: (John Powell/John
Williams/Various) While the Marvel Cinematic Universe proved itself
immune to the fatigue of over-saturation in the 2010's, the vaunted
"Star Wars" saga was not so lucky. Since Walt Disney Studios' takeover
of the concept from George Lucas, an anthology of "Star Wars Stories"
appeared in short order, and fans made it clear through unexpectedly
poor box office returns that the saga was perhaps too sacred to plunder
so frequently. There is an overarching problem with the "Star Wars"
universe that 2018's
perpetuates, one of
pessimism and loss that has robbed much of the spirited, buoyant
enthusiasm of the original trilogy. Like its contemporaries in the
franchise, the Han Solo film is a downer, once again conveying that
galaxy far, far away in a frighteningly troubled light. Not once in this
franchise's feature films has there ever been a successful romance
between two beings. Think about that for a moment. While
, the 2018
entry sees all three of its major male characters lose their leading
ladies in its plot, projecting an already gloomy set of narratives into
yet another brief snippet of "Star Wars" chronology. These films have
become surprisingly depressing from the romantic perspective of a space
opera, and
was poised to lose Disney
significant amounts of money as a result. The film was another
production nightmare in the franchise, director Ron Howard stepping in
for Disney (and Lucas, who remains involved) to reshoot most of the film
after the studio realized the product had major problems. Howard does
reasonably well with the material, providing several absolutely riotous
action scenes led by a monumentally entertaining train heist sequence.
The film also contains the requisite nuggets referencing the larger
"Star Wars" universe, including a couple of characters from
. (The appearance of Warwick Davis in a
cameo speaking role here is highly redemptive.)
Questionable acting performances, including Alden
Ehrenreich inevitably failing as a young Harrison Ford, oddly paced
sequences of character interactions, the infusion of civil rights
concerns involving droids, and the aforementioned depressing overall
demeanor of the affair dampen the movie's promise. Fortunately, the ills
of
did not stop composer John Powell from
delivering a masterpiece of a score for the film. If you had generated
several dozen possible outcomes for this score, perhaps the best
available option prevailed, with the franchise maestro, John Williams,
returning to write two themes for Han Solo and Powell then
enthusiastically adapting them into his original score. Powell, whose
output waned in the decade as he could carefully choose his involvements
at this point in his career, was drawn to the assignment in part because
of Williams' agreement to provide the film's main identity, admitting
that it would be an honor to work with a man who he deemed the "Yoda of
film music." (It also helped that Hans Zimmer, when approached by Howard
when he took the helm, encouraged the director to stick with Powell.) Of
course, with Powell often comes an army of ghostwriters, and there are
three additional crew members credited with writing or adapting music
for the film. It's fascinating to hear Powell channel his lifelong
passion for the "Star Wars" concept into his own methodology without
losing the key tenants of the franchise's music. Michael Giacchino took
an extremely conservative approach to handling the adaptation of
Williams' mannerisms in
, writing
music that emulated the maestro (as Giacchino has done throughout his
career) to such a degree that the resulting score was caught in the
"sounds like Williams but isn't" category of sufficiency but deficiency.
Powell better manages to adapt Williams sound firmly into his own
confort zone, producing an overall musical voice that is a third
Williams, a third Powell's
scores. The combination works brilliantly, the reverence to Williams
highly effective without ever sounding awkward.
is evidence
of a composer at the top of his game, Powell's themes impressively
developed and his adaptations cleverly executed in most instances. There
is writing in this score that is simply divine in its complexity yet
fluid, tonal accessibility. Powell didn't write the standalone thematic
suites that Giacchino did in his assignment; rather, he concentrated on
supplying a really powerful musical narrative that often makes the most
of each scene's capabilities. The tone of the recording is key to this
success; electronic embellishment and manipulation is held to a minimum,
the symphony gorgeously breathing life into a wet, live mix that is
infinitely more engaging than Giacchino's comparatively stale
recordings. The impact of the mix of Powell's recording for
cannot be understated. It's often tricky to
emphasize individual performers, especially on woodwinds, when a score
is supplied a vibrantly live ambience. But that slightly echoing fantasy
tone is perfectly captured in this score, one begging for a surround
sound listening experience on its own. (Note that Powell did adjust the
mix of the score for his "Deluxe Edition" album release, occasionally
diminishing some elements.) The standard Powell reliance on percussion
is the most glaring difference between the composer's own style and the
Williams/Giacchino methodology despite Williams' incorporation of them
in the prequels to a greater degree. The rowdy percussion section in
confirms this as a solidly Powell effort
from start to finish. It's intriguing to compare the Powell crew's
London recording of the Han Solo thematic material with Williams' actual
concert arrangement of those themes with a Los Angeles ensemble. The
Williams composition, conducted by the 86-year-old maestro himself,
reflects his usual precision of orchestration and style, clearly
extending his stately rebel material from
into a pair of identities for the beloved scoundrel that
culminate in yet another suite with a false crescendo conclusion at the
end, a Williams trademark. Powell takes that inspiration and maintains
Williams' flourishes on woodwinds, triplets on trumpets, and frantic
figures on celli while expressing the themes amongst his own preferred
mix of ingredients.
