Michael Giacchino's Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016) - 2022 Expanded Edition now available

[Luke Skywalker 1,795]

1 minute ago, Disco Stu said:

 

1. Yeah that line always seemed weird after Revenge of the Sith but who knows, anything can be explained

 

2. Weird!

Well i just can say that tarkin and krennic have only one row of rank insigina in r1 but tarkin has two rows in anh. IIRC

[Will 2,215]

2 hours ago, loert said:

 

I think the last three cues are the worst part, but I admit that style of music isn't to my taste anyway.

 

I agree would agree that they are far from the best part of the score, at least after one listen to the OST (I assume you're referring to "The Master Switch," "Your Father Would Be Proud," and "Hope"). It's possible I'm forgetting important things in those cues though. 

[Damien F 1,742]

Certainly don't agree with Rogue One's placement on the STAND ALONE list. It's fairly unjustifiable having R1 above TFA and especially TPM as far as I'm concerned:

 

 

 

 

[TheUlyssesian 2,478]

8 minutes ago, dfenton85 said:

Certainly don't agree with Rogue One's placement on the STAND ALONE list. It's fairly unjustifiable having R1 above TFA and especially TPM as far as I'm concerned:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Honestly TFA is a wee bit hard to listen to in the movie. It is buried under too many FX. Some moments do pop. Specially the finale has a huge impact.

 

And the prequel scores were just shredded in the edit right? I am afraid even Williams magerterial Flag Parade does not pop in the movie, too many sound effects, you can barely hear it.

 

Of course the original trilogy has so many moments where the score takes it through the stratosphere. The music popped because you could actually hear it.

[Damien F 1,742]

2 minutes ago, TheUlyssesian said:

 

 

Honestly TFA is a wee bit hard to listen to in the movie. It is buried under too many FX. Some moments do pop. Specially the finale has a huge impact.

 

And the prequel scores were just shredded in the edit right? I am afraid even Williams magerterial Flag Parade does not pop in the movie, too many sound effects, you can barely hear it.

 

Of course the original trilogy has so many moments where the score takes it through the stratosphere. The music popped because you could actually hear it.

 

It's the stand alone list that I especially don't agree with.

[Balahkay 627]

4 minutes ago, dfenton85 said:

 

It's the stand alone list that I especially don't agree with.

 

Yes, that list is a joke.  Rogue One is a score that was slapped together very quickly and, unfortunately, it sounds like it.  Yes, the score has some good moments but it's a mess overall.  It's a shame MG was assigned to the project so late in the game, but he accepted the task and this is what we got.

[Will 2,215]

Seems like this awesome action figure from "Approach to Eadu" (which is on the FYC!) ...

 

 

... might be a variation of Jyn's theme. 

 

The contour is the same as the opening of the theme (here's Jyn's theme):

 

 

Cool! (I suppose it could be coincidental, though)

 

Now that I think about it, I wonder if Jyn is even in this scene, though (I haven't seen the film yet). @Jay?

[Not Mr. Big 4,639]

4 minutes ago, someonefun124 said:

It's a shame MG was assigned to the project so late in the game

 

[artguy360 1,843]

I think the music works better on its own than in the film. There were times during the film where the music stood out in a bad way and was actually distracting/detrimental to the film. On the OST, there are very few musically offensive moments and the action music is pretty ok.

[King Mark 3,631]

I dunno, I'd rank this one of Giacchino's worst albums, even Jurassic World is better

 

I'm struggling to find a track I'd even put in  "best of Michael Giacchino" compilation

 

Does the FYC music improve anything?

[Will 2,215]

Anyone who's seen the film: Are the end credits Williams bits tracked from ANH, or are they new recordings?

[artguy360 1,843]

5 minutes ago, Will said:

Anyone who's seen the film: Are the end credits Williams bits tracked from ANH, or are they new recordings?

Definitely not tracked from ANH. Probably a new recording.

[Damien F 1,742]

11 minutes ago, king mark said:

I dunno, I'd rank this one of Giacchino's worst albums, even Jurassic World is better

 

I'm struggling to find a track I'd even put in  "best of Michael Giacchino" compilation

 

Does the FYC music improve anything?

