Rating: 9/10

Track Amount: 15

Running Time: 1 hour and 10 minutes

Genre: Film Score

Personnel: John Williams and the London Symphony Orchestra

Producer: John Williams

Recording Location: Abbey Road Studios, London, UK

Record Label: Sony

Art Direction: Drew Struzan

Best Tracks: Star Wars and the Revenge Of The Sith, The Birth of the Twins and Padmé’s Destiny, A New Hope and End Credits

Quick Verdict: A fantastic soundtrack for the darkest Star Wars film ever made

This is the final score that legendary composer John Williams made with the London Symphony Orchestra as part of the Star Wars series of film scores, bringing an end to a monumental era of music. Having said that, the Star Wars franchise was certainly in decline by this point in time. Although the original trilogy of Star Wars films was hugely successful, the then-new Star Wars films were a miserable failure, especially critically speaking. Nonetheless, this had no impact on the music that John Williams created whatsoever. If anything, John Williams, the composer, had cemented his unique and fantastic genius for film scores by this stage, not just for Star Wars itself, but in other critically acclaimed films as well, such as Jurassic Park and Memoirs Of A Geisha. The parent film of this album, although it had a lot of interesting moments about the rise of Darth Vader in the Star Wars series, was also not really received well by critics. In any case, the music made these films come alive more than most films, so let’s go back to 2005 and hear this film soundtrack, and we can hope it will be a genuinely good listen.

1. Star Wars and the Revenge Of The Sith launches right into it with the monumental Star Wars theme that never gets old, and of which millions across the world will instantly recognise. It sounds moving, glorious and optimistic all in one and simultaneously. If you haven’t seen any of the Star Wars movies yet, you really need to do so. It sounds absolutely magical here. It quickly launches into the second part of the tune at hand, which is a marching band symphony that literally sounds awesome. A really top-notch tune at hand, this instrumental section perfectly illustrates the film, with darker strands of emotion bubbling beneath the surface. This is a minimal yet monumental Classical Music styled piece that both film buffs and fans of orchestral music will love and devour. The second half of this tune has a mixture of emotional and dark music territory, leading into a fantastic and nicely constructed musical development. Of course, this sounds magical and powerful throughout. Sure, the Star Wars films at this time were not impressive, but the music illustrates the better side of the films as such. A really cool and interesting tune that moves through a variety of emotional and film based perspective. Of course, this is an instrumental film soundtrack, but one that works incredibly well. The music is darker than usual for a Star Wars piece, indicating the general theme of this film, the struggle between the light and dark sides of the force. This gets more subtle towards the end, with some incredibly suspenseful and dramatic orchestration to listen to. Strings build up nicely, leading into the finale of this particular track, which is classic John Williams at his musical best. A good opening piece for a not-so-good film that makes it worth watching now and again. The final section is a dramatic string-led piece, with some neat horns thrown in for good measure. It ends softly.

2. Anakin’s Dream begins with soft strings and other instrumentation that is both sad and moody. Indeed, the tragedy of Anakin Skywalker’s fate in the Star Wars films becomes clear in this particular movie (no spoilers here, you will need to view the films yourself for that), and this launches into a gorgeous yet dark piece of music at hand. This sounds really cool, but scary after some time. There is a buildup of dark and unsettling emotion throughout this instrumental piece of music. This sounds absolutely memorable, yet sad in the second half. Of course, like human history, Star Wars has its fair share of mixed emotional moments throughout. This is one of those pieces of music that proves so. It moves into a pronounced and decisive-sounding piece of dark music towards the end, and of course, fits the film itself very, very well. It sounds super evil in nature towards the end, putting an interesting twist to the film and its plot itself. A really cool and inspired track. The track finishes with some very dark orchestration indeed, which sounds emotional yet thrilling simultaneously. Good job.

