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The Force Awakens ALBUM Discussion (No Film Spoilers)


rebekahnoelleparker

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The music works really well in that last scene. One of the best moments in the film.

Save for that horrible helicopter shot that looks like it's out of a 1980s music video (or an unused shot from Highlander).

What's wrong with '80s music videos? Or Highlander, for that matter?

It's wrong when it sticks out like a sore thumb in a Star Wars movie.

I assume that's not the only non-Star Warsy shot in TFA? Anyway I'll check it by myself I guess, although I'm in no hurry.

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I'm really enjoying this. It has a different sound compared to the previous Star Wars scores yet still sounds like a Star Wars score (actually the way it is recorded reminds me a lot of the Boston Pops concert recordings, particularly the Finale).

It's nice to hear Han And Leia's theme return. I haven't seen the film yet (Saturday for me) so I'm trying my utmost to avoid anything that might spoil the film for me, but is Luke and Leia quoted at all in the film? So far that's the only OT theme (aside from a quote of the Imperial March I expect will accompany the scene of Kylo Ren pretending Vader's burned helmet can hear him) I haven't really heard that I'd like to hear.

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The music works really well in that last scene. One of the best moments in the film.

Save for that horrible helicopter shot that looks like it's out of a 1980s music video (or an unused shot from Highlander).

What's wrong with '80s music videos? Or Highlander, for that matter?

It's wrong when it sticks out like a sore thumb in a Star Wars movie.

I assume that's not the only non-Star Warsy shot in TFA? Anyway I'll check it by myself I guess, although I'm in no hurry.

The list of things that are non-Star Warsy in this movie is potentially endless.

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It's a simple theme, but those trumpets really sold it to me

I also wasn't entirely convinced by those blaring uniso trumpets there...something about the recording doesn't really sell them well to me.

Negative KK

You believe yet it was Williams in that trailer? ;)

I stand corrected there! I admit that I appreciate it a lot more in context.

I know everyone's been raving about Rey's Theme, which is lovely, but I'm really digging Finn's theme (if it is indeed his theme)!

BadababadabaBadababadabaBadababadaba

tss tss

I was referring the heroic outburst at 1:18 of "I Can Fly Anything".

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Otherwise we'll be stoned!!!

SW is too sacred a property to even suggest the slightest disappointment!


Okay. The Falcon is now one of my favorite modern Williams action setpieces!

It's a damn fine piece isn't it? The type of Williams action scoring I like best.

But I don't think anything in this album will rank among any of my top Williams lists.

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I just think this score is a breath of fresh air. This style of film scoring is slowly dying out. Few composers (alive) can write orchestral music with this kind complexity in structure and depth, apart from maybe Howard Shore and to some extent Desplat. In the context of JW, it may not be a classic, but in the context of film scores in general, it's far superior (at least from a technical stand point) than anything I've heard this year.

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That's true, and I can understand most of the raving here is coming from starved fans who have longed for tastes of the franchise, or some proper old-school action-adventure scoring. I just can't help but be the tempered listener here.

Oh and yes, once we start getting bland Giacchino SW scores, we'll be longer for the days of scores like TFA!

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I wish we got more of stuff lie the second half of "That Girl with the Staff". More of those piano clusters please!

"The Rathtars!" is also a cool cue.

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Otherwise we'll be stoned!!!

SW is too sacred a property to even suggest the slightest disappointment!

Okay. The Falcon is now one of my favorite modern Williams action setpieces!

It's a damn fine piece isn't it? The type of Williams action scoring I like best.

But I don't think anything in this album will rank among any of my top Williams lists.

Oh it does here! I've already come to like it a lot more than Tintin's action material, and some of the setpieces in the Prequels (save for Get 'Em R-2!).

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Oh it does here! I've already come to like it a lot more than Tintin's action material, and some of the setpieces in the Prequels (save for Get 'Em R-2!).

Interesting. I don't think anything here really rival the major setpieces of the prequels. Well except stuff like Battle of the Heroes I guess.

