A Track by Track Review Of La La Land Record's Expanded Score of Jurassic Park: The Lost World

David Gawne continues his in-depth look at the expanded Jurassic Park soundtrack released by La La Land Records.  This week we get a track by track review of Jurassic Park: The Lost World.  If you missed last week's review of the original Jurassic Park review you can catch up by following this link.

As great as it was to hear the expanded Jurassic Park score on the La La Land Records CD set, it was Jurassic Park: The Lost World I was really looking forward to. I remember buying the original soundtrack in '97 with that amazing 3D packaging which over the years has become a bit battered and bruised. The great thing about John Williams when he scores a sequel is his refusal to rely on what has come before. Think of The Temple of Doom, now compare it to Raiders, or Empire Strikes Back compared to Star Wars. His sequel scores are always darker, more complex and deeper, while also keeping what made the original so amazing. The Lost World is no exception. We get many new themes, the original Jurassic Park theme doesn’t make a full appearance until the end credits. It`s full of aggressive percussion, screeching brass sections and some of Williams` most exciting action cues. It has to be one of the best scores of the '90s. It still sounds as fresh today as it did 20 years ago. Compare it to a lot of other action scores from the '90s which used more electronic synth based sounds which now feel dated and tinny. It was a real joy to hear this score in its complete form. This is a guide to each track and like my Jurassic Park guide I will only be concentrating on the new stuff.

Track 1: The Lost World

This is a straight up presentation of the brand new main theme. It appeared on the original album as it does here, as track 1. It`s a great theme and opens in a similar way to Lawrence of Arabia with the percussive drum beat.

Track 2: The Islands Voice

This is the movies second theme, this one represents the island. Again it appears here as it did on the '97 release except on the original release it was paired with the first 1 minute 30 seconds of track 16 ‘The Compys’. So this is the first time this cue has been released as it appears in the movie as the Compys attack Cathy Bowman on the beach.

Track 3: Revealing the Plans

This appeared as track 8 on the original album titled ‘Hammond`s Plan’ and it was paired with track 2 on CD 4 ‘The Long Grass’. Like track 2 it`s identical to the original album but the first time it has been heard as in the movie, in its isolated form.

Track 4: To the Island

This is the same as the original album presentation except on the original album it was paired up with track 16 ‘Heading North’

Track 5: The Stegosaurus

Again this is the same track as on the original album but the track listings on the new extended CD has it as an extended version. This is because around the two minute mark the music heard doesn’t appear in the movie at all.

Track 6: Fire at Camp

Now we`re getting to the unreleased stuff. This track appears in the movie after the Stego`s chase Sarah and the group make their way back to camp. This is when Williams first uses the ethnic percussion that will be utilised much more through the score. This part of the track only lasts about a minute the we segue into the next part ‘Corporate Helicopters’. This is an amazing piece of music with a slow drum beat and woodwind, as the Ingen team slowly make their way past Malcolm and the others. There`s a piece of this track that doesn’t appear in the movie, it starts around 1 minute 35 seconds as  Eddie looks through his binoculars and sees the name Ingen. There must have been something edited out of the movie for this to happen. As we join the Ingen team on the ground Williams brings in the Island theme but this time much louder and aggressive than it first appeared. Then during the Tembo/Ludlow conversation Williams goes back to using the slow drums. An amazing track and one I was so glad to finally hear away from the movie.

Track 7: The Hunt

This track is the same as it appeared on the original album. It`s an interesting track as it doesn’t appear in the movie and was meant to accompany the round up scene. This scene must have gone through a lot of edits as I've tried to sync the track up when I played the scene on Blu-ray but it just doesn’t work. It’s a shame as it’s a great piece and one of the best tracks on the album. In the movie they used parts of the track ‘Visitor in San Diego’ for this scene.

Track 8: Big Feet

All this music is brand new and starts with the scene where the Ingen team violently tie down the Parasaurolophus. The track ends with Ludlow putting his foot in the huge T-rex foot print-hence the title *Big Feet*- Cool eh?

Track 9: Spilling Petrol

Now this is one track I was really looking forward to. I remember while watching the movie and paying close attention to this cue as I just thought it was just so cool. As Ludlow gives his speech to the Ingen board member back at HQ, Sarah and Owen spread themselves through the Ingen camp freeing all the dinosaurs from their cages. Again Williams uses the slow drums and ethnic flutes. There`s also a nice rendition of the Jurassic Park theme as we see the plans for Jurassic Park San Diego. Then it`s the second part of the track titled ‘Horning it in’, when the Trike bursts through the camp. When I heard this is the movie I always assumed they had just edited in a piece of music from the track ‘Rescuing Sarah’ as it appears during the shot were we see all the dinosaurs running amok through the camp, but this release told me that it is in fact a new variation of that piece. It`s an incredible track and again just amazing to finally hear it on CD.

Track 10: Up in a Basket

The first minute of this track appears in the movie as Malcolm takes Kelly up into the high hide. Then we get a really intense build up that doesn’t appear in the movie and was meant to start when Eddie and Kelly watch the trees movie as the pair of adult Rex`s make their way to the trailer to get the baby. The music continues when we follow Malcolm as he runs through the jungle to the trailer and inside the trailer as the rex`s peer through the windows. The music seems to drop out around the point Malcolm says ‘’Lets not disappoint them’’, as I synced the CD track up with the Blu-ray.

Track 11: In the Trailer

This unreleased track doesn’t appear in the movie but I assume it was meant to start as soon as the trailer is tipped over. I've synced the track up with the movie and some of it works and some doesn’t. I think the more ethereal music that kicks in around the minute and a half mark may have been an alternate for the scene where Sarah hits the glass but I can`t be sure.

