I wish I had this one in the bag when the 'how come we don't talk about Basil Poledouris enough?' thread started a week or two ago. Ah well, better late than never.

Poledouris wrote across a wide variety of genres (family adventure, fantasy, modern action, etc.). You could almost always hear his distinctive musical voice and his unique mixing of synths in his work, yet he had a knack for rarely repeating himself.

It was fun to revisit a lot of these scores (some of which I hadn't heard in many, many years) over a period of about a month.

***
28. The House of God. Short but sweet. A pseudo-baroque palette cleanser.

***1/2 (round down to 3) - I will catch some grief for at least one of these
27. Amanda
26. Lassie
25. The Jungle Book
24. On Deadly Ground
23. The Hunt for Red October

1994 was a weird year for the guy. All three of the scores listed above are decent and technically proficient. but not particularly memorable (you could probably swap some tracks from the two animal adventure scores without me noticing).

The Hunt for Red October is an odd duck. It has at least two tracks that belong on any highlights playlist for the composer (the opening Hymn + Nuclear Scam). But it also skimps on recurring thematic content, and the last 10+ minutes of the score (after they ran out of money) are painfully cheap in ways that makes the flimsier-sounding parts of Crimson Tide sound like a Bruckner symphony. It's a weirdly compromised effort and a terribly overrated score. There, I said it.

***1/2 (round up to 4)
22. A Whale for the Killing
21. RoboCop 3
20. Breakdown (Rejected)

AWftK is a small-scale score, but it's still a must-hear for anyone who likes the man's later seafaring efforts and/or boisterous folk-inflected rhythms. RoboCop 3 has some interesting new themes and a few nice variations on the core ideas from the first score, but it doesn't quite congeal into something greater than the some of its parts (though writing anything half as good for a film this terrible has to count as a minor miracle).

Breakdown's alternate early score, disc 2 on the LLL release, gets a little too synthy/atmospheric in its late goings to earn a fourth star. But the instrumental balance is often quite smart and the action is really strong, with the lengthy 'Route 7-North' serving as a late-career triumph.

**** - I will catch some grief for at least one of these
19. For Love of the Game
18. Return to the Blue Lagoon
17. White Fang
16. Conan the Destroyer
15. Starship Troopers
14. Wind
13. RoboCop
12. Free Willy
11. Under Siege 2: Dark Territory

For Love of the Game gets here on the strength of its stellar bookend tracks, even if the latter one is hilariously overblown for the scene. Return to the Blue Lagoon is extremely pretty. Destroyer would be higher if there wasn't so much cut-and-paste from the original going on.

I know some people LOVE Starship Troopers music. Like, REALLY love it. Like, it's their second-favorite Poledouris score. Good for them. It's an immense, frequently entertaining score that exhausts me; I probably have the exact same opinion of it as this site's reviewer.

Mainlining so many BP works in short succession helped me realize how much Wind (or at least its few more orchestral tracks) set the tone for much of the composer's action/adventure material over the next decade. Those sparkling ostinatos definitely informed Free Willy.

SPEAKING of Free Willy...I have no idea how to properly rate Free Willy 2 which only has about 10 minutes officially released. Anyone who likes the man's music owes it to themself to hear them (as I finally did this year). The way he weaves his new theme into the first film's main theme in the opening track is sublime.

The varied, train-like action rhythms from Under Siege 2 almost got it into the top 10. Thrilling stuff from start to finish, even if I found myself thinking at times that greater use of the family theme might've helped balance things out (thrill fatigue, perhaps?). The bizarre gospel-inflected song from the credits (which Poledouris had nothing to do with) doesn't affect my rating.

Also, while not a film/TV score, The Adventures of Conan: A Sword and Sorcery Spectacular belongs in this tier.

****1/2 (round down to 4)
10. Amerika
Though a bit on the understated side at times, this work is full of Americana-adjacent themes and rhythms that just scream 'perseverance'.

9. Les Misérables
Grim, gorgeous work that deserves a better release. The opening and the last few minutes feature some of his finest dramatic material.

8. Big Wednesday
A superb mix of relaxing hangout music and rousing sports fare. This, probably the first of the many scores the man wrote about the sea, competes favorably with Soul Surfer for best surf score ever (lol is there any other competition?).

