This CD + DVD package comes with a Special Edition Amazon.co.uk Exclusive Slipcase. John Williams' lovely and moving score for the sixth Star Wars film brings thirty years of collaborating on George Lucas' beyond-popular intergalactic franchise to a close. (Is this really the end of Star Wars? Can't Lucas and Williams work together on a prequel to these prequels? Let us hope so, and that Jar Jar Binks is nowhere near it.) As this music accompanies the most exciting Star Wars film in many a moon, the soundtrack itself is more fun, more evil, more nasty and bumpy. Many of the heroic, anthemic themes woven throughout Episode Three: Revenge of the Sith will necessarily be familiar to any fan of the series, from the "Imperial March" to the main theme. It's remarkable how stirring the latter can be, no matter how many times you've heard it--even for those who do not have all their money invested in S.W. memorabilia. There is a lot of new music here, and the lush, extensive range of both Williams and the London Symphony Orchestra is on display, most notably in the menacing, percolating "General Grievous" and the rousing "New Hope" end theme. --Mike McGonigal

JOHN WILLIAMS'S BEST!!, 04 May 2008
Along with The Lord Of The Rings, one of the finest OSTs available!
Definiteley John Williams's finest of the Star Wars Saga!
Favourite pieces: Anakin's Betrayal (Order 66), The Immolation Scene (Vader burns) & The Birth of the Twins and Padmé's Destiny (basically Padme's funeral & the Vader/Palpatine/Tarkin scene)
Dark & heavy, a fitting climax - very moving & emotional music.

The Bonus DVD is great too!

Fantastic, 29 May 2007
It would be fair to say that the Star Wars prequels, or at least the first two, have failed to live up to expectations. Thankfully the music scores have been a continual strength. Episode III finally delivered on it's promise to tie up loose ends and to finally reveal how Anakin Skywalker finally succumbed to the Dark Side of the Force. The soundtrack, beginning with the familiar Star Wars fanfare, also brings the musical journey to a satisfying finale. The Bonus DVD is a joy, the London Philharmonic Orchestra tell the story of the whole saga with a montage of clips and pieces of music taken from all six films. In fact, you would be probably better off watching this than the first two films. For the prices you can get it for; this is a must!

Please please please.. release the complete recordings!, 23 Jan 2007
The final film; the final soundtrack. The soundtrack to end all soundtracks - the film finished on a flourish, as I left the cinema, i thought this is will be the soundtrack to have, what with the entire 'battle of the heroes' and the music when Anakin saunters up the steps of the Jedi Temple to wipe them all out.

So imagine my dissapointment. Every other Star Wars soundtrack (except episode 2, which, frankly, is no big deal) has a complete recording (and I have them all!).. not this one. The tracks are music from some of the key moments.. but is missing big chunks and other themes, like Anakin's march into the Jedi Temple. 3-stars 'cos its Star Wars and should be punished for not providing the complete score, gone are the days when a Star Wars product should automatically get a 4 or 5. My faith is lacking.. disturbing.. George Lucas, end it with a complete score, please!

Spectacular to the end, 04 Aug 2006
Another masterpiece from John Williams. The revenge of the sith CD can be described as a sweeping symphonic masterpiece, it provides a strong and moving climax to the epic prequel trilogy. Notable favourites for me are track 9 and 15; track 15 features 'The Throne Room' a classic piece from A New Hope, remastered perfectly, included in the track also is a version reminiscent of this which, is also enjoyable. Congratulations to John Williams for a suberb onclusion to the Star Wars music.

The best of them all, 17 May 2006
the score from revenge of the sith combines all the unforgetable themes from the previous films with new heartbreaking and emotionally charged music. it is my opinion that this is the best score of all.

The most eagerly anticipated movie of 1999, if not the decade, The Phantom Menace was also a mouth-watering prospect for soundtrack fans. Star Wars, after all, has become arguably the best-known and most influential movie score ever written, so a new instalment from John Williams, performed by the London Symphony Orchestra, was always going to be a cause for celebration. And if the movie proved ultimately unable to live up to audience's almost impossibly high expectations, the music more than compensated. This is Williams at his expansive best. Always a supremely confident inhabitant of the Star Wars universe, the composer once again marshals the techniques of leitmotif and thematic transformation to depict the exotic landscapes of George Lucas's imagination; and here, 22 years after the original, his scoring exudes the maturity of a highly accomplished master of his craft. Take the centrally important "Anakin's Theme", for example, in which the seeds are sown for transformation into "The Imperial March" (Darth Vader's theme), or the Miklós Rózsa-esque march of "The Flag Parade" (the comparison with Ben-Hur is only fitting in context), or the magnificent choral set-piece, "Duel Of The Fates", in which a choir chanting a Sanskrit text (!) is propelled headlong over a driving ostinato rhythm. Original themes are used sparingly, but when the Force theme floats ethereally into "Watto's Deal" or the Emperor's sinister theme introduces "The Appearance Of Darth Maul", their impact is all the more telling for its subtlety. Throughout, the picturesque orchestration conjures vivid images--whether or not you are thinking of the movie--helped greatly by a magnificent performance from the LSO, whose excitement and sense of enjoyment in this music is tangible (the brass playing is, as ever with this team, a joy to behold). The recording at Abbey Road Studio No. 1 is also one of the most realistic ever captured on disc: listen through good speakers and it's like sitting in the studio itself. This 74-minute album assembled by the composer is intended to offer a musically coherent presentation: doubtless a complete version of this score will surface to satisfy collectors, but for now there's scarcely a better way to experience the magical fusion of music and cinema. --Mark Walker

JOHN WILLIAMS'S BEST!!, 04 May 2008
Along with The Lord Of The Rings, one of the finest OSTs available!
Definiteley John Williams's finest of the Star Wars Saga!
Favourite pieces: Anakin's Betrayal (Order 66), The Immolation Scene (Vader burns) & The Birth of the Twins and Padmé's Destiny (basically Padme's funeral & the Vader/Palpatine/Tarkin scene)
Dark & heavy, a fitting climax - very moving & emotional music.

The Bonus DVD is great too!

Fantastic, 29 May 2007
It would be fair to say that the Star Wars prequels, or at least the first two, have failed to live up to expectations. Thankfully the music scores have been a continual strength. Episode III finally delivered on it's promise to tie up loose ends and to finally reveal how Anakin Skywalker finally succumbed to the Dark Side of the Force. The soundtrack, beginning with the familiar Star Wars fanfare, also brings the musical journey to a satisfying finale. The Bonus DVD is a joy, the London Philharmonic Orchestra tell the story of the whole saga with a montage of clips and pieces of music taken from all six films. In fact, you would be probably better off watching this than the first two films. For the prices you can get it for; this is a must!

Please please please.. release the complete recordings!, 23 Jan 2007
The final film; the final soundtrack. The soundtrack to end all soundtracks - the film finished on a flourish, as I left the cinema, i thought this is will be the soundtrack to have, what with the entire 'battle of the heroes' and the music when Anakin saunters up the steps of the Jedi Temple to wipe them all out.

So imagine my dissapointment. Every other Star Wars soundtrack (except episode 2, which, frankly, is no big deal) has a complete recording (and I have them all!).. not this one. The tracks are music from some of the key moments.. but is missing big chunks and other themes, like Anakin's march into the Jedi Temple. 3-stars 'cos its Star Wars and should be punished for not providing the complete score, gone are the days when a Star Wars product should automatically get a 4 or 5. My faith is lacking.. disturbing.. George Lucas, end it with a complete score, please!

Spectacular to the end, 04 Aug 2006
Another masterpiece from John Williams. The revenge of the sith CD can be described as a sweeping symphonic masterpiece, it provides a strong and moving climax to the epic prequel trilogy. Notable favourites for me are track 9 and 15; track 15 features 'The Throne Room' a classic piece from A New Hope, remastered perfectly, included in the track also is a version reminiscent of this which, is also enjoyable. Congratulations to John Williams for a suberb onclusion to the Star Wars music.

The best of them all, 17 May 2006
the score from revenge of the sith combines all the unforgetable themes from the previous films with new heartbreaking and emotionally charged music. it is my opinion that this is the best score of all.

Absolutley Wonderful, 20 Dec 2004
Star Wars Episode One: The Phantom Menace.
Star Wars Episode One: The Phantom Menace was the first of the "New Movies" that George Lucas has done, and he has brought back to the helm John Williams, Naturally! John has done it again! The music on this Soundtrack is of utmost quality, but nothing to surpass the originality of the first three feature films; Episodes 4, 5, and 6. The story for episode one may have seemed a bit juvenile when comapred to the first of the Star Wars Saga, but the music is still top Notch. I like to draw particular attention to Track Number 2; entitled "Duel of the Fates". What a wonderful piece of Cinematic music! It begins with outright showing of the power of the intended piece, with a simple three measure unaccompanied Choir burst which then ceases, and then the following silence gives way to an almost unhearable melody that gets your fingers tapping. It then begins to grow and the choir is then brought back into the piece, and it swells to a level that makes your sound system beg for mercy if at any reasonable volume. The piece then continues on as a fantastic deluge of sound that ends abruptly, but promptly after nearly 5 minutes. This piece make the CD worth its price. The other pieces that highlight this Soundtrack are; Track 8 "He is the Chosen One", Track 10 "Passage through the Planet Core", and Track 14 "The Droid Invasion and The Appearance of Darth Maul". This music is typical and pure Williams all of the way, and it is sure to please even the most devoted Williams music Fan!

