Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

The plot follows a group of rebels who band together to steal plans of the Death Star, the ultimate weapon of the Galactic Empire.

There’s much too much pointless fluff to make this soundtrack worth listening to on its own. Stick to the highlights

This is a controversial opinion: I don’t love John Williams’ Star Wars anymore. I used to, but then I got to explore more music from more soundtracks and almost kind of grew out of it. I find that the Star Wars soundtracks rely a lot on old-school filler and fluff. That made sense in the era when Star Wars was created, but in today’s environment, it certainly doesn’t add to the level of immersion. As far as standalone pieces, these songs just aren’t nice to listen to.

I was excited about Michael Giacchino’s interpretation of the universe. He’ll take his influences from Williams, but I hoped that he’d carve his own path. In addition, Rogue One is by far the best Star Wars movie and just an all-around fantastic film. But as I listen to it, I’m disappointed by the random noises that are hallmarks of Star Wars. It’s not thematically pleasant to listen to the shorter songs.

But the downside of this soundtrack is that a lot of the songs on it are, indeed, filler pieces. They’re not just forgettable, but a waste of time. But the ones that matter inspire you and remind you of the magic of the universe that we’ll never get to experience. After all, it all occurred a long, long time ago.

The Highlights

Wobani Imperial Labor Camp (Jyncarcerated)—4.5/5

The first two tracks were meh at best. Within the span of 1 minute on this one, Giacchino introduces one of the themes for Jyn Erso, has it uplift in tonality, and drops it just as quickly.

Trust Goes Both Ways (Going to See Saw; includes The Force Theme by John Williams)–2.5/5

We get our first real hint of Rogue One’s main theme here, and it’s intermixed with the original Force theme. But as soon as it arrives, it leaves. You get a taste of the Asian-influenced instruments that will occasionally grace this album. But if the first third was excellent, the rest of the track is not. And to think I was excited.

Jedha Arrival (Jedha Call Saw)—3.5/5

A slow introduction sweeps directly into the main “Rogue One” theme. It peters off as horns alternate with silence to simulate what feels like boots marching on the ground. Then it quickly becomes a horror track, with horror elements of strained strings. That makes me sad, because that one had some potential but lost it along the way.

No Friends of the Empire—1.5/5

I can absolutely hear influence from “Across the Stars” in the first half of this song, but a jarring banjo string followed by a typical rising string (followed by a cut) ruins any hope of getting into this piece. Ahh, it’s maddening how generic these songs are.

Confrontations on Eadu—3.5/5

The magic of this song comes in the last two minutes when Giacchino’s range extends beyond merely trying to copy John Williams’ pedantic noises. He explores the Jyn Erso theme in a broader light, allowing it to swell into a crescendo with hints of the main Star Wars theme.

A pleasant song that begins with a piano or harp solo and finishes with a swelling, uplifting finale. It’s short, and it doesn’t have enough runway to build into a strong emotional finish.

A song with a purpose. Frantic and pressing strings oscillate while intermittent brass ramps in the background. The brass continues to flow in and out while the timpanis offer some tension via background accompaniment. All the instruments fade in and out in terms of relevance. For the first time in several tracks, my emotional core is being slightly tugged at. The tension is evident, but it’s not riveting.

Your Father Would Be Proud—6/5

For all of the crap and waste that permeated the prior parts of the album, this track is a different level of brilliance. Our heroes face their fate. There’s a reason that when people think about what this soundtrack represented in the face of the Star Wars revival, they think of this piece.

Giacchino can finally focus on his emotional core. Strings make up most of the instrumentation, but obviously there’s emphasis on other ones. The sound reminds me actually a lot of “Pearl Harbor,” but there’s a rising hope component. Again, we get some oscillating strings in the background while the woodwinds and the brass get accompanied by a choir around halfway through. The choir does an excellent job of conveying what’s going on in the scene: “Mission accomplished, but at what price?”

The best way I could describe the sound is that it reminds us of the pride we can feel from those around us. The symphony’s swelling tugs at every bit of humanity that you feel. Like so many other great works, this one hits on a number of levels.

Where was this all soundtrack?? A single string instrument, likely a violin or cello, introduces this piece with soft accompaniments by the main symphony as the track rolls on. The Jyn Erso theme is a perfect example of how to compose a rising action. Just when you think that that track has reached its apex, the trumpets ring in to give it a brief peak.

After that, Giacchino treats us with silence for a few seconds before hopping into round 2 to make an emotional plea. God, it’s amazing. After the harmony that preceded it, you get to hear the hints of the Star Wars legacy music. It’s something you can just listen to over and over again.

Guardians of the Whills Suite—4.5/5

I feel the same way about harps the way that cats feel about laser pointers. Give me more. And more. This harp-introduced piece is a softer theme that’s not readily obvious in other parts of the song. A chorus provides some backing as well through gothic sounds. From a personality perspective, this track is a mix of battle and defense. It’s uplifting in its construction, but there are elements of fear present.

Jyn Erso and Hope Suite (alternate open)—6/5

This track introduces the trumpets much earlier. It’s just as good as the original. It may actually be a bit better.

Guardians of the Whills Suite (alternate ending)—4.5/5

I’m convinced that he added these songs because he knew where the quality is. This ending is better than the original one. It has more of a powerful tone to it, as the choir really flexes its muscles.