Which Star Wars prequel score do you like most?

[Josh500 1,616]

I'm not talking about how the albums were assembled, the scores were edited in the movies, but the MUSIC that JOHN WILLIAMS CREATED FOR EACH MOVIE.

Which is your favorite?

For me, it's 1. The Phantom Menace, 2. Revenge of the Sith, 3. Attack of the Clones.

It seems to me that The Phantom Menace is another masterpiece score. Duel of the Fates is brilliant, sure, but I'm also talking about Qui Gon's Theme, The Tide Turns, Destroying the Fighters, Anakin's Theme, He Is the Chosen One (how awesome is this???)...

[Trent Hoyt 13]

Revenge of the Sith. It has the best individual moments of all of them.

[Maglorfin 196]

Revenge of the Sith. It has the best individual moments of all of them.

[Jacob 0]

Have to go with Sith at the moment. It's the only one I've created my own edit of and thus am much more familiar with it.

So many spine tingling moments.

[Henry B 50]

The Phantom Menace by a mile.

[Wycket 36]

Revenge of the Sith. It has the best individual moments of all of them.

Maybe because its the best of the prequels, but it just more Star Wars to me than any of the others. TPM score doesn't really seem anything other than a typical JW 90s score while AOTC shows the result of Williams having far too much on his plate in 2002.

[Trent B 337]

My favorite in order...

1. The Phantom Menace

2. Revenge Of The Sith

3. Attack Of The Clones

[Maestro 147]

Revenge of the Sith - deep, dark, delicious.

[Red 75]

The Phantom Menace without a doubt. One of Williams' best scores of the last ten years.

[Luke Skywalker 1,815]

The phantom menace is the best because it was complete.

Attack of the clones lacks the final battle music

Revenge of the Sith had scenes with pre-defined tracked music

Though ROTS has the best tracks of the trilogy, and its some time that i heard TPM... i'm not sure which to vote.

I consider TPM a masterpiece, but i think i enjoy ROTS more...

[Neimoidian 14]

The Phantom Menace without a doubt. One of Williams' best scores of the last ten years.

Exactly my thought. In my book its the only prequel score that can be on par with the Old Trilogy scores.

[Ollie 1,069]

TPM.

It actually sounds like a Star Wars score.

[JoeinAR 1,949]

1.TPM, though I wont call it a masterpiece because its not, but its very very good.

2. Rots has some great music but it was composed for Star Wars, and adapted for this movie, it is better than any music in all the prequels, but it wasn't original.

176. AOTC gets maybe * out of *****

[Josh500 1,616]

AOTC gets maybe * out of *****

I would give TPM *****, RotS ****, and AotC *** and 1/2*

[Henry B 50]

I consider TPM a masterpiece, but i think i enjoy ROTS more...

Exactly. RotS is just a guilty pleasure.

[Red 75]

ROTS has some great moments, some of the best of the prequels. But at the end of the day it wasn't the collective (or coherent) adventure that TPM was. The originality certainly didn't hurt it either.

[Jarbas 1]

Revenge of the Sith - deep, dark, delicious.

I agree

[AzOutcast 122]

Good question. I love all the prequel scores (not as much as the OT, but it's up there) and it certainly comes down to TPM or ROTS. I'm gonna have to go with ROTS for right now, because it has some great tragic and epic music. TPM does feel more like a traditional SW score. There's really never a dull moment.

AOTC is disappointing. But I guess I could say the same for the other two, given what's happened.

[Joe Brausam 216]

TPM for me also. As everyone said, it's the one that sounds most like a Star Wars score and the film was the one closest to the spirit of Star Wars.

[BLUMENKOHL 1,071]

The Phantom Menace.

[Ray Barnsbury 8]

The Phantom Menace. It has some amazing action music that has a sound I haven't heard from Williams before or since. I enjoyed Revenge of the Sith more than I remembered when I listened to it recently, so it's not too far behind Menace. Clones is clearly the least of the three.

[John Crichton 4]

Exactly. RotS is just a guilty pleasure.

Strange, I don't feel guilty.

[Charlie Brigden 7]

REVENGE OF THE SITH. I like a lot of TPM, and a bit less of AOTC, but despite being based on some pre-existing work (and having some tracking) it still manages to work, both as a listening experience and for the film itself. TPM does have some absolutely inspired scoring, but I feel a bit more emotionally satisfied by ROTS. It just feels a bit more weighty.

