Jurassic Park

Review by Thomas Glorieux:

We are in the year 1993, the year of Spielberg and Williams. The one directed one of the biggest selling blockbusters alive and created along with it an absolute emotional tragic epic. Williams created his most emotional dramatic score ever for the one and truly the most amazing scenery background cues for the other, bringing both projects to an unseen level of movie magic. Now, people may underestimate movie music as just a part of the success but I know deep down the bottom of my heart they were breathless when they saw those two exceptional scenes. The one where the Helicopter flies through the canyon and the other where we first see the Dinosaurs full in motion, accompanied with Williams most emotional love theme of the score, the main theme. Both receive the fullest grade performance in 'Journey to the Island' and 'Welcome to Jurassic Park', sort of a concert arrangement. John Williams will remain the only composer that truly swept away the ordinary sound of the so called B-movie, and created themes known now all over the world, and especially for non movie music fans.

Williams' main theme for Jurassic Park is pure classic and receives the orchestral grandeur in a lot of moments, 'Theme from Jurassic Park', 'Journey to the Island' and 'Welcome to Jurassic Park', two of them pure concert performances for the sake of pleasure. It is when we reach the movie cues that we hear the double side of John Williams' music. First, the awe inspiring music for the park, the dinosaur (gentle one) 'My Friend, the Brachiosaurus' (not to distant from E.T. and Close Encounters of the Third Kind) and at the other end rather dissonant scary action music, where Williams really brings unseen destruction and mayhem. The end receives the fullest package of it and it is this that I don't really like. The reason is more then obvious but I can not really appreciate it as pure musical pleasure. See it as a classic that doesn't reach the ultimate top on musical standards. Nonetheless, the way that Williams interpreters the scenes, especially 'Dennis Steals the Embryo' is pure mastery.

The score received its sequels, John Williams didn't use much of this score in The Lost World (this to the disappointment of many), yet the score was in my opinion another perfect fit and received its perfect Jurassic moments in the best circumstances. The third of Don Davis received half the Jurassic style and a lot of Williams themes were used, somewhat updated or variations of it but worked (half so successful though) when it was needed to make the impression. Still, the best versions and music of the trio is found in the first. It packs the orchestral grandeur and epic beauty combined with the dissonant and rather scary sounds found in the end. Jurassic Park remains one of Williams' highest achievements and controls half the movie's effect for amazing the crowd and scaring them to death. Music like this lives and breaths, puts the emotions to the test, just like those Dinosaurs who were brought to life by the wizards of Hollywood, guaranteed to bring the highest quality in order of entertainment.

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Tracks

Single Disc

1. Opening Titles (0.33)

2. Theme From Jurassic Park (3.27) Excellent Track

3. Incident At Isla Nublar (5.20)

4. Journey To The Island (8.52) Excellent Track

5. The Raptor Attack (2.48)

6. Hatching Baby Raptor (3.20)

7. Welcome To Jurassic Park (7.54) Excellent Track

8. My Friend, The Brachiosaurus (4.16)

9. Dennis Steals The Embryo (4.55)

10. A Tree For My Bed (2.11)

11. High-Wire Stunts (4.08)

12. Remembering Petticoat Lane (2.47)

13. Jurassic Park (2.03)

14. Eye To Eye (6.32)

15. T-Rex Rescue & Finale (7.39)

16. End Credits (3.25) Excellent Track

Total Length: 70.22

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=== Link to Composer Site: John Williams ===