 

"Guardians of the Whills Suite" would be my choice for that. Love that theme and its suite. So much better than the rest of the album

[Disco Stu 15,495]

18 minutes ago, dfenton85 said:

 

"Guardians of the Whills Suite" would be my choice for that. Love that theme and its suite. So much better than the rest of the album

 

Agreed!

[Jay 37,355]

1 hour ago, Will said:

Now that I think about it, I wonder if Jyn is even in this scene, though (I haven't seen the film yet). @Jay?

 

She's in every scene more or less (unless we're watching the bad guys do their thing ) 

[Will 2,215]

I found this moment absolutely stunning on the first couple listens (and I see that even some of of the Giacchino-haters complimented the end of this track):

 

 

Particularly the very short bit at around 7:30 (and how it builds up to it). 

 

Is this segment that I've posted a theme, or derived from one?

 

In any case, this musical bit has this incredible inevitability to it, and the weight of ROTS (and manages to do it without using choir, which might ruin the moment). 

[Dixon Hill 4,234]

4 hours ago, Jay said:

I still don't get why he wanted to change his screen name - TheGreyPilgrim was a GREAT screen name

 

Midlife crisis, I expect.

[Jay 37,355]

Tolkien>2001

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

No!

[BloodBoal 7,538]

[Luke Skywalker 1,795]

26 minutes ago, BloodBoal said:

 

while we'll still be here, talking about microedited material and the umpteeth expanded release of Home Alone!

more like it

[BloodBoal 7,538]

Yeah, that tooth!

 

I mean: yeah, that too!

[Arpy 4,145]

Great score and listening experience for me so far, a few moments have escaped me, but I'm sure it will all make much more sense after I see the film tomorrow, as did TFA after I saw that.

 

Reading through this thread though has been a trial, so much negativity, so many expectations many of you all had. There are dour reactions, outright bizarre reactions of people feeling physically ill (if this music makes you ill, I can only assume you're now a zombie) Some fun reactions, and very thoughtful ones, so I'm not bashing the thread! 

 

I had very little interest in Rogue One from the start, I'm more optimistic now, but I knew what it was going to be (both film and score) and have set my expectations accordingly. 

Listening to Rogue One and The Force Awakens back-to-back you can hear that Giacchino has put effort into trying to infuse Williams' style into his own, even if that means that it might sound like a contradiction at moments where his ideas of sombreness and softness he employs aren't what Williams would've done at all.

Maybe I've gone too easy on Giacchino, but maybe that's because I support his work more than most around here seem to do...

 

My spell-checker keeps trying to suggest "Pinocchio" instead of "Giacchino"

 

[BloodBoal 7,538]

Funny. Here's what I get:

 

[Incanus 5,714]

It is a solid 3-3½ stars score for me. Perhaps at times going to 4 stars in some moments.

 

The Guardians of the Whills theme was bothering me since it had something terribly familiar to it that I couldn't pinpoint but today it hit me. The opening phrase sounds exactly like the Corpus Christi Carol. And no I am not putting down the theme but rather noting a similarity.

 

[crocodile 8,012]

I like how Giacchino's hope theme sounds like a cheap knock-off of Luke's theme at first but then you realise at the end that this is exactly the point as you hear the film's last line and where it ends. It was always meant to anticipate Williams' iconic melody but can't be fully stated until the end credits. Nice.

 

Karol - who also likes how Giacchino ends the final Vader's theme statement with Death Star motif

[Disco Stu 15,495]

1 hour ago, RPurton said:

Reading through this thread though has been a trial, so much negativity, so many expectations many of you all had. There are dour reactions, outright bizarre reactions of people feeling physically ill (if this music makes you ill, I can only assume you're now a zombie) Some fun reactions, and very thoughtful ones, so I'm not bashing the thread! 

 

People=me and I'd appreciate it if "people" would stop singling me out for my honest gut reaction. You say "so much negativity" like everyone has it out for Giacchino, like there's some kind of disingenuousness involved. What I see is a lot of honest, emotional, and/or thoughtful reactions to music that is consciously imitating the scores that are a major reason why many of us are here every day and so passionate about film music in the first place.