7. The Blue Lagoon
I said earlier that the sequel score is pretty. This is better. The moment the main titles starts and the adventure theme kicks in...just...wow. Sends shivers down your spine.

6. Quigley Down Under
One of the last great Western scores. 'The Attack' belongs in a museum.

****1/2 (nearly 5 stars)
5. Farewell to the King
Take The Blue Lagoon, add a dash of the man's epic fantasy action, and blend in some of John Barry's mid-career dramatic mannerisms. Special stuff.

4. Cherry 2000
Per Richard Kraft: 'The most involved Basil ever let me get in the writing of one of his scores was CHERRY 2000. It was a strange little film and everyone involved in it, including Basil, was a bit baffled as to what tone it should take musically. He snuck me a video of the film, and for several days I would throw different music against it from my soundtrack collection to see if anything would stick. Eventually a strange amalgamation of Jean-Michel Jarre, Philip Glass and The Wild Rovers began to emerge. It was fascinating to hear the final score which was all of these disparate influences re-imaged through the magical Basil Poledouris filter.'

That statement is pretty much accurate. It's a weird, gleefully fun, wholly unique score that blends 80s electronics, churning strings, spaghetti western tones, and Barry-esque romance. And we definitely wouldn't have 'Outlands' from Tron: Legacy without it.

It's a shame the last CD release of this sold out so quickly. Everyone should hear this.

*****
3. Lonesome Dove
Magnificent. Belongs in the conversation of the 10 best western scores ever. I really should watch the series at some point.

2. Flesh and Blood
It's the best Conan sequel score.

Also, it's one of the rare Poledouris scores with unique material in its end credits. Say what you want about Leonard Rosenman's caustic comments on Poledouris' work, but the man was spot-on on one point - nearly every Poledouris end credits suite was an editorial compilation. BUT NOT THIS ONE! Here you get both love themes in counterpoint.

Also, this is worth a read - https://cnmsarchive.wordpress.com/2013/12/29/basil-poledouris-on-scoring-fleshblood/

1. Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles
Just kidding! It's Conan.

> I wish I had this one in the bag when the 'how come we don't talk about
> Basil Poledouris enough?' thread started a week or two ago. Ah well,
> better late than never.

Guess we were listening to Poledouris around the same time. I appreciate this post all the same.

> ***
> 28. The House of God. Short but sweet. A pseudo-baroque palette cleanser.

> ***1/2 (round down to 3) - I will catch some grief for at least one
> of these
> 27. Amanda
> 26. Lassie
> 25. The Jungle Book
> 24. On Deadly Ground
> 23. The Hunt for Red October

Well, I like Jungle Book quite a bit more than you. Like you said, Hunt for Red October is tough to rate as a whole, but those highlights are fantastic (and makes it my favorite score for a Jack Ryan film). I remember liking Lassie when I watched the film as a kid.

> ***1/2 (round up to 4)
> 22. A Whale for the Killing
> 21. RoboCop 3
> 20. Breakdown (Rejected)

> **** - I will catch some grief for at least one of these
> 19. For Love of the Game
> 18. Return to the Blue Lagoon
> 17. White Fang
> 16. Conan the Destroyer
> 15. Starship Troopers
> 14. Wind
> 13. RoboCop
> 12. Free Willy
> 11. Under Siege 2: Dark Territory

Heard most of these and agree with most your comments, except for the fact that Free Willy is easily 5 stars for me, and my favorite Poledouris score. I watched the film a lot as a kid and the music stood out to me even before getting into scores. Beautiful and full of emotion. I hope the sequel gets an expanded release one day.

> ****1/2 (round down to 4)
> 10. Amerika
> Though a bit on the understated side at times, this work is full of
> Americana-adjacent themes and rhythms that just scream 'perseverance'.

> 9. Les Misérables
> Grim, gorgeous work that deserves a better release. The opening and the
> last few minutes feature some of his finest dramatic material.

> 8. Big Wednesday
> A superb mix of relaxing hangout music and rousing sports fare. This,
> probably the first of the many scores the man wrote about the sea,
> competes favorably with Soul Surfer for best surf score ever (lol
> is there any other competition?).

> 7. The Blue Lagoon
> I said earlier that the sequel score is pretty. This is better. The moment
> the main titles starts and the adventure theme kicks in...just...wow.
> Sends shivers down your spine.

> 6. Quigley Down Under
> One of the last great Western scores. 'The Attack' belongs in a museum.

