For the umpteenth time in as many years since its original release, the soundtrack to The Empire Strikes Back has been released once again in what appears to be the most comprehensive release to date. Although the packaging and compilation order of these 2 CDs are not as good those of A New Hope, the music itself surpasses A New Hope in quality. Not as cheerful as its predecessor, Empire adds three great themes to the original music. The Imperial March is one of those themes and since the resurgence of interest in the Star Wars Trilogy, it is also one of the most recognizable themes in the country. In keeping with the darker tone of the second picture, Empire's tone is on a more somber note, while keeping the action cues as lively as ever. Also unlike its predecessor, there are no hidden tracks to speak of unfortunately.
The score to The Empire Strikes Back is one of the best ever written and it is a favorite among Star Wars fans everywhere. The dark Imperial overtones that cast a shadow over the score perfectly mesh with the dark nature of the movie. Some have said that the Imperial March appears too many times, however that's understandable. The relentless theme of Darth Vader is very appropriate as he is a much more prominent figure in the film and his character is developed even more than in the original. There have been so many different releases of this soundtrack in so many different shapes and forms that most people have already heard it at sometime or another. I can't really call one track better than another simply because the entire soundtrack is excellent. There are some pieces that have never been released before but unless you're totally familiar with the entire score (like me!) you may not even realize it.
The sound quality of this set is also much approved, which has allowed many people to hear instruments that they had never heard before on the recording. Personally, I believe that the Star Wars scores kept improving, culminating in an incredible and vast wealth of themes in Return of the Jedi. In the meantime, though, I recommend the Empire release to everyone.
Total time: Disc 1: 62:41; Disc 2: 61:42
DISC 1
1: 20th Century Fox Fanfare (Alfred Newman, 1954) (0:21)
2: Main Title/Ice Planet Hoth** (8:08)
3: The Wampa's Lair/Vision of Obi-Wan*/Snowspeeders Take Flight (8:48)
4: The Imperial Probe*/Aboard the Executor* (4:24)
5: The Battle of Hoth (Ion Cannon/Imperial Walkers/Beneath the
AT-AT/Escape in the Millenium Falcon) (14:48)
6: The Asteroid Field (4:15)
7: Arrival on Dagobah** (4:52)
8: Luke's Nocturnal Visitor (2:35)
9: Han Solo and the Princess (3:26)
10: Jedi Master Revealed/Mynock Cave** (5:44)
11: The Training of a Jedi knight**/The Magic Tree (5:15)
DISC 2
1: Imperial March (Darth Vader's Theme) (3:02)
2: Yoda's Theme (3:29)
3: Attacking a Star Destroyer (3:04)
4: Yoda and the Force (4:02)
5: Imperial Starfleet Deployed*/City in the Clouds (6:03)
6: Lando's Palace (3:53)
7: Betrayal at Bespin* (3:46)
8: Deal with the Dark Lord* (2:36)
9: Carbon Freeze**/Darth Vader's Trap/Departure of Boba Fett (11:50)
10: The Clash of Lightsabers (4:17)
11: Rescue from Cloud City/Hyperspace (9:08)
12: The Rebel Fleet/End Title (6:26)