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Funny to see someone who thinks this score is so much worse than Superman has some interest to post here. In the forum of the lost talent.

I find ggyyver just crawling out of his hobbit sub-forum just to tell every one this new album sucks (he probably didn't listen to it) and having no interest in the film incredibly insulting as a JW fan

I'm so glad no hobbitts thread ever show up in my sights anymore

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Going by my first listen, I'd say that while this might be the worst Star Wars score, it is a beautiful score nevertheless and easily my favourite from this year. It has a lovely sense of finality to it, not only looking back to past Star Wars scores but Williams's career as a whole. Note the callbacks to those neo-baroque fugues from the mid 70s, the flute and celeste textures of The Jedi Steps recalling Ben Gardner's Boat, or the suspensions, anticipations and appoggiaturaas in The Starkiller drawing to mind Elliot mourning E.T's "death", Arlington and other threnodies throughout Williams's career.

This is one to cherish, folks.

Spot on, mate!

Listening to this, I don't think this is really Williams writing SW music, its more like Williams writing the kind of music he likes to write these days. You can hear those familiar harmonic suspensions in cues like "The Starkiller", its the kind of music that identifies with the twilight phase of his career. And then something like Rey's Theme, which really seems to evoke the pastoral nature of his work lately. It's nice and personal. It just doesn't compete with the strong distinctive musical personalities of its predecessors, that's all.

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Going by my first listen, I'd say that while this might be the worst Star Wars score, it is a beautiful score nevertheless and easily my favourite from this year. It has a lovely sense of finality to it, not only looking back to past Star Wars scores but Williams's career as a whole. Note the callbacks to those neo-baroque fugues from the mid 70s, the flute and celeste textures of The Jedi Steps recalling Ben Gardner's Boat, or the suspensions, anticipations and appoggiaturaas in The Starkiller drawing to mind Elliot mourning E.T's "death", Arlington and other threnodies throughout Williams's career.

This is one to cherish, folks.

You like it too? There is hope!
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As someone even more tempered than KK, in the sense that I didn't even want John Williams to score this...

I think this score is in the realm of ESB and SW. The only major criticism I have is that it tilts firmly towards action on album, and...well..also in film. Not as many quiet moments as ESB and SW.

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Going by my first listen, I'd say that while this might be the worst Star Wars score, it is a beautiful score nevertheless and easily my favourite from this year. It has a lovely sense of finality to it, not only looking back to past Star Wars scores but Williams's career as a whole. Note the callbacks to those neo-baroque fugues from the mid 70s, the flute and celeste textures of The Jedi Steps recalling Ben Gardner's Boat, or the suspensions, anticipations and appoggiaturaas in The Starkiller drawing to mind Elliot mourning E.T's "death", Arlington and other threnodies throughout Williams's career.

This is one to cherish, folks.

Are there any classic polychords (I am not listening till I see the film)? Boom-tzz?

I think this score is in the realm of ESB and SW. The only major criticism I have is that it tilts firmly towards action on album, and...well..also in film. Not as many quiet moments as ESB and SW.

That's high praise!

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Man, I seriously don't get all the "worst Star Wars score" talk. �

Especially since we haven't actually heard the full score.

Right!! We KNOW there's so much music we haven't heard. And honestly, as an album, it's got to be one of JW's best. It's a killer listening experience.

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Man, I seriously don't get all the "worst Star Wars score" talk. �

Especially since we haven't actually heard the full score.

I'm only judging by what I've heard so far, but I'll say it doesn't it hits the peaks that the prequel OSTs did.

Going by my first listen, I'd say that while this might be the worst Star Wars score, it is a beautiful score nevertheless and easily my favourite from this year. It has a lovely sense of finality to it, not only looking back to past Star Wars scores but Williams's career as a whole. Note the callbacks to those neo-baroque fugues from the mid 70s, the flute and celeste textures of The Jedi Steps recalling Ben Gardner's Boat, or the suspensions, anticipations and appoggiaturaas in The Starkiller drawing to mind Elliot mourning E.T's "death", Arlington and other threnodies throughout Williams's career.