> ****1/2 (nearly 5 stars)
> 5. Farewell to the King
> Take The Blue Lagoon, add a dash of the man's epic fantasy action, and
> blend in some of John Barry's mid-career dramatic mannerisms. Special
> stuff.

> 4. Cherry 2000
> Per Richard Kraft: 'The most involved Basil ever let me get in the
> writing of one of his scores was CHERRY 2000. It was a strange little film
> and everyone involved in it, including Basil, was a bit baffled as to what
> tone it should take musically. He snuck me a video of the film, and for
> several days I would throw different music against it from my soundtrack
> collection to see if anything would stick. Eventually a strange
> amalgamation of Jean-Michel Jarre, Philip Glass and The Wild Rovers began
> to emerge. It was fascinating to hear the final score which was all of
> these disparate influences re-imaged through the magical Basil Poledouris
> filter.'

> That statement is pretty much accurate. It's a weird, gleefully fun,
> wholly unique score that blends 80s electronics, churning strings,
> spaghetti western tones, and Barry-esque romance. And we definitely
> wouldn't have 'Outlands' from Tron: Legacy without it.

> It's a shame the last CD release of this sold out so quickly. Everyone
> should hear this.

> *****
> 3. Lonesome Dove
> Magnificent. Belongs in the conversation of the 10 best western scores
> ever. I really should watch the series at some point.

> 2. Flesh and Blood
> It's the best Conan sequel score.

> Also, it's one of the rare Poledouris scores with unique material in its
> end credits. Say what you want about Leonard Rosenman's caustic comments
> on Poledouris' work, but the man was spot-on on one point - nearly every
> Poledouris end credits suite was an editorial compilation. BUT NOT THIS
> ONE! Here you get both love themes in counterpoint.

> Also, this is worth a read -
> https://cnmsarchive.wordpress.com/2013/12/29/basil-poledouris-on-scoring-fleshblood/

> 1. Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles
> Just kidding! It's Conan.

Can't argue with your #1 choice. I know I need to seek out some of these others (Flesh & Blood, Cherry 2000, Blue Lagoon, and Amerika in particular), but they've been hard to find.

Really enjoyed hearing your thoughts on these scores!

A little disheartened that Hot Shots! Part Deux didn't even place. (It's a pretty fun album of the 'score the spoof as a serious drama' variety.)

Still, not a bad listing, if only for the ridiculously underrated Cherry 2000 making the top 5. So many clever motifs (including three of them that can, in some way, be sung to the film's title) and some exceptional long cues ("Lester", "Magneto"). They really don't write them like that anymore.

> A little disheartened that Hot Shots! Part Deux didn't even place. (It's a pretty fun album of the 'score the spoof as a serious drama' variety.)

Sorry to disappoint, but I just haven't gotten around to it yet (and who can blame me, with it being sparsely reviewed and apparently not available via digital/streaming).

Something to address this year!

> I wish I had this one in the bag when the 'how come we don't talk about
> Basil Poledouris enough?' thread started a week or two ago. Ah well,
> better late than never.

> Poledouris wrote across a wide variety of genres (family adventure,
> fantasy, modern action, etc.). You could almost always hear his
> distinctive musical voice and his unique mixing of synths in his work, yet
> he had a knack for rarely repeating himself.

> It was fun to revisit a lot of these scores (some of which I hadn't heard
> in many, many years) over a period of about a month.

These past couple years have taught me a few things: one, people are useless stupid weiners who will believe anything they already lean towards on Facebook, and two, Basil Poledouris was just wonderful.

> ***
> 28. The House of God. Short but sweet. A pseudo-baroque palette cleanser.

> ***1/2 (round down to 3) - I will catch some grief for at least one
> of these
> 27. Amanda
> 26. Lassie
> 25. The Jungle Book
> 24. On Deadly Ground
> 23. The Hunt for Red October

> 1994 was a weird year for the guy. All three of the scores listed above
> are decent and technically proficient. but not particularly memorable (you
> could probably swap some tracks from the two animal adventure scores
> without me noticing).

> The Hunt for Red October is an odd duck. It has at least two tracks that
> belong on any highlights playlist for the composer (the opening Hymn +
> Nuclear Scam). But it also skimps on recurring thematic content, and the
> last 10+ minutes of the score (after they ran out of money) are painfully
> cheap in ways that makes the flimsier-sounding parts of Crimson
> Tide sound like a Bruckner symphony. It's a weirdly compromised effort
> and a terribly overrated score. There, I said it.

