Soundtrack Review: Dracula (1979) Deluxe Edition

Dracula (1979)
Released by Varese Sarabande, 2018
2-discs, 37 tracks total, with a total running time of 1:48:49
Music Composed and Conducted by John Williams

When I started to really get into soundtracks, one of the first horror ones that caught my eyes . . . or ears, technically, was John Williams score for the ’79 version of Dracula, starring Frank Langella. Now because of Jaws (1975) and more importantly Star Wars (1977), I knew the name John Williams pretty well. The soundtrack for Star Wars was the first soundtrack I ever bought and listened to that endlessly. After seeing this version of Dracula, I also fell in love with the score. That opening track alone is enough to capture your imagination. It immediately draws you in with that amazing opening cue and never let’s go. It has been one of my favorite scores, even after all these years. And . . . while this may upset some Williams’ fans, even after I started to notice and realize some of the similarities between this score and the one he did for Star Wars, that was done two years before, it has not changed my love of this soundtrack.

Williams’ Dracula Special Edition Release

One of the very first film scores that hooked me was that of John Williams’ score for the 1979 version of Dracula, starring Frank Langella. It was also one of the first soundtrack LPs I bought back in the day, being every bummed that it just wasn’t that long of a score. But now all of that is going to change, thanks to Varèse Sarabande.

Jaws 2 Soundtrack Review

Jaws 2
2-Disc Set Released by Intrada, 2015
Music Composed and Conducted by John Williams
Disc 1 – 29 tracks – 60:13 min
Disc 2 – 14 tracks – 41:35 min

Jaws Soundtrack Review: 2-Disc Special Edition Release

Jaws
Released by Intrada, 2015
2-Disc Special Edition. Disc 1 features 36 Tracks with a total running time of 69 min. & Disc 2 features 18 tracks with 45 min.
Music Composted and Conducted by John Williams

Jaws is one of the perfect examples when a soundtrack actually is so powerful that it in itself, becomes so recognizable, so commanding and potent, that just hearing the first two notes of the opening theme can send chills up the spine. That, my friends, is an effective soundtrack at its finest. Sure, it might have something to do with the fact that Jaws scared the living crap out of me when I first seen it as a kid, but this score still remains one of those that upon hearing it, immediately puts me back in that theater seat all those years ago, making my stomach tighten with knots, tension rising, and nervousness ready to jump overboard. Even when this score has been parodied over and over again, it still hasn’t lost its impact.