When looking back at Holdridge's
Call of the
Wild score, there really isn't any one particular aspect of the
score (aside from the sparing use of a chorus) that makes it stand out.
Unlike the brass of
The Tuskegee Airmen, the guitar of
Old
Gringo, and the remarkable string themes in many of his other works,
Call of the Wild attracts attention to its quality by simply
existing a step above Holdridge's usual output at every step along the
way. Even in recording quality, the sound of this score is not as dull
and muted as many of Holdridge's other low budget television works. His
thematic performances by woodwinds, such as in the delicate "John's
Death" cue, are more pronounced. To an extent, this raw woodwind (and
brass) usage, along with some familiar chord progressions, reminds of
Basil Poledouris' location scores, though Holdridge never attempts to
incorporate native/Alaskan musical elements into his score as Poledouris
did in, for instance,
On Deadly Ground. Holdridge's title theme,
with surface similarities to Trevor Jones'
Last of the Mohicans
theme, is loyally conveyed throughout the score with the family-friendly
atmosphere of a slightly roughed-up James Horner kiddie score. When
employing the use of a choir in the latter half of the score, in fact,
parts of
Call of the Wild recall the triumphant moments late in
Horner's
Balto. The choral usage is something you don't hear in
many Holdridge scores, but as in
The Mist of Avalon, his
incorporation of an adult chorus can add a touch of awe to his harmonic
sensibilities. Hinted at in the concluding moments of "Buck Leads the
Sled Team," Holdridge saves its effect until the last four cues, when it
bursts into the mix with majesty. It is no doubt that the massive
orchestral and choral statements of theme in "Letting Buck Go" and
"Finale" are what garnered Holdridge the Emmy nomination for
Call of
the Wild; they are so memorable in their enhancement of his usual
high quality of writing that they alone make the rare CD worth the
search. Once again, Holdridge overachieves.
**** @Amazon.com: CD or
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