I'm actually with ya on October. Some great highlights but it just doesn't coalesce into this great score most people claim it as.

> ***1/2 (round up to 4)
> 22. A Whale for the Killing
> 21. RoboCop 3
> 20. Breakdown (Rejected)

> AWftK is a small-scale score, but it's still a must-hear for anyone who
> likes the man's later seafaring efforts and/or boisterous folk-inflected
> rhythms. RoboCop 3 has some interesting new themes and a few nice
> variations on the core ideas from the first score, but it doesn't quite
> congeal into something greater than the some of its parts (though writing
> anything half as good for a film this terrible has to count as a minor
> miracle).

> Breakdown's alternate early score, disc 2 on the LLL release, gets a
> little too synthy/atmospheric in its late goings to earn a fourth star.
> But the instrumental balance is often quite smart and the action is really
> strong, with the lengthy 'Route 7-North' serving as a late-career triumph.

Still haven't heard these...

> **** - I will catch some grief for at least one of these
> 19. For Love of the Game
> 18. Return to the Blue Lagoon
> 17. White Fang
> 16. Conan the Destroyer
> 15. Starship Troopers
> 14. Wind
> 13. RoboCop
> 12. Free Willy
> 11. Under Siege 2: Dark Territory

> For Love of the Game gets here on the strength of its stellar bookend
> tracks, even if the latter one is hilariously overblown for the scene.
> Return to the Blue Lagoon is extremely pretty. Destroyer would be higher
> if there wasn't so much cut-and-paste from the original going on.

Really like Game but would probably give it the same rating you did.

> I know some people LOVE Starship Troopers music. Like, REALLY love it.
> Like, it's their second-favorite Poledouris score. Good for them. It's an
> immense, frequently entertaining score that exhausts me; I probably have
> the exact same opinion of it as this site's reviewer.

I'm with ya on it I think. Awesome stuff but not his best.

> Mainlining so many BP works in short succession helped me realize how much
> Wind (or at least its few more orchestral tracks) set the tone for much of
> the composer's action/adventure material over the next decade. Those
> sparkling ostinatos definitely informed Free Willy.

> SPEAKING of Free Willy...I have no idea how to properly rate Free Willy
> 2 which only has about 10 minutes officially released. Anyone who
> likes the man's music owes it to themself to hear them (as I finally did
> this year). The way he weaves his new theme into the first film's main
> theme in the opening track is sublime.

....huh? The original, commercially released album has about 30 minutes of score...and it's all wonderful. His second best work, actually. Da fuq you smokin'?

> The varied, train-like action rhythms from Under Siege 2 almost got it
> into the top 10. Thrilling stuff from start to finish, even if I found
> myself thinking at times that greater use of the family theme might've
> helped balance things out (thrill fatigue, perhaps?). The bizarre
> gospel-inflected song from the credits (which Poledouris had nothing to do
> with) doesn't affect my rating.

I still can't get over the Free Willy comment...

> Also, while not a film/TV score, The Adventures of Conan: A Sword and
> Sorcery Spectacular belongs in this tier.

> ****1/2 (round down to 4)
> 10. Amerika
> Though a bit on the understated side at times, this work is full of
> Americana-adjacent themes and rhythms that just scream 'perseverance'.

Good stuff, though I don't think it's that good.

> 9. Les Misérables
> Grim, gorgeous work that deserves a better release. The opening and the
> last few minutes feature some of his finest dramatic material.

NOPE. 5 star score here, my favourite of his. Keeps getting better and better. And what a THEME!!!

> 8. Big Wednesday
> A superb mix of relaxing hangout music and rousing sports fare. This,
> probably the first of the many scores the man wrote about the sea,
> competes favorably with Soul Surfer for best surf score ever (lol
> is there any other competition?).

Never heard.

> 7. The Blue Lagoon
> I said earlier that the sequel score is pretty. This is better. The moment
> the main titles starts and the adventure theme kicks in...just...wow.
> Sends shivers down your spine.

Really good score.

> 6. Quigley Down Under
> One of the last great Western scores. 'The Attack' belongs in a museum.

Dig it a lot but can't remember when I last heard it out of context.

