

anyone here and artist? well, i have done my share of drawing. in school and on my own. i work very hard to get it exactly the way i want but because of restrictions, i just can't do it. no one ever wants me to go back and re-do something that's already complete. but i always want to because it roubles me that its not the way i intended it. maybe this isn't making any sense, but i understand why Lucas is doing what he's doing. and i very much admire him for devoting so much to this world he has created, the mythology that is Star Wars.

Ahhhhh yes going back to your old drawings. I've done it oh-so-many times that you might understand this next thing. There is a time when you must stop working on it, or else you start over-doing it. You know, that's the principal difficulty for an artist, to know when to stop. George has a very large definition of when his work is completed. He never seems satisfied (even non-SW movies, he had ILM change American Grafiti's first shot let's remember), and that's the trouble. I personally don't mind the SE, I just feel it's a shame that George doesn't seem to know when to stop. It's the same for his new movies, he doesn't know when to stop, he just continues and continues until it makes no sense. The best example is his score obviously, he doesn't know just when to let it go normally, he needs to deconstruct it.

Yeah, his deconstruction of his work. That's his problem. Or perhaps it's his quality. Hmm.

[UCFKevin 0]

Look, going back and fixing a drawing is INCREDIBLY DIFFERENT from changing a score to a movie.

A drawing is something typically only you care about and more than likely no one else.

A movie score, especially one like Star Wars, is quite another story.

I don't think anything should be changed. I don't think anything SHOULD'VE been changed to begin with.

But the movies are Lucas's to do with as he pleases. If he wants to do something, he'll do it. He'd have to know that changing the score will piss off many people, whether he'd care about that or not remains to be seen.

Although, I'll admit, it would be kinda cool to hear the Imperial March in ANH, but I can definitely do without.

[tpigeon 3]

well, beowulf did mention re-scoring in the subject title. however, he mostly talked about re-recording the scores. i agree with him in that i think they can make a few minor changes, like adding the Imperial March to Star Wars, but other than that, all i want is a re-recording, not a re-scoring. that would be going to too far.

and even though the score itself wouldn't change, it would different in the film and would add to the many changes to the overall product. just to re-itterate, i think it would be interesting if they re-recorded the other scores. and with the exception of the Imperial March, i don't want anything else changed.

and ymenard, that is a very good point. but i think a lot of people think that Lucas is doing what you have decribed in your post -- that he doesn't know when to stop. perhaps he is going too far, but he isn't "destroying" the films at all. i remember Joe's post about digitally removing Alec Guiness and replacing him with Ewan McGregor. something like that would definitely be going too far. now that was just another one of Joe's big long jokes that too many people think are real and get all pissed when they find it he is joking, but that it's a good example. that would be too far. whether the SE's and rumored re-recording/re-scorings are or not will always remain questionable, and will always be argued.

[Ray Barnsbury 8]

I have the OT movies on video tape, the SW score, and soon the other two OT scores, so I would be fine with rescoring. I would enjoy hearing The Imperial March in SW.

Ray Barnsbury

[Wojo 2,453]

I'm usually a purist when it comes to works of art and/or entertainment that I love and respect, but when it comes to re-scoring the Classic Trilogy, I have mixed feelings. As much as I love the cue "Imperial Attack" at the beginning of Episode IV, when Vader boards the Tantive IV and goes all choke crazy, we've seriously got to look at it in the context of the six films.

We've already heard the Imperial March in a varied form with Anakin's introduction on Tatooine, his self-titled Theme, as well as more conventional rendtions of it when he lets the Dark Side flow cutting down Tuskens, and when we see Palpy's clone ships take off. Depending on how Lucas plans to portray the "death" of Anakin Skywalker and subsequent "rebirth" as Darth Vader, Dark Lord of the Sith, in Episode III, boarding the Tantive IV may or may not be Vader's first appearance in the suit. Rumors range from Anakin falling into the lava pit right before Ep III's credits roll, to the Emperor retrieving him there, putting him into the Vader suit, finishing his training, and letting him cut down however many Jedi are left to kill (I'm thinking Mace Windu would die here, but that's my own personal conjecture). Either way calls for massively haunting and powerful performances of the Imperial March, and to have Darth Vader's first appearance be on the Tantive IV, that debut becomes startlingly pale with only a four-note or so Imperial Motif, and not his own full-blown theme.

It's stuff like this that I could see getting rescored, scenes where the emotional impact of missing themes written for later films would work better than existing music or no music at all. The entire Battle of Hoth and Endor sequences, on the other hand, are about as perfectly seamless and thematically flowing as you're gonna get them, unless you want to put a few strains of Duel of the Fates, but don't overdo it.

