London Symphony Orchestra - Star Wars: A New Hope: The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (Special Edition)
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Free Music Notes for Star Wars: A New Hope: The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (Special Edition)
Free Music Review: A Great Classic
Hit: 5 Stars
It's very difficult to say something about John Williams' classic score to "Star Wars/A New Hope" that hasn't been said before. No doubt this is a great soundtrack, one of Williams' biggest works. Now with this complete edition, everybody can really enjoy what happens to be a milestone in film music. Michael Mattessino and Nick Redman did a favor to the soundtrack fan when they released every minute of this wonderful music, plus the preliminary recordings of the "Star Wars" theme as a bonus track. Don't miss it. Ooops! I think I've just done the opposite from what I stated at the beginning of this review.Free Music Review: Terrific Remasters, and Even Better Liner Notes! Really!
Hit: 5 Stars
If you were anywhere between the ages of 6 and 15 in 1977 (I was 10), chances are you played the heck out of the original double-album STAR WARS sound track until the grooves wore out. Back then, you probably listened mostly to the cantina music and the opening fanfare, but couldn't really be bothered with some of those 7-minute long pieces that didn't seem quite as punchy as those funky oboes in the Jawa Sandcrawler theme.Now that you're all grown up, pick up this beautiful CD that doesn't have all those affectionate hisses and pops from overplay that you remember from vinyl, and listen to the rest of the album -- you'll be surprisingly pleased at what you may have missed sprawled out on the living room floor all those years ago. Apart from sheer listening pleasure, you'll also have the help of Michael Matessino's careful notes on each track, which will ensure you'll have a new appreciation for the use of themes that John Williams incorporates throughout even the smallest pieces.
I found Matessino's notes to be, perhaps, the most useful I've read in any film score package, and it's obvious that Matessino sat down and took careful notes on the score while the film was rolling. Matessino always has an interesting take on things, and is great at pointing out things a listener (without the benefit of the film rolling at the same time) might have missed -- find out why, for example, Matessino believes that Leia's theme was played at the moment of Ben Kenobi's death, rather than his own theme. The notes are just terrific, and Mattesino's prose is surprisingly bouncy.
Apart from the beautiful sound and terrific notes, the CD also captures some "behind the scenes" takes, including the first-ever run through of the STAR WARS Main Theme.
Put on this CD and prepare for an afternoon of heavy waves of childhood flashbacks -- but DON'T NEGLECT THOSE LINER NOTES!
Free Music Review: John Williams is awesome
Hit: 5 Stars
I think John Williams is awesome and deserved the Oscar that he won. I have listened to this CD a million times and have about wore it out. This CD is great.Free Music Review: A Landmark of Depth, Beauty, and Substance
Hit: 5 Stars
John Williams effectively broke through to a whole generation of young, impressionable kids, bringing them a rich experience in theatrical music. This soundtrack, throughout the movie, succeeds in being transparent, directing its mood and theme to the movie, and not to itself. It's only by enjoying the soundtrack as a separate entity that one realizes its true depth and beauty. Heroism, despair, fear, victory, hope, courage; these are all present in the movie, and communicated through this soundtrack. Incredible. As a fan of soundtracks, this ranks above them all.Free Music Review: a very good track
Hit: 4 Stars
This is an excellent piece. A very good addition to a Williams or Star Wars collector. A good addition to the collection of anyone who likes good music. While I don't think it is quite as good as his later works, such as "The Empire Strikes Back," it is very much worth recognition. The best tracks on it are the cantinas and "Tie Fighter Attack" because of their up-tempo. There is a great bit of diversity here, but I don't think that the trademark Williams style is there quite yet. That comes later on. I would recommend this to anyone.