3. Battle Of The Heroes is a shorter piece with some dramatic and racing string sections and horn accompaniment to match it. This is very iconic music for this film. Soon enough, gospel harmony vocals (no words, just singing) emerge and make this part of the soundtrack really stand out. Again, this is one of the best parts of this Star Wars film, and the magical music works a treat, in amongst the chaos at hand. A very cool track throughout that has some pretty and unique instrumentation to match it all. This music certainly has some awesome moments to listen to. The second half has a louder and more frenetic section of instrumentation and opera-based harmonies. A thrilling listen throughout, and this is proof of the genius of John Williams. It eventually has a climax, followed by a fantastic outro that works nicely.

4. Anakin’s Betrayal begins with some sad and moody string sections that fit the film itself nicely. This plays along in a very simple and beautiful way as such. Some other sounds, including more wordless vocal harmonies, enter, along with horns as well. This is a very moving and touching listening experience to be heard, and highlights the genius of John Williams, the composer. This eventually shifts into a different and more optimistic section at hand, with more instrumentation thrown in for good measure. This sounds really fantastic and suspenseful, all the same and puts even those who dislike the newer Star Wars movies into an emotional music listen. This dramatic piece of music not only sounds very intelligent, but it also works on an emotional level as well. Eventually, this leads to a more subtle section of orchestration towards the end of this track. It shifts gradually and moodily into another section of vocal harmonies, which sound great. All in all, a seriously golden listen that deserves more credit than it currently gets. Great.

5. General Grievous begins with some almost atonal melodies and percussion, leading into a fairly unoriginal but decent piece of music. It sounds a bit too much like James Bond film music as such. Even so, this is an exciting listening experience at hand. This is nonetheless an interesting and dramatic track to be fair. It stops and starts with little notice, signifying the ambience of the film itself. A really cool listen, all the same, and this is further proof of why Star Wars is so well loved by many for all areas of the stories involved, including the film soundtracks. This sounds disturbing and dramatic simultaneously, which is very cool. A really cool and dark composition that sounds extremely interesting to listen to. These Star Wars soundtracks are perfect for those of you who value both Star Wars and Classical Music compositions as such. All in all, this darkly themed tune is really cool. It does sound quite amazing and well composed. Again, John Williams is a film genius, and this music is better than much of the film itself. Dark, yet wonderful listening.

6. Palpatine’s Teachings has some Buddhist-like vocal harmonies at the start, which sound very odd. This goes on for some time and has some layered sounds emerge in the background. It sounds eerie, all the same and is a nod to the spirit of Van Halen’s The Seventh Seal song on their Balance (1995) album. In any case, this is still Star Wars, so just bear that in mind. A strange listening experience at hand, but certainly memorable, given the film and the progression of its own story as such. Soon enough, dark string sections emerge next, which sound very eerie indeed. Horns enter, and this sombre tune plays on nicely. This is definitely great, given the context of the film itself. Strings and other instrumentation follow, which sound really dark and disturbing as such. Some interesting melodies emerge in a downtempo sense, as we hear some recurring melodies from earlier Star Wars films. Again, John Williams is a genius of film soundtrack creation with a mammoth-sized brain. Case in point, this is merely an example of such genius. Towards the end are dark and dramatic string sections and other layered instrumentation that sound really disturbing yet fantastic. This is a good listen that is ultimately rewarding for its darkness. A good section of the film soundtrack, which has an orchestral and glittering climax at the end of this track.

7. Grievous and the Droids is a shorter and more upbeat piece of good and interesting orchestration. It illuminates the film nicely, as the action on screen continues. This moves along nicely into a section that is more subdued and different overall. This continues to evolve and emerge into a sweet and enjoyable piece of music that matches this film very nicely. Dramatic horns emerge towards the midsection, which sound really awesome, cool and great. John Williams brings to life the best out of a fairly average film that was obviously less interested in a decent storyline and more in a franchise perspective to extend the life of the Star Wars saga. Memorable melodies emerge in the second half of this piece, and it really sounds quite amazing to hear. All in all, this music is interesting, intelligent and very much in line with what Star Wars is about. A seriously good listen, especially for hardcore fans of the Star Wars franchise. A seriously cool listen to be heard.

