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Rank 9 Star Wars OST albums


crocodile

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We all know the complete scores is what we want and need. However, some of the soundtrack albums created for SW are really good.

 

How would you rank them? Use whatever criteria you like. It can be just pure musical enjoyment or how they represent music from the film. Make it as subjective as possible. I'm interested in seeing what are JWFan's thoughts on all nine Williams-produced albums.

 

My list:

 

1. SW

2. TFA

3. AOTC

4. TESB

5. TLJ

6. TROS

7. TPM

8. ROTS

9. ROTJ

 

The first three are really great albums that I enjoy with no reservations. They flow nicely and present the scores well. The next three are albums that are OK but I have issues with them. TESB is 4th on this list but on some days I think it should be no. 6 (due to presentation, not music). The last three I never listen to as they are completely inadequate.

 

Karol

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What OSTs are we considering for the OT? The original ones, released on the 70s/80s, the Anthology, the Special Editions or Disney's 2018 new release?

 

Because if it's the originals, then ROTJ is on the last position by far. What a lame, depressingly short album for such a great score (the original releases of ESB and ANH were decent for their time though).

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OST Supremacists will say it's an artistic expression the way it was arranged and all, but c'mon, it hardly represents the score or larger narrative and to add insult to injury, it sounds like Jabba the Hutt shoved the microphone under his rolls of fat and they recorded it like that.

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I'll post my 9 album ranking soon, still feeling out TROS album presentation.  Over time I've grown to appreciate the album for Attack of the Clones.

 

My number one would be likely either Star Wars or The Phantom Menace.

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39 minutes ago, Arpy said:

OST Supremacists will say it's an artistic expression the way it was arranged and all, but c'mon, it hardly represents the score or larger narrative and to add insult to injury, it sounds like Jabba the Hutt shoved the microphone under his rolls of fat and they recorded it like that.

 

I wonder how, for ANH and ESB, Williams managed to produce releases with two LPs, lasting for 75 minutes of music, while for E.T., ROTJ, the first two Indys, etc., he only released very short LPs, with 40 - 45 minutes each, that aren't very good representations of the scores. 

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OSTs or Expanded, it doesn't factor in for me. I feel as though my mind has been made up on my Star Wars scores rankings.  Unlike the Indy scores (Raiders, ToD, LC) which can change order at any given time/mood I'm feeling.

 

1. Empire Strikes Back

2. The Return of the Jedi

3. A New Hope

4. Revenge of the Sith

5. The Phantom Menace

6. The Rise of Skywalker

7. The Force Awakens

8. The Last Jedi

9. Attack of the Clones

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I was listening to Empire on the plane yesterday and thought it was a horrible presentation. Putting Hyperspace in the middle of the album and ending it on The Magic Tree and Lando's Palace? It just makes no sense to me whatsoever. Add to that some of the micro-edits (Mynock cave segment?) that are just bizarre. The whole thing just felt like a collection of random pieces with no structure or flow. Why do you guys like it? Really curious. The Gerhardt album is a much better "OST".

 

Karol

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5 hours ago, Arpy said:

OST Supremacists will say it's an artistic expression the way it was arranged and all, but c'mon, it hardly represents the score or larger narrative and to add insult to injury, it sounds like Jabba the Hutt shoved the microphone under his rolls of fat and they recorded it like that.

It still plays miles better than the TPM or ESB OSTs.

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6 hours ago, Edmilson said:

What OSTs are we considering for the OT? The original ones, released on the 70s/80s, the Anthology, the Special Editions or Disney's 2018 new release?

 

Anthology. Thor said it’s okay.

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59 minutes ago, Arpy said:

Well that's the thing, the OSTs in my list are the 2004 editions and not the original program. 

The 2004 sets are not OSTs. We are talking about the albums released at the same time as their respective films. The 1993 Anthology and 1997/2004 are not that.

 

Karol

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1 hour ago, crocodile said:

The 2004 sets are not OSTs. We are talking about the albums released at the same time as their respective films. The 1993 Anthology and 1997/2004 are not that.

 

Karol

Oh ok. Hmm the original OSTs aren't worth listening to. I enjoy the later expanded releases for their presentation and ability to tell a story.

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49 minutes ago, Arpy said:

Oh ok. Hmm the original OSTs aren't worth listening to. I enjoy the later expanded releases for their presentation and ability to tell a story.

I was more thinking about Williams as an album producer. Some of them work quite well.

 

Karol

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5 minutes ago, crocodile said:

I was more thinking about Williams as an album producer. Some of them work quite well.

 

Karol

I agree, just not the OT scores. I think AotC and RotS whilst missing a few key cues are great listening experiences curated by Williams.

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1-The Empire Strikes Back

2-Revenge of the Sith

3-Star Wars

4-The Phantom Menace

5-The Force Awakens

6-The Rise of Skywalker

7-The Last Jedi

8-Return of the Jedi

9-Attack Of The Clones

 

 

 

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1 - AotC (and all I need from it actually, decides perfectly what to keep and what to throw in the garbage where it belongs)

2 - TFA (grrreat presentation)

3 - RotJ (for what it is, it works very well)

4 - SW (can't place it any higher for replacing Launch from the Fourth Moon with much less interesting and memorable material)

5 - RotS (many good ideas, don't like the duel blown apart all over and such)

6 - TLJ (parts really slog but that finale!)

7 - TRoS (bit all over the place, obvious third act lead-in in the first third, lacklustre finale, etc.)

8 - ESB (cut up so hard it actually significantly hurts highlight pieces when they're taken waaay out of context)

9 - TPM (a complete horrible overedited random mess)

 

8-9 are interchangeable. I may find TPM's crime worse because I might like the complete score more than ESB?

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1.  Star Wars

2.  The Empire Strikes Back

3.  Return of the Jedi

4.  The Phantom Menace

5.  The Force Awakens

6.  Attack of the Clones

7.  Revenge of the Sith

8.  The Last Jedi

 

 

 

 

 

9.  The Rise of Skywalker

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@crocodile this thread made me relisten to the ROTJ album.  I had forgotten Fight in the Dungeon and the Jabba concert suite are completely missing. I think the release being a single LP (unlike SW and ESB, which were double LPs) put a hamper on the opportunity to showcase the ROTJ music on the album.  I would rate it low as well.

 

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These are so hard to rank. Think about how lucky we are to have nine incredible scores that could easily have won nine Oscars, but if I have to:

ANH

TESB

ROTJ 

TPM

ROTS

TROS

AOTC

TLJ 

TFA

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Best overall representation of the scores:

1 Star Wars (mainly because there's not  much  unreleased music)

2 AotC

3 TFA (my least favorite SW score but the album has most of the important music except the cue The Resistance Arrives)

4 TESB Double Album

5 TROS

 

 

Worst Representation of the Score a lot of highlights missing:

1 RotJ (inexcusable,JW's worst OST of all time with TOD)

2 RotS (I don't know where to begin...)

3 TPM

4 TLJ

 

 

 

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