> ****1/2 (nearly 5 stars)
> 5. Farewell to the King
> Take The Blue Lagoon, add a dash of the man's epic fantasy action, and
> blend in some of John Barry's mid-career dramatic mannerisms. Special
> stuff.

Dug it, but not this much.

> 4. Cherry 2000
> Per Richard Kraft: 'The most involved Basil ever let me get in the
> writing of one of his scores was CHERRY 2000. It was a strange little film
> and everyone involved in it, including Basil, was a bit baffled as to what
> tone it should take musically. He snuck me a video of the film, and for
> several days I would throw different music against it from my soundtrack
> collection to see if anything would stick. Eventually a strange
> amalgamation of Jean-Michel Jarre, Philip Glass and The Wild Rovers began
> to emerge. It was fascinating to hear the final score which was all of
> these disparate influences re-imaged through the magical Basil Poledouris
> filter.'

> That statement is pretty much accurate. It's a weird, gleefully fun,
> wholly unique score that blends 80s electronics, churning strings,
> spaghetti western tones, and Barry-esque romance. And we definitely
> wouldn't have 'Outlands' from Tron: Legacy without it.

> It's a shame the last CD release of this sold out so quickly. Everyone
> should hear this.

Keep holding off on it cause I've heard so much about it being this wonderful bonkers Poledouris score...and I just don't want to hear it and have it gone, y'know?

> *****
> 3. Lonesome Dove
> Magnificent. Belongs in the conversation of the 10 best western scores
> ever. I really should watch the series at some point.

Really like it, just not this much.

> 2. Flesh and Blood
> It's the best Conan sequel score.

Same.

> Also, it's one of the rare Poledouris scores with unique material in its
> end credits. Say what you want about Leonard Rosenman's caustic comments
> on Poledouris' work, but the man was spot-on on one point - nearly every
> Poledouris end credits suite was an editorial compilation. BUT NOT THIS
> ONE! Here you get both love themes in counterpoint.

> Also, this is worth a read -
> https://cnmsarchive.wordpress.com/2013/12/29/basil-poledouris-on-scoring-fleshblood/

> 1. Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles
> Just kidding! It's Conan.

Nyuk nyuk! But seriously...how have you not heard the 30 minutes of Free Willy score???

EDIT: Also, where the hell is It's My Party??? Just a wonderful work, and probably my second fave of his. Wait, i already said that about Free Willy. And I'd forgotten Conan. So...fourth best? Third best? Aw fuck.

(Message edited on Thursday, September 30, 2021, at 7:09 p.m.)

> ....huh? The original, commercially released album has about 30 minutes of score...and it's all wonderful. His second best work, actually. Da fuq you smokin'?

> I still can't get over the Free Willy comment...

> EDIT: Also, where the hell is It's My Party??? Just a wonderful work, and probably my second fave of his. Wait, i already said that about Free Willy. And I'd forgotten Conan. So...fourth best? Third best? Aw fuck.

I think you misinterpreted what I wrote, so I'll try to clarify
- I've heard all 30 minutes of Free Willy. I've owned the score for years. I rate it ****
- I've heard all 10 minutes of Free Willy 2. I found it on Spotify this year. I skipped giving it a rating.

Why not a higher rating for Free Willy? Great question. I honestly came into this rundown thinking my rating might be too low for it (Under Siege 2 was the other 'hmmm...maybe' contender).

The first track is great, or at least the majestic parts of it. The long last track (or, rather, aggregation of 3 tracks) is superb as well.

The middle stuff is good, but it felt like, IDK, more like cute kiddie stuff. Granted, it's for freakin' FREE WILLY, so having a bunch of whimsical music a little heavier on the synths is probably appropriate. But it didn't capture my attention as well as the aforementioned highlights did.

I haven't seen the film since I was probably the age of its protagonist, so I have no idea how much unreleased material there is and which ends of the spectrum it leans towards. An expanded release would obviously be welcome.

Now...It's My Party...that I'll have to seek out.

> I wish I had this one in the bag when the 'how come we don't talk about
> Basil Poledouris enough?' thread started a week or two ago. Ah well,
> better late than never.

> Poledouris wrote across a wide variety of genres (family adventure,
> fantasy, modern action, etc.). You could almost always hear his
> distinctive musical voice and his unique mixing of synths in his work, yet
> he had a knack for rarely repeating himself.