The learned ear can hear the legacy of Williams' phrasing
and orchestrations all over the score for
despite its clear classification in the Powell realm, and it wouldn't be
surprising if many listeners gravitate towards Powell's treatment of the
Han themes more often than Williams' formal arrangements. The
instrumental pallet for Powell ranges wildly in its accents throughout
the work, abrasive choral tones for one set of characters, a loungey,
almost retro ambience for another, and strikingly brutal and dissonant
explosions of action at the height of one chase scene. The choral
element is judiciously applied, though there is an over-the-top
expression of glorious grandeur by the singers for the introduction of
the famed Millennium Falcon. Two highlight cues utilize the deep male
choral tones of Williams' prequel scores. Together, these contributors
supply the perfect tone for each of the score's many themes, most of
which new for this story. Powell's ability to swing seemingly
effortlessly between his own themes and classic identities from decades
ago is owed to his keen ability to maintain uninterrupted momentum and
consistent instrumentation while jumping from motif to motif. Before
diving into the great depth of themes for
, it needs to be recognized that this film is the first "Star
Wars" feature not to reference Williams' theme for the Force, a lasting
identity that come to represent the franchise just as much as the title
fanfare. Since there was arguably no place for it in this narrative, the
absence of that theme, which some will argue became overused by
, is a relief. No need to force it in there
without reason. Instead, since Han Solo and Chewbacca never had themes
of their own from Williams prior to this entry, the major holdover from
the earlier scores is the rebel motif that is a secondary portion of the
main "Star Wars" theme. This application makes sense given that Williams
himself eventually came to associate this identity with the famous
spaceships of the franchise; it thus becomes pervasive in many guises as
Powell supplies the idea for the Falcon. Listen for Powell's flirtation
with the idea as Han and Lando face off twice in cards over ownership of
the vessel; the subtle woodwind allusions to the rebel fanfare here for
the Falcon are nothing less than sublime.
The main "Star Wars" theme also makes a number of
appearances in
Solo: A Star Wars Story as well, culminating in
the customary end credits fanfare introduction. Three motifs for the
Galactic Empire return as well, including two significant appearances by
the Imperial March (neither on the initial album) and a combination of
the two Imperial motifs from
Star Wars: A New Hope; Powell
follows Giacchino's lead in using both the film's Death Star/Star
Destroyer motif (applied to a Star Destroyer here, which may be a rare
misstep because it was always matched better with the Death Star) and
the proper stormtrooper motif in various guises throughout. These latter
themes are included on the initial album. Powell also utilizes several
TIE-fighter, chasing, and asteroid-related fragments from
A New
Hope and
Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back in the aptly
titled "Reminiscence Therapy" cue for the Falcon's escape from the
Empire during the heralded "Kessel Run." The Imperial March is of
interest because of a major-key adaptation of the idea in "Empire
Recruitment" for a propaganda film that Han witnesses at a spaceport.
Not long after, he finds himself in the trenches on behalf of those
villains, with a fuller, more traditional, transitional statement of the
idea expressed in "Mimban Battle." Listeners have commented that it
would have been nice to hear some brief nod to Lando's theme from
The
Empire Strikes Back somewhere in these proceedings; it does not
happen. Lando's cowardly escape alone in the Falcon in "Savareen
Stand-Off" is treated to a deflated rebel fanfare fragment that is
perhaps the funniest moment in the score. The new themes in
Solo: A
Star Wars Story are highlighted by the two written by Williams for
the titular character. One is your standard heroic fare, tentatively
developed early on before maturing understandably at the end. The other
is something of a "Han in motion" chasing identity (described by Powell
as "yearning") that accompanies his antics while escaping. Both are
expressed consecutively a few times in "The Adventures of Han" before
Powell explores Han's chasing theme in "Meet Han" and the heroic primary
theme in "Corellia Chase." How Powell decided to divide the usage of
these two themes doesn't always make sense, for he seems to interchange
them in ways that could have been switched easily.
The new heroic theme for Han in
Solo: A Star Wars
Story is adequate, but it ironically isn't anywhere near as
memorable as Han's propulsive, chasing alternative. Williams had
originally intended to utilize only one of the two themes for the
character, and he was tentative about which one to choose; Powell
fortunately encouraged him to keep both. The heroic theme is expressed
more frequently than any other in the score, and it contains notably
"Williamsesque" secondary phrasing that highlights a few scenes. Powell
makes certain to supply each theme in the score with at least one, full
and uninterrupted statement for the entire ensemble, and in the case of
Han's heroic theme, that moment comes at 0:27 into "Corellia Chase." The
idea is introduced early in "Meet Han" over the opening logos on ominous
bass strings before its run of performances throughout "Corellia Chase."
Powell adjusts the chords behind Williams' theme liberally, yielding
satisfying results, and the performance at 1:34 into that cue contains
frenzied exploration of the idea that fully utilizes percussion and
density reminiscent of the
How to Train Your Dragon action cues.
