*The Official Revenge Of The Sith Soundtrack Review Thread*

[bondo 33]

The "Clash of Lightsabers" material seems more than appropriate to me. Vader really lets loose with the Force throwing around objects twice in the series, so it seems natural to have a similar playing of his theme.

[Adam 1]

If it works in the film, I'll be Ok with it. But if KM is looking for excuses, I'd say Lucas makes a good one. There's some history to go on to suggest that Lucas can be very particualr about certain ideas existing in his scores. I wouldn't be surprised if JW mostly forgot the music to TPM and would have went in his own direction if given the opportunity. But it will be interesting to see how it works in the film because the force theme was used in TPM to comment specifically with the dialog. So if the theme just seems in there to be in there that would be disappointing because it meant that JW either chose not to change it around enough to fit or felt obligated to keep it in there to satisfy Lucas.

Ideally, you could satisfy what Jeshopk is saying, but modify it, maybe give it a middle section so its not just repeating itself twice. Something like that, I don't know. But we'll see how it works in the film. Maybe the look is so deliberatly like TPM that it would seem wrong not to keep the consistent theme.

- Adam

[Jeshopk 8]

Ideally, you could satisfy what Jeshopk is saying, but modify it, maybe give it a middle section so its not just repeating itself twice. Something like that, I don't know. But we'll see how it works in the film. Maybe the look is so deliberatly like TPM that it would seem wrong not to keep the consistent theme.

I was disappointed by the force theme requote in there too. From the scoring session reports, they said he used Vader's theme instead. That would have made much more sense and been profound to hear the difference between them. Maybe the Vader version was recorded but scrapped in favor of the original idea.

[Adam 1]

If there's one cue whose stock has risen the most for me its Anakin's Betrayal, track 4. Initially, I was distracted by its similarities to The Patriot church burning. But now that I'm more familiar with it, it really stands on its own as a very beautiful piece.

- Adam

[King Mark 3,631]

For me the best cues of the album are Battle of the Heroes,Anakin's Betrayal,Anakin's Dark Deeds,Enter Lord Vader and The Immolation Scene

K.M.

[Adam 1]

Yeah, I like those. The BotH theme in track 9 is another highlight for me and I'm gradually getting used to ESB stuff so it could end being a very solid track overall.

- Adam

[ChrisAfonso 186]

While I like the return of the Lament for Qui-Gon, I think in place of horns counterpointing with the Force theme we might have heard a reference to Across the Stars instead - it would have given the cue more variation, and respected the fact that to sleep with a Jedi is not to become one.

Something like this? Padmé's Destiny - Alternate

I also shortened the track a bit.

[THEfranz_conrad 0]

Mr Hopkins, you read me like the book I am!

Maybe a little bit slower on the love theme, but it's hard to do that and respect the original cue completely!

[ChrisAfonso 186]

hopkins?

[Lurker 5]

You can read Jeff Bond's review here.

Neil

[King Mark 3,631]

I hear Across the Stars in Padme's Ruminations from 1.16-1.25,has this been mentionned yet?

K.M.

[Morlock 11]

I'm not sure, but I heard it the first time around.

Morlock- who does not hate that track

[THEfranz_conrad 0]

I noticed Across the Stars as well... and I think that's a good track that's no more incongruous in the series than the Cantina Band in [helloNeil] A NEW HOPE [/helloNeil ]. Maybe it's not as enjoyable, but it's an interesting entry to the canon.

[TownerFan 4,983]

I hear Across the Stars in Padme's Ruminations from 1.16-1.25,has this been mentionned yet?

K.M.

I noticed that too. And I think that even in "Anakin's Betrayal" there are hints to that theme, if you listen carefully.

Maurizio -- who too doesn't hate "Padme Ruminations"

[Sandor 797]

I have listened to the Episode III soundtrack a lot this past week; more than I ever listened to one John Williams soundtrack before in such a short period of time (with the exception of Schindler's List perhaps).

Some 'new' things I heard.

MAIN TITLE AND THE REVENGE OF THE SITH

I really love the way the Force Theme is performed right after the main title. The sound of the brass is reminding me of Zimmer's Crimson Tide (take that any way you want it, but the performance of Roll Tide is very, very sharp).

GRIEVOUS AND THE DROIDS

In my review I dismissed this as 'standard prequel action music'. I take that back. The first 20 seconds or so are, but after that (like someone also brought out in this thread) it becomes very much like the action music for the ORIGINAL trilogy! It has some subtle old themes incorporated and a truly amazing brass motif. I took me some time to see the magnificance of this track, but now I view it as far superior to General Grievous (track 5).

ENTER LORD VADER

I'm starting to like it.

My 10 favorite tracks are:

1. A New Hope and End Credits

2. Battle Of The Heroes

3. Anakin vs. Obi-Wan

4. Anakin's Betrayal

5. The Birth of the Twins/Padme's Destiny

6. Anakin's Dark Deeds

7. Main Title and The Revenge of the Sith

8. The Immolation Scene

9. Anakin's Dream

10. Palpatine's Teachings

[jamesie 1]

Could someone p.m. a web address of the soundtrack? Cause the two I have been using don't work now. Thanks a bunch!

[Maraquesh 0]

Roald, you might wanna listen to Tom Petty's 'Wildflowers' from1994 and just imagine an album like that in the new starwars. it would have made the one with all the clones sound a lot better than all the funny tunes it has now. do you know Petty anyway? the moment someone like that would start making the music for a starwars film, thats the moment they would become good. ofcourse then we would have a composer at work instead of a moviemusic-maker.

into the great wide open.