[indy4 155]

RotS for me, though TPM is close behind. Clones definetly is the worst, but I still love it.

indy4 - who just tied it at 10 to 10

[ChuckM 1]

My favorite in order...

1. The Phantom Menace

2. Revenge Of The Sith

3. Attack Of The Clones

Same here.

[Koray Savas 2,251]

Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace

I'm pretty sure we've had this poll before, and I'm pretty sure it was also by Josh.

[Jacob 0]

Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace

I'm pretty sure we've had this poll before, and I'm pretty it was also by Josh.

Hey everyone! Kora thinks he's pretty!

[Koray Savas 2,251]

You are wrong sir!!! My name is Koray!

[Trent Hoyt 13]

TPM for me also. As everyone said, it's the one that sounds most like a Star Wars score and the film was the one closest to the spirit of Star Wars.

I remember when I first saw the movie I hated the score. It just didn't have the same feel as the OT did. But as the PT continued I realized how good TPM was. TPM is a great score, its use of original themes is on the same page as the OT and its almost in the same style. But ROTS is my favorite, I guess I just like my Star Wars scores that liberally use the Force theme.

[Jacob 0]

You are wrong sir!!! My name is Koray!

My most humblest of apologies. ^_^

[Unlucky Bastard 7,799]

You are wrong sir!!! My name is Koray!

My most humblest of apologies. ^_^

Humblest?? Don't let him bully you like that!!

[Hlao-roo 389]

I haven't been as persistent in seeking after the unreleased music as others here have, and I've watched the second two prequels only once each, so I can't really say for sure. I will say that the album to which I respond most favorably is Revenge of the Sith in that it seems to provide the most consistently potent listening experience.

[Trent B 337]

Personally I feel as far as listening experience goes on the OST's, Attack Of The Clones was probably the best in presentation. All though they shouldn't have edited out the music when they chase after Dooku...

[Josh500 1,616]

Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace

I'm pretty sure we've had this poll before, and I'm pretty sure it was also by Josh.

I'm pretty sure you're right. ^_^

But this poll is made 3 years after RotS came out...to get some perspective.

Personally I feel as far as listening experience goes on the OST's, Attack Of The Clones was probably the best in presentation. All though they shouldn't have edited out the music when they chase after Dooku...

You're considering all the things I told you to discount in my original post...

Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace

I'm pretty sure we've had this poll before, and I'm pretty it was also by Josh.

Hey everyone! Kora thinks he's pretty!

[Hlao-roo 389]

Personally I feel as far as listening experience goes on the OST's, Attack Of The Clones was probably the best in presentation. All though they shouldn't have edited out the music when they chase after Dooku...

You're considering all the things I told you to discount in my original post...

You're failing to consider that Vosk may not be responding to your original post.

[tpigeon 3]

Since no one else is, I guess I'll stick my neck out there for Attack of the Clones.

First off, as Vosk points out, the album is the best in terms of presentation. It not only has most of the relevant set pieces, but seems to follow the movie somewhat. It's not nearly as chopped and spliced as the other two albums were. Unlike some others here, I enjoy this score very much. Where others were disenchanted with the love theme, I found it sweeping, bittersweet, and very moving. Although the rest of the score wasn't heavy on action, I liked Williams in foreboding mode.

Also, thematic references were restrained and appropriate. I absolutely love the segway from a sweeping force theme rendition to a new and interesting recording of Duel of the Fates. Forgive me, also for enjoying the Zam the Assassin cue. I especially liked it in the movie, since it captures the speed of the motion but also allows one to take in the ambiance and echoes of the cityskape. It also has a nice "night" feel to it, too. Oh yeah, and the arena music is outstanding, despite not being used. We can only wonder what Williams may have come up with for the Clone War sequences, but I think it would have been good. I wish he also used the mystery / Dooku motif in <em>Revenge of the Sith</em>, rather than abandoning it. I also wish he used the love theme more as well.