Solid bass brass accompaniment and Williams-like plucked strings bring
robust optimism to the theme at 1:35 into "Flying With Chewie." The
tempo is accelerated at 4:11 into "Train Heist" and 1:28 into "Marauders
Arrive" as Han truly begins to prove his flying chops. Woodwinds slyly
dance through the theme several times in conjunction with the rebel
fanfare in "Is This Seat Taken?" as Powell kicks up the sleaze factor
using a slide and acoustic guitar with tingling percussion for the card
play scenes. As Han gets swept up in another plot to steal a precious
energy commodity, his heroic theme diminishes in prominence for a while,
with two brief references in "Mine Mission" leading to a rendition at
1:24 into "Break Out" over the main fanfare's supporting phrasing with
excellent results. By 3:14 into that cue, Powell draws out the theme to
melodramatic string tones of agony and suspense. Urgent interjections by
the theme break up the nostalgia three times in "Reminiscence Therapy"
before another three applications in "Into the Maw," the last of which
at 3:57 aided by roaring snare rhythms. The theme is subdued in the
film's final confrontation scenes, barely registering once each in
"Savareen Stand-Off" and "The Good Guy," both in defeated, secondary
positions to other identities.
The two appearances of the heroic theme for Han in
"Testing Allegiance" bring it back to life, the stomping of the idea at
1:46 into the cue particularly memorable. Of course, Powell sends Han
off in the end of
Solo: A Star Wars Story with a rousing
performance of his heroic theme at 1:32 into "Dice & Roll." In the
Williams concert arrangement, "The Adventures of Han," the theme is
heard first at 0:16 and matures as the upbeat, xylophone-running, heroic
identity it's meant to be at 1:40. Williams closes it out at 2:49 in his
suite with a trumpet pronouncement heavy in the treble region. The
other, chasing theme for Han is ironically a more memorable identity
because of its repeating structures and droning base chord on key for
its first two phrases. This identity is reminiscent of the repetition of
figures that Williams used for the government forces in
E.T. The
Extra Terrestrial and is thus the more "Williamsesque" of the two
Han themes. There is classic Williams tumult heard in the theme's
timpani-aided and bass-woodwind performance at 0:37 (Williams still
bests Powell in his bassoon applications), and the identity returns at
2:24 with lighter intensity. The maestro interestingly infuses some more
recent rebel material at 1:58, specifically the Holdo-related string
figures from
The Last Jedi. At the end of his suite, Williams
follows a false conclusion with a crescendo of brass and
timpani-pounding blasts owing much to his two
Jurassic Park
scores. Powell's incorporation of this theme into the score doesn't
always make as much sense as the heroic alternative, but given how
attractive the chase theme can be when multiple phrases are conveyed,
it's difficult to argue with its placements. The main Powell rendition
of this theme comes almost immediately, at 0:48 into "Meet Han," at
which point the composer expands upon Williams' new
A.I. Artificial
Intelligence string undulations with the chase theme that
simultaneously exposes Powell's intent to layer this score with his
trademark, aggressive beds of percussion. The solo piano version of this
theme at 1:51 is an elegant interlude before "Corellia Chase" returns
the idea to brighter shades at 0:47. Similar lofty treatment extends at
1:57 and 2:44 in that same cue. The "Spaceport" cue makes extensive use
of Han's chasing theme in its first minute, turning it towards worrisome
emotional territory as needed. The
A.I. undulations once again
preface the theme just after the third minute mark for a truly
remarkable and impactful full performance of the theme.
After reaching its emotional pinnacle in "Spaceport," the
chasing theme for Han only exists in lesser duties thereafter over the
course of
Solo: A Star Wars Story. These references include a
very brief fragment at 3:49 into "Train Heist" and a lost phrase at 4:42
into "Marauders Arrive" before the idea returns to glory on strings at
2:13 into "Break Out." Likewise, two very brief fragments of the theme
pop up in "Into the Maw" before Powell affords the melody one last
hurrah with cheery glaze at 1:19 into "Dice & Roll." Powell concocts six
major secondary themes for
Solo: A Star Wars Story to supplement
the two Han themes, and these identities are often intertwined and
overlapped extensively as needed by the characters' various deceitful
intentions. The most frequently referenced original theme by Powell and
his team is for the Tobias Beckett character and his gang of outlaws.