8. Padmé’s Ruminations begins slowly with some dark textures and launches into a strange piece of music with some unusual sounds and melodies. It sounds dark and scary, which makes sense, given the context of the film itself. This progresses nicely with some mournful, wordless female vocals being part of this. This is completely different to what has been done musically before in the Star Wars soundtracks as such. Very scary sounding. Unfortunately for the Star Wars characters, their fight was never an easy one. This track illuminates such a reality for them. Another interesting track that is a bit off the beaten path, as such. A dark and melodic string section, followed by orchestration, is heard towards the end of this tune. Nonetheless, this is an excellent listen as such. It is very cool to hear. Good job.

9. Anakin vs. Obi-Wan is as much of a spoiler for the film as it gets by a song title. A dramatic and racing string section emerges in the section of the film that illustrates the sad betrayal at hand. All the same, this is a genuinely dramatic and fantastic film soundtrack music that definitely makes one wish to watch the Star Wars movies over again. It sounds extremely dramatic and memorable, and is a great track to place in the film itself. From a casual observer’s perspective, the newer Star Wars films may not been necessary, but this film soundtrack says otherwise. This reaches into a sad moment of the film where good and light turn to evil and dark. It continues on very nicely throughout and has some unique gospel vocal harmonies to match. Destiny comes for the Star Wars characters in this film, as it all comes together to make sense throughout. A really interesting track, which brings purpose and momentum to the music at hand. Great. It ends suddenly.

10. Anakin’s Dark Deeds is a continuation of the mutation of the film, as such, in this soundtrack. It begins softly with some background instrumentation and some harmonies, before launching right into a great mixture of Classical Music, Opera and Star Wars all in one. It certainly sounds very dramatic and sounds very detailed and interesting throughout for this sort of music. Horns re-enter, and this music continues to illustrate the shift in Anakin’s character in the film itself. This is legendary and listenable simultaneously as the force is strong with this one. In any case, this is a fantastic film soundtrack that Star Wars nerds will get. It dissolves into a horn section that sounds slow, smooth and nicely melodic as such. A seriously interesting listen that has a mixture of emotion and melodic sensibility about it all. It climaxes towards the end with horns and other sounds that are interesting. Very dark music.

11. Enter Lord Vader is where the darkness of the film really presents itself. This is a good and melancholy-sounding piece of music that perfectly illustrates what happens at the end of this film. Darth Vader indeed is one of the most iconic and memorable characters in the whole Star Wars franchise, and this film explains where he began. In any case, this music is perfect for the beginning of the dangerous and evil nature of Darth Vader himself. The music perfectly matches this film section, and it has a mixture of moodiness and sorrow about it all. The music progresses on nicely as the film showcases the real power of the Star Wars story at hand, Lord Vader himself. In any case, this is a fantastically matching track that fits this film very nicely. It melts down into a synchronised rhythmic and melody section, before reaching a very evil-sounding climax at hand. This is best heard after watching the film itself. Nonetheless, a dark, scary and fantastic composition piece by John Williams, once again.

12. The Immolation Scene is a crucial film music section for the final scene in the film. It begins with some sad string sections to begin with, as we look to the sad conclusion of the film at hand. Not all films have a very happy ending, including this one. This is a short and memorable piece of music that details the conclusive nature of the fiery events at hand. A very moving piece of Classical Music. It has a second half that is drastically different from the first half, but if you have watched the film itself, you will understand this music perfectly. A shorter piece that underlines everything that the film builds up to. It is once again very dark.

13. Grievous Speaks to Lord Sidious is another relatively short piece of music time wise that sounds dramatic and interesting. Although this is not as dark as before, it still retains the overall feel of the film soundtrack as such. This has some opera-style vocal singing in the background, before moving into a slower and moodier section of music, which reveals the nature of the beast at large. All in all, this is an interesting and creative piece of music that makes the film much more worth viewing. This shifts into a good section of dramatic Star Wars melodies and some dark instrumentation at hand. Even if Revenge Of The Sith wasn’t that good of a film, it is still a necessary and dark chapter of the Star Wars films, and this soundtrack proves that fact. Excellent work by John Williams and the London Symphony Orchestra.