[gkgyver 1,645]

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[TownerFan 4,983]

the battle cue from "Revenge Of The Sith" is a little too close to the Orc music from LOTR (5/4 rhythm, bass drums, low brass) and there are "references" to the Black Rider theme in the string section as well as in the choir writing.

Well, that cue is much more similar to Stravinsky's "The Rite of Spring" than any other things.

[ChrisAfonso 186]

First, I've read that "Orc theme resemblance" thing several times now. If you mean the portion of track 1 (i think), which I think you do, yes it has similar accents in the bass and percussion, but it's not in 5/4. It's 3/2. And since when does Shore have the patent on bass/percussion accents appearing regularly?

Second, regarding "no memorable outbursts of new thematic material", even if you don't count BotH as such, you can't discard the genious that is "Anakin's Dark Deeds". That one is filled with enew theme, and "outburst" is an understatement.

[gkgyver 1,645]

. 

[Bowie 45]

Did anyone else already spot the cue that seems to be straight out of David Arnold's "Tomorrow Never Dies".  

It's in "Enter Lord Vader" and starts at 3:02.

That sounds more like Towering Inferno.

[Mr. Breathmask 555]

That's what I was thinking about too.

[ChrisAfonso 186]

The more I listen to "Anakin's Dark Deeds", the more I can picture it underscoring the Mace/Palps/Anakin(later) fight... it would make perfect sense with this uneasy athmosphere at the beginning as the Jedi step in, the sudden angry choral outburst when Palpatine suddenly springs to life with his saber, then the dramatic action during the track, and the overly emotional ending which has a sense of doom.

(I'm not saying it will score that scene, I just can picture it as described in the script really well with this music )

[Mr. Breathmask 555]

In that case, Anakin's Dark Deeds would in fact be I am the Senate.

[lagwagon169 0]

In reading a few ROTS reviews, here's my random complaints/observations:

First of all, i'm tired of all these reviewers calling the last chord in the "force theme" neopolitan. I agree with you that the last chord is normally a major fourth, but calling it "neopolitan" is just silly. He uses the SAME alternate chord everytime It's always the Major chord of one halfstep above the root (aka if force theme is in Fminor the so-called "neopolitan" chord is always F#Major). Neopolitan implies at least more than one alternate to the major fourth chord, so it's not really accurate to use it. Besides the only reason it works is because the melody line of the force theme hits the Major 4th tone in the scale, so the reason he always hits the "neopolitan" chord is because the 4th tone in the scale is the Major 3rd of your "neopolitan" chord, so it sounds passable. He really couldnt' use any other chords without creating too much dissonance.

Technically speaking, it's a Diminished 2nd Major Chord.

Second of all, I noticed something when listening to the battle of the heroes track. Tell me that 3:20-3:28 isn't ridiculously close in sentiment and melody to 3:25-3:34 of a song on the Phantom menace score called "Qui-Gon's Noble End" It's like he quotes each melody (BOTH & DOTF) in a playful echo or some crap. And yes i want a cookie for noticing.

[ChrisAfonso 186]

I don't get your point. The Neapolitan is a chord that is used as a substitute for the Subdominant, and it is exactly this function which it has in those RotS incarnations of the Force theme.

And your "HE really couldn't use any other chords without creating too much dissonance" just doesn't make sense, he could hit either one of the following and it would make as much sense as it does with the Neapolitan:

-minor IV

-minor II

-Major VII

-minor VII

-(Major7/minor7 V)

[Sandor 797]

Roald, you might wanna listen to Tom Petty's 'Wildflowers' from1994 and just imagine an album like that in the new starwars. it would have made the one with all the clones sound a lot better than all the funny tunes it has now. do you know Petty anyway? the moment someone like that would start making the music for a starwars film, thats the moment they would become good. ofcourse then we would have a composer at work instead of a moviemusic-maker.

Maraquesh; since you adress me personally I will respond. To be honest your contribution on this board (together with Lance) is the main reason I haven't followed the activity here. I hate it when certain newbies do what you do.

The funny thing is: I DO like rock music. Not really into Tom Petty. I even think some rock songs can really strengthen certain scenes in a film.

But to suggest that a pop/rock album would be better than Williams' work is simply CRAZY (which I think you are by the way). And please stop using the term 'moviemusic-maker'.

Isn't there a Tom Petty board somewhere? Just answer this question: "Why the f*ck are you here?"

[Hitch 57]

Speaking of Anakin's Dark Deeds (Track 6), those monk chants (I know someone mentioned the similar chants in Seven Years in Tibet) but what I was waiting for after 10 seconds of it was -

"K o y a a n i s q a t s i" by that masterfully inventive Philip Glass.

Ko.yaa.nis.qatsi (from the Hopi language), n. 1. Crazy life. 2. Life in turmoil. 3. Life disintegrating. 4. Life out of balance. 5. A state of life that calls for another way of living.

Overall, I was disappointed by the score. Those End Credits were a disaster and the Opening Credits didn't fare too well either after the opening crawl finished. I also didn't like the use of music from TESB (namely the music where Luke loses his hand). I've only listened to it 3 times so far. I feel there was far too much Harry Potter influencing this score. The time has come now Johnny to depart from dear George and concentrate your talents to writing solid scores for solid movies. Then again, your concentration could be beginning to wane. Time to put you out to pasture.

Hitch, whose own mind isn't faring any better I'm afraid. Anyone catching the Hitchcock season on Sky Cinema? Those royalties are paying handsomely. The delicious Stage Fright was on Sunday night. Marlene Dietrich was never sexier. The minx....Rrrrrrrr.