The introduction to the Beckett theme, heard as Han witnesses his
gun-slinging greatness for the first time, explodes with glory in
"Mimban Battle," a cue unfortunately not contained on the initial album;
instead, you receive it in various guises in the first minute of "Flying
With Chewie." Its spry, march-like form transitions into an almost James
Bond-like expression of total coolness at 1:47 into "Train Heist," the
gang's height of prowess. This is where Powell's percussion and force of
tonality really hit their mark, producing a highlight of both the score
and the film. The theme continues its dominance in the cue before
turning tragic at 3:12 into "Marauders Arrive" with the death of two
characters. Thereafter, including a few times later in "Marauders
Arrive," the theme is offered only as a hint of Beckett's persona,
including a keen flute reference at 0:36 into "Is This Seat Taken?" and
an affable follow-up at 2:26 into "L3 & Millennium Falcon." The melody
returns to various action forms at 2:32 and 3:49 into "Break Out" and
becomes fragmented for the character's endeavors to aid in the escape at
three or four junctures in "Into the Maw." An intriguing reduction of
the theme to a harp solo at 1:50 into "The Good Guy" is an interesting,
if not deceptive precursor for the inevitable conclusion to the theme
early in "Testing Allegiance." Often mingling with this theme is that
for Chewbacca, a long overdue musical motif for the popular Wookiee
hinted initially in "The Beast" but formally throughout "Flying With
Chewie." After the escape material in the first two-minutes of that cue,
Powell allows a contemplative and romantic rendition of the theme in
true
How to Train Your Dragon mode.
Powell's handling of the Wookie's theme in "Flying With
Chewie" and throughout
Solo: A Star Wars Story suggests that
Chewie, despite occasional bursts of anger and tearing a few arms out of
sockets, is ultimately a peaceful and lovable character. (The actor's
portrayal of Chewbacca in this film is actually quite expressive despite
the concealing costume.) Following the remarkably pretty expression of
Chewbacca's theme in "Flying With Chewie," Powell extends its soothing
tones against Beckett's identity early in "Train Heist." Like Beckett's
motif, however, the Wookiee's theme is reduced to precise spot
treatments thereafter. These moments most notably include his encounter
with other Wookiees during "Mine Mission" (2:05) and "Break Out" (0:44),
the latter a fully triumphant, heroic translation of the idea that sets
it up for a bubbly version at 2:53 into "Reminiscence Therapy." A sad
conclusion to the theme is heard at 1:44 into "Good Thing You Were
Listening." From an intellectual standpoint, the thematic highlight of
Solo: A Star Wars Story may be the interplay between its main
love theme and overarching conspiracy theme. In the narrative, the two
are hopelessly intertwined, and some viewers may mistake the conspiracy
theme for the love theme (or Han's love interest, Qi'ra) by the end of
the film. Powell sometimes mingles the two knowingly, suggesting that
Han's not-so-innocent target of affections is part of a larger plot of
nefarious intent. The love theme is expressed several times during the
pivotal "Spaceport" cue of desperation, subtly presented in the
background at 1:56 and 2:07 before its agonizing trauma of separation at
2:44. It returns at its fullest throughout "Han & Qi'Ra Reunite" and
"Lando's Closet," the performance at 1:27 into the latter cue a
throwback to the Golden Age in its flowing string layers and carefree
attitude. The theme understandably struggles to survive during the bulk
of the film's action, returning faintly at 3:47 into "Savareen
Stand-Off" before returning to prominence in the third minute of
"Testing Allegiance," where Powell transfers the idea to extremely
elegant piano tones in fleeting hopes of a better conclusion. This is a
traditional Williams technique of optimism, and Powell nails audiences
with it here; he likewise fools Han into a false sense of romance
throughout "The Good Guy," starting at 0:21 with a noble French horn and
extending to 1:11 on solo trumpet. The theme's struggle to complete its
phrases in these minutes is extremely smart by Powell, its battle with
the conspiracy theme eventually lost completely.
The agony of Powel's love theme in
Solo: A Star Wars
Story is milked to its greatest at 1:17 into "Good Thing You Were
Listening," where Qi'ra leaves the story for her destiny, Powell
offering melodrama so palpable that you can't help but wonder how Han
could simply stand there watching it happen. The composer manages to
achieve exactly the right balance between the love theme and its darker,
conspiracy-laden counterpart, and it is in this latter theme's presence
that many of the score's highlights dwell. The conspiracy theme arguably
represents everything bad in the galaxy, including the Crimson Dawn
syndicate, the Sith, the smugglers associated with them, and, most
importantly, Qi'ra herself by association. As such, it's the nemesis of
Han that he doesn't really recognize working against him because of his
haphazard attitude. Powell provides that sly recognition for audiences,
however, using the conspiracy theme as an extremely potent identity with
which so many scenes connect via the score. This motif is a simple
series of the same ominous, three-note phrases repeated with shifting
chords underneath, a clever musical recognition of a constant force of
evil in the universe with different players maneuvering around in that
game below. It's the first thing you hear in the film, immediately
opening "Meet Han." The idea fully reveals itself as the leads are
separated at 3:39 into "Spaceport," a direct foreshadowing of future
divergence. The motif's direct interference with the love theme is
beautifully interpolated in two cues, "Lando's Closet" using the motif
as an interlude at 1:06 before the love theme literally overwhelms its
structure. Later, Powell revisits this masterful interplay throughout
"The Good Guy," providing many hints to the trouble ahead by using the
love theme's instrumentation to convey the conspiracy theme each time
until the tortured strings reclaim the identity around the 4-minute
mark. The dissolution of the love theme to its conspiracy counterpart at
3:45 into "Testing Allegiance" is the final nail in the coffin, Powell
building to a momentous crescendo with brass as Qi'ra takes her former
master's place. The two most intriguing uses of the conspiracy theme
come as the identity spreads to the other "villains" of the tale. As Han
realizes Beckett's final intentions in "Good Thing You Were Listening,"
Powell supplies the theme to note the latter's lack of loyalty to the
cause of good. More potent, however, is the conspiracy theme's most
major application in the score, supplied with incredible impact at the
plot's major twist revelation at 3:19 into "Savareen Stand-Off,"
exposing the secrets behind the galaxy's power players in one gripping,
mask-removing moment.
