John Powell's SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY (2018) - Deluxe Edition 2020 / Intrada 2-CD edition October 31, 2023

[Tom Guernsey 2,282]

1 hour ago, Jay said:

Yea I don't understand why Luke's theme appeared in that cue either

 

It could have been a director's / producer's request and something Powell didn't want to do personally

I can imagine it being one if those scenes where the director/producers had a specific musical call back approach in mind. If it were me, I’d have relished the idea of an OTT choral version of one of cinema’s most famous themes in a way I’m pretty sure none of us can imagine JW doing himself. I honestly don’t think a lot of general fans would associate it with Luke that strongly and to most it’s just the “Star Wars main theme”. Although as I’ve said elsewhere, I think of the Force theme as the actual Star Wars main theme. But I digress.

 

I love me some JP percussion. It might be a lot at times but it’s expertly written and for me never feels like a crutch for momentum or energy in the way it is for others. 

[Faleel 5,346]

@Jay

 

Ah I thought he meant the part way earlier in the track, right before that kickass statement of the Rebel Fanfare that sounds way better than anything Williams got out of the ST.

 

I don't mind that 10:18 bit either, kind sounds like a William Tell version of the SW theme lol

 

[Edmilson 7,434]

Disney should give Powell their new Star Wars movie. Or, even better, a SW movie trilogy.

[Andy 4,119]

I like the use of the Star Wars theme in Solo.   It’s Star Wars just as much as Luke’s leitmotif. 
 

There were so many years with the Prequels shying away from it, that I welcome it.   It’s such a friendly melody, a key ingredient on why people feel good when they watch Star Wars. 
 

I like Powell. I like Solo. I wish I liked it as enthusiastically as many, but it is as @GerateWohldescribed, a bit over-caffeinated.  I find myself sonically exhausted after listening to his scores, despite enjoying his talent writing melody (HTTYD).  I think if he could just show a wee more restraint, I’d enjoy his work much more.   I’ll finish Solo and immediately need to choose a sedate and quieter score to settle down my brain. 

[Tom Guernsey 2,282]

2 minutes ago, Andy said:

I like the use of the Star Wars theme in Solo.   It’s Star Wars just as much as Luke’s leitmotif. 
 

There were so many years with the Prequels shying away from it, that I welcome it.   It’s such a friendly melody, a key ingredient on why people feel good when they watch Star Wars. 
 

I like Powell. I like Solo. I wish I liked it as enthusiastically as many, but it is as @GerateWohldescribed, a bit over-caffeinated.  I find myself sonically exhausted after listening to his scores, despite enjoying his talent writing melody (HTTYD).  I think if he could just show a wee more restraint, I’d enjoy his work much more.   I’ll finish Solo and immediately need to choose a sedate and quieter score to settle down my brain. 

If you want a lovely low key JP score, I highly recommend I Am Sam. One of my favourite of his earlier scores. 

[Andy 4,119]

Cool!  I will check it out. 

[Faleel 5,346]

11 minutes ago, Andy said:

 I think if he could just show a wee more restraint, I’d enjoy his work much more.

I suppose it would be like trying to get JW to sound less classy (musically).

[Datameister 2,041]

41 minutes ago, A Farewell to Kings said:

I suppose it would be like trying to get JW to sound less classy (musically).

 

Hey, the man was capable of producing Training Montage! 😉

 

On the topic of Solo, I actually have no problem with the fact that Luke's theme is used for these moments; it pretty definitively stopped being his theme in 1999, when it acted as the main title to a film the character's not even in. I just don't like the way any of the fast variations sound in Solo.

 

The Falcon reveal works for me because the tempo isn't overcranked. It's very clearly written for audiences who've already seen the previous films, but that's fine because the films should be first viewed in release order anyway.

[Faleel 5,346]

12 minutes ago, Datameister said:

 

I just don't like the way any of the fast variations sound in Solo.

 

 

They aren't fast though technically. It's just everything underneath theme is fast. (And not that much faster than say, Battle of Hoth, or Droid Fight)

 

[Andy 4,119]

1 hour ago, A Farewell to Kings said:

I suppose it would be like trying to get JW to sound less classy (musically).

