John Williams - Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

There's never been anything quite like the symphonic film music series that John Williams has forged for George Lucas's sprawling Star Wars saga. By the time the sixth chapter rolls around, Williams will have created a body of work that spans fully 30 years of his career, a virtual Ring Cycle of sci-fi/fantasy soundtrack music. While Attack of the Clones again achieves the high standards of its predecessors, it also succeeds by both forging some rewarding new musical themes at the same time it begins to bring the galactic fable full circle. The budding relationship between now-teenaged Anakin Skywalker and Amidala/Padme is informed by "Across the Stars--Love Theme from Attack of the Clones," a grand romantic motif that's infused with a subtle melancholy that hints at the tragedy that must ultimately befall the young lovers. The composer's mastery of idiom and color serve him especially well in the action cues, infusing "Zam the Assassin and the Chase Through Coruscant" and "Jango's Escape" with bracing doses of 20th-century modernism and its inherent rhythmic fury performed, as always, by the London Symphony Orchestra. Williams also incorporates the "Force" and "Jedi" themes of the first SW trilogy sparingly, before "Confrontation with Count Dooku and Finale" completes the musical/thematic tapestry by interweaving The Empire Strikes Back's menacing "Imperial March" with both the new "Love Theme" and the Phantom Menace's dramatic choral showcase "Duel of the Fates." This sweeping denouement should rightfully take its place among the saga's most compelling musical sequences. Purists may grouse at the obviously abridged music here, but given history a complete/ultimate edition of the score can't be far behind. This soundtrack is issued with one of four different, collectible covers. --Jerry McCulley Amazon.com

SW Attack of the Clones original soundtrack

Powerful music. As always John Williams is brilliant! A must for every Star Wars fan. August 14, 2007

Excellent Moving Score

This soundtrack is a great mix of classical music of the Star Wars variety. The love theme, while a bit dour, is a beautiful score and very slow and methodical compared to the other good tracks on the album. Main Title and Ambush on Coruscant is also another more moderated track on the album. The strongest track is Love Pledge and the Arena which starts off with the melancholy love theme again, but then switches over to a determined, paced, action sequence sound, like what you hear during an invasion. It's very powerful. Two other powerful tracks that are much faster are Jango's Escape and Bounty Hunter's Pursuit. Jango's Escape is probably the best track on the album. Full of energy, it just runs with you. Next time you watch the film pay attention to when this track is played. Bounty Hunter's Pursuit starts off with a bright uptempo and finishes, after a quiet period, with a take on Droid Invastion from The Phantom Menace. The last noteworthy song is Return to Tatooine, which mixes different tempos and pulls the various moods of the film together nicely. If you loved The Phantom Menace soundtrack, you'll enjoy this one a great deal also. March 24, 2007

Beautiful suite

Glad I bought this version. Unlike some of the others, it is an integrated suite of pieces. It plays just fine on my Windows PC. At times the music is strong and forceful, at times energetic like Stravinsky's Rite of Spring, and at other times soft and ethereal. If you like lyrical music, you'll enjoy the touching love song theme (Across the Stars), which John Williams weaves into the score numerous times.

January 28, 2007

John Williams hasn't let us down!

This is probably my second favorite of the prequels, mainly because of the Love Theme. It's so emotional, and sort of unlike Star Wars, which is why I love it so much. However, you also get your fill of action (listen to the "Chase Through Coruscant" and "Love Pledge and the Arena;" you'll know what I mean!) The End Credits probably is my favorite song on the disk, because it starts to incorporate Darth Vader's theme (listen very carefully at the very, very end... the cello makes you shiver!) with the Love Theme. A good foreshadowing of events, in my humble opinion. I'd highly recommend this. January 9, 2007

quick question

Anybody know where I can get the full scores for episodes II and III? I know they released a two-disc for episode I, but did they release any two-disc sets for the other two? June 9, 2006

More reviews at Amazon.com ...