Jaws: Anniversary Collector's Edition [EXTRA TRACKS] [ORIGINAL RECORDING REISSUED] [SOUNDTRACK]

John Williams (Composer), John Williams (Composer)

Product Details

• Composer: John Williams, John Williams
• Audio CD (July 11, 2000)
• SPARS Code: DDD
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Extra tracks, Original recording reissued, Soundtrack
• Label: Decca
• ASIN: B00004TR2G
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (36 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #30,468 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Peter Benchley's bestselling novel about the sobering impact of shark attacks on a New England beach town's tourist season gave director Steven Spielberg the perfect opportunity to craft a suspenseful action-drama. An immediate blockbuster upon release in 1975, the movie is being hailed as a classic 25 years later. The 20 minutes of additional score and interviews with Spielberg and composer John Williams may be the strongest enticements for anyone who already owns the original soundtrack, but anyone who's put off purchasing this most identifiable score now has the temptation of improved sonic clarity to contend with as well. Since so much of Williams's score--at the time, his second for Spielberg, before going on to E.T. and Schindler's List, among others--depends on the nearly silent tension buttressed by deep, probing notes, this wide-screen audio mapping only heightens the drama. "Shark Attack," "The Great Shark Chase," and "The Shark Approaches," along with the main theme, represent what empathic movie scoring is all about. --Rob O'Connor

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What "Uncle Sparky" doesn't seem to realize..., September 28, 2005

By	Andreas, scorereviews.com (Sweden) - See all my reviews

...is that this IS the original soundtrack recording. This is the same recording used in the actual film. The old soundtrack released was a re-recording, done by John Williams especially for the soundtrack release, hence variations in track lengths and tempos when compared to this release.

Jaws is a fantastic score - one of John Williams' best, and certainly one of the best scores ever composed. And it is wonderful to finally hear the music as it is heard in the film. The old release had its points, but the sound was muffled and full of tape hiss. This new release has better sound and more music. Recommended.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The original recording tapesAT LAST!, September 1, 2003

By	"ebounder620" (Marion, OH United States) - See all my reviews

I would like to respond to unclesparky's review. You seem to be confused as to the content of the 2000 release of the Jaws soundtrack. It is this recording that contains the original scores tapes as heard in the movie, not the original album release, which was a rerecording of some of the cues as "concert" arrangements. You seem to have it backwards.
Now, as for my opinion, I personally detest rerecordings and always want to hear music as it is heard in the film. This album does a magnificent job of restoring the original master tapes. The cues are short, however, so if you don't like short cues, you might want the original CD. Either way, you can't go wrong, but purists should buy this album, while people who are on the fence should probably go for the older album. Great score either way, well deserving of the Academy Award.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A bigger boat, July 12, 2000

By	Scott Ross (Raleigh, NC United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

In the early 1970s, the craft of the film score was nearly dead. Despite the efforts of established composers like Jerry Goldsmith and Elmer Bernstein, small combos and electronic instrumentation were the rage. More than any other single factor, the popularity of John Williams' mid-'70s soundtracks re-elevated film composition. His splendid music for disaster epics like "The Towering Inferno" were auspicious beginnings, but "Jaws" set the standard. Its popular appeal was staggering, and this newly expanded disc illustrates exactly what it was Williams was doing so well - so much better in fact than anyone else.

The old 1975 LP (and subsequent CD) was truncated but still conveyed the richness and excitement of this seminal movie score. This new, expanded edition nearly doubles the amount of music to be savored; the score has been filled out with a great deal of music not on the original soundtrack album as well as portions cut from the final film. The CD has a breathtaking clarity that brings the subtlest sounds forward and makes this essential movie score even more exciting. I was delighted to discover that a few new inclusions, like "Father and Son," "Into the Estuary" and "Between Attacks" contain some of my own personal favorite musical cues in the film. Collectors will notice that some of the tracks as heard in the movie ("Montage," for instance) are slightly different - sometimes briefer, often much better - than their corresponding analog (LP) selections. Many thanks to Laurent Bouzereau, Shawn Murphy and DECCA for presenting us with this holy grail - the complete and definitive "Jaws" - at last.