 

I consider myself a supporter of Giacchino's music as well, I have often loved his scores. But I wouldn't be much of a supporter if I couldn't acknowledge when I thought he had failed.

[Incanus 5,714]

31 minutes ago, crocodile said:

I like how Giacchino's hope theme sounds like a cheap knock-off of Luke's theme at first but then you realise at the end that this is exactly the point as you hear the film's last line and where it ends. It was always meant to anticipate Williams' iconic melody but can't be fully stated until the end credits. Nice.

My problem with it is that it sounds like you said a cheap knock-off. Nothing classy about it. I guess I am allergic Giacchino's recent theme constructions.

[crocodile 8,012]

7 minutes ago, Incanus said:

My problem with it is that it sounds like you said a cheap knock-off. Nothing classy about it.

But Mikko, if these observations were about The Hobbit you'd be singing praises of how clever and sophisticated it is. It is essentially a similar type of development. Think you might be bit prejudiced, my friend. Gia is really trying here!

 

Karol

[Incanus 5,714]

26 minutes ago, crocodile said:

But Mikko, if these observations were about The Hobbit you'd be singing praises of how clever and sophisticated it is. It is essentially a similar type of development. Think you might be bit prejudiced, my friend. Gia is really trying here!

 

Karol

The development isn't a problem. It is to be commended but I can't help if Giacchino's themes sound cheap to me. No amount of cleverness will turn my head if I don't initially feel some rapport with the music. Which I feel very little in this case. Hence I don't feel Giacchino is trying too hard here although I am sure he busted his ass to compose this. I guess I am hearing that weariness in much of the music.

 

But bear in mind that Giacchino hasn't impressed much at any point in the past few years. I didn't exactly jump for joy with the Jurassic World either.

 

And since I don't have much positive to say at this point, I'll stop commenting on the subject.

 

On a sidenote I think Conrad Pope did marvellously on the Hobbit scores.

[BloodBoal 7,538]

[steb74 53]

I think that I probably fall into that category, in that I don't think it's such a great SW movie score.
Regardless of the alleged sophistication in hinting at Luke's theme, the harmonic progression that continues it has no place in the SW universe ...imo at least.
Had this score been for a SW video game or just another movie, a kind of melodramatic action/war romp it would be great.

 

[Disco Stu 15,495]

22 minutes ago, BloodBoal said:

 

 

I'm sure these persons will like the score more as time goes by. The FYC material might help in that regard.

 

Almost certainly true. That just comes from familiarity and how things become "normal" after a while. I love Star Wars and I'm going to watch this movie a bunch more times regardless of my issues with it!

[crocodile 8,012]

24 minutes ago, BloodBoal said:

 

It's annoying, isn't it?

 

You hater, who just loves to have for the sake of hating!

 

 

Indeed!

 

To be fair, I think some people (basically, those who think Giacchino is a fine composer, not the Giacchino haters) may be a bit harsh towards this score because it's a Star Wars score and so you have the expectations that go with the name (and in a way, I understand them: it's definitely the least interesting of the 8 SW film scores we have). But give it another name, and they would be fine with it, methinks.

An example of that is Giacchino's Imperial theme: since it was written for the Empire in a SW film, they are bound to compare it to the Imperial March, and of course, this comparison is not in the new theme's favour. But place this theme in another score, and I doubt these persons would have really bashed that theme this much... They would have probably said it's a fine theme.

 

I'm sure these persons will like the score more as time goes by. The FYC material might help in that regard.

Well, it is a better theme than his Nazi theme from MOH scores. And, to be quite frank, it is bit more memorable than Kylo Ren themes (if somewhat not as refined musically).

 

Karol

[leeallen01 2,136]

I'm really loving this score more and more with each listen.

 

I'm looking forward to seeing the film again now that I've heard the score many times. 

[Chewy 2,390]

Same here

[Disco Stu 15,495]

I'll probably see the movie at least 2 more times before January. I love this new thing of Star Wars movies coming out just before the Winter holiday break!