John Williams picks up where he left off..., 23 Aug 2004
The rousing, and epics scores of the original trilogy, are the best part of the stories, if not the whole series of movies. The movies and powerful epic that is called the Imperial March are one of the most well known and one of the strongest pieces of film music that has ever been written. John Williams then ingeniously re-engineered old themes to provide new ones that tie togehter old and new. When I heard about the release of the first of the series of 3 prequels, I beleived that it might be a flop, with the newer technology that promised to help out the cinematic elements of an aged theme. But the music brings sanity and congruence to parts in the movie that would make you cough. John williams is a master at writing for film, and has again taken the cup with no complaints from anybody. The best piece, and perhaps the most popular on this CD, is one of his best, it lies on track 2 and is entitled the "Duel of the fates". What an extrodinarily powerful piece of cinemtaic masterwork. John Williams gets not only two thumbs up form Siskel and Ebert, but thumbs up form a loyalist of the Star Wars Franchise. Well done! Very worth the money!

Worth it for 'Duel of the Fates', 08 Jan 2003
John Williams music is always good and his Star Wars related themes are particularly wonderful. This CD provides pretty much everything that you'd expect, so does not really require much of a review. For me, far and away the best scene in the film is the fight between Qui-Gon, Obi-wan, and Darth Maul which is accompanied by the stirring piece of music 'Duel of the Fates'. Being able to listen to this piece alone had made this CD worth buying. Other than this, it makes pretty effective background music if you want a change from pop music.

Wow!, 11 Nov 2000
Absolutely loved it!Im 15,female and this is my favourite album.I was always a Star Wars fan but this soundtrack surpasses the previous three.My favourites are "Anakin's Theme","Duel of Fates" and "He is the Chosen One".The music is familiar yet in other ways completely different.I loved the "Force" music in "Watto's Deal" and the Darth Vader theme in "The High Council Meeting".I never heard anything like this!

The force is strong with this one.., 19 Oct 2000
John Williams has exceeded himself once again and even after all this time he still hasn't lost his touch. The pieces are well written and still contain the Star Wars element experienced by many over 20 years ago, which we have all grown up to reconise and love soo well. The soundtrack is classed with the rest of the Trilogies soundtack and no less, this is no doubt a brilliant CD. Keep up the good work John Williams!

JOHN WILLIAMS'S BEST!!, 04 May 2008
Along with The Lord Of The Rings, one of the finest OSTs available!
Definiteley John Williams's finest of the Star Wars Saga!
Favourite pieces: Anakin's Betrayal (Order 66), The Immolation Scene (Vader burns) & The Birth of the Twins and Padmé's Destiny (basically Padme's funeral & the Vader/Palpatine/Tarkin scene)
Dark & heavy, a fitting climax - very moving & emotional music.

The Bonus DVD is great too!

Fantastic, 29 May 2007
It would be fair to say that the Star Wars prequels, or at least the first two, have failed to live up to expectations. Thankfully the music scores have been a continual strength. Episode III finally delivered on it's promise to tie up loose ends and to finally reveal how Anakin Skywalker finally succumbed to the Dark Side of the Force. The soundtrack, beginning with the familiar Star Wars fanfare, also brings the musical journey to a satisfying finale. The Bonus DVD is a joy, the London Philharmonic Orchestra tell the story of the whole saga with a montage of clips and pieces of music taken from all six films. In fact, you would be probably better off watching this than the first two films. For the prices you can get it for; this is a must!

Please please please.. release the complete recordings!, 23 Jan 2007
The final film; the final soundtrack. The soundtrack to end all soundtracks - the film finished on a flourish, as I left the cinema, i thought this is will be the soundtrack to have, what with the entire 'battle of the heroes' and the music when Anakin saunters up the steps of the Jedi Temple to wipe them all out.

So imagine my dissapointment. Every other Star Wars soundtrack (except episode 2, which, frankly, is no big deal) has a complete recording (and I have them all!).. not this one. The tracks are music from some of the key moments.. but is missing big chunks and other themes, like Anakin's march into the Jedi Temple. 3-stars 'cos its Star Wars and should be punished for not providing the complete score, gone are the days when a Star Wars product should automatically get a 4 or 5. My faith is lacking.. disturbing.. George Lucas, end it with a complete score, please!

Spectacular to the end, 04 Aug 2006
Another masterpiece from John Williams. The revenge of the sith CD can be described as a sweeping symphonic masterpiece, it provides a strong and moving climax to the epic prequel trilogy. Notable favourites for me are track 9 and 15; track 15 features 'The Throne Room' a classic piece from A New Hope, remastered perfectly, included in the track also is a version reminiscent of this which, is also enjoyable. Congratulations to John Williams for a suberb onclusion to the Star Wars music.

The best of them all, 17 May 2006
the score from revenge of the sith combines all the unforgetable themes from the previous films with new heartbreaking and emotionally charged music. it is my opinion that this is the best score of all.

Absolutley Wonderful, 20 Dec 2004
Star Wars Episode One: The Phantom Menace.
Star Wars Episode One: The Phantom Menace was the first of the "New Movies" that George Lucas has done, and he has brought back to the helm John Williams, Naturally! John has done it again! The music on this Soundtrack is of utmost quality, but nothing to surpass the originality of the first three feature films; Episodes 4, 5, and 6. The story for episode one may have seemed a bit juvenile when comapred to the first of the Star Wars Saga, but the music is still top Notch. I like to draw particular attention to Track Number 2; entitled "Duel of the Fates". What a wonderful piece of Cinematic music! It begins with outright showing of the power of the intended piece, with a simple three measure unaccompanied Choir burst which then ceases, and then the following silence gives way to an almost unhearable melody that gets your fingers tapping. It then begins to grow and the choir is then brought back into the piece, and it swells to a level that makes your sound system beg for mercy if at any reasonable volume. The piece then continues on as a fantastic deluge of sound that ends abruptly, but promptly after nearly 5 minutes. This piece make the CD worth its price. The other pieces that highlight this Soundtrack are; Track 8 "He is the Chosen One", Track 10 "Passage through the Planet Core", and Track 14 "The Droid Invasion and The Appearance of Darth Maul". This music is typical and pure Williams all of the way, and it is sure to please even the most devoted Williams music Fan!

John Williams picks up where he left off..., 23 Aug 2004
The rousing, and epics scores of the original trilogy, are the best part of the stories, if not the whole series of movies. The movies and powerful epic that is called the Imperial March are one of the most well known and one of the strongest pieces of film music that has ever been written. John Williams then ingeniously re-engineered old themes to provide new ones that tie togehter old and new. When I heard about the release of the first of the series of 3 prequels, I beleived that it might be a flop, with the newer technology that promised to help out the cinematic elements of an aged theme. But the music brings sanity and congruence to parts in the movie that would make you cough. John williams is a master at writing for film, and has again taken the cup with no complaints from anybody. The best piece, and perhaps the most popular on this CD, is one of his best, it lies on track 2 and is entitled the "Duel of the fates". What an extrodinarily powerful piece of cinemtaic masterwork. John Williams gets not only two thumbs up form Siskel and Ebert, but thumbs up form a loyalist of the Star Wars Franchise. Well done! Very worth the money!

Worth it for 'Duel of the Fates', 08 Jan 2003
John Williams music is always good and his Star Wars related themes are particularly wonderful. This CD provides pretty much everything that you'd expect, so does not really require much of a review. For me, far and away the best scene in the film is the fight between Qui-Gon, Obi-wan, and Darth Maul which is accompanied by the stirring piece of music 'Duel of the Fates'. Being able to listen to this piece alone had made this CD worth buying. Other than this, it makes pretty effective background music if you want a change from pop music.

Wow!, 11 Nov 2000
Absolutely loved it!Im 15,female and this is my favourite album.I was always a Star Wars fan but this soundtrack surpasses the previous three.My favourites are "Anakin's Theme","Duel of Fates" and "He is the Chosen One".The music is familiar yet in other ways completely different.I loved the "Force" music in "Watto's Deal" and the Darth Vader theme in "The High Council Meeting".I never heard anything like this!

The force is strong with this one.., 19 Oct 2000
John Williams has exceeded himself once again and even after all this time he still hasn't lost his touch. The pieces are well written and still contain the Star Wars element experienced by many over 20 years ago, which we have all grown up to reconise and love soo well. The soundtrack is classed with the rest of the Trilogies soundtack and no less, this is no doubt a brilliant CD. Keep up the good work John Williams!

Cinema at its best - with music to match!, 29 Oct 2005
Listening to this soundtrack - feels like watching the film, from the opening credits to the tie-fighters attacking the falcon to the death of obi-wan. You simply don't get the same feeling listening to any other soundtrack (maybe because of my mis-spent youth?). Fantastic, iconic, seminal, legendary, universally recognised, i could go on at length - but i think you get the picture. This album really doesn't need reviews anyway, if you've seen the film and liked it and you are looking at this page you'd be mad not to get this (and the other 2 in this trilogy).

Simply the best!

Williams at his best, 20 Dec 2004
Star Wars Episodes IV, V, and VI: The original Trilogy.
When the Star Wars movies first hit the Theaters in 1977, John Williams made a very large splash in the film music genre with his unparalleled "Main Title" which has become Iconic of Star Wars for the last 27 years ! Every body in the World knows the music from Star Wars, and thus they are all familiar with the typical John Williams style. In following John Williams throughout his career, and listening to all of the music that he has come out with, his "signature style" is apparent in all of his scores, especially in Star Wars. The most memorable pieces of the Original series undoubtably the "Main Title " and the "Imperial March or Darth Vaders Theme". I would like to draw attention to several others though that I think are certainly worthy of notation and listening. I would like to begin with "Tales of the Jedi, Learn about the Force" which appears as Track number 8 on the first CD of Episode 4. Here the wonderful and timeless "Jedi Theme" is layed out to accent the curious ways of the Jedi, and to lay into memory the good and wonderful morals of the movie. The next is on the second CD of Episode 5. You can find it by the name of "The Clash of the Lightsabers" or Track number 10. It is the first time that Williams really uses alot of Choir in the back ground to give great effect and spotlight the large battle between Good and Evil that the movie portrays. The Third and final comes of course on the second CD of Episode 6. It is the best of all the music that John wrote for the three movies, and is found on Track number 7 entitled " The Battle of Endor II". Here the famous final Duel between Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker begins. The music used to accent this piece is very powerful, foreboding, and wonderfully satisfying. This piece caps the struggle between Good and Evil that is the Story of Anakin Skywalker and his turn back to the Ligh side. John Williams accomplishments with these three movies have set the precedence and the standard for all other films that will come forth in the future. This is an opportunity to hear a master at work!

