From the fanfare of the opening crawl to the abrupt cutaway zing of the closing credits, John Williams' soundtrack to The Force Awakens does not disappoint. Williams has always been an integral part of the Star Wars experience, as familiar as the movies themselves, comforting and nostalgic. The fan anticipation and legacy baggage that came with the seventh film in this iconic series was overwhelming, being the first new film since 2005's Revenge of the Sith and the direct sequel to 1983's Return of the Jedi, yet the results are not crushed by outlandish pressure. For The Force Awakens, Williams began work in late 2014, before recording began in Los Angeles in June 2015 (the first time a Star Wars film score was not recorded at Abbey Road). He enlisted a freelance orchestra and, with the help of William Ross and Los Angeles Philharmonic conductor Gustavo Dudamel, produced a 23-track journey connecting the past and the future of the Star Wars universe. Here, Williams combines the old and the new with expert subtlety, creating a lush experience that rewards repeat listens. Those familiar with his work on other big-budget sagas (Jurassic Park, Harry Potter, Indiana Jones) will instantly recognize the blaring horns that propel the action, the stirring strings that intensify the tension, and the bombast that contribute to the excitement as much as the scenes portrayed on the screen. Fans young and old will recognize the famous themes from the original trilogy that are alluded to throughout the album: the Star Wars theme pops up in "The Rathtars!" and a glimmer of Luke Skywalker's "The Force Theme" can be heard during "Maz's Counsel." As the nostalgic centerpiece to the film, Han and Leia's touching romantic melody makes a return (one of Solo's other big loves gets a nod on "The Falcon"). Although Williams created new themes for villain Kylo Ren and for the new good guy group, the Resistance, one theme stands out as the best since The Phantom Menace's iconic "Duel of the Fates." The theme for Star Wars' new female protagonist, Rey is first introduced on "The Scavenger" before receiving the full treatment on "Rey's Theme" and being whisked off in grand fashion during "Farewell and the Trip." Mysterious and touching, it starts with a playful flute melody and celeste chimes before swelling with confident strings and full orchestration. Less heavy-handed than the rest of the score, this theme is the most memorable of the bunch, a perfect combination of strength and delicacy. As the saga continues (Disney scheduled a new Star Wars film each year until 2020), Williams proves himself an indelible part of the Star Wars universe.© Neil Z. Yeung /TiVo

We all know married couples who have been together for decades that stand the test of time and remain the perfect match. Well, John Williams and Star Wars have been together for 42 years! Out of the twelve films of the series, only 2 were soundtracked by people other than Steven Spielberg’s favourite composer (he was replaced by Kevin Kiner for The Clone Wars in 2008 and by Michael Giacchino for 2016’s Rogue One: A Star Wars Story). This rare sort of intimate relationship between a composer and their subject matter allows for a thorough use of leitmotif, a technique especially used in Star Wars. After so many years spent working with them, certain melodic phrases that characterise a particular person or decor eventually gain varying degrees of complexity and subtlety. This is the case with Rey’s Theme, which aficionados may or may not recognise in certain scenes of The Rise of Skywalker. For John Williams’ “ultimate contribution” to the Star Wars franchise, he has cleverly and covertly brought together all the themes associated with the main characters of the saga onto this soundtrack, from Leia to Yoda via Darth Vader. In some scenes, Williams’ attitude appears to be that of an old friend who is rejoicing at the prospect of going back to characters that you may have lost track of over the years. Case in point: Lando Calrissian (played by Billy Dee Williams and who appeared for the first time in Episode V in 1980) makes his return, to the sound of a particularly joyous melody. This kind of friendly nod to fans lends the film a certain kind of humanity, where many would have considered it the product of pure consumerism. Of course, the majestic (Destiny of a Jedi), epic (Battle of the Resistance) and lyrical (The Force is With You) atmosphere reigns supreme and defines the essential dynamic of this music so iconic in today’s pop culture. This ninth film of the saga is a finale of sorts for John Williams, but The Rise of Skywalker also presented him with an unexpected debut: at 87 years old, he appears for the first time in one of the films with a cameo as Oma Tres, the bartender on planet Kijimi! © Nicolas Magenham/Qobuz

A movie as big and ridiculous as Pacific Rim, Guillermo del Toro's epic reimagining of Japanese kaiju films, needs a soundtrack that's just as overblown as the action that's on-screen. Fortunately, the film can look to the talents of composer Ramin Djawadi, whose guitar-driven score mixes just the right amount of classic orchestral scoring, electronic music, and guitar-driven rock to create the perfect backdrop for the near future film about the epic battle between giant monsters from another world and the massive robots humanity constructs to combat them. While the score might feel a bit overdone on its own, it feels right at home with the larger-than-life action taking place on the big screen.© Gregory Heaney /TiVo

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Despite the production's rough edges, the limited budget that fostered it, and the feeling that it sounds more like several A-sides and a couple decent B-sides thrown together than a singular body, Jeopardy is a caustic jolt of a debut that startles and fascinates. With the plaintive intro of the rhythm section, a spidery guitar, and incidental synth wobbles (which all sounds surprisingly Neu!-like), "I Can't Escape Myself" begins the album unassumingly enough until reaching the terse, one-line chorus that echoes the title of the song; suddenly, from out of the blue, all the instruments make a quick, violent, collective stab and retreat back into the following verse as singer Adrian Borland catches his breath. The reverb placed on his voice is heightened at just the right moments to exacerbate the song's claustrophobic slant. The ecstatic onward rush of "Heartland" forms the back end of a dynamic one-two opening punch, with a charging rhythm and blaring keyboards leading the way. It seems to be the spawn of XTC and U2, just as giddy as something from the former (think Go 2) and almost as anthemic as something from the latter (think Boy). Much later on, near the end, "Unwritten Law" comes along as one of the Sound's best mid-tempo mood pieces -- one of their greatest strengths. It also shows how much a simple shading of synth can affect a song, as it affects it with a melancholic smear that no other instrument could possibly provide. In all honesty, they weren't breaking any new ground here. Their influences were just as apparent as the ones donned by the other bands who inhabited similar post-punk territory. Smart journalists of the time -- meaning the ones who truly listened and were aware of the band's past -- knew well enough that the Sound belonged in the same league as the bands they were compared to and not somewhere in the bushes. Hardly coattail jockeying, the Sound were developing and growing alongside them. If you're thinking this sounds like someone's telling you that you need Jeopardy just as much as you need Kilimanjaro or Unknown Pleasures or Crocodiles, you're right again. [Renascent's 2002 reissue offers a fine remastering job and the four-song Live Instinct EP as a bonus.]© Andy Kellman /TiVo

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