The repetitive nature of the conspiracy theme's
three-note phrases in
Solo: A Star Wars Story allows Powell
immense latitude in shaping the emotional scope of any of these
applications of the theme, and this versatility allows it to effectively
take over the entire final act of the story. To hear the theme suddenly
supplant the marauders' identity in "Savareen Stand-Off" is a monumental
success in the spotting of this score. The marauding pirates portrayed
as the villains for much of
Solo: A Star Wars Story are Cloud
Riders led by their young commander, Enfys Nest. Both the full group and
their leader receive motifs from Powell and company, though these
identities share common stylized vocals in such a way that some
listeners may simply consider one motif to be an interlude of the other.
Instantly recognizable by the abrasive children's vocals associated with
them, the idea may offend some listeners for how different the rendering
sounds from the remainder of the themes. It may also remind listeners of
James Horner's
Avatar because of the child-like inflection of
these vocals. The theme explodes to the forefront as the pirates
interrupt the train heist in "Marauders Arrive," and their hit and run
tactics prevail with equal force at the end of "L3 & Millennium Falcon."
A fantastic reference to the theme suggests the presence of the Cloud
Riders at 0:45 into "Is This Seat Taken?," pitting their identity
against Beckett's in an unexpected but completely understandable context
at Lando's card table. It's not until "Savareen Stand-Off" that Nest's
theme really clarifies its purpose, the standard shock value of her
arrival interrupting a humming bullroarer effect and ominous throat
singing tones under intelligent, softer tones thereafter. At the same
time, Powell also supplies churning bass string rhythms with the
menacing tone that Williams had applied to the Sith in the prequel
scores, a remarkable red herring here. It may be no coincidence that the
Nest motif's progressions are a somewhat inverted form of the conspiracy
theme's, both respective figures repeated multiple times with persistent
presence. While Nest herself receives the main pirate fanfare of sorts,
the same choral tones supply the theme for her Cloud Riders group, and
this theme is superior to that of their leader in its rolling action
capabilities. Heard at 0:24 and 2:16 into "Marauders Arrive" and later
at 4:55 into "The Good Guy," this identity is frightening but espouses
more of a major-key personality to perhaps hint at the future
friendliness of these pirates. These performances also feature the best
performance inflection from the singers as well, despite their somewhat
derivative exoticism.
The final major new theme of
Solo: A Star Wars
Story belongs to Lando's lovingly obnoxious droid partner, L3.
Introduced at the beginning of "L3 & Millennium Falcon," this theme is
the weakest of the lot, and it's intriguing to note that Powell assigns
her a tuba solo when Williams had specifically targeted that instrument
at obese or foolish entities prior. The glory of this theme comes in
"Mine Mission" and "Break Out," as L3 leads a droid rebellion. Her theme
opens on trumpet in the former and then develops into a long, stately
fugue that is pure Williams in its handling of a chaotic action scene
with such noble musical structure. Though the fugue in "Mine Mission"
may seem trivial in the larger musical narrative of
Solo: A Star Wars
Story, it's a remarkable cue in that it emulates Williams' technique
of supplying a few completely unique explorations of theme and style for
individual scenes in his "Star Wars" scores. By 4:54 into "Break Out,"
Powell transfers the idea to pure mush as the droid suffers its demise,
and the trumpet solo late in that cue is not to be missed. As the droid
literally bonds with the Falcon, the subsequent escape cues do reference
the L3 theme three or four times as navigational references are made.
There are a few lesser motifs sprinkled throughout Powell's score, the
most consistent of which representing the Coaxium energy that everyone
is attempting to steal throughout the film. This descending motif of
alarm is heard as the Coaxium is first seen at 2:46 into "Train Heist"
and returns as a rhythmic motif at 3:27 into "Mine Mission," 5:40 into
"Break Out," and opening "Double-Double Cross." Fragments of this motif
get lost in the subsequent Falcon chase sequence. More obvious in these
passages are the references to Williams' classic themes, an exercise
executed expertly and with passion by Powell and his team. The "Here
They Come!" and "The Asteroid Field" references pointing back to the
franchise's two first scores in "Reminiscence Therapy" are astoundingly
well integrated into the flow of Powell's own material. (Powell recalls
marveling at the composer's original compositions upon seeing them for
the first time.) So, too, is the main Imperial motif from
A New
Hope, heard best in a few places in "Train Heist" but existing all
over the place in the secondary layers of this score. And while Powell
chose to apply Williams' "larger than life hardware" motif most commonly
associated with the Death Star in
A New Hope to the Star
Destroyer at the beginning of "Reminiscence Therapy," he does
immediately transition to a series of subsequent minor-third
alternations that do suggest the Imperial March on a gut level.