One thing that I am really keen about is placing deleted scenes not seen since the editing room back into the film where they belong. Such scenes work very well in such recent DVD releases as Star Trek: The Motion Picture, where they help make that movie a bit more enjoyable, as well as Star Trek II, fleshing out the minor but unforgettable character of Peter Preston. These two releases put the deleted scenes right back into the flow of the film, whereas the 20th Anniversary release of Jaws put the deleted scenes in an appendix form, where you can watch the lead-in scene and then see what would have been different. I'm sure if you're quite willing to take the time, you can edit yourself a definitive copy with those deleted scenes put back into the movie flow, but it's really only worth it there to see Quint buying his piano string and yelling at the clarinet player.

Then there are DVD releases such as Independence Day and T2: Judgement Day that give you the choice of watching either the original theatrical version and the extended version, both included on the same disc. This is along the lines of what I feel George Lucas should do for the inevitable DVD release of his beloved franchise, if these alterations come to pass. By all means, include somewhere the deleted scenes, such as the stormtroopers running into the wampa cage on Hoth, and Luke meeting Biggs and his friends on Tatooine and seeing the Tantive IV incident from planetside. And if Lucas wants to put this new footage into the films, such as Titanic-esque flashbacks showing an older, sadder Padme raising Leia, or Jar-Jar and Bail Organa's final moments as the Death Star rolls through Alderaan, go ahead, but give us the choice of watching it.

Don't force feed all this new Star Wars music and video down the throats of those who have loved Star Wars since Oola danced to the ridiculous yet nostalgic "Lapti Nek," when we had no idea what Jabba the Hutt was until 1983, and when Luke didn't scream anything on his way to certain "death" at the bottom of Bespin. Release at least three different versions of the Classic Star Wars Trilogy: the original, purest 1977, 80, and 83 films; the Special Editions; and the latest refilmed, rescored Super Duper Special Edtions, or Force-Laden Special Editions, or whatever Lucas sees fit to call them. It's fine and dandy that Lucas sees the most recent version of the films as the "real" one, the most official canon, but don't deprive the world of the chance to see them as they once were. Perhaps Lucas could market each version as a different boxed set, or include all the different versions together. I know that I would buy them all, and love them all for their individual differences. This way, he would make EVERYONE happy, both the purists who want the rough, gritty feel of the non-CGI originals; the people who love the quasi-CGI look of the Special Edition; and the people who have yet to grow up knowing only whatever incarnation will include snippets of Gungans, Mauls, clones, Padmes, and Jimmy Smitses in their Star Wars universe. Both that, and he'd stand to make even more money from people buying all the various versions. This is the same marketing scheme that the people over at New Line adopted for The Lord of the Rings: release the film as it was with some specials now, and later, to once again build hype for the continuation (technically not a Sequel, just Part II), as if any artificial hype-builder were necessary, release an expanded version with even more extras. The same worked with Pearl Harbor, but how can you compare that movie to Star Wars and The Lord of the Rings? Long live Tora, Tora, Tora!, I say.

As for the music of the Classic Trilogy, if it's re-scored, release the soundtracks with the originals intact, or at least the intact versions of the individual tracks altered, since they now fall under the "alternate / unused" category. Some of the scenes demand rescoring, like Vader's debut, while others stand to benefit, such as blending Qui-Gon's and Anakin's Themes into Ben's bullshitting session to Luke on Tatooine, when he presents him with his father's saber.

Cliche, yes, but if it's not broke, don't fix it. However sad it may be, in the eyes of George Lucas, we will probably never reach a time when the Star Wars franchise is not broke.

I'm done, for now.

[Rogue_Leader 2]

ABSOLUTELY, POSITIVELY, DEFINATELY, WITHOUT QUESTION, WITHOUT A DOUBT, NO! NEVER! FOR ALL TIME NO!

The general quality of the old scores is definitely lacking and not up to par with the Prequel recordings. Whether it is because of the technological advances in sound-recording equipment or better performances, there is a marked difference.  

The hell recordings are you listening to?? The one on your 20 year old vinyl album??

Because the ones I have are superior to the Prequel scores in EVERY WAY.

