Jurassic Park
Original Soundtrack by John Williams
We enjoy the art of the soundtrack here at Ground Control and few soundtracks are as seminal as Jurassic Park’s. As I’ve always said, “Does any other soundtrack really matter?” Well, of course the Jaws soundtrack does but the same people are behind both these movies. I digress. It’s truly such a joy to be talking about the music of Jurassic Park.
The word gets thrown around a lot but that first Jurassic Park movie is nothing short of iconic. It might be the last Old Hollywood movie ever made. Or maybe it’s the movie that kicked Old Hollywood in the pants. It was so ubiquitous that it made it to my little island of Aruba and we lined up to get into the drive in theatre, as the movie was already playing, and I was trying to hear it on the radio. The first image I remember of it as we found our parking spot was the baby velociraptor break out of its shell. Yes, we were THAT late, and I still loved it.
I don’t remember much else about that night, but I do remember that it made such an impact that I rented it as soon as it came out on video. Of course I was blown away, and now, 25 years later, I’m STILL blown away. We all are. It’s a meme generator that shows no signs of slowing down. We got Dodgson here! Clever girl! Nature finds a way! Babies smell! These phrases are embedded into our culture. Well, maybe not all of them.
And the music? It’s the action movie soundtrack to which all others should be measured. The theme to Jurassic Park is something we’ve grown up with and a lot of us have embedded in our DNA. You know the part I’m talking about. And even though Jurassic Park is a scary movie for most of the part, the music brings with it only child-like excitement and joy. I can’t think of any other soundtrack that is able to do that.
Of course Mondo is going to bring us the definitive version of this soundtrack. With beautifully reproduced art by JC Williams celebrating the meeting of human and dinosaur on gatefold sleeve, it’s pressed on high quality 180g green vinyl (maybe representing Dilophosaurus venom?) and sounds absolutely breathtaking.
It’s a package truly as grand as the movie itself. Few soundtracks are essential as this one.
Get it from Mondo.
