I'm listening to it right now. HA.
I LOVE the score for the original movie. It's incredibly moving and VERY well done. Whatever sort of music is playing fits perfectly with whatever was going on at that moment. It had the ability to make you cry (Whispering Winds and Discovery of the Great Valley), it had the ability to make you smile, it had the ability to make you sit bolt upright in your seat and stay intent to the movie. Heck, I'm crying just LISTENING to Whispering Winds.
Also, the music is so gripping and well-done, it had me hooked even when I was like, three. Some of you may have seen me claiming to have cried when Littlefoot's mom died when I was three. Well...it's true. It was the first movie death, first movie ANYTHING that I ever cried at, and part of it was because of the music.
I also have always remembered the bit near the end, where Cera takes them all the wrong way and they have to save Petrie from the tar pit. The music was so intense and fitting to the situation, and that's why I've always remembered that bit, even though I've watched the second movie approximately 47543065823572 more times than the original.
Basically, Horner is a genius. Like someone else said, the only movie score I've listened to that rivals this is The Lion King.