> It was fun to revisit a lot of these scores (some of which I hadn't heard
> in many, many years) over a period of about a month.

Another reminder there's so much of his work I haven't heard.

> ***
> 28. The House of God. Short but sweet. A pseudo-baroque palette cleanser.

> ***1/2 (round down to 3) - I will catch some grief for at least one
> of these
> 27. Amanda
> 26. Lassie
> 25. The Jungle Book
> 24. On Deadly Ground
> 23. The Hunt for Red October

> 1994 was a weird year for the guy. All three of the scores listed above
> are decent and technically proficient. but not particularly memorable (you
> could probably swap some tracks from the two animal adventure scores
> without me noticing).

I think(?) I've heard Jungle Book but if there's uncertainty it means I need to listen again.

> The Hunt for Red October is an odd duck. It has at least two tracks that
> belong on any highlights playlist for the composer (the opening Hymn +
> Nuclear Scam). But it also skimps on recurring thematic content, and the
> last 10+ minutes of the score (after they ran out of money) are painfully
> cheap in ways that makes the flimsier-sounding parts of Crimson
> Tide sound like a Bruckner symphony. It's a weirdly compromised effort
> and a terribly overrated score. There, I said it.

Haven't heard it out of context aside from the old MCA album, which probably serves me well enough. I don't think your take is a particularly scorching one, Clem's 5/5 definitely seems like the outlier.

> ***1/2 (round up to 4)
> 22. A Whale for the Killing
> 21. RoboCop 3
> 20. Breakdown (Rejected)

> AWftK is a small-scale score, but it's still a must-hear for anyone who
> likes the man's later seafaring efforts and/or boisterous folk-inflected
> rhythms.

Sold.

> RoboCop 3 has some interesting new themes and a few nice
> variations on the core ideas from the first score, but it doesn't quite
> congeal into something greater than the some of its parts (though writing
> anything half as good for a film this terrible has to count as a minor
> miracle).

Sold?

> Breakdown's alternate early score, disc 2 on the LLL release, gets a
> little too synthy/atmospheric in its late goings to earn a fourth star.
> But the instrumental balance is often quite smart and the action is really
> strong, with the lengthy 'Route 7-North' serving as a late-career triumph.

It's higher than the other two, so sold I suppose.

> **** - I will catch some grief for at least one of these
> 19. For Love of the Game
> 18. Return to the Blue Lagoon
> 17. White Fang
> 16. Conan the Destroyer
> 15. Starship Troopers
> 14. Wind
> 13. RoboCop
> 12. Free Willy
> 11. Under Siege 2: Dark Territory

All of these I've either heard and liked or I know I really need to hear. Except for Under Siege 2, didn't know that was so good.

> For Love of the Game gets here on the strength of its stellar bookend
> tracks, even if the latter one is hilariously overblown for the scene.
> Return to the Blue Lagoon is extremely pretty. Destroyer would be higher
> if there wasn't so much cut-and-paste from the original going on.

> I know some people LOVE Starship Troopers music. Like, REALLY love it.
> Like, it's their second-favorite Poledouris score. Good for them. It's an
> immense, frequently entertaining score that exhausts me; I probably have
> the exact same opinion of it as this site's reviewer.

I wouldn't necessarily say 2nd best, but it is fantastic and perfect for the material.

> Mainlining so many BP works in short succession helped me realize how much
> Wind (or at least its few more orchestral tracks) set the tone for much of
> the composer's action/adventure material over the next decade. Those
> sparkling ostinatos definitely informed Free Willy.

So it's like his Brainstorm?

> SPEAKING of Free Willy...I have no idea how to properly rate Free Willy
> 2 which only has about 10 minutes officially released. Anyone who
> likes the man's music owes it to themself to hear them (as I finally did
> this year). The way he weaves his new theme into the first film's main
> theme in the opening track is sublime.

I think I have that album but I can't remember if I've heard it.

> The varied, train-like action rhythms from Under Siege 2 almost got it
> into the top 10. Thrilling stuff from start to finish, even if I found
> myself thinking at times that greater use of the family theme might've
> helped balance things out (thrill fatigue, perhaps?). The bizarre
> gospel-inflected song from the credits (which Poledouris had nothing to do
> with) doesn't affect my rating.

> Also, while not a film/TV score, The Adventures of Conan: A Sword and
> Sorcery Spectacular belongs in this tier.