No discussion of the classic Williams themes reprised in
Solo: A Star Wars Story can pass without a special shout out to
the main theme's translation into choral grandeur at 1:38 into "L3 &
Millennium Falcon" as the Falcon is seen, shiny and white (and
surprisingly complete), for the first time. Powell spends so much time
building up to this moment in "Is This Seat Taken?" that the payoff is
well deserved. Also not to be forgotten is a reference to Williams'
"Duel of the Fates" for an entire minute in "Maul's Call," a revelatory
scene near the end of the picture. This cue, which makes solid use of
Williams' memorable deep choir and brass lines from "Duel of the Fates,"
is absent from the initial album release. Listeners do receive a cameo
by a portion of the primary phrase of the main
How to Train Your
Dragon theme at 1:11 into "Marauders Arrive," perhaps coincidental
but given that the scene involves flying with masked riders, one can
only imagine a composer's sense of humor at work. Overall,
Solo: A
Star Wars Story is not only a masterpiece equal to or exceeding the
first two
How to Train Your Dragon scores, but it could rank
highly on some lists of the best all-time "Star Wars" scores. Fans often
lament that composers entering franchises like this one always have
difficulty finding the right balance between emulation of the existing
musical identity and the infusion of that new composer's own styles. So
often, those composers fail because they either disregard their
predecessors or copy them shamelessly without attempting to extend the
concept musically. Powell proves here that finding the right balance is
not a lost cause. This is both a great "Star Wars" score and a highlight
of Powell's own style, regardless of his ghostwriters' involvement. The
amount of density in this music is astounding, its detailed counterpoint
lines, expert orchestration, and outstanding mix all contributing to an
immensely entertaining result. There are simply too many fine touches in
this score to do it justice in any review, leaving the music as a top
recommendation on album for all film music enthusiasts. The initial
album from Disney, despite its 77-minute length, has some detriments.
It's not in chronological order, with the drama-inclined cues, "The Good
Guy," "Good Thing You Were Listening," and "Testing Allegiance,"
presented out of place with the story. The album also misses some
necessary tracks, including the "End Credits" edit that opens with the
usual "Star Wars" theme and rotates nicely between many of the score's
themes in a solid presentation even if it is simply cobbled together
from parts of the remainder of the score. Powell never did record an end
credits cue or any other suite, sadly.
Also missing from the initial 2018 album are the
aforementioned Imperial March and "Duel of the Fates" cues, as is the
impressive arrival music for Lady Proxima early. Instead, listeners get
the obnoxious, light pop song appropriately titled "Chicken in the Pot,"
a regrettable source piece in the fictional language of the Hutts that
at least augments the tone of Powell's love theme through its dreamy
string counterpoint lines. The "Star Wars" franchise has a long history
of disappointing film score collectors, and
Solo: A Star Wars
Story clearly deserved a fuller album option outright. If Disney
could offer expanded soundtracks as a lossless download option for its
other franchise properties, how could it drop the ball so consistently
on the "Star Wars" music? With no small amount of effort from Powell,
the studio did finally allow a download-only "Deluxe Edition" of the
score in 2020 (and pressed as a 2-CD set by Intrada in 2023), expanding
the listening experience to over two hours and restoring the
chronological ordering of the tracks. The original 2018 album required
approval from Williams, who refused, for instance, to approve the
inclusion of the "Empire Recruitment" cue as a bonus track on that
product. That album was also pressed prior to several last-minute edits
to the score for the film, including the addition of a second vocal line
for "Chicken in the Pot." For the 2020 product, the Williams suite was
not included, but it was restored on the 2023 CD set. On both, Powell's
studio remixed almost the entire score proper as heard in the film.
Aside from the Williams suite, there remain portions of "Marauders
Arrive" and "Good Thing You Were Listening" that are unique to the 2018
album, as they utilize earlier takes. While all the major cues and
source pieces are featured on the 2020 album, there remain a few dozen
inserts and overlays that were not selected for inclusion, along with a
standalone recording of the Imperial March. Criticism may be merited for
combining cues into longer tracks where separation would have been
preferable; several of the cues would have been nice to appreciate
without crossfades. The new mix is not necessarily an improvement,
though. While Nest's abrasive vocals are moved back and outstanding
flute figures moved forward in "Deluxe Train Heist," the remainder of
the changes are questionable. Great percussion is moved further back
early in "Deluxe Train Heist," slapping percussion is too prominent
during the "Here They Come" snippet in "Kessel Run in Less Than 12
Parsecs," and the flutes are totally lost at the big reveal in "Enfys'
Stand-Off." Generally, the bass is too loud in some cues, "Maul's Call"
causing distortion from woofers at even moderate volumes.