[Wojo 2,453]

In addendum, I want to add that any effort by John Williams to rescore the Classic Trilogy, in my humble and honest opinion, could not be as good as the music he wrote twenty plus years ago. His style has significantly altered since then, and his attempts to recapture that style, i.e. Episodes I and II, have been better than most of his other contemporaries, but still lacking when put next to the juggernauts of Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi. This isn't necessary reflective of the films themselves being any better/worse, just the fact that the Classic scores are perhaps more familiar, enjoyable, complex, and thematically interesting than these two later Star Wars. If you disagree, that's fine, but that's just the way it is. John Williams is not the same composer he was "back in the day," his writing style has changed, and that's why a Greatest Hits cd nowadays will mostly consist of older SW, Indy, Jaws, ET, CE3K, Hook, and Superman, with the occasional Schindler, Harry Potter, SPR, AI, and Prequels. Actually, I'd say that the second list of scores named here are his anomalies, his more recent diamonds in the rough. Those of you who argue that he's grown more musically mature, diverse, emotional, and reflective in recent years, I would just have to say I like the rawer, more direct Williams, who picks two notes for a shark that still looks fake.

But rescoring something as well known, successful, and beloved as the Classic Star Wars trilogy, however, that may be borderline blasphemy, but I see it as a personal challenge to Williams, to not only put Anakin's Theme and Duel of the Fates and Across the Stars and the Droid March and whatever else really cool and relevant that he's written for Eps I and II back into the established films, but also to see if he can recapture the feeling of exuberance, wonder, and plain old fun that existed in IV, V, and VI. Let's face it, Lucas is going to tamper with the classic films, it is probably only fair to do so, to add some continuity and closure to what he's establishing in these recent films. Sure, he should fix up the flaws in I and II, like finish discussing midichlorians without leaving us hanging in midair, but he can do that later. Isn't it better for Williams to write new music for these scenes than just use pre-established music for them, such as recycling music for Han and Jabba in Docking Bay 93, or using "TIE Fighter Attack" and "Hyperspace" for scenes around the Death Star II? I think so.

It's like this, people: If John Williams is commissioned to rescore all or at least certain parts of one or more films of the Classic Star Wars Trilogy, he will do so to the best of his ability. Any flaws will most surely not be totally his own, but those of the people who edit his music, a la Battle of Geonosis. And it's not like George Lucas is going to knock on each of your doors and demand that you turn over any copies of older Star Wars scores that you have, from 1977 LPs to 1997's Special Edition releases. Nothing will stop you from listening to those and loving them to death and being able to sing and conduct entire hours of music from Star Wars. This just gives us something else to listen to. If it's as good as what's currently there, that's fantastic; if it's not as good, well, it's still Star Wars, and who says we have to watch/listen to it? We've got the old stuff.

Now I'm done, until somebody who's afraid of change decides to burn me as a heretic.

--"What's the meaning of all of this?"

--"It's called the future...Your father called the future "the undiscovered country." Some people think the future means the end of history. Well we haven't run out of history quite yet. People can be very frightened of change."

--"You've restored my father's faith."

--"And you've restored my son's."

[Magnus 0]

A re-recording of the music, just a RE-RECORDING would be fine. And why not insert the Imperial March just once or something in ANH to make the ANH score "fit in" with the rest of the movies... Sadly, Williams ruined it a little when he used the Imperial March four movies early...

However, I wouldn't tamper any with the original score if I was assigned to do something new... frankly because we all probably would hate it, just as much as we hate having Ep1 music in Ep2

[Rogue_Leader 2]

Look there is NO need for a re-recording. Why mess with perfection? Makes no sense!

[Lurker 5]

A re-recording of the music, just a RE-RECORDING would be fine. And why not insert the Imperial March just once or something in ANH to make the ANH score "fit in" with the rest of the movies.

I see, you feel the need to downgrade the high quality of Star Wars so that it fits in with the inferior sequels. Interesting point.

You know where I stand on this issue.

Neil

[Luke Skywalker 1,795]

My thoughts (and i 'm sure you dont' share...)

NOTE: go to starwars.com and you'll see that there will be not flashbacks of padme in ROJ (Rick McAllum words)

All non redone music should be re-scored again to have better quality.

A NEW HOPE:

Rebel Blockade runner: a mixture of the old recording and the start of Asteroid chase (Empire march outburst)

Imperial Attack: When vader appears mixture of the old recording, and in the backgroud notes of Imperial march)

If there are the luke early scenes, completely new musci (similar to luke's in the original recording)

Entering mos eisley. comopse new music (could be similar to TPM or AOC tattoine)

Jabba scene: use a new version of Jabbas theme

If the emperor appears in Coruscant disolving the senate, play the emperors theme a la TPM or AOC.

Vader vs Ben duel: surely could have added scenes (SURELY not close- ups) this new scenes could use some duel of the fates or the theme for the duel in EPIII

The Battle of Yavin: when the dath star explodes, and the music ends, they could put the scene of darth vader there with soft a imperial march and we see vaders' ship entering hyperspace. i dunno if this would wrok well...