This is one to cherish, folks.

Are there any classic polychords (I am not listening till I see the film)? Boom-tzz?

Plenty!

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Some quick thoughts:

- I fucking adore the sound of this thing. To me, they nailed that Star Wars sound. Nice dry recording with epic-sounding brass that the LSO prequel recordings lacked. The L.A. orchestra was in Temple of Doom mode. I'm sorry, but this sounds better than the LSO prequel recordings for whatever reason.

- Rey's Theme is wonderful. God yes.

- On album at least, it was a shame that the First Order seems to be represented by random militaristic Williams music, with no thematic focus. There is Kylo Ren's theme, but it's pretty rare. It might be different in the complete score.

- The direct quote of ESB score in Han and Leia was disappointing.

- Luke's Home Alone Theme at the end of the credits rubbed me the wrong way.

- It seems like a surprising amount of music in the promotional material actually was Williams, or at least based on his music.

- March of the Resistance = Black Sunday. This music seemed like it would be a bit silly in the film, to be honest. Not sure how I feel about it. It's fun to listen to here.

- This feels like old-school Williams.

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The Snoke track is really really cool.

But this is a bit of a disarming score. It's not what I expected, at all. And I'm not saying that's a bad thing

That's kind of how I feel. I feel simultaneously excited and let down by it's unexpectedness. It's a very bizarre feeling.

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You know what? Rey's Theme is really versatile. Compare it in the tracks The Scavenger, Rey's Theme, and Finale. Very different in each spot. The mark of a great them.

Then look at the other themes. Supposedly Ren, Finn, Poe, and Snoke all have themes? I couldn't hum any of them right now if I tried, and I've heard the OST 4 times.

Well hopefully seeing the film will fix that.

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Going by my first listen, I'd say that while this might be the worst Star Wars score, it is a beautiful score nevertheless and easily my favourite from this year. It has a lovely sense of finality to it, not only looking back to past Star Wars scores but Williams's career as a whole. Note the callbacks to those neo-baroque fugues from the mid 70s, the flute and celeste textures of The Jedi Steps recalling Ben Gardner's Boat, or the suspensions, anticipations and appoggiaturaas in The Starkiller drawing to mind Elliot mourning E.T's "death", Arlington and other threnodies throughout Williams's career.

This is one to cherish, folks.

The beginning of The Falcon sounds straight out of Close Encounters.

I would rank this OST above Attack of the Clones easily. Hell, even Revenge of the Sith.

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Let's judge it strictly as an OST presentation. This is a very good album. It's pretty well-rounded compared to the others, it all flows and there would seem to be a ton of massive highlights. It kept me entertained for the entire 78 minutes. I can't say the same for Clones and Sith.

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Well as an OST it seems pretty good as far as Williams scores go

The c.d. is filled to the max, there's no repeated tracks and no apparent microedits, and the dreaded cellar song is not on it

I just have to see the film so hear any missing highlights

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It feels like it's just missing that one strong new setpiece theme, that the previous 5 films all had (Imperial March, Ewoks/Palpatine, Duel of the Fates, Across the Stars, Battle of the Heroes). I also think what may distinguish modern Williams from classic is perhaps a reluctance to borrow wholesale from classical music (Prokofiev, Holst, etc). He is now writing based on a long experienced career, rather than pastiche based on other styles and composers. (Perhaps the film was spotted with existing Star Wars music?) Either way, I think generally speaking the writing is strong, but there is definitely one unifying idea missing here, which is not the end of the world.

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Well as an OST it seems pretty good as far as Williams scores go

The c.d. is filled to the max, there's no repeated tracks and no apparent microedits, and the dreaded cellar song is not on it

I just have to see the film so hear any missing highlights

And I will listen to the album when it arrives and not find the film material on it.

Same situation. ;)

Karol

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Only listened to a few tracks so far, but the performance is excellent and the recording very nicely mixed. Definitely has that "Hollywood" sound, fairly dry in the mix but everything is very transparent. I shan't comment on the music yet, at least not until I've reached at least halfway, ;)

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