I don't regard it as a "lesser Star Wars" score by any stretch. It is far from the best, but I don't think it's a step down from I or III, both which were very good as well. TPM had a sense of discovery about it (like the movie); it was just so excited with itself. AOTC appropriately balances out that enthusiasm with less notes and more underscore. ROTS was sort of a combination of the two; it could have benefitted from a <em>much</em> better album. Although a lot of music was left off the TPM OST, that soundtrack still delivered a consistently outstanding listening experience. "Anakin is Free" and "The Tide Turns" were the only cues left off the album that should have been there, but at least there are no outright boring cues. On the ROTS album, there are several cues that didn't belong on the soundtrack, and the best ones were often uselessly chopped up. That album frustrates me to no end.

How do I rate the scores, you say? I have to give it to TPM by default because every note in that score was written by Williams <em>for that film</em>. Quality of the score aside, I award it the prize on those grounds alone. The other two are equally good, although they take the series in a different direction. I would think as highly of them if they were complete scores, but I can't fault Williams for that.

Ted

[indy4 155]

Nicely said!

[Josh500 1,616]

Personally I feel as far as listening experience goes on the OST's, Attack Of The Clones was probably the best in presentation. All though they shouldn't have edited out the music when they chase after Dooku...

You're considering all the things I told you to discount in my original post...

You're failing to consider that Vosk may not be responding to your original post.

Thanks for your insightful input!

Since no one else is, I guess I'll stick my neck out there for Attack of the Clones.

First off, as Vosk points out, the album is the best in terms of presentation. It not only has most of the relevant set pieces, but seems to follow the movie somewhat. It's not nearly as chopped and spliced as the other two albums were. Unlike some others here, I enjoy this score very much. Where others were disenchanted with the love theme, I found it sweeping, bittersweet, and very moving. Although the rest of the score wasn't heavy on action, I liked Williams in foreboding mode.

Also, thematic references were restrained and appropriate. I absolutely love the segway from a sweeping force theme rendition to a new and interesting recording of Duel of the Fates. Forgive me, also for enjoying the Zam the Assassin cue. I especially liked it in the movie, since it captures the speed of the motion but also allows one to take in the ambiance and echoes of the cityskape. It also has a nice "night" feel to it, too. Oh yeah, and the arena music is outstanding, despite not being used. We can only wonder what Williams may have come up with for the Clone War sequences, but I think it would have been good. I wish he also used the mystery / Dooku motif in <em>Revenge of the Sith</em>, rather than abandoning it. I also wish he used the love theme more as well.

I don't regard it as a "lesser Star Wars" score by any stretch. It is far from the best, but I don't think it's a step down from I or III, both which were very good as well. TPM had a sense of discovery about it (like the movie); it was just so excited with itself. AOTC appropriately balances out that enthusiasm with less notes and more underscore. ROTS was sort of a combination of the two; it could have benefitted from a <em>much</em> better album. Although a lot of music was left off the TPM OST, that soundtrack still delivered a consistently outstanding listening experience. "Anakin is Free" and "The Tide Turns" were the only cues left off the album that should have been there, but at least there are no outright boring cues. On the ROTS album, there are several cues that didn't belong on the soundtrack, and the best ones were often uselessly chopped up. That album frustrates me to no end.

How do I rate the scores, you say? I have to give it to TPM by default because every note in that score was written by Williams <em>for that film</em>. Quality of the score aside, I award it the prize on those grounds alone. The other two are equally good, although they take the series in a different direction. I would think as highly of them if they were complete scores, but I can't fault Williams for that.

Ted

Yeah, well said!

Let me just say that it's not like I dislike AotC. I think it's a fantastic score, one of the very best. It's just that, compared with TPM and RotS, it pales somehow. Across the Stars is one of my top favorites, and there are moments in Zam the Assassin that make my spine tingle...

[Henry B 50]

Attack of the Clones, as an album, is a great score. However, Attack of the Clones, as a full score, is ridiculous camp. Only a few unreleased cues are worth having (Shmi's funeral!); the rest are extremely cheesy or detrimental to the film (e.g. the lighthearted music for Jar Jar's address to the Senate).

[tpigeon 3]

Attack of the Clones, as an album, is a great score. However, Attack of the Clones, as a full score, is ridiculous camp. Only a few unreleased cues are worth having (Shmi's funeral!); the rest are extremely cheesy or detrimental to the film (e.g. the lighthearted music for Jar Jar's address to the Senate).