Track 12: On the Glass

This is just an amazing track and another I couldn’t wait to hear. Not only is it a great scene and in my opinion one of Spielberg`s best but it`s a fine example of what Spielberg and Williams can achieve when they`re both on form. The next part of the track accompanies Eddie as he tries to come up with a plan to stop the trailer from falling over the cliff.

Track 13: Rescuing Sarah

This track is one of the reasons I consider this score to have some of the best action music Williams has ever written. On the original album this track appeared under the same title but was a truncated version of what appears In the movie. As Eddie tries to reverse back in the 4x4 pulling the trailer with him, one of the tires on the trailer bursts. On the original album version the music from that point segues into the music that appears as the rex eats the roof of the car. This is the full movie version that contains the heroic brass section.

Track 14:Reading the Map

This first 1 Minute and 45 seconds of this track doesn’t appear in the movie. After the trailer scene the Ingen team and Malcolm`s team come together to make their way across the island. When Ludlow sees a flask on the ground he runs over to pick it up, after he drinks from it he tells the group about the Velociraptors, that’s when this track comes in. Williams uses the Japanese flute the Shakuhachi to reprise the motive he used for the opening credits of Jurassic Park.

Track 15: The Trek

The first half of this track doesn’t appear in the movie. It was meant to accompany the group as they make their way across the island. I have synced this track up with the movie and it fits perfectly. The second half appears in the movie as Dieter goes into the jungle to pee and encounters a lone Compy.

Track 16: The Compys

On the original album the first part of this track was paired with ‘The Island Prologue’. Here we get it as it`s heard in the movie with all the music that accompanies Dieter`s encounter with the compys and then his death.

Track 17: Ripples

On the original album the first part of this track appeared on ‘Ludlow`s Demise’ which then went into the scene were Malcolm and Sarah jump into the river. Here it`s presented as in the movie. The second part of the track has been unreleased up to this point. I always loved hearing this in the movie and like the track ‘Horning in’ it gives us another variation of the music from ‘Rescuing Sarah’.

Track 18: The Long Grass

This track is the same as it appeared on the original album except it was paired with the track ‘Revealing the Plans’ and re-titled  ‘Hammond`s Plan’.

Track 19: Finding Camp Jurassic

This is the same as on the original 97 album.

Track 20: The Raptors Appear

This is also the same as the original album.

Track 21: High Bar

This is all brand new. As Sarah and Kelly climb up high to escape the Raptor in the shed, Malcolm makes his escape from the car into the same shed. Kelly defeats the raptor by using her gymnastics training. Williams continues to give us action music that’s bold and exciting. The second half of the track is titled ‘Ceiling Tiles’. This was another track I couldn’t wait to hear as I had always loved hearing it in the movie but the track presented here contains music not heard in the movie. In the movie as Sarah falls to the ground the Raptors begin to fight among themselves and Sarah escapes by crawling away onto a ceiling light only for it to break from it`s fixtures allowing her to fall out the window and be picked up by Kelly and Malcolm, the trio then make a run for it to the helicopter, the main Lost World theme plays throughout this scene. Now this extended track doesn’t include the Lost World theme anywhere. After Sarah crawls away from the Raptors the aggressive music continues. Now maybe there was a sequence cut from the movie, I've synced it up to the movie and it doesn’t really fit so hopefully one day we will find out if there was an extra scene during this sequence.

Track 22: Heading North

This track appears on the original 97 album as the second half of  ‘Malcolm`s Journey’. In the movie about a minute of the track is missing.

Track 23: Ludlow`s Speech

Another brilliant percussion led track, for when the Ingen Board members arrive at the dock. Only about the first two minutes of this track is in the movie, the unreleased music is brilliant and features a cameo from the Jaws theme as everyone stares out into the ocean. I've synced this track up with the scene and it works brilliantly and I wish Spielberg had kept it in as it really helps build up the whole USS Venture sequence up.

Track 24: The Wrecked Ship

This track appears on the original 97 album on the track ‘The Compy`s Dine’ so obviously it was meant to play during the aftermath of the ship crashing into the dock.

Track 25: Monster on the Loose

This version is a little different than the one in the movie. After the Rex crashes through the *no fruits or veg beyond this point* sign it disappears from view and we follow the cabin filled with people unaware of what`s just happened. In this version they use a piece of music from the next track as the Rex roars at the cityscape.

Track 26: Visitor in San Diego

This track is the same as the original album.

Track 27: Ludlow`s End

This is the same track as the original album. This piece doesn’t feature in the movie. I synced this track up with the scene and it works really  well. In the movie this track is replaced  with the alternate version of the Lost World theme.

Track 28: Tranquilizer Dart

This is the same version that appeared on the original album up to the point where we travel back to the island to see the dinosaurs in their natural habitat. We then get to hear Williams` original music that was meant to accompany the scene. It really is a gorgeous piece and sounds like nothing else on the album but I can see why it was dropped as having the Lost World theme come in  at that moment just makes sense.

Track 29: Jurassic Park Theme

This is a new version of the Jurassic Park theme. It`s played a lot faster than in the original movie.

Track 30: The Lost World Alternate

This alternate version does appear in the movie when the adult Rex lunges toward Ludlow. The only way this differs from the official main theme is the intro.

Track 31: Tranquilizer Dart and End Credits

This is the film version of track 28.

Final Thoughts

It was a dream come true to finally get to hear this score. I consider it one of my favourite scores ever. Thank you to everyone at La La Land for giving it the release it deserves. If you`re either a Williams fan or Jurassic fan do not let this release pass you by.

David Gawne