Shadows of the Empire-- Soundtrack Review

So, how does LucasArts fill the absence of John Williams? Why, calling on someone who followed him up once before! Joel McNeely wrote music for the Young Indiana Jones series a few years previous, as per suggestion of Williams himself. However, this project is still a bit daunting. He's scoring a film that doesn't exist, using the novel, and some artwork by Ralph McQuarrie as the only sources.

According the liner notes included with the CD, McNeely thought of having these inspirations only as freeing rather than constricting, allowing him more musical room with each scene he scored than a film would normally allow. This concept proves to serve him well through the ten tracks he's given us.

McNeely doesn't try to divert attention from the fact that John Williams is the true composer for the Star Wars universe. Two tracks on the record feature compositions famous to the original trilogy, and blend them amongst new melodies and themes of his own. The first, and most obvious, is the Star Wars theme, setting the tone for the record to come. The theme from The Imperial March plays during Night Skies, as does the main theme from Binary Sunset (uncredited on the album, which is evocative of Williams score for The Empire Strikes Back throughout it's entirety.

Also, Williams use of leitmotif isn't ignored in McNeely's score. Prince Xizor is given his own theme, a slinky, well paced piece of music that isn't as foreboding as I'd have liked for it to have been. The book depicts Xizor as a manipulative criminal, and while moments of the piece could have done well to musically depict this aspect of the story's villan, it ultimately disappoints by being disjointed, and ultimately disappointing. If you are listening to the album, about a minute into the piece, there is a haunting string section, with choral chants filling out the overall atmosphere. The remainder of the piece reminds me more of Williams work on Attack of the Clones. Subtly, McNeely references melodies from this theme in the final work on the record, The Destruction of Xizor's Palace. Because of the stability of the piece, it plays out far better than Xizor's Theme, providing the necessary bombast for a climactic space/on foot battle. The shifts in theme and melody are strong, sweeping; vast enough to provide the necessary "Star Wars Feel" that I've been rambling about this week when discussing this project.

Where McNeely ultimately succeeds on this score are the moments where he brings something of himself to the musical table. Sure, the references to John Williams and the prerequisite melodic feel provided in those tracks are sure to set anyone's nostalgia reeling. But McNeely has no problem dipping his hands into different tonalities than Williams. Sure, Beggars Canyon Chase is an original piece of music that feels like John Williams, but the folk textures of The Southern Underground and stark dissonant chords of Battle of Gall and The Destruction of Xizor's Palace don't ring well with Williams' own traditional sensibilities. Nor does the waltz-like pacing of The Seduction of Princess Leia. While I wouldn't give up McNeely's loving homages to the classic trilogy scores, I'd love to hear more of his own contributions in here.

In rating this album, I have to ask the question of whether or not this album fits the story told. This is what is necessary of any soundtrack, so why should the score to a novel be any different. So, my answer is yes with a giant "but" at the end. This album is a high quality addition to any soundtrack library, and does well for being a Star Wars soundtrack as well. However, it definitely could have been better with more fluid compositions and if the melodies were more in line with the characters, in such places as Xizor is concerned. There were too many moments where the piece would just stop, and then pick up with the next theme. This is sloppy composition, where even the vinyl copy of the soundtrack to Star Wars (Episode IV: A New Hope for all of the obsessives...like me) carried a strong flow from one track to the next, despite missing massive sections of music from the overall film. Perhaps I'm spoiled by the remastered CD scores of the original trilogy, where listening to the album feels like I'm watching the film without the need for the visual aspect. But that doesn't do this record justice. It's worth a listen, and possibly worth a purchase for those of us who love the music of Star Wars.

And let's be honest, there's no way you would even look at this CD if you weren't a fan of Star Wars in the first place.

4/5