[Arpy 4,145]

2 hours ago, Disco Stu said:

 

People=me and I'd appreciate it if "people" would stop singling me out for my honest gut reaction. You say "so much negativity" like everyone has it out for Giacchino, like there's some kind of disingenuousness involved. What I see is a lot of honest, emotional, and/or thoughtful reactions to music that is consciously imitating the scores that are a major reason why many of us are here every day and so passionate about film music in the first place.

 

I consider myself a supporter of Giacchino's music as well, I have often loved his scores. But I wouldn't be much of a supporter if I couldn't acknowledge when I thought he had failed.

I didn't mean to bash you man! I just thought it was silly

 

I'm a huge Giacchino supporter and I admit that Zootopia and Doctor Strange were hit and miss. 

[Indianagirl 298]

Here is my unsophisticated fan girl opinion. I saw the movie two nights ago and I hated the score while watching the film. Listening to the score in ITunes seems to be a much better listen than hearing it in the film itself but it's still sub par. During the movie itself I found the score to be distracting. Especially when the empire is shown. I was seeingbeautiful images  star destroyers and the Death Star and all could think was what is this I'm hearing? I'm not saying you have to blast the imperial march every time you see the empire but the sound of the imperials has been well established. Hearing what Gia did while seeing star destroyers just took me out of the movie. Maybe I'll learn to live with it but first viewing I was jarred by it.

[Disco Stu 15,495]

3 minutes ago, Indianagirl said:

Maybe I'll learn to live with it but first viewing I was jarred by it.

 

Yes! I had the same reaction. It was so off-putting seeing all the Star Wars imagery with music that is "just OK."

[BloodBoal 7,538]

[crocodile 8,012]

Want to read my honest opinion? No? I will state it anyway. I'm bit tired of The Imperial March. Great theme, yeah. But it's just getting on my nerves sometimes very much in the same way as My Heart Will Go On and Everything I Do I Do It For You. You can't have a single JW concert without it. And it is hardly one of his best compositions, technically.

 

Karol

[BloodBoal 7,538]

[leeallen01 2,136]

If The Imperial March didn't exist, and just Vader's motif was used for the Empire up until now, and then Giacchino composed the Imperial March for this film, some on here would call it cheesy, because it is. It works perfectly in 1980, but now it really wouldn't work if invented in todays more serious filmmaking tone.

 

I can imagine it now - 

"Seriously though, that stupidly over the top nazi 'I'M EVILLLL' imperial march that Giacchino wrote for the empire, was just laughable. Completely took me out of the film."

 

[Indianagirl 298]

I specified that they didn't have to blare the imperial march at us every time we see the empire. Something similar sounding to what John did in a new hope would have been appropriate. But what they did was very jarring on first viewing. The empire has an established theme I don't know it required a new theme that belongs in a lesser franchise.

[crocodile 8,012]

Yeah, it is true. But even Williams stopped using it in his later scores. And the final Vader scene in ROTS didn't have the theme over the Star Destroyer shots. And masked the theme with Force and Funeral themes. That was clever. The idea of Anakin's theme was clever too. But that didn't go anywhere. But whenever I just hear a straightforward arrangement of Vader's march I just think to myself that it's lazy.

 

And the composition isn't that great either. Whenever it comes up in concert I just think that I'd rather hear something else. 3-minutes of wasted time on the programme.

 

Karol

[Indianagirl 298]

The imperial march was used in attack of the clones.  It did exist 

[crocodile 8,012]

Just now, Indianagirl said:

The imperial march was used in attack of the clones.  It did exist 

Yeah, as a last minute rescore.

 

Karol

[leeallen01 2,136]

Even the master can have bad musical placement and weak, cheesy themes, especially if there's a director making blind, uninspired choices.

[crocodile 8,012]

And just wanted to add one thing. As much as I'm tired of the Imperial March, I don't think the same way at all about the Force theme. Which never ever disappoints. Yes, I do think he reused binary sunset variation a few too many times. But, on the whole, this is the theme that never disappoints. It gives Star Wars this mythical aura that the two most popular themes never quite reach in my opinion.

 

Karol