That part at the end of Journey to the Island

[Gruesome Son of a Bitch 6,488]

When the jeeps go to the visitor center...yeah.

Don't you love it when Williams does this? Creating what could be a motif (could see this being reprised as like a traveling theme) for just a fleeting moment, ie the jeeps driving up to the building for like 10 seconds or so. Completely wonderful and why I love JW.

[Datameister 2,043]

Absolutely fantastic passage. Those horns...oooh, shivers.

On a side note, both the OST and the film have that part edited incorrectly. That's the beginning of the cue "The Entrance of the Park." In the OST, it starts a beat too early, and if I remember correctly, it starts too late in the film. It should sound about like this:

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=AJE1B4MR

Subtle, but it changes the way the meter feels when that awesome horn melody comes in.

[Muad'Dib 1,802]

I agree! That part is amazing! But it's not only used there, if you pay attention is hinted at "Incident at Isla Nublar" and I think it's even used as a sort of theme for Muldoon, if I remember correctly.

I also like how this theme seems to have been a sort of inspiration for the Droid March in TPM.

[Demondm810 399]

Ugh talking about Jurassic Park always makes me want a complete release.

[Andy 4,128]

Hell, yeah! It's so rhythmic and determined sounding. And coming off the heels off of the grandeur and majesty of the JP theme, it sets a tone of "OK, let's get down to business", musically propelling the story the way only Williams can. Love it.

[King Mark 3,631]

I remember that was the first glimpse of the music we got, in the first JP commercial during the Superbowl

[indy4 155]

Hell, yeah! It's so rhythmic and determined sounding. And coming off the heels off of the grandeur and majesty of the JP theme, it sets a tone of "OK, let's get down to business", musically propelling the story the way only Williams can. Love it.

Agreed completely.

[Datameister 2,043]

Hell, yeah! It's so rhythmic and determined sounding. And coming off the heels off of the grandeur and majesty of the JP theme, it sets a tone of "OK, let's get down to business", musically propelling the story the way only Williams can. Love it.

YES. Another instance of one of the things John Williams does so sublimely well - namely, really satisfying transitions between contrasting passages. They're often marked by a transition between distinct cues, as in this case. They never get old, and they never sound alike.

[indy4 155]

I'm finding myself being more attracted to these little things than the big sweeping themes, as far as the Jurassic Park score is concerned. And that's not a slight against the sweeping themes at all.

[Datameister 2,043]

Yeah, there's much more to Jurassic Park than its two main themes - though both are very, very good. The score puts forth a lot of very interesting musical ideas.

[Jacck 23]

I think it's probably the best score ever written in terms of its overall structure, and how it helps the narrative of the film. I think that's cleverly achieved through leitmotivic ideas that import narrative information into the film through being contextually relevant, and then expressed harmonically and/or intervallically in such a way that sets them at a certain level of 'progression' that matches the required mood of that point in the story. Even the 'faux themes' like here still do the job. And then, as we see here, the way the ideas are initially established (i.e. transitions) can go a long way in pushing things forward.

[Naïve Old Fart 9,528]

Has anyone noticed the "homage" to "The Towering Inferno" Main Title, at the begining of the track, when the characters are in the chopper (2 ascending notes, played an octave apart)?

[Josh500 1,615]

Hell, yeah! It's so rhythmic and determined sounding. And coming off the heels off of the grandeur and majesty of the JP theme, it sets a tone of "OK, let's get down to business", musically propelling the story the way only Williams can. Love it.

Hmmm, yes!

"Let's get down to this business!"

I've always wondered what JW intended to convey with that passage: it's not the most obvious way to score it, I would think. So serious, determined, almost grim. Was this JW's way of musically expressing the "crash back to reality"?

I'm finding myself being more attracted to these little things than the big sweeping themes, as far as the Jurassic Park score is concerned. And that's not a slight against the sweeping themes at all.

You know, I love em all!

Another great moment is the Island Theme as heard in the track "T-Rex Rescue," when Lex manages to lock those steel doors via the computer.

[Jay 37,364]

Hell, yeah! It's so rhythmic and determined sounding. And coming off the heels off of the grandeur and majesty of the JP theme, it sets a tone of "OK, let's get down to business", musically propelling the story the way only Williams can. Love it.

Agreed completely.

+1

[scallenger 483]

It's just too bad the OST doesn't have the T-Rex Jeep Chase...

...even though I hear it all the time playing at the store at Universal Studios Hollywood!!! UUUUGGGGGHHHH! SLAP IN THE FACE!!!