With George Lucas' Star Wars Episode II: Attack Of The Clones impressively showcasing rich drama beyond the customary eye-popping spectacle, long-time franchise collaborator John Williams' score follows suit with a rewarding and compelling mix of tragedy-tinged romance and epic action, enveloped in a pervading air of approaching doom. Dispensing with The Phantom Menace's exuberant, youthful orchestrations, more at home in E.T., Attack of the Clones pleasingly mirrors Williams' work on franchise zenith The Empire Strikes Back.

Fans will delight in the increased appearance of the series' classic themes, underlining the wider saga and tantalisingly foreshadowing future events while, like a Bond score, retaining the series' beloved musical signature. Williams frames the film's tragic romance with a beautiful love theme, "Across the Stars". A sweeping epic with a melancholic edge, it's the strongest track, the "threatened romance" theme further showcased in "Anakin and Padme" and "The Meadow Picnic". Yet, the action cues find Williams on equally glorious form. "Jango's Escape" and "Bounty Hunter's Pursuit" are thoroughly exciting fare while "Zam the Assassin" is a breathless 11-minute epic, with Williams exploring new ground, with Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon-esque percussion and, surprisingly, electric guitar. The forbidding atmosphere reaches a deliriously thrilling crescendo with "Return to Tatooine", "The Tusken Camp" and "Love Pledge and the Arena", a heart-rending collision of romance, action and inescapable dread, interwoven with a plethora of the series themes. When "The Imperial March" makes a full-blown appearance in "Confrontation with Count Dooku"--as a victorious fanfare, no less--it recalls the best heart-stopping moments of Williams' original Star Wars orchestrations.

Coming so far in to such a distinguished career, this is an impressive, memorable work that once again showcases Williams' virtuoso affinity with cinema and, beyond that, a magnificent fifth segment in his eventual Magnum Opus. --Danny Graydon

JOHN WILLIAMS'S BEST!!, 04 May 2008
Along with The Lord Of The Rings, one of the finest OSTs available!
Definiteley John Williams's finest of the Star Wars Saga!
Favourite pieces: Anakin's Betrayal (Order 66), The Immolation Scene (Vader burns) & The Birth of the Twins and Padmé's Destiny (basically Padme's funeral & the Vader/Palpatine/Tarkin scene)
Dark & heavy, a fitting climax - very moving & emotional music.

The Bonus DVD is great too!

Fantastic, 29 May 2007
It would be fair to say that the Star Wars prequels, or at least the first two, have failed to live up to expectations. Thankfully the music scores have been a continual strength. Episode III finally delivered on it's promise to tie up loose ends and to finally reveal how Anakin Skywalker finally succumbed to the Dark Side of the Force. The soundtrack, beginning with the familiar Star Wars fanfare, also brings the musical journey to a satisfying finale. The Bonus DVD is a joy, the London Philharmonic Orchestra tell the story of the whole saga with a montage of clips and pieces of music taken from all six films. In fact, you would be probably better off watching this than the first two films. For the prices you can get it for; this is a must!

Please please please.. release the complete recordings!, 23 Jan 2007
The final film; the final soundtrack. The soundtrack to end all soundtracks - the film finished on a flourish, as I left the cinema, i thought this is will be the soundtrack to have, what with the entire 'battle of the heroes' and the music when Anakin saunters up the steps of the Jedi Temple to wipe them all out.

So imagine my dissapointment. Every other Star Wars soundtrack (except episode 2, which, frankly, is no big deal) has a complete recording (and I have them all!).. not this one. The tracks are music from some of the key moments.. but is missing big chunks and other themes, like Anakin's march into the Jedi Temple. 3-stars 'cos its Star Wars and should be punished for not providing the complete score, gone are the days when a Star Wars product should automatically get a 4 or 5. My faith is lacking.. disturbing.. George Lucas, end it with a complete score, please!

Spectacular to the end, 04 Aug 2006
Another masterpiece from John Williams. The revenge of the sith CD can be described as a sweeping symphonic masterpiece, it provides a strong and moving climax to the epic prequel trilogy. Notable favourites for me are track 9 and 15; track 15 features 'The Throne Room' a classic piece from A New Hope, remastered perfectly, included in the track also is a version reminiscent of this which, is also enjoyable. Congratulations to John Williams for a suberb onclusion to the Star Wars music.

The best of them all, 17 May 2006
the score from revenge of the sith combines all the unforgetable themes from the previous films with new heartbreaking and emotionally charged music. it is my opinion that this is the best score of all.

Absolutley Wonderful, 20 Dec 2004
Star Wars Episode One: The Phantom Menace.
Star Wars Episode One: The Phantom Menace was the first of the "New Movies" that George Lucas has done, and he has brought back to the helm John Williams, Naturally! John has done it again! The music on this Soundtrack is of utmost quality, but nothing to surpass the originality of the first three feature films; Episodes 4, 5, and 6. The story for episode one may have seemed a bit juvenile when comapred to the first of the Star Wars Saga, but the music is still top Notch. I like to draw particular attention to Track Number 2; entitled "Duel of the Fates". What a wonderful piece of Cinematic music! It begins with outright showing of the power of the intended piece, with a simple three measure unaccompanied Choir burst which then ceases, and then the following silence gives way to an almost unhearable melody that gets your fingers tapping. It then begins to grow and the choir is then brought back into the piece, and it swells to a level that makes your sound system beg for mercy if at any reasonable volume. The piece then continues on as a fantastic deluge of sound that ends abruptly, but promptly after nearly 5 minutes. This piece make the CD worth its price. The other pieces that highlight this Soundtrack are; Track 8 "He is the Chosen One", Track 10 "Passage through the Planet Core", and Track 14 "The Droid Invasion and The Appearance of Darth Maul". This music is typical and pure Williams all of the way, and it is sure to please even the most devoted Williams music Fan!

John Williams picks up where he left off..., 23 Aug 2004
The rousing, and epics scores of the original trilogy, are the best part of the stories, if not the whole series of movies. The movies and powerful epic that is called the Imperial March are one of the most well known and one of the strongest pieces of film music that has ever been written. John Williams then ingeniously re-engineered old themes to provide new ones that tie togehter old and new. When I heard about the release of the first of the series of 3 prequels, I beleived that it might be a flop, with the newer technology that promised to help out the cinematic elements of an aged theme. But the music brings sanity and congruence to parts in the movie that would make you cough. John williams is a master at writing for film, and has again taken the cup with no complaints from anybody. The best piece, and perhaps the most popular on this CD, is one of his best, it lies on track 2 and is entitled the "Duel of the fates". What an extrodinarily powerful piece of cinemtaic masterwork. John Williams gets not only two thumbs up form Siskel and Ebert, but thumbs up form a loyalist of the Star Wars Franchise. Well done! Very worth the money!

Worth it for 'Duel of the Fates', 08 Jan 2003
John Williams music is always good and his Star Wars related themes are particularly wonderful. This CD provides pretty much everything that you'd expect, so does not really require much of a review. For me, far and away the best scene in the film is the fight between Qui-Gon, Obi-wan, and Darth Maul which is accompanied by the stirring piece of music 'Duel of the Fates'. Being able to listen to this piece alone had made this CD worth buying. Other than this, it makes pretty effective background music if you want a change from pop music.

Wow!, 11 Nov 2000
Absolutely loved it!Im 15,female and this is my favourite album.I was always a Star Wars fan but this soundtrack surpasses the previous three.My favourites are "Anakin's Theme","Duel of Fates" and "He is the Chosen One".The music is familiar yet in other ways completely different.I loved the "Force" music in "Watto's Deal" and the Darth Vader theme in "The High Council Meeting".I never heard anything like this!

The force is strong with this one.., 19 Oct 2000
John Williams has exceeded himself once again and even after all this time he still hasn't lost his touch. The pieces are well written and still contain the Star Wars element experienced by many over 20 years ago, which we have all grown up to reconise and love soo well. The soundtrack is classed with the rest of the Trilogies soundtack and no less, this is no doubt a brilliant CD. Keep up the good work John Williams!

Cinema at its best - with music to match!, 29 Oct 2005
Listening to this soundtrack - feels like watching the film, from the opening credits to the tie-fighters attacking the falcon to the death of obi-wan. You simply don't get the same feeling listening to any other soundtrack (maybe because of my mis-spent youth?). Fantastic, iconic, seminal, legendary, universally recognised, i could go on at length - but i think you get the picture. This album really doesn't need reviews anyway, if you've seen the film and liked it and you are looking at this page you'd be mad not to get this (and the other 2 in this trilogy).

Simply the best!

