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Review of Jaws (John Williams)

1992 MCA

2000 Decca

2000 Varèse

2015 Intrada

FILMTRACKS RECOMMENDS:

Buy it... on the impressive 2015 2-CD set if you seek to conduct a definitive study of one of the most effective film scores of all time, or on the immense 2000 re-recording if you want to hear that classic music translated decently into contemporary sound quality.

Avoid it... on all the albums if you recognize, like many John Williams collectors do, that this remains a great score only truly appreciable in the context of the film, a challenging listening experience on album for merely casual entertainment.

FILMTRACKS EDITORIAL REVIEW:

Jaws: (John Williams) The first film to ever gross more than $100 million, 1975's Jaws also represented the mainstream debut of director Steven Spielberg. An incredibly well conceived concept and outstanding screenplay scared audiences in such a timeless fashion that the film is still effectively terrifying several decades after its release. A massive shark terrorizes a tourist beach destination on America's East Coast, killing people randomly and sending the town into a panic. Several false alarms cause tourism in the area to take a hit despite the efforts of local politicians to downplay the problem. The leading trio of the story set out on a relatively small boat to catch the shark and get more of a battle than they could have ever bargained for. The film spawned a franchise and continues to be respected as one of the great horror entries of all-time. One undeniable reason for the film's great memorability relates to its striking score by composer John Williams, who had previously worked with Spielberg on Sugarland Express. When Williams first invited the director to his studio and played on a piano the two-note theme (E-F, E-F, E-F...) he had conjured to represent the great white shark in Jaws, Spielberg responded by saying something along the lines of "you're kidding, right?" Fortunately for both, Williams wasn't kidding, and thus was born a film music and silver screen legend. Spielberg was still an up and coming director, with only a few small, successful films under his belt, but Williams was already an Academy Award winner and the composer of choice for large-scale disaster films. His popular scores of the early 1970's for The Poseidon Adventure, Earthquake, and, most notably, The Towering Inferno had offered a glimpse of the symphonic rebirth that Williams was initiating in Hollywood at the time. He would go on to earn Academy Award wins for both Jaws and Star Wars within a two year span, elevating him to a status of the top composer of the 1970's. The production of Jaws was a near disaster during its shooting, mostly due to "Bruce," the mechanical shark that was useless 90% of the time, and Spielberg was counting on a strong score with a dark and sweeping identity to help save the production.

One can truly understand Spielberg's surprise when Williams produced a title theme for Jaws consisting of a repeating two-note phrase. On the piano, it sounded silly, but when performed by the string section of an orchestra, both men were surprised by the monstrous thematic creation they had stumbled upon. There is no serious debate about the functionality of the music in the film. Part of the film's dominant success was due, directly, to its relatively deceptive use of music, however. The ingenious idea of using the mindless two-note progression to represent the shark is effectively applied to the score by its tempo or even by its absence. The two-note progression was meant to match the blood pressure of the shark, not that of the audience. Many people mistakenly believe that the theme was intended to reflect the horror level of the audience. In fact, the idea represents the internalized zeal of the shark itself, a flow that Williams and Spielberg allowed the audience to listen in on. The theme increases its pace as the shark gets excited, and it is absent from scenes in which the shark isn't anywhere near the present locale, most notably in the false alarm scenes of mistaken identity. The shark's primitive and brutal hunting instincts make the structurally simplistic two-note theme into the embodiment of the shark that Spielberg had struggled to obtain with the actual, physical beast that he had built for the film. Even if you see a fin in the water, if Williams' theme isn't heard, then there's no reason to worry or panic. A deep tuba and horn motif that actually serves as the primary theme for the film is usually presented on top of this simple ostinato, though this idea is truly overshadowed by its underlying rhythm. The theme's concert version and the cue "Man Against Beast" both build to a wondrous crescendo of melodramatic movie music fantasy on strings that is pure Williams in other-worldly style. Accompanying the title theme is a pleasant, if not jubilant theme for the cozy beach town of Amity, one which provides a handful of thematic bursts that serve as early evidence of Williams' talent for capturing the Americana spirit. The most enjoyable theme in the film is that for the Orca, the boat optimistically sailing off to dispatch the shark. It is here that Williams offers his swashbuckling spirit of adventure that is destined for a very dark turn as the animal eventually prevails over the craft.

