So...I was pissed and I started doing some digging and I come to find out that Dick remixed the OT for the DVD releases and totally ****** the score on that too. So, he has held a grudge for 20+ years in the fact that his precious sound effects took a back seat to the original scores most of which are some of the best soundtracks of all time.
This is especially noticeable during the X-Wings' descent onto the surface of the Death Star on the DVDs. Where the version we all grew up with (even if you first saw the films and/or prefer the 1997 SEs) had a beautiful trumpet fanfare as the X-Wings began their attack and the Death Star Gunners fought back, this portion of the score was completely buried on the 2004 DVD release by loud-ass engines. Some people have also noted that Burtt reversed the sound channels (right to left and left to right) on the music for the 2004 DVD release of ANH, and his response was that it was a "deliberate creative decision." Since Burtt had absolutely nothing to do with the actual creation of said music, I'd say it was none of his business making any decisions to do with what John Williams composed and designed, but then again, what do I know?
Just look at how hacked to hell the scores are in the prequels. Pieces don't fit the scenes for which they're dropped into (why is there a Trade Federation march during Obi-Wan's inspection of the Clone Army on Kamino, for instance?), and large pieces of score are missing for no apparent reason other than to give Ben Burtt a chance to show off a helicopter engine. And don't even get me started on the Battle of Geonosis in general, not to mention the editing of "Duel of the Fates" in TPM, or the endless tracked music during ROTS's opening battle.
While I don't discount Burtt's part in the creation of some of the most memorable sound effects in the history of film, when it comes to him as a person, he has a Napoleon complex because people walk around humming the scores of SW and Indy instead of making the "pew, pew" laser noises. Now he's apparently over at Pixar (poor Gary Rydstrom had gotten away from him and Burtt followed him), so we can look forward to him overlaying Buzz Lightyear jet engines on Randy Newman's score for Toy Story 3 in a few years time.
So yeah, Scott, I'm right there with you. **** Ben Burtt.