Since A NEW HOPE score is short (compared with the others) they can include the original (now alternate cues) in the CDs, and surely some space will not be used...

EMPIRE STRIKES BACK:

All music as it was intended (anyways i like film version when the executor appears)

The Battle Of Hoth: there could be a scene where the AT-AT cargo ships land on hoth, that could uses some suspense-imperial music.

Asteriod field: please erase that horrible cue!!!!! LOL <- joke

Rescue from cloud city: compose new music for the new scenes

RETURN OF THE JEDI:

All music as it was intended.

Aproaching the death star (Vader-luke talk) use that scene in the movie.

Jedi Rocks: erase, use lepti nek (make a new scene to match that music) or compose new music by WILLIAMS

There are 90 min CDs, right? just for all the alternate cues ROJ has...

THE PHANTOM MENACE:

Rescore the whole movie using the themes created for it, if there are alternates, put them.

ATTACK OF THE CLONES:

Rescore the whole movie, using the themes created for it, if there are alternates, put them.

Use boba fett's theme when Jango or Boba appears. use more anakins theme.

I would like this

[Morn 8]

i think that in a way, people who obsess over having just the originals and are not open at all to what Lucas is trying to do, they are kind of missing the point of it all. all he is doing is making it the way he wanted them to be. he wanted to pull back and have us see the glory of Mos Eisley. he wanted a huge musical number in ROTJ, he wanted all that stuff. this is just his oppurtunity to go make it the way he orginally intended.

That's all very well, I have no problem with him making changes. Unless the changes hurt the film and reduce the fun.

i don't scrutinize and pick apart every little detail or go looking for flaws, saying "hey, that wasn't in the orginal, i don't like it!" that would be both pointless and missing the point.

What if such changes greatly hurt the experience of the film?

Hey it's not just Star Wars. I wouldn't want any film re-scored, assuming the original was still usable. If it's a matter of restoration and the only way to include the original music is to re-record it, that's another story. But in the case of Star Wars the music exists and should not be replaced.

Why not? Might be very interesting and there would probably be many improvements. However, will only be good if a copy of the original film/score is still around.

[scissorhands 16]

Well, we cansee some suggestion for the old trilogy.

But, WHAT ABOUT COMPOSING FOR THE CHASE IN THE SPACE OF ATTACK OF THE CLONES (When Kenobi is pursuing Boba & Jango Fett in the asteroids, and.......you know). Williams SHOULD USE THE THEME OF ASTEROID FIELD.

Oh, yes, HE SHOULD DO IT.

[Beowulf 4]

Good god people!

First of all, I think that those of you whom did not read the original thread properly should note that I said RE-RECORD the CT scores, NOT re-score them. What does this mean to those of you who stil do not understand this? This means to simply RE-RECORD the old scores, and not RE-SCORE them!

This being said, to those of you whom think that there is no way in hell that Williams could re-record the scores to sound better, I refer you to the "Skywalker Symphony Orchestra" recordings of the CT. All of the recordings on that CD sound infinitely better than the originals. Particular favorites of mine are "The Asteroid Field", "Throne Room and Finale", "Imperial March", and "The Forest Battle". I have a feeling that in these recordings, William's employs timbres, tempos, and dynamics that he would rather have recorded the first time, and I sense a much more mature understanding of his own music in these recordings. (the tempos were restricted in the original film due to necessity of course, but the timbre and dynamics were not).

As I said before, I trust John Williams completely, and if there was anyone on this Earth that could pull it off, be assured it would be him.

The hell recordings are you listening to?? The one on your 20 year old vinyl album??

I am listening to the "Special Edition" re-releases of the CT scores...that's the scores I am listening to.

Because the ones I have are superior to the Prequel scores in  EVERY WAY.

I'm not interested in your biased "everything-that-came-after-the-original-star-wars-movie-sucks" opinion. I am speaking objectively here. I happen to like the prequel scores, and objectively speaking I hear that the recording quality of the prequel scores is much, much better than the CT scores. Does this mean I think the CT scores suck? No...far from it. However, the scratchiness and "old" sounds that one can hear from the recordings leave much to be desired in this modern digital age.

[JoeinAR 1,949]

Uh Beowolf, your topic title says re-score, not re-record.

I would love for JW to do a SW saga cd after everything is finished, but I wish he would leave all 5 scores just the way they are.

[Beowulf 4]

Uh Beowolf, your topic title says re-score, not re-record.