The enjoyable statements of adventure music in Jaws accompany the Orca as it sets off and initially shows some success against the shark, highlighted in "Man Against Beast." This cue prompted Williams to define the lengthy duel as having a "pirate spirit" that necessitated music that rolls along with jovial sport. Williams slowly takes that uplifting spirit and transfers it into one of increasing panic and desperation as the Orca comes under life-threatening attack, a back-and-forth of motif struggles until the ultimate timpani roll declares relief as the decapitated shark's blood fills the ocean waters. The narrative of Williams' approach to Jaws is absolutely superb, a tighter-woven progression through the emotional realms than heard in his sequel score a few years later. Despite the awesome power and effectiveness of the score as heard in the film, however, the mass majority of the music doesn't make for one of Williams' better album experiences. For most listeners, Jaws is a work of fine craftsmanship to appreciate intellectually on album rather than enjoy with casual ease. The sense of flighty adventure on the high seas during the chase sequence offers the only really accessibly listenable material on album. Who really wants to listen to the shark's theme on snowy day in Montana? Many people have suggested correctly that Williams' Jaws 2 is a better and more consistent listening experience on album. Despite this fact, the first film's score understandably exists on a variety CD albums. The original LP and 1992 MCA CD feature about half an hour of music that Williams rearranged and re-recorded for the sole purposes of the album, and this was for a long time the only available music from the picture. Given public acceptance of the "re-recording for album" practice through the years, this album was considered satisfactory by most. In 2000, a sudden flurry of activity included the announcement by Varèse Sarabande that composer/conductor Joel McNeely would be conducting the Royal Scottish Orchestra in a performance of the entire Jaws score, scheduled for release later that year. Before that could be recorded, however, Universal decided to hasten the project of releasing 51 original minutes of Jaws music (not the re-recordings done in 1975 for the LP) on an album to coincide with the much hyped collector's DVD release celebrating the 25th anniversary of the film.

For the most casual fans of Williams' music, the best bet on album was long the 2000 remastered release of the original Jaws score, though there are those who regularly prefer Williams' typically strong rearrangements for his albums (The Fury is a good example of such disparity). If sound quality is your concern, then the RSO re-recording might be preferred, though the intimate sense of danger experienced during the original recordings of the Jaws themes is lost a bit by the echoing sound of the large, dynamic performance. That re-recording does feature some different tempi and instrumentation during key sequences, and this may bother listeners who are very familiar with the original. Williams had a direct say in how the music was presented on the 1992 and 2000 releases of the two original Jaws recordings, so the cues are rearranged and renamed in parts of those albums to suit his wishes. In 2015, Intrada Records sought to finally produce the most definitive release of the score, revisiting both the film and album recordings with the intent of providing a complete presentation of the work and clean up its sound quality using newer digital mastering technologies. The score's original film version has always suffered from issues with clicking, hiss, and other artifacts on its studio tapes, and its three-channel spread was made in such a way as to really prohibit a true stereo experience. At times, alternate takes had to be used on the 2000 album rather than those heard in the film. The 2015 album finally uses technology to salvage those tapes with better results, though don't expect a vibrant stereo soundscape to result. The Intrada album, especially in the film recording on its first CD, does sound noticeably improved in its clarity of instrumental spread. The many alternate takes presented on the set are a pleasure to study, mainly to hear the composer and director struggle to find the right tone of malice in the score's later cues. That album also features, after the 1975 re-recording on the second CD, a wealth of source material recorded by Williams for the film's on-shore sequences. Overall, outside of two or three cues led by the phenomenal "Man Against Beast," Jaws is not something you can sit and listen to for any great length of time. Study and admire its constructs and intelligent application, but don't expect it to freely entertain without forcing you into a more contemplative analysis of its purpose. Regardless of its arrangement for the albums, the score's application in context is a stroke of genius, one that endures as a singular triumph in the history of film music.

• Music as Written for the Film: *****
• Score as Heard on the 1992 MCA Records Album: ****
• Score as Heard on the 2000 Decca Records Album: *****
• Score as Heard on the 2000 Varèse Sarabande Re-Recording: ****
• Score as Heard on the 2015 Intrada Set: *****
• Overall: *****

TRACK LISTINGS:

1992 MCA Records Album:
Total Time: 35:12

• 1. Main Title (Theme From 'Jaws') (2:18) • 2. Chrissie's Death (1:39) • 3. Promenade (Tourists on the Menu) (2:46) • 4. Out to Sea (2:26) • 5. The Indianapolis Story (2:23) • 6. Sea Attack Number One (5:23)

• 7. One Barrel Chase (3:04) • 8. Preparing the Cage (3:23) • 9. Night Search (3:29) • 10. The Underwater Siege (3:31) • 11. Hand to Hand Combat (2:32) • 12. End Title (Theme From 'Jaws') (2:18)

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2000 Decca Records Album:
Total Time: 51:17

• 1. Main Title and First Victim** (3:27) • 2. The Empty Raft* (1:23) • 3. The Pier Incident* (2:23) • 4. The Shark Cage Fugue (1:59) • 5. Shark Attack*+ (1:17) • 6. Ben Gardner's Boat (3:31) • 7. Montage (1:31) • 8. Father and Son*+ (3:42) • 9. Into the Estuary* (2:50) • 10. Out to Sea (2:58)

• 11. Man Against Beast (5:33) • 12. Quint's Tale (2:40) • 13. Brody Panics* (1:10) • 14. Barrel Off Starboard* (1:30) • 15. The Great Shark Chase**+ (3:28) • 16. Three Barrels Under*+ (2:05) • 17. Between Attacks*+ (2:06) • 18. The Shark Approaches*+ (2:40) • 19. Blown to Bits (3:03) • 20. End Titles (1:52)

