| Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi |
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Composed by John Williams |
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Orchestrated Conducted by John Williams Performed by the London Symphony Orchestra Produced by John Williams Release Date: 1997 |
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After the tremendous success with The Empire Strikes Back, the Star Wars saga took a slight step backwards with the admirable, but somewhat flawed Return of the Jedi. Now I’m not saying that Jedi was a bad film, but I do feel that it is a step backward from the intense creativity that imbued Empire with such a lively feel. The same holds true for John Williams’ score. While it continues to build complexity and adds several new themes that would become staples of the whole Star Wars musical signature, the leit motif approach that Williams so heavily relied upon for the previous score is more subdued this time. Coupled with some problems pertaining to RCA’s album release, this turns out to be the weakest of the three. There is so much to love about this score. All of the previous Star Wars films opened with a glimpse into what the Galactic Empire is currently up to, and with this film, the opening sequence allows Williams to arrest the mood of the whole score right from the beginning. The action sequences allowed him to return to the heroic Rebel fanfare of the first film that had been downplayed in The Empire Strikes Back. Of course, the addition of the themes for Jabba the Hutt and, to a greater extent, Emperor Palpatine, go a long way to rounding out the Star Wars signature sound. Practically the entire second CD is wonderful, and I even think the Ewok battle music works well. Of course, what can even be said about the excellent musical sequence detailing the triune of Luke, Vader, and the Emperor? It is simply Williams at his emotional best. While the entire set of RCA Star Wars Special Edition soundtracks are top notch, I feel that their release of Return of the Jedi is the least out of all three. The linear notes are still top notch, and the sound quality is good, but at the same time it has a slightly muffled sound to it that isn’t the case with A New Hope or The Empire Strikes Back. Also, a lot of cues are mashed together into one track, and this can be frustrating at times when trying to reach a specific piece. And while the CDs include the new music written for the Special Edition version, none of the original cues are to be found anywhere. Even more sorely missed is the concert version of Jabba the Hutt’s theme, which is odd considering that the concert version of The Ewok Battle is present. Still, with both CDs pack at over 73 minutes of material, there wasn't much room for anything else. This is still a great release and fans of Williams score to this film should not be without the set. Of course, in the long run no true soundtrack fan should be without all three of RCA’s excellent Star Wars releases. They may be a bit on the pricey side, but you are definitely getting your money’s worth. ***** |
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