KEVIN KINER

Absolutely positive, Sir

Hm, strange. Right from my first listening, that 7:00 opening title track alone blew me away like it was something out of Racing Stripes. Not all the subsequent tracks are as powerful as that opening one, but still very good over all. Definitely the best I've ever heard out of Kevin Kiner.

Now, granted, it's unclear how much of Madison's power and energy is due to Kiner himself or the co-composer Christopher Young. We all know how good Young is, so it's possible he deserves most of the credit.

J-F

Lucas's aide (nicknamed Jendral): Mr. Lucas, this Clone Wars series of yours, why not premiere it as a theatrical movie before it airs?

Lucas: I GOT IT! You know this Clone Wars series of mine? I just had a brilliant idea: I'm gonna premiere it as a theatrical movie before it airs!

Jendral: A superlative idea, sir.

Lucas: I know.

Jendral: What about the composer though? We've already hired Mr. Kiner for the series. Should we switch to someone slightly more high-profile for the film?

Lucas: Would it cost more?

Jendral (flips through flow charts): Umm.... yes.

Lucas: Stick with him, then.

Jendral: Yes, sir.

Lucas: And tell him to aim for a kind of "Guns and Roses plays Wagner" kind of approach. Gotta keep with the times, after all.

Jendral: Of course, sir.

Lucas: Now onto that Willow TV series, because I owe it to HeeroJF...

Well, after having realized the tremendously off-putting and generally off-everything soup of the previous score, maybe this is fixed indeed.

True, let's hear it now. It sounds better as you describe it, let's hope it is as such

thanks mate, i will

My review of Kiner's Star Wars: The Clone Wars (for those who missed my MainTitles review):

" The Force is strong with this one, but not as a Star Wars score. "


After over three years of no new Star Wars films to hit cinemas, enter Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Lucasfilm’s first animated feature film, with a storyline set in-between the events of Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith, in the turbulent and tumultuous time period known to fans everywhere as – the Clone Wars. With the new film (and animated television series) comes not John Williams, as fans have grown accustomed to, but Kevin Kiner, a primarily television composer who has not yet made his big leap into fame and publicity (though perhaps The Clone Wars will change that).

Just as this film is different from the six live action films, its score is also notably different, with the inclusion of non-orchestral instruments, in addition to the standard orchestra. What results from this non-Williams-like mix is a unique sound, varying greatly from the traditional Williams style in some cues, yet retaining the original Star Wars sound in others.

Beginning with the stunning Star Wars Main Title / A Galaxy Divided, the score to The Clone Wars is an action-packed journey through the Star Wars galaxy. Admiral Yularen is one track in particular that showcases the old Williams sound, with a motif that sounds like a variation on The Empire Strikes Back’s Lando’s Palace, and ending with a very, very Star Wars-like rising string section (from A New Hope’s Mos Eisley Spaceport, if I’m not mistaken). Another track well worth mentioning is Battle of Christophsis, a war-like track, filled with low choir chants, sweeping strings, and battle cry horn calls. Excellent in all aspects, this one is.

Kiner’s own, distinguished voice (mostly with guitars and electronics) begins to become excessively noticeable with each progressing track, rarely drawing from Williams’ material as a musical base to work off of, and therefore making this – as a Star Wars score – fairly weak. The few times Kiner actually does seem to draw from Williams seem to be almost completely at random, and I’m curious to find out why he chose to use what themes and passages he did. The main Star Wars theme is present only in the first and last tracks, and even then, is not even played as Williams originally wrote it, but rather with a slightly different rhythm and a new percussion backdrop, giving the classic theme a much more modern, edgy sound. Good, or bad? Well, that depends all on taste, I suppose. But for Williams purists, this change will offset many, as will the lack of Williams motifs. You would have thought that Kiner would have at least used the theme from Across the Stars, or maybe the battle theme from Love Pledge and the Arena, but it seems like he had another idea.

As a fan of the Williams Star Wars scores, you know something’s wrong when you don’t hear a single recognizable motif until Fight to the End, which includes a slowed variation on the Imperial March theme, as well as a trumpet solo and string ending of the Force Theme. This then leads into the credits music, which of course is Kiner’s butchered version of the main theme. Now, don’t get me wrong, the Kiner version is pretty darn cool, but I still don’t feel that this is the best we could have gotten. A good approach? On George Lucas’ part, no, I would say. It was he who asked Kiner to write like this, in the first place. If Kiner had been allowed to go his own way with scoring the film, who knows what we would have gotten?

Star Wars has been characterized for the past thirty years by the style and music of John Williams. I know some have wanted The Clone Wars to move on into a more modern style of music, and I must say, I was one of those people. But this does not sound like a Star Wars score. With tracks of strange, Middle-Eastern/Asian-like ethnicity (Jabba’s Palace, Landing On Teth, Battle of Teth, B’omarr Monastary, Jabba’s Chamber Dance, Dooku Speaks With Jabba), rocky guitars (Obi-Wan to the Rescue, Battle of Teth, Courtyard Fight), and even some Earthly, in-universe source music (Ziro’s Nightclub Band, Seedy City Swing), this score ventures so far away from John Williams’ blueprint, it is difficult to believe that this score has anything to do with Star Wars.

With all that aside, this is a good score, and does have a lot to offer. Kiner has successfully created a couple new themes for Anakin and Ahsoka (not sure yet if there are others), and believe it or not, some of his scoring is pretty good, and there’s even a bit that sounds like a Star Wars score (maybe because it is from a previous Star Wars score)! But listening to a score is a journey, and when going on a journey through familiar, thirty year old territory, it is not necessarily unexpected to travel and end with the same – or at least a similar – experience. Or at least, it shouldn’t be. Kiner has talent, and talent has a future. Don’t get me wrong – this is a nice score. I thoroughly enjoy it, and will not anytime soon stop listening to it. The score is an interesting blend of styles, and you’re almost certain to find something in here that sounds good to you. The City of Prague Philharmonic sound great, better than usual, and sound quality is good, as well. But it looks like George Lucas needs to get back in touch with exactly what makes Star Wars… Star Wars.

What exactly do you mean?

Don't want to be evil here but if you think about it in essence, there's nothing to point out in Kiner's impersonal material.

Elaboration time. Kiner's music so far in the series is pretty good, IMO. Erik, what's wrong with me pointing out the use of Williams' themes? IIRC, that's what all of you really wanted there to be. That, and the absence of electric guitars. And so far, both your wishes have been granted. Kiner is doing a great job with this. The music is very Star Wars-like in most parts, yet Kiner still manages to get in a bit of his own voice, a voice which I'm liking more and more each time I hear it. And there are those few times when it just makes you go, "Wow!" One such example is the fantastic use of choir to open Rising Malevolence, which is breathtaking, at least to me. Another is the fast-paced choral music accompanying Obi-Wan and General Grievous' all-too-brief duel in Destroy Malevolence. And yet another is the found towards the end of Rookies, when the clones are being picked up by the gunships after having destroyed the Republic outpost. So, as you can see, I'm really liking Kiner's approach, and I'm liking it a heck of a lot more than the movie score, which is a piece of crap compared to this (not that I didn't still like it). Thank God that a TV soundtrack will be released sometime within the next few years.

Yep, it is pretty good. Though I am enjoying the series' score much, much more.

Well, that all depends on what episode we're talking about... LOL The score is overall pretty good so far; I'll keep you updated.

Not that I'm aware of, but seeing as we're only ten episodes (the tenth just aired tonight) into the first season, I don't plan on seeing any releases for quite some time.

Meh, they both rips from Kilar's Dracula score.