In terms of the musical narrative of
Solo: A Star Wars
Story, the expanded albums are an excellent representation of what's
heard in the film, with some overlays included that improve the
experience. With the new mix, all of the cues may seem a bit different
for those closely familiar with the 2018 album. Some of the additional
cues are not as remarkable as the core material already released, but,
amazingly, many are, and they reinforce the superiority of the work's
intelligence. The "Bunk/Proxima" cue opens with an urgent interplay of
the conspiracy and love themes, building to a lovely transitional cue
interrupted by a sudden Imperial motif. The grand entrance to "Proxima"
at 1:10 is the standard Williams gong-banging revelation technique that
yields to dissonant suspense for Han's main theme. The next previously
unreleased cue, "Gonna Be a Pilot," is a brief and troubled expression
of that theme for Han. The full "Empire Recruitment" source cue,
originally titled "Edwardian Style" by the composer, is a magnificent
treat, reportedly a fun, last-minute arrangement of the march for the
moment by Powell and his team. The following "Mimban Battle" cue is the
first of the absolutely tremendous additions to the album, offering the
score's one serious statement of the Imperial March on tonally
oppressive low brass at the outset and transitioning with brilliance
into original action thereafter. After some frantic expressions of the
main Han theme, the introduction of the Beckett theme at 0:38 is a
godsend, obscured in the film but conveyed with an additional male
choral layer here that is outrageously impressive. The latter half of
"Mimban Battle" stews on Beckett's theme in light suspense, rolling into
subtle rhythmic hints of the Imperial March at 1:18. The immediately
following "Blackmail" opens with a longing performance of the main "Star
Wars" theme on solo trumpet before stewing in fragments of Han's primary
theme and concluding with a burst of Beckett confidence. Of intrigue is
the challenging "The Beast," the initial encounter between Han and
Chewbacca that uses menacing rhythmic tones appropriate for a "Godzilla"
flick before Chewie's theme asserts itself in action mode at 1:01. The
tentative origins of the "Star Wars" theme's applications for the Falcon
emerge on woodwinds at 1:52 as the characters comically come to grips
with one another. In "Surveying Conveyex," hints of the forthcoming Nest
theme are quietly stated with mystery. The "Deluxe Train Heist" track
combines all the music from the heist scene together and swaps in an
18-second insert for the conclusion. This track is perhaps the most
noticeably different in its new mix, especially the emphasis of brass
alongside the vocals for Nest's arrival.
Beckett's theme receives soft harp treatment to open
"Walk to Dryden's" on the expanded albums for
Solo: A Star Wars
Story, the moment of lament developing into optimism for Han's theme
before a massive statement of the conspiracy theme on brass is heralded,
complete with one inverted phrase in the middle that is seemingly
inspired by Williams' Sith material. This cue is another major and
important addition to the listening experience. The "Chicken in the Pot"
version on the deluxe album includes the late addition of a lower voice
to make the source piece a duet. The love theme returns lushly in spurts
throughout "Han & Qi'Ra Reunite," a strong companion to the "Lando's
Closet" cue. Powell himself offers vocals to the Latin-inspired source
music in "Stormtrooper JP-054 Karaoke," and it's amusing if not highly
annoying; it's the type of ridiculous fluff that would have been at home
in the
Rio franchise. A lengthy conversational cue, "Dryden's
Patience is Tested," features the conspiracy theme in quiet battle with
fragments of Han's theme and the love theme. A few slightly melodramatic
crescendos in the cue lead to clever statements of the Beckett identity
and a more redemptive swell of Han's main theme. The Nest material
returns over strumming guitars with an electronic tilt in "Card Room," a
cue that doesn't sound much like the rest of the score in its tone.
Powell rotates between character themes in the sweet "Family Stories,"
beginning with Han's ideas and switching to L3's. A flourishing return
of Han's chasing theme anchors the cue's middle, building to a
monumental rendition of his main theme, complete with cheery sleigh
bells. The lead-up to the mine heist is finally included on the expanded
albums, starting with "Trust No One," transitioning from the conspiracy
theme to Williams' rebel fanfare and then back to Han's material. An
almost David Arnold, James Bond-like feel opens with the Beckett theme
in "Oksana Floren, Yadda Yadda Yadda," the mine sequence opening with a
highly Williams-like burst of tortured melodrama at 0:40 laced with
continued Beckett progressions. The electronic bass and guitar ambience
persists in the cue with hints of L3's material. A slight chime
interjection of the main "Star Wars" theme at 2:36 is a nice touch. The
end of the cue begins the action in earnest with brazen snare and brass
rhythms previewing the slower fugue to follow. The "Extra Deluxe Mine
Mission" track combines the "Mine Mission" and "Break Out" tracks from
the 2018 album, and "Kessel Run in Less Than 12 Parsecs" does the same
for "Reminiscence Therapy" and "Into the Maw." Aside from crossfades,
these major cues are all presented as before. Significant differences in
the albums' presentations start at this point in the narrative.