Fair enough, but Williams is a man of many sounds. The zany Goldfarb sound, the symphonic Superman sound, the modernist CE3K sound, the quirky Heartbeeps sound, the avante garde Images sound, the austere Fabelmans sound.  He is a man of many things. But he is not a man you can say no to. 

[Faleel 5,346]

4 minutes ago, Andy said:

. But he is not a man you can say no to. 

Tell that to *insert producer/director who rejected Williams here*

[Andy 4,119]

Didn’t I hear the people who made the Book Thief disliked his score?

[Edmilson 7,434]

40 minutes ago, A Farewell to Kings said:

Tell that to *insert producer/director who rejected Williams here*

It's absurd how many directors didn't hire JW again after a first successful collaboration. Ron Howard, Roland Emmerich, Alfonso Cuarón, Rian Johnson, Rob Marshall, George Miller... All of these men had the privilege of inspiring one John Williams score... but only one.

[igger6 894]

In fairness to Rian Johnson, he shares a long cinematic history and half his DNA with his alternate composer, and Williams was already in Star Wars/Spielberg-exclusive retirement by the time they worked together.  I think I heard that Williams pursued the Geisha gig with Marshall (previously Spielberg), so Marshall may not have had access to him later.  Howard has actually worked with a murderer's row of great composers (Horner and Zimmer a bit more), so he might just prefer variety.

So when's this CD coming out?

[Jay 37,346]

3 minutes ago, igger6 said:

So when's this CD coming out?

 

They haven't told us yet.

[crocodile 8,000]

Do you think they will announce this for week to coincide with May the 4th? Seems like it would make sense plus nice to have Sabrina and this released virtually at the same time.

 

Karol

[Raiders of the SoundtrArk 2,433]

I really hope too, pairing this too gem would be really nice

[Jay 37,346]

As of August 4 2023, the digital version of the Deluxe Edition will now open with the "Adventures of Han" track

 

2020 release: https://music.apple.com/nz/album/solo-a-star-wars-story-original-motion-picture/1539560271

2023 release: https://music.apple.com/nz/album/solo-a-star-wars-story-original-motion-picture/1699104032

[CGCJ 394]

Does The Adventures of Han have a new mix or same as the OST?

[Jay 37,346]

Click "play" on the sample button and listen?

[CGCJ 394]

I'm not familliar enough with the score/cue to know from a preview, which is why I asked.

[rough cut 1,714]

1 hour ago, Jay said:

As of August 4 2023, the digital version of the Deluxe Edition will now open with the "Adventures of Han" track

 

2020 release: https://music.apple.com/nz/album/solo-a-star-wars-story-original-motion-picture/1539560271

2023 release: https://music.apple.com/nz/album/solo-a-star-wars-story-original-motion-picture/1699104032

 
The 2023 link isn’t available outside of the U.S.

[crumbs 14,306]

7 minutes ago, rough cut said:

 
The 2023 link isn’t available outside of the U.S.

 

Must be going live in each region at midnight.

 

Adventures of Han sounds great in the preview clip, but don't ask me if it's a new mix or master. I never had an issue with the OST version anyway.

[A. A. Ron 1,742]

Hey, my personal edit also opens with Adventures of Han. Is that the only change they made? I always thought Stormtrooper Karaoke shouldn’t be in the main program.

[Jay 37,346]

22 minutes ago, rough cut said:

 
The 2023 link isn’t available outside of the U.S.

 

1 hour ago, Jay said:

As of August 4

 

[Luke Skywalker 1,795]

That probably means they may have had permission to include it in the intrada physical edition.

 

shame the other williams “demos” are not included

[Jurassic Shark 12,055]

Indeed a shame.

[JTN 2,003]

On 11/03/2023 at 3:12 AM, Edmilson said:

It's absurd how many directors didn't hire JW again after a first successful collaboration.

Perhaps they couldn't afford to hire him again, or had scheduling conflicts. Williams has always been a very busy man, juggling multiple scores and writing classical work, conducting concerts etc. He was always in high demand and he had only so much time and energy to accept every offer. And perhaps he didn't like every film he was offered. After JAWS and more so after STAR WARS he became in a position where he could decline an offer he disliked. With a few exceptions like HEARTBEEPS or JAWS 2 he always had a good eye for which film projects to take and which to pass on. 

