Fans of John Williams’ soundtracks for the films of Steven Spielberg have plenty of reasons to phone home lately, thanks to La-La Land Records! The film score label this month issued two expansions of Spielberg-Williams scores – one making its vinyl debut, the other on CD – and there’s more yet to come.

Longtime readers of The Second Disc no doubt know our love for E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial (founder Mike Duquette’s all-time favorite film). Spielberg’s blockbuster about the tender friendship between a lonely 10-year-old boy and a loving space creature was the most popular film of all time for more than a decade, and Williams’ stirring score for E.T. earned him one of his five career Oscars. Last year was a banner year for E.T. fans, thanks not only to a 35th anniversary remaster of the film on high-definition 4K disc (including a gift set that featured the original soundtrack album), but a double-disc expansion of that score from La-La Land. (We exclusively shared with fans the full track list at the time, and later interviewed graphic designer Jim Titus on his original cover design and packaging.)

Now, turntable enthusiasts can bring E.T. home, with a splendid new 2LP edition of the score now shipping. The set’s four sides of 180-gram vinyl includes the entire score as assembled by Williams’ longtime restorer Mike Matessino and original album producer Bruce Botnick, heard on the first disc of the 35th anniversary edition – with the addition of several bonus cues (“The Encounter,” “The Kiss,” the unused “Levitation”) to complete the program. Botnick has personally remastered this vinyl program, with lacquers cut by Bernie Grundman, and Matessino and TItus have adapted their liner notes and CD design for the 12″ format. That means a gorgeous gatefold and eight pages of notes and photos. This set, limited to just 1,500 units, is yours to order now!

La-La Land’s most recent Williams release on CD is a departure from the whimsy of E.T.: they’ve reissued the score to Spielberg’s harrowing World War II drama Saving Private Ryan. This film, loosely based on a true story during the invasion of Normandy in 1945, is noted for its ensemble cast (including Tom Hanks, Matt Damon, Tom Sizemore and a relatively-unknown Vin Diesel) and its stark imagery, particularly a memorable opening sequence showing the gruesome storming of Omaha Beach. Williams received another Academy Award nomination for his music, and the film took home five Oscars, including one for Spielberg’s direction (his second overall) and one for Janusz Kaminksi’s cinematography.

For the Private Ryan reissue, Matessino slightly cleaned up the original album master (as preferred by the composer himself) and added two revised film cues from engineer Shawn Murphy’s digital mix files. He also wrote new liner notes, featured among yet another new package design by Titus. La-La Land Records founder MV Gerhard confirmed that a vinyl and digital release is forthcoming, as well.

Spielberg-Williams fans have at least one more release to look forward to from LLL, too: a press release confirming the 25th anniversary theatrical reissue of the director’s masterful drama Schindler’s List (1993) noted that the label is hard at work on a new presentation of that Oscar-winning score, with never-before-heard material promised to be included. Look for it in December – and in the meantime, you can buy either E.T. or Private Ryan below!

E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial: 35th Anniversary Remastered Edition Vinyl (La-La Land Records LLLLP 2004, 2018 – original film released 1982)

LP 1

Side A (21:25)

1. Main Title (1:14)
2. Far From Home/E.T. Alone (6:57)
3. The Encounter (1:49)
4. Bait For E.T. (1:45)
5. Meeting E.T. (2:08)
6. E.T.’s New Home (1:28)
7. The Beginning Of a Friendship (2:53)
8. Toys (3:13)

Side B (21:16)

1. I’m Keeping Him (2:20)
2. E.T.’s Powers (2:44)
3. The Closet (0:53)
4. E.T. and Elliott Get Drunk (2:57)
5. Frogs (2:12)
6. The Kiss (0:49)
7. Levitation (0:41)
8. At Home (5:38)
9. The Magic Of Halloween (2:55)

LP 2

Side C (19:30)

1. Sending The Signal (3:58)
2. Searching For E.T. (4:18)
3. Invading Elliott’s House (2:24)
4. Stay With Me (2:24)
5. Losing E.T. (2:04)
6. E.T. is Alive (4:22)

Side D (19:08)

1. The Rescue and Bike Chase (8:07)
2. The Departure (7:07)
3. End Credits (3:55)

All tracks previously released on La-La Land Records LLLCD 1420, 2017 – previously unreleased on vinyl

Saving Private Ryan: 20th Anniversary Limited Edition (La-La Land Records LLLCD 1460, 2018 – original film released 1998)

1. Hymn To The Fallen (6:10)
2. Revisiting Normandy (4:06)
3. Omaha Beach (9:15)
4. Finding Private Ryan (4:37)
5. Approaching The Enemy (4:31)
6. Defense Preparations (5:54)
7. Wade’s Death (4:30)
8. High School Teacher (11:03)
9. The Last Battle (7:57)
10. Hymn To The Fallen (Reprise) (6:10)
11. High School Teacher (Film Version) (4:31)
12. The Last Battle (Film Version) (8:02)

Tracks 1-10 originally released as DreamWorks Records DRMD-50046, 1998. Tracks 11-12 previously unreleased.