Someone needs to work there and pull a Dennis Nedry and sneak in at night and steal the music tape that plays in the store...

[Jay 37,364]

Hmmm, I wonder where the music is piped in from...

[scallenger 483]

Yeah I know! I think it plays like the entire cue, too!

[Jay 37,364]

Clean opening?

[Gruesome Son of a Bitch 6,488]

Yes. I can confirm that the JP ride gift shop at Islands of Adventure plays the entire T-Rex chase cue as well. I've also heard unreleased action music from TLW. Caught me off guard. Watch the place become a haven for unreleased Williams music when Harry Potter land opens...

You know, I singled out a brief moment from this track, but the whole thing is thoroughly magnificent.

Ugh talking about Jurassic Park always makes me want a complete release.

Especially lately, I've been craving complete releases of 90's scores. Hook, of course, but also JP, Sabrina, Home Alone, Schindler's List and TPM (God damn that April fools prank btw).

[Richard Penna 3,690]

I guess there must be a digital copy of the entire score to JP.

Release the damn thing, Universal!

[Josh500 1,615]

Come to think of it, this whole track is one of the best in JW's career, probably, almost on the same level as "Adventures on Earth."

Best helicopter ride music, hands down.

[Datameister 2,043]

Absolutely one of the best tracks of his career, from start to finish. I enjoy it like I enjoy "Adventures on Earth."

[Marian Schedenig 8,193]

Best helicopter ride music, hands down.

Village Ride/Helicopter Raid is a strong contender. Of a totally different kind.

[Charlie Brigden 7]

Best helicopter ride music, hands down.

I think Richard Wagner would have something to say about that.

[Andy 4,128]

Gave the track a spin yesterday. Definitely a career highlight.

I also love the string section that transitions the descent of the plane past the falls and into the jeeps. It's got that similar flight technique of the bicycle chase from Adventures on Earth.

[Marian Schedenig 8,193]

Best helicopter ride music, hands down.

I think Richard Wagner would have something to say about that.

"Was zum Teufel ist ein Helikopter?"

[Ollie 1,059]

Best helicopter ride music, hands down.

I think Richard Wagner would have something to say about that.

"Was zum Teufel ist ein Helikopter?"

Williams' best helicopter ride was in 1974.

[steb74 53]

Williams' best helicopter ride was in 1974.

[Gruesome Son of a Bitch 6,488]

I respectfully disagree.

I love this whole track...like the fanfare in that fleeting shot of the helicopter dropping down when Grant can't figure out the seat belt (all beautifully photographed by the way--JP is a gorgeous film), when the jeeps are in the field after Hammond says "I'll be accepting YOUR apology", when you see the T-Rex skeleton...just the whole thing. Love it.

[Uni 306]

Don't you love it when Williams does this? Creating what could be a motif (could see this being reprised as like a traveling theme) for just a fleeting moment, ie the jeeps driving up to the building for like 10 seconds or so. Completely wonderful and why I love JW.

This is exactly, precisely, completely on-the-mark. It's what has always separated JW from the rest of the film-scoring world in my mind. His main themes are great, his secondary themes are splendid, all those other fixin's are wonderful, but those brief, interconnective moments when he produces a miniature theme for what others would consider a throwaway scene . . . that's what makes him special. And this is a perfect example of it. I've actually found myself whistling this little tidbit of a theme at odd moments. How great is that, to give whistling time to a forgettable instant of film?

- Uni

[Datameister 2,043]

^ Definitely. And although I don't usually whistle much of anything, this passage is among my (admittedly many!) favorites from "Journey to the Island" to play on piano.

Also, let's not forget that Don Davis sorta adapted this melody into a slightly different theme that's used frequently in JP III. Williams' take on it is better, of course, but I like what Davis did with it, too.

[Uni 306]

Come to think of it, this whole track is one of the best in JW's career, probably, almost on the same level as "Adventures on Earth."

I'll go along with this one, too. The thrill ride I received during this scene the first time I saw the movie--having picked up the OST about a month earlier, and therefore knowing the music by heart--was one of the chief cinematic experiences of my life. It's multi-faceted construction--brief opening passage, dialogue underscoring, adventurous approach (complete with varying interludes), the giddy anticipation of the jeep ride (with more dialogue interludes), the mysterious prelude to the main theme, the emergence of the main theme, the peak of the main theme (prefaced with my favorite dialogue/music moment in the film: "Dr. Grant . . . my dear Dr. Satler . . . welcome to Jurassic Park"), then that brilliant little passage to round it all off--each part fashioned with ingenious care--makes it a masterpiece in itself.