Williams at his best, 20 Dec 2004
Star Wars Episodes IV, V, and VI: The original Trilogy.
When the Star Wars movies first hit the Theaters in 1977, John Williams made a very large splash in the film music genre with his unparalleled "Main Title" which has become Iconic of Star Wars for the last 27 years ! Every body in the World knows the music from Star Wars, and thus they are all familiar with the typical John Williams style. In following John Williams throughout his career, and listening to all of the music that he has come out with, his "signature style" is apparent in all of his scores, especially in Star Wars. The most memorable pieces of the Original series undoubtably the "Main Title " and the "Imperial March or Darth Vaders Theme". I would like to draw attention to several others though that I think are certainly worthy of notation and listening. I would like to begin with "Tales of the Jedi, Learn about the Force" which appears as Track number 8 on the first CD of Episode 4. Here the wonderful and timeless "Jedi Theme" is layed out to accent the curious ways of the Jedi, and to lay into memory the good and wonderful morals of the movie. The next is on the second CD of Episode 5. You can find it by the name of "The Clash of the Lightsabers" or Track number 10. It is the first time that Williams really uses alot of Choir in the back ground to give great effect and spotlight the large battle between Good and Evil that the movie portrays. The Third and final comes of course on the second CD of Episode 6. It is the best of all the music that John wrote for the three movies, and is found on Track number 7 entitled " The Battle of Endor II". Here the famous final Duel between Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker begins. The music used to accent this piece is very powerful, foreboding, and wonderfully satisfying. This piece caps the struggle between Good and Evil that is the Story of Anakin Skywalker and his turn back to the Ligh side. John Williams accomplishments with these three movies have set the precedence and the standard for all other films that will come forth in the future. This is an opportunity to hear a master at work!

copy protected, buy the import version instead!!, 09 Nov 2008
i had to buy 2 copies of this in the end, as i made the mistake of buying a copy protected version, i now have that import version, and it sits on my ipod with all the other soundtracks from star wars (119 tracks in total)

Soundtrack for the Star Wars Saga keeps building!, 09 Jul 2002
John Williams manages to keep building on a ever growing sucess! His latest addition to the chain of hit scores sits high as one of his best works to date. The soundtrack complements the film excellently, and stands just as greatly on its own.

The most rewarding track on the CD is Zam The Assasin and The Chase Through Coruscant. For all eleven minutes the tension is held and keeps building through William's trademark skill, dissonace. The inclusion of classic 'chase music' instruments like the bongo drums, various other percussion and an electric guitar, shows his ability to bring old fashioned styles into his own. Look back at Lalo Schifrin's work, a master of the funky chase music of the 60's and 70's. Williams' experimentation with these instruments has given us on of the best pieces of chase music I've ever heard. It's obvious he still has his skills from writing the music to 60's show Peter Gunn along with jazz composer Henry Mancini.

Other tracks on the CD feature a new love theme which pours a tragic melody, much like Anakin's Theme from Episode I. We see the return of some of the main themes from Episode I and the Imperial March used to represent Count Dooku and his 'Confrontation.'

In whole, this score is much like The Empire Strikes Back than any other. With a mix of dark, and impending danger music, and a love theme. Like ESB, there is much incidental music to carry themes along. It's quite surprising this isn't a double CD.

An excellent work on it's own and the most exciting of all scores so far.
Roll on Episode III!

DEFINITELY NOT A DISAPPOINTMENT-just as good as the movie, 24 May 2002
I am only a recent Star Wars fan but music is a passion of mine and i have been totally swept away by the music of star wars. i just love it and john williams fifth installment is far from falling aground. The 'across the stars' love theme is beautiful, really portraying the love padme and anakin have for each other and continues to repeat in various other tracks, like the duel of the fates did for phantom menace. zam the assassin is a interestin track, with williams searching new ground but a bit a long if you ask me. yoda and the younglings is so adorable bcos the scene in the movie is so adorable. i also like the arena piece, and for those who've seen the movie , u can just imagine our heroes battling against those awful three nonsters here. in track 10, return to tatooine, we hear the all too familiar the force music and the duel of fates makes a come back, reflecting anakin's anxiety and track 11 does well to show his greif. and of course, who cannot be blown away by track 13, confrontation with count dooku and the finale, where the much loved imperial march makes a full come back. i seriously doubted williams could do better than episode 1 but he's done it again. HIGHLY RECOMMENEDED.

John Williams does it again!!!, 22 May 2002
Where to start??? How about at he beginning, that's usually the best place.

The opening credits everybody knows and they will for always be an institution of film music. Did you know that the first 32 bars are the same in every film? How can he get away with it everytime? who knows? who cares? If it works why change it?

Now, how can anyone fail to be moved by the love theme for this film? My brother (a confirmed John Williams obsessive) played this CD non stop and for once I didn't attempt to stop him. Even before I had seen the movie I couldn't help but stop and listen everytime I heard this theme(which is quite a lot on this CD as most of you will know), no matter what I was doing. And I must admit that it is my very favourite piece and I happen to hum it to myself almost all day every day. And now I have seen the film it moves me even more.

I don't have enough space to write here about all the movements, but I have just got to say how much I admire John Williams for always trying something new. A perfect example of this must surely be Zam the Assassin. Who would even think about using an electric guitar with a full symphony orchestra, let alone use one?... well... John Williams obviously, and to great effect!!!

All the way though this CD I think to myself it surely can't get any better, and it's almost as if John Williams can hear my thoughts for he appears to say "You Bet? Listen to what's coming" and then he again proves to me why he is the best composer of film music that we will ever see. History proves it, and the best directors continue to look to him to make their films from great to absolutly awesome.

Again I have to limit what I write, but I have to urge you that if you want a CD that fills you with passion and a sense of belonging, then this is the CD for you. Also, a sense of something new and energetic then again, this is the CD for you. You have the timeless classics like the opening and ending credits, also the introduction of the Imperial March, which I would say the best version of it ever.

But you also get the new movements, which will forever go down in Star Wars history!!

This is got to be the very best John Williams music that I have ever heard, and will probably be there for a very long time to come in my list, and I eagerly await the sound track for Star Wars III (and dare I say it the forth coming Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets)!!

This is a MUST HAVE CD for all.

A must for all the legions of Star Wars fans out there, 18 May 2002
It is hard to believe, having heard the music for Episode I that the music for Episode II could get any better. Believe me it does - MUCH better.

The spine tingling Across the Stars love theme, first heard after the usual glory of the opening titles is nothing short of a masterpiece. Far from being mushy as many love themes are these days it is a beatiful mixture of rich texture and harmonies that complement the sweeping melody. Reacurring in subtle forms throughout the soundtrack you can really feel Anakins and Padme's agony as they fight there forbidden love for each other.

With John Willians choosing to explore new techniques with this soundtracks I admit I was a bit dubious. However it is a feat he pulls off SO well with the musical experiment that is Zam the Assasin. Complimented with some prominent solo drum features and distorted electric guitar riffs this is a track to remember. I was fully captivated for the whole of the 11+ minutes this track lasts.

These are the first landmark tracks but there is one not mentioned so far - the splendid confrontation with Count Dooku and Finale. This masterpiece completely does justice to a resurected and very slighly adapted Imperial March which appears in it's full glory. Probably the best recording of it EVER with a trumpet fanfare now interjecting the two playings of the main melody and percussion providing the drama as you hear it for the second time. The march then leads into a fantastically dramatic rendition of across the stars and onwards into the all to familiar ending credits with the violins frantically working rising notes before rejoining a slower across the stars and various other themes to draw the album to a close. Anakin's theme is heard near the end and just as you think it's all over the main theme for the imperial march appears VERY slowly in the double basses - listen out for it.

The album obviously does consist of other tracks and they are ALL excellent providing the right balance of beauty and tension. Showing once again how beautiful the combination of film and music can be - a beauty that neither can achieve on there own.

I have over 20 of John Williams soundtracks (including his beautiful music for Schindlers List and Seven Years in Tibet as well as his outstanding score for Harry Potter) and I can tell you that this beats the lot, putting him once again at the top of the list of film composers - quite easily the best.

Any fan of Star Wars or John Williams must buy this soundtrack and roll on Episode III - lets see what John Williams brings us then.

JOHN WILLIAMS'S BEST!!, 04 May 2008
Along with The Lord Of The Rings, one of the finest OSTs available!
Definiteley John Williams's finest of the Star Wars Saga!
Favourite pieces: Anakin's Betrayal (Order 66), The Immolation Scene (Vader burns) & The Birth of the Twins and Padmé's Destiny (basically Padme's funeral & the Vader/Palpatine/Tarkin scene)
Dark & heavy, a fitting climax - very moving & emotional music.

The Bonus DVD is great too!

Fantastic, 29 May 2007
It would be fair to say that the Star Wars prequels, or at least the first two, have failed to live up to expectations. Thankfully the music scores have been a continual strength. Episode III finally delivered on it's promise to tie up loose ends and to finally reveal how Anakin Skywalker finally succumbed to the Dark Side of the Force. The soundtrack, beginning with the familiar Star Wars fanfare, also brings the musical journey to a satisfying finale. The Bonus DVD is a joy, the London Philharmonic Orchestra tell the story of the whole saga with a montage of clips and pieces of music taken from all six films. In fact, you would be probably better off watching this than the first two films. For the prices you can get it for; this is a must!

Please please please.. release the complete recordings!, 23 Jan 2007
The final film; the final soundtrack. The soundtrack to end all soundtracks - the film finished on a flourish, as I left the cinema, i thought this is will be the soundtrack to have, what with the entire 'battle of the heroes' and the music when Anakin saunters up the steps of the Jedi Temple to wipe them all out.

So imagine my dissapointment. Every other Star Wars soundtrack (except episode 2, which, frankly, is no big deal) has a complete recording (and I have them all!).. not this one. The tracks are music from some of the key moments.. but is missing big chunks and other themes, like Anakin's march into the Jedi Temple. 3-stars 'cos its Star Wars and should be punished for not providing the complete score, gone are the days when a Star Wars product should automatically get a 4 or 5. My faith is lacking.. disturbing.. George Lucas, end it with a complete score, please!

Spectacular to the end, 04 Aug 2006
Another masterpiece from John Williams. The revenge of the sith CD can be described as a sweeping symphonic masterpiece, it provides a strong and moving climax to the epic prequel trilogy. Notable favourites for me are track 9 and 15; track 15 features 'The Throne Room' a classic piece from A New Hope, remastered perfectly, included in the track also is a version reminiscent of this which, is also enjoyable. Congratulations to John Williams for a suberb onclusion to the Star Wars music.