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2000 Varèse Sarabande Re-Recording:
Total Time: 51:09

• 1. Main Title (1:06) • 2. The First Victim (1:43) • 3. The Empty Raft (1:15) • 4. The Pier Incident (2:19) • 5. Father and Son (2:19) • 6. The Alimentary Canal (2:02) • 7. Ben Gardner's Boat (3:21) • 8. Montage (1:31) • 9. A Tug on the Line (2:12) • 10. Into the Estuary (2:49) • 11. Out to Sea (0:56) • 12. Man Against Beast (5:15) • 13. Quint's Tale (2:30)

• 14. Brody Panics (1:16) • 15. Barrel Off Starboard (1:38) • 16. The Great Chase (3:02) • 17. Three Barrels Under (2:05) • 18. From Bad to Worse (0:53) • 19. Quint Thinks it Over (1:08) • 20. The Shark Cage Fugue (2:00) • 21. The Shark Approaches (0:42) • 22. The Shark Hits the Cage (1:45) • 23. Quint Meets his End (1:08) • 24. Blown to Bits (3:11) • 25. End Title (1:56)

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2015 Intrada Album:
Total Time: 115:06

CD1: (69:58) • 1. Jaws - Main Title (0:59) • 2. The First Victim (1:45) • 3. Remains on the Beach (0:59) • 4. The Empty Raft (Extended Version) (1:45) • 5. The Pier Incident (2:30) • 6. Father and Son (Film Version) (1:59) • 7. The Alimentary Canal (1:58) • 8. Ben Gardner's Boat (3:33) • 9. Montage (1:35) • 10. Into the Estuary (2:53) • 11. Out to Sea (Film Version) (1:01) • 12. Tug on the Line (2:39) • 13. Man Against Beast (Film Version) (5:34) • 14. Quint's Tale (2:48) • 15. Brody Panics (1:16) • 16. Barrel Off Starboard (1:41) • 17. Great Chase (3:02) • 18. Shark Tows Orca (0:41) • 19. Three Barrels Under (2:17) • 20. From Bad to Worse (1:07) • 21. Quint Thinks It Over (1:14) • 22. The Shark Cage Fugue (2:02) • 23. The Shark Approaches (Film Version) (0:53) • 24. The Shark Hits The Cage (2:03) • 25. Quint Meets His End (1:27) • 26. Blown to Bits (3:17) • 27. Jaws - End Title (1:57) The Extras: (15:15) • 28. Jaws - Main Title (Alternate) (1:12) • 29. The Typewriter (0:21) • 30. Man Against Beast (Alternate) (5:38) • 31. Barrel Off Starboard (Alternate Segment) (0:54) • 32. Great Chase (Alternate) (3:03) • 33. Shark Tows Orca (Alternate) (0:42) • 34. The Shark Approaches (Alternate) (0:55) • 35. Quint Meets His End (Alternate) (1:32) • 36. Wild Shark Theme (1:10) CD2: (45:08) Original 1975 MCA Soundtrack Album: (34:52) • 1. Main Title (Theme From Jaws) (2:24) • 2. Chrissie's Death (1:42) • 3. Promenade (Tourists on the Menu) (2:48) • 4. Out to Sea (2:30) • 5. The Indianapolis Story (2:27) • 6. Sea Attack Number One (5:25) • 7. One Barrel Chase (3:10) • 8. Preparing the Cage (3:26) • 9. Night Search (3:34) • 10. The Underwater Siege (2:34) • 11. Hand to Hand Combat (2:34) • 12. End Title (Theme From Jaws) (2:21) The Extras: Music From Amity Town Beach: (14:30) • 13. Joplin Rag (Original Rag) - composed by Scott Joplin (2:07) • 14. Winter Stories Waltz - composed by Alphons Czibulka (1:46) • 15. In the Good Old Summertime - composed by George Evans & Ren Shields (1:29) • 16. Thousand and One Nights Waltz - composed by Johann Strauss Jr. (1:49) • 17. Marching Band No. 1 (1:09) • 18. Marching Band No. 2 (2:05)

NOTES & QUOTES:

The packaging of all of the albums is extensive; all are very informative about the film and score. The 2000 Re-recording contains the complete score with cues in the order in which they appeared in the film; Jown Williams rearranged the other two albums' cues to his liking. The 2000 re-recording album's liner does contain a few errors in the track title names during its commentary by Michael McDonagh and Robert Townson. The Decca album contains notes from Williams, Spielberg, and music producer Laurent Bouzereau. The 2015 Intrada set's booklet adds extensive album-related information from Mike Matessino and throws in Spielberg's original LP notation for good measure.

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The reviews and other textual content contained on the filmtracks.com site may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of Christian Clemmensen at Filmtracks Publications. All artwork and sound clips from Jaws are Copyright © 1992, 2000, 2015, MCA Records, Decca/Universal, Varèse Sarabande, Intrada Records and cannot be redistributed without the label's expressed written consent. Page created 3/23/03 and last updated 3/30/16.