Close Encounters: Five year-olds react like that to things they recognize. My boy would light up like that when he heard The Imperial March or Doctor Who.
Cantina: Ordinarily I would agree with the "source cue" charge. But 1) On the original LP it was at the end of a side and 2) The two cantina tracks are the only two "source" tracks I just can't bring myself to take out of the program. They are such a part of the score. All the Jedi source cues? End of the playlist!
March of the Villains: Williams didn't join the Boston Pops until 1980. And I argue that you don't get The Imperial March without March of the Villains.
I agree with you generally. But my bigger issue is more that those cues don't really work with the rest of the Star Wars soundtracks that they are on rather than that they are poor music. You have a certain tone to the scores and then to interrupt them with a random source cue is just as problematic as any other bar music source cue that tends to be part of film scores. So I always appreciate when they are separate tracks so I can just delete them. Though it is nice to hear those bits in the movies since it lets me know when I can go to the bathroom.
I think that's a good point. The tonality is jarring at the very least. It might be the main reason I remove them from my playlist.
March of the Villains? Cutesy? A classic theme like something out of Prokofiev's pages? A pure enjoyment of listening an inspired master craftsman at his peak (which for me has lasted a lot longer than mere 10 or 20 years) is always a joy.
"March of the Villains" is a very "playful" theme. Disassociate the title from the actual music. Isn't it reminiscent of Peter and the Wolf? "The Imperial March" for example is a very powerful intimidating theme.