The best of them all, 17 May 2006
the score from revenge of the sith combines all the unforgetable themes from the previous films with new heartbreaking and emotionally charged music. it is my opinion that this is the best score of all.

Absolutley Wonderful, 20 Dec 2004
Star Wars Episode One: The Phantom Menace.
Star Wars Episode One: The Phantom Menace was the first of the "New Movies" that George Lucas has done, and he has brought back to the helm John Williams, Naturally! John has done it again! The music on this Soundtrack is of utmost quality, but nothing to surpass the originality of the first three feature films; Episodes 4, 5, and 6. The story for episode one may have seemed a bit juvenile when comapred to the first of the Star Wars Saga, but the music is still top Notch. I like to draw particular attention to Track Number 2; entitled "Duel of the Fates". What a wonderful piece of Cinematic music! It begins with outright showing of the power of the intended piece, with a simple three measure unaccompanied Choir burst which then ceases, and then the following silence gives way to an almost unhearable melody that gets your fingers tapping. It then begins to grow and the choir is then brought back into the piece, and it swells to a level that makes your sound system beg for mercy if at any reasonable volume. The piece then continues on as a fantastic deluge of sound that ends abruptly, but promptly after nearly 5 minutes. This piece make the CD worth its price. The other pieces that highlight this Soundtrack are; Track 8 "He is the Chosen One", Track 10 "Passage through the Planet Core", and Track 14 "The Droid Invasion and The Appearance of Darth Maul". This music is typical and pure Williams all of the way, and it is sure to please even the most devoted Williams music Fan!

John Williams picks up where he left off..., 23 Aug 2004
The rousing, and epics scores of the original trilogy, are the best part of the stories, if not the whole series of movies. The movies and powerful epic that is called the Imperial March are one of the most well known and one of the strongest pieces of film music that has ever been written. John Williams then ingeniously re-engineered old themes to provide new ones that tie togehter old and new. When I heard about the release of the first of the series of 3 prequels, I beleived that it might be a flop, with the newer technology that promised to help out the cinematic elements of an aged theme. But the music brings sanity and congruence to parts in the movie that would make you cough. John williams is a master at writing for film, and has again taken the cup with no complaints from anybody. The best piece, and perhaps the most popular on this CD, is one of his best, it lies on track 2 and is entitled the "Duel of the fates". What an extrodinarily powerful piece of cinemtaic masterwork. John Williams gets not only two thumbs up form Siskel and Ebert, but thumbs up form a loyalist of the Star Wars Franchise. Well done! Very worth the money!

Worth it for 'Duel of the Fates', 08 Jan 2003
John Williams music is always good and his Star Wars related themes are particularly wonderful. This CD provides pretty much everything that you'd expect, so does not really require much of a review. For me, far and away the best scene in the film is the fight between Qui-Gon, Obi-wan, and Darth Maul which is accompanied by the stirring piece of music 'Duel of the Fates'. Being able to listen to this piece alone had made this CD worth buying. Other than this, it makes pretty effective background music if you want a change from pop music.

Wow!, 11 Nov 2000
Absolutely loved it!Im 15,female and this is my favourite album.I was always a Star Wars fan but this soundtrack surpasses the previous three.My favourites are "Anakin's Theme","Duel of Fates" and "He is the Chosen One".The music is familiar yet in other ways completely different.I loved the "Force" music in "Watto's Deal" and the Darth Vader theme in "The High Council Meeting".I never heard anything like this!

The force is strong with this one.., 19 Oct 2000
John Williams has exceeded himself once again and even after all this time he still hasn't lost his touch. The pieces are well written and still contain the Star Wars element experienced by many over 20 years ago, which we have all grown up to reconise and love soo well. The soundtrack is classed with the rest of the Trilogies soundtack and no less, this is no doubt a brilliant CD. Keep up the good work John Williams!

Cinema at its best - with music to match!, 29 Oct 2005
Listening to this soundtrack - feels like watching the film, from the opening credits to the tie-fighters attacking the falcon to the death of obi-wan. You simply don't get the same feeling listening to any other soundtrack (maybe because of my mis-spent youth?). Fantastic, iconic, seminal, legendary, universally recognised, i could go on at length - but i think you get the picture. This album really doesn't need reviews anyway, if you've seen the film and liked it and you are looking at this page you'd be mad not to get this (and the other 2 in this trilogy).

Simply the best!

Williams at his best, 20 Dec 2004
Star Wars Episodes IV, V, and VI: The original Trilogy.
When the Star Wars movies first hit the Theaters in 1977, John Williams made a very large splash in the film music genre with his unparalleled "Main Title" which has become Iconic of Star Wars for the last 27 years ! Every body in the World knows the music from Star Wars, and thus they are all familiar with the typical John Williams style. In following John Williams throughout his career, and listening to all of the music that he has come out with, his "signature style" is apparent in all of his scores, especially in Star Wars. The most memorable pieces of the Original series undoubtably the "Main Title " and the "Imperial March or Darth Vaders Theme". I would like to draw attention to several others though that I think are certainly worthy of notation and listening. I would like to begin with "Tales of the Jedi, Learn about the Force" which appears as Track number 8 on the first CD of Episode 4. Here the wonderful and timeless "Jedi Theme" is layed out to accent the curious ways of the Jedi, and to lay into memory the good and wonderful morals of the movie. The next is on the second CD of Episode 5. You can find it by the name of "The Clash of the Lightsabers" or Track number 10. It is the first time that Williams really uses alot of Choir in the back ground to give great effect and spotlight the large battle between Good and Evil that the movie portrays. The Third and final comes of course on the second CD of Episode 6. It is the best of all the music that John wrote for the three movies, and is found on Track number 7 entitled " The Battle of Endor II". Here the famous final Duel between Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker begins. The music used to accent this piece is very powerful, foreboding, and wonderfully satisfying. This piece caps the struggle between Good and Evil that is the Story of Anakin Skywalker and his turn back to the Ligh side. John Williams accomplishments with these three movies have set the precedence and the standard for all other films that will come forth in the future. This is an opportunity to hear a master at work!

copy protected, buy the import version instead!!, 09 Nov 2008
i had to buy 2 copies of this in the end, as i made the mistake of buying a copy protected version, i now have that import version, and it sits on my ipod with all the other soundtracks from star wars (119 tracks in total)

Soundtrack for the Star Wars Saga keeps building!, 09 Jul 2002
John Williams manages to keep building on a ever growing sucess! His latest addition to the chain of hit scores sits high as one of his best works to date. The soundtrack complements the film excellently, and stands just as greatly on its own.

The most rewarding track on the CD is Zam The Assasin and The Chase Through Coruscant. For all eleven minutes the tension is held and keeps building through William's trademark skill, dissonace. The inclusion of classic 'chase music' instruments like the bongo drums, various other percussion and an electric guitar, shows his ability to bring old fashioned styles into his own. Look back at Lalo Schifrin's work, a master of the funky chase music of the 60's and 70's. Williams' experimentation with these instruments has given us on of the best pieces of chase music I've ever heard. It's obvious he still has his skills from writing the music to 60's show Peter Gunn along with jazz composer Henry Mancini.

Other tracks on the CD feature a new love theme which pours a tragic melody, much like Anakin's Theme from Episode I. We see the return of some of the main themes from Episode I and the Imperial March used to represent Count Dooku and his 'Confrontation.'

In whole, this score is much like The Empire Strikes Back than any other. With a mix of dark, and impending danger music, and a love theme. Like ESB, there is much incidental music to carry themes along. It's quite surprising this isn't a double CD.

An excellent work on it's own and the most exciting of all scores so far.
Roll on Episode III!

DEFINITELY NOT A DISAPPOINTMENT-just as good as the movie, 24 May 2002
I am only a recent Star Wars fan but music is a passion of mine and i have been totally swept away by the music of star wars. i just love it and john williams fifth installment is far from falling aground. The 'across the stars' love theme is beautiful, really portraying the love padme and anakin have for each other and continues to repeat in various other tracks, like the duel of the fates did for phantom menace. zam the assassin is a interestin track, with williams searching new ground but a bit a long if you ask me. yoda and the younglings is so adorable bcos the scene in the movie is so adorable. i also like the arena piece, and for those who've seen the movie , u can just imagine our heroes battling against those awful three nonsters here. in track 10, return to tatooine, we hear the all too familiar the force music and the duel of fates makes a come back, reflecting anakin's anxiety and track 11 does well to show his greif. and of course, who cannot be blown away by track 13, confrontation with count dooku and the finale, where the much loved imperial march makes a full come back. i seriously doubted williams could do better than episode 1 but he's done it again. HIGHLY RECOMMENEDED.

John Williams does it again!!!, 22 May 2002
Where to start??? How about at he beginning, that's usually the best place.

The opening credits everybody knows and they will for always be an institution of film music. Did you know that the first 32 bars are the same in every film? How can he get away with it everytime? who knows? who cares? If it works why change it?

Now, how can anyone fail to be moved by the love theme for this film? My brother (a confirmed John Williams obsessive) played this CD non stop and for once I didn't attempt to stop him. Even before I had seen the movie I couldn't help but stop and listen everytime I heard this theme(which is quite a lot on this CD as most of you will know), no matter what I was doing. And I must admit that it is my very favourite piece and I happen to hum it to myself almost all day every day. And now I have seen the film it moves me even more.

I don't have enough space to write here about all the movements, but I have just got to say how much I admire John Williams for always trying something new. A perfect example of this must surely be Zam the Assassin. Who would even think about using an electric guitar with a full symphony orchestra, let alone use one?... well... John Williams obviously, and to great effect!!!