There are two transition cues I like as well: Obi-Wan's arrival to Kamino (a heroic little motif), and the transition from the Jedi library to a shot of Anakin and Padme's ship travelling through space (a wonderfully energetic string piece). Those two plus Shmi's Funeral I would love to have. If anyone has them and would be skind enough to send them along, PMs are welcome!

Ted

[Josh500 1,616]

the transition from the Jedi library to a shot of Anakin and Padme's ship travelling through space (a wonderfully energetic string piece).Ted

Yeah, I love that, too!!! So simple yet effective...

[Morlock 11]

The Phantom Menace by a mile.

My thoughts. I recently listened to the UE again. Egregious in many respects as it is, I find it a very interesting album, full of highlight, from the very first cue to the very last. There's no section I like more or less...it is consistantly good and exciting. I get the sense that Williams was looking at both macro and micro in this score, looking back and forward. The other two feel far more contained, far more limited. The quotes in TPM sound like they're coming from and going to somewhere. The quotes in the other two feel like going through the motions to me.

[Genius_Gone_Insane 5]

It's great to see so many people who like TPM. I've always felt that it's the least grand of all the soundtracks. I'm glad others think otherwise.

[Hlao-roo 389]

It's great to see so many people who like TPM. I've always felt that it's the least grand of all the soundtracks. I'm glad others think otherwise.

This may be pure revisionism on my part, but I think it's accumulated esteem over the years. Upon the soundtrack's release, an odd disjuncture seemed to exist between the opinion of dedicated soundtrack reviewers (e.g., Filmtracks, Movie Music UK, et al.) and that of the average message board member. The response from the former was generally rapturous, while the response from the latter was much more mixed. Part of the negativity, of course, was that the initial album release so utterly failed to represent the entirety of Williams's composition, and people were unaware of the gems that had been left off the CD. Some of the negativity can also be attributed to a mismatch between the hopes that Williams would return to his so-called "Golden Age sound" (which is not as monolithic as is often supposed but can be broadly characterized by longer form melodies that, among other things, lend a more discernable narrative structure to the action writing) and the inevitable reality of his changed style. Somewhat more than in the subsequent prequels, Williams gestured at the thematic and motivic writing of the original trilogy, and this effort is reflected in the resultant multi-part concert suite. Nonetheless, his approach was also largely informed by a more fragmented, episodic approach to scenes that spurred criticism that Williams's writing had become more fungible and generic.

Almost a decade later, we get to situate TPM in the context of the entire prequel trilogy, of Williams's continual maturation (not necessarily the same as improvement) as a composer, and of our own unconsciously evolving tastes. It would appear that TPM has aged well. To the extent that this general trend I have observed actually exists, I seem to be excepted from it. If anything, I seem to like the score less. Of course, I may merely be late to the party. Ask me again in another nine or so years.

[Maestro 147]

Where are you from, Hlao-roo? I greatly appreciate your insight and command of the English language!

[Hlao-roo 389]

Where are you from, Hlao-roo? I greatly appreciate your insight and command of the English language!

Thanks for your kind words, Tim. May I tell you of my own appreciation of your blog; it would appear that we share similar ideas about, let's say, matters of consequence. Have you, by any chance, read Jeffrey Overstreet's Through a Screen Darkly?

Oh, to answer your first question, I'm a native Texan.

- Alan

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,269]

You never sounded like a Texan in my mind though.

[Hlao-roo 389]

You never sounded like a Texan in my mind though.

Well, butter my behind and call me a biscuit! Why in tarnations would you think a thing like that?

[Josh500 1,616]

I think TPM is John Williams giving his VERY BEST. The expectation was so high (movie- and scorewise), he couldn't afford to lean back and go on autopilot, even partly. And I think that shows. Every scene is scored to perfection, and the amount of music he created is mind-boggling. While AotC and RotS both have some great and memorable standalone pieces, the overall scores aren't as impressive and masterful, IMO... which is a pity. But then, you have to remember that JW probably had a lot more time to work on TPM than he did on the other two movies...

[Jacob 0]

You are wrong sir!!! My name is Koray!

My most humblest of apologies.

Humblest?? Don't let him bully you like that!!

Notice the omnipotent winky smilie, which puts a sinister twist on all that precedes it.