> ****1/2 (round down to 4)
> 10. Amerika
> Though a bit on the understated side at times, this work is full of
> Americana-adjacent themes and rhythms that just scream 'perseverance'.

Need another listen

> 9. Les Misérables
> Grim, gorgeous work that deserves a better release. The opening and the
> last few minutes feature some of his finest dramatic material.

Magnificent.

> 8. Big Wednesday
> A superb mix of relaxing hangout music and rousing sports fare. This,
> probably the first of the many scores the man wrote about the sea,
> competes favorably with Soul Surfer for best surf score ever (lol
> is there any other competition?).

I...haven't even heard of this one? Only other surf movies I can think of are Point Break (Isham), The Shallows (also Beltrami lol), and Distance Between Dreams (Holkenborg).

> 7. The Blue Lagoon
> I said earlier that the sequel score is pretty. This is better. The moment
> the main titles starts and the adventure theme kicks in...just...wow.
> Sends shivers down your spine.

> 6. Quigley Down Under
> One of the last great Western scores. 'The Attack' belongs in a museum.

Damn, that's high praise.

> ****1/2 (nearly 5 stars)
> 5. Farewell to the King
> Take The Blue Lagoon, add a dash of the man's epic fantasy action, and
> blend in some of John Barry's mid-career dramatic mannerisms. Special
> stuff.

Yeeeeeee.

> 4. Cherry 2000
> Per Richard Kraft: 'The most involved Basil ever let me get in the
> writing of one of his scores was CHERRY 2000. It was a strange little film
> and everyone involved in it, including Basil, was a bit baffled as to what
> tone it should take musically. He snuck me a video of the film, and for
> several days I would throw different music against it from my soundtrack
> collection to see if anything would stick. Eventually a strange
> amalgamation of Jean-Michel Jarre, Philip Glass and The Wild Rovers began
> to emerge. It was fascinating to hear the final score which was all of
> these disparate influences re-imaged through the magical Basil Poledouris
> filter.'

> That statement is pretty much accurate. It's a weird, gleefully fun,
> wholly unique score that blends 80s electronics, churning strings,
> spaghetti western tones, and Barry-esque romance. And we definitely
> wouldn't have 'Outlands' from Tron: Legacy without it.

> It's a shame the last CD release of this sold out so quickly. Everyone
> should hear this.

As I said on Steven's post, I need to relisten.

> *****
> 3. Lonesome Dove
> Magnificent. Belongs in the conversation of the 10 best western scores
> ever. I really should watch the series at some point.

Damn, guess I need another listen.

> 2. Flesh and Blood
> It's the best Conan sequel score.

> Also, it's one of the rare Poledouris scores with unique material in its
> end credits. Say what you want about Leonard Rosenman's caustic comments
> on Poledouris' work, but the man was spot-on on one point - nearly every
> Poledouris end credits suite was an editorial compilation. BUT NOT THIS
> ONE! Here you get both love themes in counterpoint.

Pretty sure Robocop's is original too.

> Also, this is worth a read -
> https://cnmsarchive.wordpress.com/2013/12/29/basil-poledouris-on-scoring-fleshblood/

That was a terrific read. The comment about folk music was interesting, I feel like there's another Golden Age composer that drew on folk songs a lot but I can't remember who. Also probably not a coincidence that two of the most popular score series in recent memory draw on folk music a lot too (or at least in LOTR's case was accused of lifting folk hymn melodies lol)

> 1. Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles
> Just kidding! It's Conan.

Yup.

Great post, thanks for sharing.

> I think(?) I've heard Jungle Book but if there's uncertainty it means I need to listen again.
It's not surprising you've potentially forgotten it. Almost in spite of the scale of the work, it kind of goes in one ear and out the other, save maybe for the opening theme and the determined ending of 'Baloo'.

> Sold?
If I recall correctly, you're less of a fan of the original RoboCop than I am. It's a toss-up.

But the Deluxe Edition is now on Spotify, so there's no financial cost to exploring it now.

> All of these I've either heard and liked or I know I really need to hear. Except for Under Siege 2, didn't know that was so good.
More importantly, THIS Deluxe Edition is also on Spotify now.

> So it's like his Brainstorm?
I get your point, but I lol'd when considering that you may very well be the first person ever to compare Horner's abrasive music to one of the easiest Poledouris albums to listen to.