14. The Birth of the Twins and Padmé’s Destiny is another short piece at the end of the film, which has some gorgeous and beautiful instrumental melodies throughout. This reveals the dark and disturbing conclusion of the film itself, which sounds different yet melodic at hand. A really good piece of music to match the fate of Padmé as such. This sounds very dark and dramatic as such, and it has deep and melodic Opera vocals and chiming bells thrown in for good measure. It is an eerie listen, and even if you have never watched Star Wars, this will hit you emotionally. A very sad and emotional piece of instrumental music that is very interesting to listen to. It matches the tragedy of the film at the end. This officially cements the Revenge Of The Sith as the darkest Star Wars film of them all. This is a tearjerker-sounding piece of music that fits the film very well indeed.

15. A New Hope and End Credits is the final track and conclusive music for the Revenge Of The Sith and the first batch of the newer Star Wars films. It begins with some more hopeful and optimistic-sounding orchestrated melodies than before. This gradually shifts into a much brighter and more hopeful-sounding tune, given what has happened earlier on in the film itself. The time had come for the destiny of those heroes to conquer evil in the Star Wars films. Soon enough, the end credits music plays and sounds nice and dramatic. All in all, this music sounds really fantastic and is totally iconic. No matter if you have never watched Star Wars, are a casual fan or can’t live without the force, this music is instantly recognisable as such. This dissolves into a slower and more moody section of music that sounds really cool and great. This dramatically enters into a piece of music that indicates the next chapter in the story of Star Wars, which is Episode IV: A New Hope. This film soundtrack is nonetheless a glorious and totally enjoyable listen as such. The film soundtrack continues on with varying melodies, gospel vocals and a melodic sensibility that few could ever match in a film soundtrack. John Williams and the London Symphony Orchestra ought to be praised for the music on this album, even if the film was not that impressive to many. A seriously cool and interesting tune at hand that has some melodic power, finesse and energy to it all. This varies between instrumental melodies and Opera Gospel styled background vocals. Yes, this is 13 minutes long and isn’t entirely necessary to listen to. However, having said that, the music is of a world-class listening experience. If you can use the force, then this soundtrack is right for you. In the second half of this track are some more triumphant melodies that look forward (back to 1977) to A New Hope. Nonetheless, one feels like going to binge-watch some Star Wars upon listening to this, be it the original trilogy or this trilogy from which Revenge Of The Sith is from. Credit must go where due for the music here. John Williams is a genius, period. This continues playing the sounds and melodies that make the film come alive nicely. At this stage, you may want to finish the album by hitting stop, but even so, this is great and genuinely pleasant Film Music that is highly memorable in its own way. May the force be with you, always, to all Star Wars fans out there. Nonetheless, this film soundtrack, although a little lengthy, serves its purpose extremely well. There are a multitude of different sections of memorable melodies from the Star Wars films on this final track, as it gradually wraps up neatly. The London Symphony Orchestra performs this music perfectly as well. This finishes with some dramatic flourishes of music and melodies that will make you smile. A fantastic finish to a very good film soundtrack that, yes, makes one feel a sense of nostalgia. Excellent.

This is a film soundtrack that is absolutely essential listening for hardcore Star Wars fans. However, much more importantly, it reveals the nature and true genius of John Williams as a film scorer and composer of memorable music, and effortless replications of his music by the London Symphony Orchestra. Yes, this is not an album that one will want to listen to super regularly. However, this music is absolutely brilliant and is worth checking out if you want to remind yourself of the Star Wars movies. Should you listen to this album? Yes, you should if you want to revisit some Star Wars memorabilia, but no if you couldn’t care less for film soundtracks.

If you like this article, please like, share, comment and follow me on The Ultimate Music Library. Thank you, Chris Airey.