Williams' best helicopter ride was in 1974.

I don't know if I can agree with that . . . but that one's definitely a close runner-up. Great scene, great score.

- Uni

[Josh500 1,615]

Don't you love it when Williams does this? Creating what could be a motif (could see this being reprised as like a traveling theme) for just a fleeting moment, ie the jeeps driving up to the building for like 10 seconds or so. Completely wonderful and why I love JW.

This is exactly, precisely, completely on-the-mark. It's what has always separated JW from the rest of the film-scoring world in my mind. His main themes are great, his secondary themes are splendid, all those other fixin's are wonderful, but those brief, interconnective moments when he produces a miniature theme for what others would consider a throwaway scene . . . that's what makes him special. And this is a perfect example of it. I've actually found myself whistling this little tidbit of a theme at odd moments. How great is that, to give whistling time to a forgettable instant of film?

- Uni

Hmmm, I think that's called "an overall superior composer."

Best helicopter ride music, hands down.

I think Richard Wagner would have something to say about that.

If I said Apocalypse Now had the best chopper music, I think JW would have to say something about that!

Come to think of it, this whole track is one of the best in JW's career, probably, almost on the same level as "Adventures on Earth."

I'll go along with this one, too. The thrill ride I received during this scene the first time I saw the movie--having picked up the OST about a month earlier, and therefore knowing the music by heart--was one of the chief cinematic experiences of my life. It's multi-faceted construction--brief opening passage, dialogue underscoring, adventurous approach (complete with varying interludes), the giddy anticipation of the jeep ride (with more dialogue interludes), the mysterious prelude to the main theme, the emergence of the main theme, the peak of the main theme (prefaced with my favorite dialogue/music moment in the film: "Dr. Grant . . . my dear Dr. Satler . . . welcome to Jurassic Park"), then that brilliant little passage to round it all off--each part fashioned with ingenious care--makes it a masterpiece in itself.

´

Yes, agreed.

And if you think about it, the concert pieces ("Theme from Jurassic Park" and "End Credits") aren't actually concert pieces... they are cues written for these scenes.

[Datameister 2,043]

Especially in the case of "Theme from Jurassic Park", which is the exact same take, just with a different intro.

[Romão 2,274]

That might be the case with Theme From Jurassic Park, but I'm not so sure about the End Credits. The fanfare in Journey to the Island sounds like a different take to me.

[Gruesome Son of a Bitch 6,488]

I used to skip the theme track, but lately I throw it in the front of my playlist. I dig the intro (which is used at the start of the JP rides) and the clean ending.

[Datameister 2,043]

That might be the case with Theme From Jurassic Park, but I'm not so sure about the End Credits. The fanfare in Journey to the Island sounds like a different take to me.

You're correct - the end credits were recorded separately. Williams still managed to waste some space on the disc by including the second part of the end credits twice, though. Again, exact same take. You can line up the waveforms perfectly.

[Marian Schedenig 8,193]

And if you think about it, the concert pieces ("Theme from Jurassic Park" and "End Credits") aren't actually concert pieces... they are cues written for these scenes.

It was about the time when Williams started writing his concert pieces for the actual movies. Rather than writing a "regular" film score and then adapting it into a concert piece, he would now try to find spots in the film where he could write the score and the concert piece at the same time.

[Gruesome Son of a Bitch 6,488]

By the way, I'm still a little ticked at that guy who came up with

for the JP theme. I don't even think twice about that JW A capella dude's silly lyrics, but these have unfortunately stuck with me.

[Marian Schedenig 8,193]

I don't even think twice about that JW A capella dude's silly lyrics, but these have unfortunately stuck with me.

It's not a guy. It's a bunch of guys called Moosebutter. The guy you see in the video only made a video for their existing a cappella recording.

[Ollie 1,059]

Actually Williams' best helicopter sequence was in 1978.

[Luke Skywalker 1,795]

JP is great.

Kudos to don davis to use this small musical moment to create a theme

[Gruesome Son of a Bitch 6,488]

Actually Williams' best helicopter sequence was in 1978.

Better choice.

[Josh500 1,615]

I'm finding new appreciation for the Jurassic Park score right now...

Haven't listened to it for a while now, but yesterday, I listened to the whole score straight through.

I really wish there was a Complete Edition.

[Naïve Old Fart 9,528]

Best helicopter ride music, hands down.

I think Richard Wagner would have something to say about that.

"Was zum Teufel ist ein Helikopter?"

Williams' best helicopter ride was in 1974.

Hear, bloody, hear!