The first two minutes of "The Good Guy" from the 2018
album for
Solo: A Star Wars Story is separated into "Savareen
Tent," followed properly by the renamed "Enfys' Stand-Off." The middle
two minutes of "The Good Guy" is then offered as "Qi'ra Knows A Bit More
Than Han" while the end of "The Good Guy" is expanded greatly in
"Double-Double Cross" to include more than three additional minutes. The
cyclical Coaxium motif dominates two minutes of new material in
"Double-Double Cross," both somber and frightful fragments of Beckett's
theme accompanying timpani-thumping moments of revelation. Among the
weakest new material on the expanded albums are a 30-second passage
added to the formerly named "Testing Allegiance," the opening's generic
atmospheric suspense devolving into a rather obnoxious percussion-only
face-off. The guilty-pleasure highlight of the longer presentation is
the "Maul's Call/Parting Ways" track consisting of three cues, the Maul
sequence's cue originally titled cutely as "Skype Showdown" by Powell.
The deep male choir and faithful but fresh rendition of "Duel of the
Fates" a fantastic moment even if the bass in this cue is too
overwhelming in the mix compared to surrounding material. Powell's
"Beckett Departs" cue, reducing the character's theme to barely audible
strings, is nestled into the middle of "Maul's Call/Parting Ways," and
part of this music was heard at the end of "Good Thing You Were
Listening" on the prior album. The film version of Qi'Ra's departure
follows; the 2018 album offered an alternate take that wasn't used, and
the expanded albums restore the proper trio of conspiracy theme, Han's
theme, and love theme that emulate the score's opening as she flies off.
Chewie's theme immediately thereafter remains intact, however. The
Parting Ways" portion of the track, starting at 3:39, is a point of much
interest, for it is the best of the surviving demo cues that Williams
recorded for the film that survived largely intact in Powell's score.
Williams recorded six demo cues with a full orchestra for
Solo: A
Star Wars Story as means of fleshing out his two themes for Han
prior to Powell's work. These included "Meet Han," "Gonna Be a Pilot,"
"Family Stories," and the first six minutes of "Kessel Run in Less Than
12 Parsecs," ("Reminiscence Therapy") as well. While Williams' crescendo
in "Gonna Be a Pilot" also survived intact in Powell's work, the only
other cue to do so is "Parting Ways." Williams collectors can definitely
hear the maestro's voice in this passage, from the solo horn, ensemble
swell, and soft woodwinds, to hints of
Far and Away in the
arrangements of the main Han theme and, for a few brief moments, the
chasing interlude. The cue is gorgeous in context and remains another
absolute highlight of the expanded albums.
The lone remaining new Powell music from
Solo: A
Star Wars Story on the expanded presentation is the forgettable
"Lando's Jungle Room" source recording; this material, along with "Card
Room," is so inferior to the score's actual Sabacc game music that one
wonders why the source was needed at all. For the "Super Extra Deluxe
End Credits Suite," there is no indication that Powell re-recorded the
franchise's fanfare, more likely utilizing a recording of one the
Williams scores' versions instead. The inclusion of the assembled suite
for the ten-minute end credits crawl sequence is nice for casual
listeners, but it offers nothing new for the collector. Again, it's
disappointing that Powell didn't write a distinct arrangement of his
themes for this placement as had been tradition in the franchise, even
if it meant concocting inserts as transitions to piece together passages
from the score. The "Deluxe Edition" albums are, on the whole, an
exemplary presentation that provides the full score as a faithful
representation of what's heard in the film, even if a few overlays of
embellishment remain. The four source-like tracks may have been better
placed in a bonus section at the end, but Powell seemed intent on
preserving the exact chronological presentation. Several of the longer
combinations of cues should have been split into separate tracks, most
notably "Parting Ways" at the end; at times, the combinations feature a
second of silence in between them anyway, so there was no point to
inconveniently merging them. The 2020 presentation wasn't like the
typical offerings of the soundtrack specialty labels in that it did not
contain alternate takes and was missing, quite obviously, the Williams
suite that appeared on the original album. (You can likely thank the Los
Angeles recording and its union rules for that omission; Powell recorded
in London.) High-resolution downloads were available of the 2020 mix,
and Intrada's 2023 2-CD set with that presentation plus the Williams
suite at the start further satisfied collectors. More than most, this
score deserves a 5.1 or other surround sound option, and fans can also
hope for a further expansion with several mix variants, alternates, and
demo recordings. Until then, devotees to the score may wish to hold on
to their 2018 albums should they prefer that product's mix of the
highlight cues. For casual collectors, either album is a sure
recommendation, though this score in particular defies the quality of
its film to such an extraordinary extent that the expanded treatment is
required. From there, you can edit your playlist down to 90 minutes of
top material. This highly satisfying Williams and Powell collaboration
annihilated the competition in the film music community's awards of
2018, as music like this reaffirms even the most tired and cynical film
music collector's passion for the genre.
***** @Amazon.com: CD or
Download
Bias Check: |
For John Powell reviews at Filmtracks, the average editorial rating is 3.28
(in 50 reviews) and the average viewer rating is 3.15
(in 51,261 votes). The maximum rating is 5 stars.
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