Whatever your thoughts on the relative values of the first six Star Wars films, one thing remained consistently phenomenal throughout - the music. For this reason, it was a huge relief when Lucasfilm announced that John Williams would be back in the saddle to compose the score for The Force Awakens. The soundtrack is now available on CD, and a short while ago I picked up my own copy from JB Hi-Fi for $19.99.
Williams's score works perfectly as part of the full cinematic package - but the first time I played this soundtrack through without the film to accompany it, I found myself a little disappointed. Star Wars has always been about memorable orchestral themes, and there just seemed to be a real lack of these in this latest soundtrack. Of course, the one notable exception to this is 'Rey's Theme'. It's a beautiful piece of music - light-hearted and adventurous, yet with some heavy (almost Potter-esque) heroic undertones.
Over time, however, the rest of the score has really grown on me. 'The Jedi Steps and Finale' is a clear favourite, and I've played this on repeat more times than I'd like to admit. There's also a distinct refrain that accompanies Kylo, and that may well develop into a fully-fledged "bad-guy" theme in the next film. Ren is, after all, still a villain in utero - so it makes sense that he's not yet deserving of his own theme. (It's also worth noting that the piece of music most commonly associated with Darth Vader - 'The Imperial March' - wasn't even heard until the second film of the original trilogy.)
This is a score that definitely rewards multiple listenings. If - like me - you were dubious about it at first, I definitely recommend giving it another shot.
Over time, however, the rest of the score has really grown on me. 'The Jedi Steps and Finale' is a clear favourite, and I've played this on repeat more times than I'd like to admit. There's also a distinct refrain that accompanies Kylo, and that may well develop into a fully-fledged "bad-guy" theme in the next film. Ren is, after all, still a villain in utero - so it makes sense that he's not yet deserving of his own theme. (It's also worth noting that the piece of music most commonly associated with Darth Vader - 'The Imperial March' - wasn't even heard until the second film of the original trilogy.)
This is a score that definitely rewards multiple listenings. If - like me - you were dubious about it at first, I definitely recommend giving it another shot.