All the way though this CD I think to myself it surely can't get any better, and it's almost as if John Williams can hear my thoughts for he appears to say "You Bet? Listen to what's coming" and then he again proves to me why he is the best composer of film music that we will ever see. History proves it, and the best directors continue to look to him to make their films from great to absolutly awesome.

Again I have to limit what I write, but I have to urge you that if you want a CD that fills you with passion and a sense of belonging, then this is the CD for you. Also, a sense of something new and energetic then again, this is the CD for you. You have the timeless classics like the opening and ending credits, also the introduction of the Imperial March, which I would say the best version of it ever.

But you also get the new movements, which will forever go down in Star Wars history!!

This is got to be the very best John Williams music that I have ever heard, and will probably be there for a very long time to come in my list, and I eagerly await the sound track for Star Wars III (and dare I say it the forth coming Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets)!!

This is a MUST HAVE CD for all.

A must for all the legions of Star Wars fans out there, 18 May 2002
It is hard to believe, having heard the music for Episode I that the music for Episode II could get any better. Believe me it does - MUCH better.

The spine tingling Across the Stars love theme, first heard after the usual glory of the opening titles is nothing short of a masterpiece. Far from being mushy as many love themes are these days it is a beatiful mixture of rich texture and harmonies that complement the sweeping melody. Reacurring in subtle forms throughout the soundtrack you can really feel Anakins and Padme's agony as they fight there forbidden love for each other.

With John Willians choosing to explore new techniques with this soundtracks I admit I was a bit dubious. However it is a feat he pulls off SO well with the musical experiment that is Zam the Assasin. Complimented with some prominent solo drum features and distorted electric guitar riffs this is a track to remember. I was fully captivated for the whole of the 11+ minutes this track lasts.

These are the first landmark tracks but there is one not mentioned so far - the splendid confrontation with Count Dooku and Finale. This masterpiece completely does justice to a resurected and very slighly adapted Imperial March which appears in it's full glory. Probably the best recording of it EVER with a trumpet fanfare now interjecting the two playings of the main melody and percussion providing the drama as you hear it for the second time. The march then leads into a fantastically dramatic rendition of across the stars and onwards into the all to familiar ending credits with the violins frantically working rising notes before rejoining a slower across the stars and various other themes to draw the album to a close. Anakin's theme is heard near the end and just as you think it's all over the main theme for the imperial march appears VERY slowly in the double basses - listen out for it.

The album obviously does consist of other tracks and they are ALL excellent providing the right balance of beauty and tension. Showing once again how beautiful the combination of film and music can be - a beauty that neither can achieve on there own.

I have over 20 of John Williams soundtracks (including his beautiful music for Schindlers List and Seven Years in Tibet as well as his outstanding score for Harry Potter) and I can tell you that this beats the lot, putting him once again at the top of the list of film composers - quite easily the best.

Any fan of Star Wars or John Williams must buy this soundtrack and roll on Episode III - lets see what John Williams brings us then.

No clone here, only a middling score, 13 Aug 2008
Kevin Kiner's composing credits at the Internet Movie Database include 67 scores, most of them for American television. I've seen a few episodes of some of these programs, though I can't say that I ever remember hearing of Kevin Kiner until his name was announced as the composer for the new Star Wars animated feature, The Clone Wars. And in fact I suppose that's true for most Star Wars fans, and the general public, as well. The composer doesn't maintain a web presence, but perhaps he's too busy. In a recent interview he noted recording 400 minutes of music for the new animated Clone Wars television series.

Kevin Kiner, if you will, is a skilled craftsman, a technician who can on demand compose, conduct, perform, and produce the music required in the high pressure world of weekly television serials. He may show flashes of brilliance now and then, but very few of those moments seem to have been captured in the soundtrack to the Clone Wars feature.

Not having seen the film, I can't say how well the score compliments the story, though judging from the music itself I'd say the film is not likely to have many moments of quiet reflection. What's most immediately noticeable is how well Kiner's work blends in with John Williams' oeuvre. Surely this was intentional, to make viewers feel at home in a well-known universe, while preserving and then building on Williams' and Lucas' musical traditions. Within the first half a minute, you know right away that something old is being presented wrapped as something new, the familiar opening theme on brass, but with a staccato punch, the rhythm accentuated by powerful percussion.

Besides Luke's Theme there are only a couple of moments where it appears Kiner quotes directly from Williams. But these moments are so short they could be dismissed as coincidence, making this Kiner's work entirely, a score built on classical orchestral themes but including as well voices until now not a part of the Star Wars universe, including synthesizer, electric guitar, erhu (2-stringed Chinese violin), duduk (Armenian flute), oud (Arab lute), and taiko (Japanese drum). Kiner uses them sparingly, giving each their moment but not letting any run loose to dominate the score.

Perhaps the most unusual thing about this as a Star Wars soundtrack are the number of cues, 32, more than any of the individual scores for the previous six films. Eight are less than one minute in length, six less than two minutes, nine less than three. That leaves only nine cues longer than three minutes. Compare that with Williams' most recent Star Wars score, Revenge of the Sith, with 15 cues, only two under three minutes. Typically cues for television programs are shorter than for film, and as the decision to begin The Clone Wars animated series with a full-length feature came rather late in the development process, it seems likely that Kiner was writing for television, rather than the cinema. What we get on this CD are aural vignettes, not fully developed themes. And so far, none of them seem to be stand out compositions, no Luke's Theme, no Imperial March, no Duel of Fates, Across the Stars, or Battle of the Heroes.

But not everyone gets to be John Williams. On the other hand, it took Williams a number of years before he hit his stride. (Who remembers his score for I Passed for White [1960]?) Perhaps Kiner's about to hit his and we can look forward to more memorable cues from the new Clone Wars animated television series.

#

JOHN WILLIAMS'S BEST!!, 04 May 2008
Along with The Lord Of The Rings, one of the finest OSTs available!
Definiteley John Williams's finest of the Star Wars Saga!
Favourite pieces: Anakin's Betrayal (Order 66), The Immolation Scene (Vader burns) & The Birth of the Twins and Padmé's Destiny (basically Padme's funeral & the Vader/Palpatine/Tarkin scene)
Dark & heavy, a fitting climax - very moving & emotional music.

The Bonus DVD is great too!

Fantastic, 29 May 2007
It would be fair to say that the Star Wars prequels, or at least the first two, have failed to live up to expectations. Thankfully the music scores have been a continual strength. Episode III finally delivered on it's promise to tie up loose ends and to finally reveal how Anakin Skywalker finally succumbed to the Dark Side of the Force. The soundtrack, beginning with the familiar Star Wars fanfare, also brings the musical journey to a satisfying finale. The Bonus DVD is a joy, the London Philharmonic Orchestra tell the story of the whole saga with a montage of clips and pieces of music taken from all six films. In fact, you would be probably better off watching this than the first two films. For the prices you can get it for; this is a must!

Please please please.. release the complete recordings!, 23 Jan 2007
The final film; the final soundtrack. The soundtrack to end all soundtracks - the film finished on a flourish, as I left the cinema, i thought this is will be the soundtrack to have, what with the entire 'battle of the heroes' and the music when Anakin saunters up the steps of the Jedi Temple to wipe them all out.

So imagine my dissapointment. Every other Star Wars soundtrack (except episode 2, which, frankly, is no big deal) has a complete recording (and I have them all!).. not this one. The tracks are music from some of the key moments.. but is missing big chunks and other themes, like Anakin's march into the Jedi Temple. 3-stars 'cos its Star Wars and should be punished for not providing the complete score, gone are the days when a Star Wars product should automatically get a 4 or 5. My faith is lacking.. disturbing.. George Lucas, end it with a complete score, please!

Spectacular to the end, 04 Aug 2006
Another masterpiece from John Williams. The revenge of the sith CD can be described as a sweeping symphonic masterpiece, it provides a strong and moving climax to the epic prequel trilogy. Notable favourites for me are track 9 and 15; track 15 features 'The Throne Room' a classic piece from A New Hope, remastered perfectly, included in the track also is a version reminiscent of this which, is also enjoyable. Congratulations to John Williams for a suberb onclusion to the Star Wars music.

The best of them all, 17 May 2006
the score from revenge of the sith combines all the unforgetable themes from the previous films with new heartbreaking and emotionally charged music. it is my opinion that this is the best score of all.

Absolutley Wonderful, 20 Dec 2004
Star Wars Episode One: The Phantom Menace.
Star Wars Episode One: The Phantom Menace was the first of the "New Movies" that George Lucas has done, and he has brought back to the helm John Williams, Naturally! John has done it again! The music on this Soundtrack is of utmost quality, but nothing to surpass the originality of the first three feature films; Episodes 4, 5, and 6. The story for episode one may have seemed a bit juvenile when comapred to the first of the Star Wars Saga, but the music is still top Notch. I like to draw particular attention to Track Number 2; entitled "Duel of the Fates". What a wonderful piece of Cinematic music! It begins with outright showing of the power of the intended piece, with a simple three measure unaccompanied Choir burst which then ceases, and then the following silence gives way to an almost unhearable melody that gets your fingers tapping. It then begins to grow and the choir is then brought back into the piece, and it swells to a level that makes your sound system beg for mercy if at any reasonable volume. The piece then continues on as a fantastic deluge of sound that ends abruptly, but promptly after nearly 5 minutes. This piece make the CD worth its price. The other pieces that highlight this Soundtrack are; Track 8 "He is the Chosen One", Track 10 "Passage through the Planet Core", and Track 14 "The Droid Invasion and The Appearance of Darth Maul". This music is typical and pure Williams all of the way, and it is sure to please even the most devoted Williams music Fan!