> I...haven't even heard of this one?
Still in print!
https://filmscoremonthly.com/cds/detail.cfm?cdID=298

> Pretty sure Robocop's is original too.
It may have been recorded separately (I'd have to check the liner notes). But it doesn't sound all that different from the very similar tracks it's clearly informed by.

Great post! I don't have a lot to add because I've only listened to a few of these (though you've reminded me that I really need to get on it with so many others here), and I largely don't have super strong opinions on them. I love Conan the Barbarian, but I don't get the love for Les Mis and Lonesome Dove, so I guess that means I need to revisit them.

Only commenting on the ones I've heard, so....

> ***1/2 (round down to 3) - I will catch some grief for at least one
> of these
> 23. The Hunt for Red October

> The Hunt for Red October is an odd duck. It has at least two tracks that
> belong on any highlights playlist for the composer (the opening Hymn +
> Nuclear Scam). But it also skimps on recurring thematic content, and the
> last 10+ minutes of the score (after they ran out of money) are painfully
> cheap in ways that makes the flimsier-sounding parts of Crimson
> Tide sound like a Bruckner symphony. It's a weirdly compromised effort
> and a terribly overrated score. There, I said it.

I... basically agree. Works great in-film but outside of it? Not really. Don't think I knew that they ran out of money near the end... but explains the dated synth work that takes over for the finale.

> **** - I will catch some grief for at least one of these
> 16. Conan the Destroyer
> 15. Starship Troopers
> 13. RoboCop

> I know some people LOVE Starship Troopers music. Like, REALLY love it.
> Like, it's their second-favorite Poledouris score. Good for them. It's an
> immense, frequently entertaining score that exhausts me; I probably have
> the exact same opinion of it as this site's reviewer.

"Klandathu Drop" is incredible, but... not too sure. Have only heard the score in context, though I'd love to own the album (either release). I'm possibly more favorable to this than you. Maybe.

Agree with the rating for Robocop but think Conan 2 is little lower.

> ****1/2 (round down to 4)
> 9. Les Misérables
> Grim, gorgeous work that deserves a better release. The opening and the
> last few minutes feature some of his finest dramatic material.

YES. We truly need a remastered/complete release. The original album is so poorly mixed and a complete mess of a presentation.

> *****
> 3. Lonesome Dove

Recently picked this up for $1 (yay clearance shelves!!) and am looking forward to listening to it. Also should probably watch the miniseries....

> 2. Flesh and Blood
> 1. Conan the Barbarian

Agree with these two. Both really fantastic and brutal scores that still manage to be incredibly lyrical throughout. Wonderful stuff.

> 'Klandathu Drop' is incredible, but... not too sure. Have only heard the
> score in context, though I'd love to own the album (either release). I'm
> possibly more favorable to this than you. Maybe.

Everyone always talks about "Klendathu Drop", am I the only one whose favorite track from that score is "Tango Urilla"? That Horner/Aliens inspired finale is just badass.

> 23. The Hunt for Red October

> The Hunt for Red October is an odd duck. It has at least two tracks that
> belong on any highlights playlist for the composer (the opening Hymn +
> Nuclear Scam). But it also skimps on recurring thematic content, and the
> last 10+ minutes of the score (after they ran out of money) are painfully
> cheap in ways that makes the flimsier-sounding parts of Crimson
> Tide sound like a Bruckner symphony.

> It's a weirdly compromised effort
> and a terribly overrated score. There, I said it.

Yep, I agree. If the 2013 release had put some more effort into a better sound (if they had access to such original source files at all, which has been hinted at wasn't the case), or even done a better job on the edited end credits, it would have put another half star on it. As it stands, five full stars for the Hymn, **/*** for the rest.

> 6. Quigley Down Under
> One of the last great Western scores. 'The Attack' belongs in a museum.

Yep. *heart eyes*

> 2. Flesh and Blood
> It's the best Conan sequel score.

Eeeech...Imma borrow what you wrote about Red October, because I find listening to the entire thing in one sitting to be a chore.

> 1. Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles
> Just kidding! It's Conan.

On the topic of Les Misérables...I don't think there is all that much missing (perhaps 10 minutes?), but a proper arrangement and perhaps a sound update would definitely be welcomed. Otherwise, it's my #1 Poledouris score.

CK