John Williams - Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack] (CD)

All Music Guide

It's not just Star Wars obsessives who believe the movies wouldn't be the same without John Williams' dramatic, rousing scores everyone who's seen the movie knows the theme as well as they know Han Solo, Luke Skywalker, Darth Vader and the Death Star. Williams' music for the three movies was integral to their success, since they managed to capture the adventure of the films, along with their mythological weight. In other words, he had nearly as much to live up to as George Lucas himself. Based on his score to The Phantom Menace, at least Williams has met expectations. His work keeps within the tradition of the Star Wars films, yet with its choral work and richly symphonic passages, it is unique and entirely compelling. Be forewarned: even though the music works as an individual entity and can be enjoyed without viewing the movie at first, the track listing does give a basic plot outline, even going so far as revealing the name of a major character who dies. Which means that some fanat...ics may prefer to wait and purchase the soundtrack after they've seen the film. - Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide Read more Less