Product Description The 25th Anniversary edition contains the original music cues from "Jaws" and various previously unreleased tracks. John Williams' first film score to capture the imagination of the public, and the first hit movie score of the 1970s not to involve a love theme (la Love Story), Jaws has been on CD for more than a decade, but this is the first release that really does it justice. The centerpiece of the music is the bump-bump-bump-bump theme associated with the movements (usually unseen) of the shark, which became so well known that it was used as an essential part of various comedy sketches in a multitude of media at the time (Williams himself quoted it comically in his scoring for Steven Spielberg's 1941). It does reappear in numerous forms (many of them veiled) throughout the score, along with a handful of additional memorable musical phrases associated with Williams' score, many involving the hunt for the shark. The anniversary edition of the score not only features the familiar portions of the original album, which didn't amount to 40 minutes of music, but 15 minutes or more of Williams' score from the actual film, and also music that was written and recorded for the movie but dropped from it. Little is totally unfamiliar, but the 24-bit remastering off of the original tapes adds fresh luster to the recording and the music. It's doubly interesting, hearing the music uncut and remastered, to realize anew just how many of the effects that turn up at key points in this score Williams reused in his music for Close Encounters of the Third Kind and other scores of his. This was not only where Williams' career as a superstar soundtrack composer began but also where he first started using the musical attributes that would identify that phase of his career. .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
C**N
Iconic Brilliance!
Only John Williams could take two musical notes, and make generations of people afraid to go swimming! This is an iconic soundtrack which covers the whole range of elation and excitement of the shark chase to the signature shark theme and simply reignites a desire to watch a cinematic classic one more time! Two thumbs, way up!
P**.
Great Product From Seller
Item arrived safely from seller, highly recommended. Thank you!
A**R
The man has to be the G.O.A.T!
It's John Williams - nothing more really needs to be said - The man has Fifty ( 50! ) Oscar nominations for a reason! Like all of the maestros work it's incredibly evocative - just close your eyes and you can see the movie in your head. I'll never forget an interview I saw with John Williams and Steven Spielberg ( Think that may have been interesting?) Spielberg was explaining how he had been having great difficulty trying to figure out how to introduce the shark in the picture when Williams interrupted him and said "My darling boy, not to worry, I have your shark" Two simple notes later - history -Great fun to listen to.
J**.
Item came as described.
Fast shipping. Item is as described.
K**N
Good collection of the soundtrack for this interesting movie or ...
Good collection of the soundtrack for this interesting movie or yesteryears. The CD does not include Richard Dreyfuss' awkward but interesting singing of "Show Me The Way To Go Home." All fine thanks to John Williams' imaginative writing and skillful orchestration.
S**T
The best quality recording of Jaws to date.
I am giving this disc 4 stars and not 5. I will give my reasons shortly. But let me clear up a few things for people considering buying this disc.First off: You should buy it, no doubt about it.I have a very expensive high resolution "audio only" reference system. It has the capability of producing a full range majestic sound stage if the recording has the chops.This re-master of Jaws has the chops. The 24 bit re-master is superb. I hear a real orchestra with depth, clarity, delineation of instruments, accurate timbre and real dynamics. As far as quality of recording, on this disc we are hearing Jaws with more clarity than we are likely to ever get.Secondly: Don't be confused. This is the "actual" music from the "movie." This is the music that played "in the movie," the "actual" music, not a reinterpretation of the themes. So what you hear on this disc is exactly what you will hear if you throw on the DVD and watch it. It is a pleasure to finally hear this music that till now has never been available on CD.Some wonderful musical moments from the movie that were never presented on the MCA disc are finally here on this Decca release. One of my favorites is,"Into the Estuary" This is the music that compliments the attack on the son of Brody that is playing in the "pond" which is believed to be a safe body of water separated from the ocean. This is the moment we first get a glimpse of the massive size of the shark as it grabs a man in a tiny row boat and pulls him into the depths. The cue ends with Brody looking out at the dark and mysterious sea after pulling his son from the water who lies safe, but in shock at his feet. The music swells and emphasizes the ominous power of nature and how small man is before its movements and Brody's mounting desire to hunt the shark.Now my gripes and why I can not give this disc 5 stars:Gripe 1: The cues/cuts on this disc are not in the order they appeared in the film. So you can't throw the disc on, close your eyes and relive the movie. John Williams decided to put the songs in an order that would create a complete orchestral suite of sorts. But in my opinion he did not succeed. He should have left well enough alone and simply put the cuts in the proper order so we could relive the movie through the music. This is a small gripe as it is easy to rip the disc and reorder it, but why should I have to do that?Gripe 2: John Williams did a wonderful thing, he made that incredible MCA reinterpretation re-orchestration of the movie cues, and it is amazing as many of you know. The original MCA CD is not the music "in the movie" it is the music of the movie transformed by John into 12 full size, glorious, full bore, take no prisoners, orchestral works. These are original and unique arrangements of the main cues of the movie, and they are powerful.MCA vs. Decca comparison,One of my favorite MCA cuts: "Preparing the Cage," is a 3:24 masterpiece of power, it builds and builds and builds. On the Mecca CD this cut is only 2.00 long and does not blast into the stratosphere like it does on the MCA CD. The MCA CD despite its very poor recording quality is nevertheless a unique and powerful presentation that must be owned along with the Mecca CD to have the full Jaws experience. If only they would do a 24 bit re-master of the MCA version.Another comparison: I love the MCA 2:46 Promenade. But on the Decca it is only 1:31 and though perfectly accurate to the movie, it never gains the thematic glory that the MCA version does.I have been spoiled by the MCA power themes but I still love this new Decca CD as well.For a pure orchestral power experience the 12 cuts on the MCA CD are without a doubt complete themes that succeed. But for a movie reliving experience the Decca disc is the CD to have, though a rip and reorder of the cues will be needed if you want the cues to follow the logical progression of the movie.
L**E
Love Jaws
I have an old Jaws vinyl soundtrack from 1975 and wanted one I could listen to on my computer or old cd player. This fits that bill. I can take it in my car and have memories of my favorite movie with me. Love it!
M**S
Really worth the purchase
Big fan of the movie and the soundtrack for many, many years and replayed the previous release a ton, but this is the one I'd always hoped to have. There was so much great music that was previously left out, like the touching scene between Brody and his son at the dinner table ('Father and Son'), that is finally here our enjoyment. Maybe John Williams at his best; I couldn't be happier with my purchase.
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