Cripes...my bad. Didn't catch that. :oops:

But if people actually read my post, and not just the title, then they would know what I really wanted to convey.

BTW Joe...Your razorbacks looked quite impressive on Saturday...but then again, they were playing "Boise State".

[Justin 2]

Crickey!!

I'm very confused now.

Justin

[Ross 1]

Look there is NO need for a re-recording. Why mess with perfection? Makes no sense!

Well, if it's to be done, who better than Williams himself to do it? Why wait until he's dead and then lament that he didn't do it and criticize the "hack" who took his place in doing it?

And some of us are curious as to what would happen if that was done. What, do we have to spend all our lives wondering what would have happened so that you can be happy with the version that you ALREADY have being the only one?

Seriously, it's like saying: let's not make pop music. Film music is the only good music there can be. It's perfection. Why should we want anything different?

-ROSS, very open-minded and always faithful in Williams.

[tpigeon 3]

-ROSS, very open-minded and always faithful in Williams.

i'm with ya!

beerchug

[Lurker 5]

I refer you to the "Skywalker Symphony Orchestra" recordings of the CT.

Technically, yes that recording has better sound than the 1977 original recording of Star Wars. However, the performance on that CD lacks the passion of any of the original recordings or any of the other great re-recordings out there.

Neil

[Morn 8]

This being said, to those of you whom think that there is no way in hell that Williams could re-record the scores to sound better, I refer you to the "Skywalker Symphony Orchestra" recordings of the CT. All of the recordings on that CD sound infinitely better than the originals. Particular favorites of mine are "The Asteroid Field", "Throne Room and Finale", "Imperial March", and "The Forest Battle". I have a feeling that in these recordings, William's employs timbres, tempos, and dynamics that he would rather have recorded the first time, and I sense a much more mature understanding of his own music in these recordings. (the tempos were restricted in the original film due to necessity of course, but the timbre and dynamics were not).

I don't think the recordings are better than the originals, however I do think that the concert versions are better than the film versions, so I'd like it if Williams did revisions of the film versions of the score.

And some of us are curious as to what would happen if that was done. What, do we have to spend all our lives wondering what would have happened so that you can be happy with the version that you ALREADY have being the only one?

To quote Hannibal the cannibal, my mother always said one should try new things.

[Ricard 2,245]

I refer you to the "Skywalker Symphony Orchestra" recordings of the CT.

Technically, yes that recording has better sound than the 1977 original recording of Star Wars. However, the performance on that CD lacks the passion of any of the original recordings or any of the other great re-recordings out there

I couldn't agree more.

[Chris ChrusherComix 46]

Perfection doesn't exist, there is always room for improvement. Something can get near perfection, but can never be perfection.

Are you PERFECTLY sure?

[Chris ChrusherComix 46]

anyone here and artist? well, i have done my share of drawing. in school and on my own. i work very hard to get it exactly the way i want but because of restrictions, i just can't do it. no one ever wants me to go back and re-do something that's already complete. but i always want to because it roubles me that its not the way i intended it. maybe this isn't making any sense, but i understand why Lucas is doing what he's doing. and i very much admire him for devoting so much to this world he has created, the mythology that is Star Wars.

I know what you mean. I'm an artist and I sometimes go back and tinker with my older works. Usually to add something that I think, in hindsight, needed adding.

If Williams re-scored the old trilogy, maybe it would actually force him to RE-LISTEN and RE-EXAMINE three of his greatest works and maybe inspire him to go back to that unparalelled style that he employed back then?

If that was an end result, I'd love it. Not that you could improve upon TESB, but a little Vader theme in ANH and any new music for any new scenes would be acceptable. CHANGING already scored parts WOULD be not what I had in mind, but hey... we have the original scores, so if they are completely re-scored, then who really cares? We'd just have another version of each. I don't see a problem with it, and don't see the frustration and anger towards the issue.

Honestly. Why people get so upset about this is beyond me. You have the original movies on VHS and LD (hope for DVD too) and the original scores on CDs, so who cares if changes are made on future editions? Besides, it isn't YOUR work now, is it?

[Hlao-roo 389]

I refer you to the "Skywalker Symphony Orchestra" recordings of the CT.

Technically, yes that recording has better sound than the 1977 original recording of Star Wars. However, the performance on that CD lacks the passion of any of the original recordings or any of the other great re-recordings out there

I couldn't agree more.

What I don't like about Williams's concert arrangements in general is that he tends to slow the temp way down...(not counting "Scherzo for Motorcycle and Orchestra")

Some of his concerts can really drag when he plays long suites like "Far and Away" and "The Cowboys"..