John Williams picks up where he left off..., 23 Aug 2004
The rousing, and epics scores of the original trilogy, are the best part of the stories, if not the whole series of movies. The movies and powerful epic that is called the Imperial March are one of the most well known and one of the strongest pieces of film music that has ever been written. John Williams then ingeniously re-engineered old themes to provide new ones that tie togehter old and new. When I heard about the release of the first of the series of 3 prequels, I beleived that it might be a flop, with the newer technology that promised to help out the cinematic elements of an aged theme. But the music brings sanity and congruence to parts in the movie that would make you cough. John williams is a master at writing for film, and has again taken the cup with no complaints from anybody. The best piece, and perhaps the most popular on this CD, is one of his best, it lies on track 2 and is entitled the "Duel of the fates". What an extrodinarily powerful piece of cinemtaic masterwork. John Williams gets not only two thumbs up form Siskel and Ebert, but thumbs up form a loyalist of the Star Wars Franchise. Well done! Very worth the money!

Worth it for 'Duel of the Fates', 08 Jan 2003
John Williams music is always good and his Star Wars related themes are particularly wonderful. This CD provides pretty much everything that you'd expect, so does not really require much of a review. For me, far and away the best scene in the film is the fight between Qui-Gon, Obi-wan, and Darth Maul which is accompanied by the stirring piece of music 'Duel of the Fates'. Being able to listen to this piece alone had made this CD worth buying. Other than this, it makes pretty effective background music if you want a change from pop music.

Wow!, 11 Nov 2000
Absolutely loved it!Im 15,female and this is my favourite album.I was always a Star Wars fan but this soundtrack surpasses the previous three.My favourites are "Anakin's Theme","Duel of Fates" and "He is the Chosen One".The music is familiar yet in other ways completely different.I loved the "Force" music in "Watto's Deal" and the Darth Vader theme in "The High Council Meeting".I never heard anything like this!

The force is strong with this one.., 19 Oct 2000
John Williams has exceeded himself once again and even after all this time he still hasn't lost his touch. The pieces are well written and still contain the Star Wars element experienced by many over 20 years ago, which we have all grown up to reconise and love soo well. The soundtrack is classed with the rest of the Trilogies soundtack and no less, this is no doubt a brilliant CD. Keep up the good work John Williams!

Cinema at its best - with music to match!, 29 Oct 2005
Listening to this soundtrack - feels like watching the film, from the opening credits to the tie-fighters attacking the falcon to the death of obi-wan. You simply don't get the same feeling listening to any other soundtrack (maybe because of my mis-spent youth?). Fantastic, iconic, seminal, legendary, universally recognised, i could go on at length - but i think you get the picture. This album really doesn't need reviews anyway, if you've seen the film and liked it and you are looking at this page you'd be mad not to get this (and the other 2 in this trilogy).

Simply the best!

Williams at his best, 20 Dec 2004
Star Wars Episodes IV, V, and VI: The original Trilogy.
When the Star Wars movies first hit the Theaters in 1977, John Williams made a very large splash in the film music genre with his unparalleled "Main Title" which has become Iconic of Star Wars for the last 27 years ! Every body in the World knows the music from Star Wars, and thus they are all familiar with the typical John Williams style. In following John Williams throughout his career, and listening to all of the music that he has come out with, his "signature style" is apparent in all of his scores, especially in Star Wars. The most memorable pieces of the Original series undoubtably the "Main Title " and the "Imperial March or Darth Vaders Theme". I would like to draw attention to several others though that I think are certainly worthy of notation and listening. I would like to begin with "Tales of the Jedi, Learn about the Force" which appears as Track number 8 on the first CD of Episode 4. Here the wonderful and timeless "Jedi Theme" is layed out to accent the curious ways of the Jedi, and to lay into memory the good and wonderful morals of the movie. The next is on the second CD of Episode 5. You can find it by the name of "The Clash of the Lightsabers" or Track number 10. It is the first time that Williams really uses alot of Choir in the back ground to give great effect and spotlight the large battle between Good and Evil that the movie portrays. The Third and final comes of course on the second CD of Episode 6. It is the best of all the music that John wrote for the three movies, and is found on Track number 7 entitled " The Battle of Endor II". Here the famous final Duel between Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker begins. The music used to accent this piece is very powerful, foreboding, and wonderfully satisfying. This piece caps the struggle between Good and Evil that is the Story of Anakin Skywalker and his turn back to the Ligh side. John Williams accomplishments with these three movies have set the precedence and the standard for all other films that will come forth in the future. This is an opportunity to hear a master at work!

copy protected, buy the import version instead!!, 09 Nov 2008
i had to buy 2 copies of this in the end, as i made the mistake of buying a copy protected version, i now have that import version, and it sits on my ipod with all the other soundtracks from star wars (119 tracks in total)

Soundtrack for the Star Wars Saga keeps building!, 09 Jul 2002
John Williams manages to keep building on a ever growing sucess! His latest addition to the chain of hit scores sits high as one of his best works to date. The soundtrack complements the film excellently, and stands just as greatly on its own.

The most rewarding track on the CD is Zam The Assasin and The Chase Through Coruscant. For all eleven minutes the tension is held and keeps building through William's trademark skill, dissonace. The inclusion of classic 'chase music' instruments like the bongo drums, various other percussion and an electric guitar, shows his ability to bring old fashioned styles into his own. Look back at Lalo Schifrin's work, a master of the funky chase music of the 60's and 70's. Williams' experimentation with these instruments has given us on of the best pieces of chase music I've ever heard. It's obvious he still has his skills from writing the music to 60's show Peter Gunn along with jazz composer Henry Mancini.

Other tracks on the CD feature a new love theme which pours a tragic melody, much like Anakin's Theme from Episode I. We see the return of some of the main themes from Episode I and the Imperial March used to represent Count Dooku and his 'Confrontation.'

In whole, this score is much like The Empire Strikes Back than any other. With a mix of dark, and impending danger music, and a love theme. Like ESB, there is much incidental music to carry themes along. It's quite surprising this isn't a double CD.

An excellent work on it's own and the most exciting of all scores so far.
Roll on Episode III!

DEFINITELY NOT A DISAPPOINTMENT-just as good as the movie, 24 May 2002
I am only a recent Star Wars fan but music is a passion of mine and i have been totally swept away by the music of star wars. i just love it and john williams fifth installment is far from falling aground. The 'across the stars' love theme is beautiful, really portraying the love padme and anakin have for each other and continues to repeat in various other tracks, like the duel of the fates did for phantom menace. zam the assassin is a interestin track, with williams searching new ground but a bit a long if you ask me. yoda and the younglings is so adorable bcos the scene in the movie is so adorable. i also like the arena piece, and for those who've seen the movie , u can just imagine our heroes battling against those awful three nonsters here. in track 10, return to tatooine, we hear the all too familiar the force music and the duel of fates makes a come back, reflecting anakin's anxiety and track 11 does well to show his greif. and of course, who cannot be blown away by track 13, confrontation with count dooku and the finale, where the much loved imperial march makes a full come back. i seriously doubted williams could do better than episode 1 but he's done it again. HIGHLY RECOMMENEDED.

John Williams does it again!!!, 22 May 2002
Where to start??? How about at he beginning, that's usually the best place.

The opening credits everybody knows and they will for always be an institution of film music. Did you know that the first 32 bars are the same in every film? How can he get away with it everytime? who knows? who cares? If it works why change it?

Now, how can anyone fail to be moved by the love theme for this film? My brother (a confirmed John Williams obsessive) played this CD non stop and for once I didn't attempt to stop him. Even before I had seen the movie I couldn't help but stop and listen everytime I heard this theme(which is quite a lot on this CD as most of you will know), no matter what I was doing. And I must admit that it is my very favourite piece and I happen to hum it to myself almost all day every day. And now I have seen the film it moves me even more.

I don't have enough space to write here about all the movements, but I have just got to say how much I admire John Williams for always trying something new. A perfect example of this must surely be Zam the Assassin. Who would even think about using an electric guitar with a full symphony orchestra, let alone use one?... well... John Williams obviously, and to great effect!!!

All the way though this CD I think to myself it surely can't get any better, and it's almost as if John Williams can hear my thoughts for he appears to say "You Bet? Listen to what's coming" and then he again proves to me why he is the best composer of film music that we will ever see. History proves it, and the best directors continue to look to him to make their films from great to absolutly awesome.

Again I have to limit what I write, but I have to urge you that if you want a CD that fills you with passion and a sense of belonging, then this is the CD for you. Also, a sense of something new and energetic then again, this is the CD for you. You have the timeless classics like the opening and ending credits, also the introduction of the Imperial March, which I would say the best version of it ever.

But you also get the new movements, which will forever go down in Star Wars history!!

This is got to be the very best John Williams music that I have ever heard, and will probably be there for a very long time to come in my list, and I eagerly await the sound track for Star Wars III (and dare I say it the forth coming Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets)!!

This is a MUST HAVE CD for all.

A must for all the legions of Star Wars fans out there, 18 May 2002
It is hard to believe, having heard the music for Episode I that the music for Episode II could get any better. Believe me it does - MUCH better.

The spine tingling Across the Stars love theme, first heard after the usual glory of the opening titles is nothing short of a masterpiece. Far from being mushy as many love themes are these days it is a beatiful mixture of rich texture and harmonies that complement the sweeping melody. Reacurring in subtle forms throughout the soundtrack you can really feel Anakins and Padme's agony as they fight there forbidden love for each other.

With John Willians choosing to explore new techniques with this soundtracks I admit I was a bit dubious. However it is a feat he pulls off SO well with the musical experiment that is Zam the Assasin. Complimented with some prominent solo drum features and distorted electric guitar riffs this is a track to remember. I was fully captivated for the whole of the 11+ minutes this track lasts.