If the same director made the sequel, he usually accepted to score it, otherwise declined, and he was usually right. JP and TLW were directed by Spielberg and they were great and good respectively, but JP3 was done by another director (Joe Johnston) and it was bad. Harry Potter 3 is an exception to the rule, since a different director did it, yet Williams accepted thankfully, and again, he was right, because it's the best film in the franchise. 

I wish Oliver Stone had hired JW for ALEXANDER THE GREAT. Not that I dislike Vangelis' score, it's just that I always wanted to hear JW do a sword and sandal film á la Miklós Rózsa. (btw. Stone did more than one film with JW, Born on the Fourth of July, JFK and Nixon, so here's another director who appreciated and remained faithful to John.)

Can you imagine what a John Williams GLADIATOR score would've been like? Wow, even to think about it makes me smile. If only... 

Anyway, hiring JW is not cheap even if he accepts, and I'm afraid that over the years he (understandably) became very picky when choosing a gig. But I think the main reason might be scheduling conflicts. 

[Chewy 2,388]

4 hours ago, CGCJ said:

Does The Adventures of Han have a new mix or same as the OST?

 

Exact same mix as the OST album

[CGCJ 394]

2 minutes ago, Chewy said:

Exact same mix as the OST album

Was expected as such but wanted to know with it now being included with the newer mixes from deluxe release. A shame this couldn't get a new mix to match the rest of the score.

[Chewy 2,388]

6 minutes ago, CGCJ said:

Was expected as such but wanted to know with it now being included with the newer mixes from deluxe release. A shame this couldn't get a new mix to match the rest of the score.

The mix of that track is already different from the rest of the score anyway since it was recorded in LA, right?

[Raiders of the SoundtrArk 2,433]

Really nice, I hope it means the Intrada physical edition will have it too

[Jay 37,346]

Yes, the team that recorded and mixed and mastered Powell's score is completely different than the team that recorded and mixed and mastered Williams' theme track.  And they were recorded in different rooms (on different continents) with different musicians.

[A. A. Ron 1,742]

2 hours ago, May the Force be with You said:

Really nice, I hope it means the Intrada physical edition will have it too

 

I assume the upcoming Intrada album is the reason the track is being added to the digital album at all.

[Jay 37,346]

That thought crossed my mind as soon as I saw what was different about the digital reissue

[Bespin 8,480]

The first post of this thread was started in 2017. This thread has 85 pages, and now the title mentions the year '2023'.

 

How do you manage this forum?

[Jay 37,346]

Too much wine? 

[Bespin 8,480]

No, it is nonsense to modify a thread title like that after 80 or more posts.

 

The owner of this thread should have started a new thread about the 2023 release.

[Faleel 5,346]

2 minutes ago, Bespin said:

No, it is nonsense to modify a thread title like that after 80 or more posts.

 

You should start a new thread about the 2023 release.

You should start a new discography page every year/decade.

[DangerMotif 1,037]

The Powell Deluxe Edition may be my favorite mixed score

 

I assume the digital release means the CD is imminent?

[Jay 37,346]

8 hours ago, DangerMotif said:

The Powell Deluxe Edition may be my favorite mixed score

 

It really sounds great

 

8 hours ago, DangerMotif said:

I assume the digital release means the CD is imminent?

 

I dunno, I feel like we shouldn't assume that.  But who knows.

[Jay 37,346]

Can anybody figure out why the new edition is on Disney's music licensing site twice?

 

https://www.disneymusiclicensing.com/albums?orderBy=original_release_date&orderDest=desc

[Raiders of the SoundtrArk 2,433]

Perhaps for the same reason DoD wasn't specified as a limited run, an intern blew it up

[Tallguy 3,383]

OK, we need some kind of dual to see who gets the JPII avatar. Maybe some kind of hunt?

[Raiders of the SoundtrArk 2,433]

[Jay 37,346]

Has nobody else noticed that @Chewy's is missing the teeth?

[Raiders of the SoundtrArk 2,433]

I'll cut the tong

[Faleel 5,346]

I'll take it even further...

[Marian Schedenig 8,191]

Ok, they're all slightly different, but this is still confusing:

[Manakin Skywalker 4,891]

I agree, very confusing.