These are the first landmark tracks but there is one not mentioned so far - the splendid confrontation with Count Dooku and Finale. This masterpiece completely does justice to a resurected and very slighly adapted Imperial March which appears in it's full glory. Probably the best recording of it EVER with a trumpet fanfare now interjecting the two playings of the main melody and percussion providing the drama as you hear it for the second time. The march then leads into a fantastically dramatic rendition of across the stars and onwards into the all to familiar ending credits with the violins frantically working rising notes before rejoining a slower across the stars and various other themes to draw the album to a close. Anakin's theme is heard near the end and just as you think it's all over the main theme for the imperial march appears VERY slowly in the double basses - listen out for it.

The album obviously does consist of other tracks and they are ALL excellent providing the right balance of beauty and tension. Showing once again how beautiful the combination of film and music can be - a beauty that neither can achieve on there own.

I have over 20 of John Williams soundtracks (including his beautiful music for Schindlers List and Seven Years in Tibet as well as his outstanding score for Harry Potter) and I can tell you that this beats the lot, putting him once again at the top of the list of film composers - quite easily the best.

Any fan of Star Wars or John Williams must buy this soundtrack and roll on Episode III - lets see what John Williams brings us then.

No clone here, only a middling score, 13 Aug 2008
Kevin Kiner's composing credits at the Internet Movie Database include 67 scores, most of them for American television. I've seen a few episodes of some of these programs, though I can't say that I ever remember hearing of Kevin Kiner until his name was announced as the composer for the new Star Wars animated feature, The Clone Wars. And in fact I suppose that's true for most Star Wars fans, and the general public, as well. The composer doesn't maintain a web presence, but perhaps he's too busy. In a recent interview he noted recording 400 minutes of music for the new animated Clone Wars television series.

Kevin Kiner, if you will, is a skilled craftsman, a technician who can on demand compose, conduct, perform, and produce the music required in the high pressure world of weekly television serials. He may show flashes of brilliance now and then, but very few of those moments seem to have been captured in the soundtrack to the Clone Wars feature.

Not having seen the film, I can't say how well the score compliments the story, though judging from the music itself I'd say the film is not likely to have many moments of quiet reflection. What's most immediately noticeable is how well Kiner's work blends in with John Williams' oeuvre. Surely this was intentional, to make viewers feel at home in a well-known universe, while preserving and then building on Williams' and Lucas' musical traditions. Within the first half a minute, you know right away that something old is being presented wrapped as something new, the familiar opening theme on brass, but with a staccato punch, the rhythm accentuated by powerful percussion.

Besides Luke's Theme there are only a couple of moments where it appears Kiner quotes directly from Williams. But these moments are so short they could be dismissed as coincidence, making this Kiner's work entirely, a score built on classical orchestral themes but including as well voices until now not a part of the Star Wars universe, including synthesizer, electric guitar, erhu (2-stringed Chinese violin), duduk (Armenian flute), oud (Arab lute), and taiko (Japanese drum). Kiner uses them sparingly, giving each their moment but not letting any run loose to dominate the score.

Perhaps the most unusual thing about this as a Star Wars soundtrack are the number of cues, 32, more than any of the individual scores for the previous six films. Eight are less than one minute in length, six less than two minutes, nine less than three. That leaves only nine cues longer than three minutes. Compare that with Williams' most recent Star Wars score, Revenge of the Sith, with 15 cues, only two under three minutes. Typically cues for television programs are shorter than for film, and as the decision to begin The Clone Wars animated series with a full-length feature came rather late in the development process, it seems likely that Kiner was writing for television, rather than the cinema. What we get on this CD are aural vignettes, not fully developed themes. And so far, none of them seem to be stand out compositions, no Luke's Theme, no Imperial March, no Duel of Fates, Across the Stars, or Battle of the Heroes.

But not everyone gets to be John Williams. On the other hand, it took Williams a number of years before he hit his stride. (Who remembers his score for I Passed for White [1960]?) Perhaps Kiner's about to hit his and we can look forward to more memorable cues from the new Clone Wars animated television series.

#

utter rubbish, 12 Mar 2008
i bought this cheap and was massively dissapointed.... have now ordered the real thing... DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY ON THIS!!

A pathetic version knocked out on a synthesiser, 19 Nov 2007
Very disappointing - do not buy if you want something that sounds even remotely like the original music. Finding someone with the same name as John Williams to "conduct" this nonsense is just a con. How do you conduct a synthesiser anyway?

Birthday disappointment for small boy, 24 Jan 2006
This is not the original soundtrack and the strings are synthesized. I am gutted.

For all those who want to have a short version., 26 Nov 2004
First of all: This CD is nothing for real fans because it's only a short view on the music of the first Star Wars-Trilogy.
But for those who do want to get to know to John Williams' greatest film score, but who don't wanna buy all three soundtracks, is this the right version. You get all famous themes and melodies of this triology. Therefore I give four stars although much of the original soundtracks is missing.

JOHN WILLIAMS'S BEST!!, 04 May 2008
Along with The Lord Of The Rings, one of the finest OSTs available!
Definiteley John Williams's finest of the Star Wars Saga!
Favourite pieces: Anakin's Betrayal (Order 66), The Immolation Scene (Vader burns) & The Birth of the Twins and Padmé's Destiny (basically Padme's funeral & the Vader/Palpatine/Tarkin scene)
Dark & heavy, a fitting climax - very moving & emotional music.

The Bonus DVD is great too!

Fantastic, 29 May 2007
It would be fair to say that the Star Wars prequels, or at least the first two, have failed to live up to expectations. Thankfully the music scores have been a continual strength. Episode III finally delivered on it's promise to tie up loose ends and to finally reveal how Anakin Skywalker finally succumbed to the Dark Side of the Force. The soundtrack, beginning with the familiar Star Wars fanfare, also brings the musical journey to a satisfying finale. The Bonus DVD is a joy, the London Philharmonic Orchestra tell the story of the whole saga with a montage of clips and pieces of music taken from all six films. In fact, you would be probably better off watching this than the first two films. For the prices you can get it for; this is a must!

Please please please.. release the complete recordings!, 23 Jan 2007
The final film; the final soundtrack. The soundtrack to end all soundtracks - the film finished on a flourish, as I left the cinema, i thought this is will be the soundtrack to have, what with the entire 'battle of the heroes' and the music when Anakin saunters up the steps of the Jedi Temple to wipe them all out.

So imagine my dissapointment. Every other Star Wars soundtrack (except episode 2, which, frankly, is no big deal) has a complete recording (and I have them all!).. not this one. The tracks are music from some of the key moments.. but is missing big chunks and other themes, like Anakin's march into the Jedi Temple. 3-stars 'cos its Star Wars and should be punished for not providing the complete score, gone are the days when a Star Wars product should automatically get a 4 or 5. My faith is lacking.. disturbing.. George Lucas, end it with a complete score, please!

Spectacular to the end, 04 Aug 2006
Another masterpiece from John Williams. The revenge of the sith CD can be described as a sweeping symphonic masterpiece, it provides a strong and moving climax to the epic prequel trilogy. Notable favourites for me are track 9 and 15; track 15 features 'The Throne Room' a classic piece from A New Hope, remastered perfectly, included in the track also is a version reminiscent of this which, is also enjoyable. Congratulations to John Williams for a suberb onclusion to the Star Wars music.

The best of them all, 17 May 2006
the score from revenge of the sith combines all the unforgetable themes from the previous films with new heartbreaking and emotionally charged music. it is my opinion that this is the best score of all.

Absolutley Wonderful, 20 Dec 2004
Star Wars Episode One: The Phantom Menace.
Star Wars Episode One: The Phantom Menace was the first of the "New Movies" that George Lucas has done, and he has brought back to the helm John Williams, Naturally! John has done it again! The music on this Soundtrack is of utmost quality, but nothing to surpass the originality of the first three feature films; Episodes 4, 5, and 6. The story for episode one may have seemed a bit juvenile when comapred to the first of the Star Wars Saga, but the music is still top Notch. I like to draw particular attention to Track Number 2; entitled "Duel of the Fates". What a wonderful piece of Cinematic music! It begins with outright showing of the power of the intended piece, with a simple three measure unaccompanied Choir burst which then ceases, and then the following silence gives way to an almost unhearable melody that gets your fingers tapping. It then begins to grow and the choir is then brought back into the piece, and it swells to a level that makes your sound system beg for mercy if at any reasonable volume. The piece then continues on as a fantastic deluge of sound that ends abruptly, but promptly after nearly 5 minutes. This piece make the CD worth its price. The other pieces that highlight this Soundtrack are; Track 8 "He is the Chosen One", Track 10 "Passage through the Planet Core", and Track 14 "The Droid Invasion and The Appearance of Darth Maul". This music is typical and pure Williams all of the way, and it is sure to please even the most devoted Williams music Fan!

John Williams picks up where he left off..., 23 Aug 2004
The rousing, and epics scores of the original trilogy, are the best part of the stories, if not the whole series of movies. The movies and powerful epic that is called the Imperial March are one of the most well known and one of the strongest pieces of film music that has ever been written. John Williams then ingeniously re-engineered old themes to provide new ones that tie togehter old and new. When I heard about the release of the first of the series of 3 prequels, I beleived that it might be a flop, with the newer technology that promised to help out the cinematic elements of an aged theme. But the music brings sanity and congruence to parts in the movie that would make you cough. John williams is a master at writing for film, and has again taken the cup with no complaints from anybody. The best piece, and perhaps the most popular on this CD, is one of his best, it lies on track 2 and is entitled the "Duel of the fates". What an extrodinarily powerful piece of cinemtaic masterwork. John Williams gets not only two thumbs up form Siskel and Ebert, but thumbs up form a loyalist of the Star Wars Franchise. Well done! Very worth the money!

Worth it for 'Duel of the Fates', 08 Jan 2003
John Williams music is always good and his Star Wars related themes are particularly wonderful. This CD provides pretty much everything that you'd expect, so does not really require much of a review. For me, far and away the best scene in the film is the fight between Qui-Gon, Obi-wan, and Darth Maul which is accompanied by the stirring piece of music 'Duel of