His music is instantly recognizable and universally powerful. Basil Poledouris is one of the most important and courageos composers living today. Most film music collections already have a few Poledouris scores in their midst and chances are you collectors are starving for more of this music innovator of the 80's and 90's.

One of the frustrating facts about film score collecting is that we are shown grapes of temptation in the form of rare CDs by our favorite composers. Case in point are the two Basil Poledouris scores put out as part of the Varese Sarabande Club CDs, FLESH + BLOOD and CHERRY 2000. While there is enough available to start a healthy Poledouris collection, some of his best work is unavailable for mass consumption. Of the two Club CDs, CHERRY 2000 is a daring and satisfying disc with a dazzling mix of beautiful orchestrations and frenzied synth in a tale about female robot clones. FAREWELL TO THE KING (on both Varese Sarabande and Milan) is widely thought to be his best and most inspiring piece of music and it marks the end of the eighties for Basil Poledouris and very effeciently represents his growth and immense talent in the eighties. Unfortunately, the CD is very hard to find, however in our opinion, well worth the effort. While we also highly recommend LONESOME DOVE (Cabin Fever), Basil's other western score, QUIGLEY DOWN UNDER is also a must for fans of the genre. The good news for collectors not able to find LONESOME DOVE is that Sonic Images will be releasing an extended version soon. And then there is WIND (For Life), an amazing turn for Basil Poledouris in a couple of ways. His true love for sailing comes through with this brilliantly synthisized score that actually takes the listener on a sailing expedition complete with wind sound effects. This CD was only available as a Japanese Import and is almost imposible to acquire unless you have $50 to spare. But again, for die-hard Poledouris fans the thrill of the purchase is worth the trouble.

So what is available and how should we begin a collection of Basil Poledouris' music with what is out there? Below, we have chosen four of Mr. Poledouris scores that are readily available in stores nationwide, and also show the maestro's range as far as composition and versatility are concerned. We will, without a doubt, anger some Poledouris fans who consider other scores to be their 4 favorites... but this is our website and these are our choices. We hope this helps and we welcome your input and for new collectors please ask us questions on any Basil disc you want, we love his work and have different opinions on each score. We will be examining his other wonderful pieces in a later edition of ScoreLogue.

CONAN THE BARBARIAN - 1982 (Varese Sarabande - VSD-5390).
Conan is one of Basil's earliest and most enduring scores. For school chum John Milius, Basil crafted a score that added atmosphere and gripping drama to this adaption of the pulp barbarian. His triumphant themes and dark moody Middle Ages motifs take the listener on a journey of the sneses. While Poledouris has since created lush symphonic scores that are just as sweeping in scope, but CONAN contains some of Basil's most courageous experiments with an age of music that challenges the ear and creates a new world filled with adventure and raw emotion.

As Milius directed a film with very little dialogue (good for Arnold), the film demanded a strong score. Basil's voice acts as a second narrator and soars through the film and works most effectively as a CD. This album is essential in any film music collection. Before CONAN, Basil wrote another incredible score for pal, Randall Kleiser's teenage sex romp, BLUE LAGOON. While the film is a laughable cult classic, the score is wondrous and full of discovery. This CD is also highly recommended but is a little harder to find.

QUIGLEY DOWN UNDER - 1990 (Intrada - MAF 7006D).
The west is alive and well in Australia?!? That's right, partner.... Australia. Simon Wincer's tale of Tom Selleck taking the great American West to the Land Down Under was almost overlooked completely as a film, but Basil's grand score is a favorite among film music fans. What authenticity the composer brought to comic book "Barbarians", he has done so (again!) with cowpokes. QUIGLEY is nothing short of a modern score masterpeiece that shines brightly and will leave you humming for hours afterwards.

Bristling with originality, Poledouris starts off with a lone oboe joined by a frisky banjo that lead into a full orchestral sound and the memorable theme that plays throughout the CD in wonderful variations. Basil's landmark piece for Larry McMurtry's LONESOME DOVE proved that he had a swift deftness for working his talents through the tapestry of the Wild West with the great Poledouris passion that punctuates his best scores. While Lonesome Dove is one of the best modern western scores of all time, it is also arguably the best television score ever! The richness of Quigley is very similar to that of Dove, butthe mix of big banjo and Americana sounds with smooth romantic strings gives the western a dose of originality and quirkiness that is not often found in the genre outside of Ennio Morricone's ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST. Just when you thought the West was dead, Poledouris takes you for the ride of your life! For fans of Poledouris this is a must...an essential part of any growing film music collection!

THE HUNT FOR RED OCTOBER - 1990 (MCA - MCAD-6428).
The inclusion of HUNT FOR RED OCTOBER brings another angle to the music of this great composer. Basil Poledouris is well known for his versatile talent. His action scores have intergrated his gift for melody with exciting motifs and crescendos. With OCTOBER, Basil blends hard hitting synths with haunting choir voices and lush orchestrations. The famous Hymn to Red October begins the disc with Basil's own Russian chant sung by a luminous choir that haunts and lingers in and out of the entire score. While voices have been used before by many other composers, Poledouris creates an atmosphere here that is defined by the music and vice versa, which again, shows his great talent as an artist capable of creating or transporting us to different worlds.

IT'S MY PARTY - 1996 (Varese Sarabande - VSD-5701).
Over the last decade, Basil Poledouris has proved to be a master with large orchestras, deft with synthesizers, and versatile in his experimental arrangements. But with IT'S MY PARTY, Basil Poledouris talent is laid out bare and open for all to examine as he performs his emotional opus on piano. The composer joins his old pal, Randall Kleiser for this semi-autobiographical, tear-jerker about a man dying of AIDS and the final party he throws for himself before his suicide to escape further pain. Phew! A lot of emotion bleeds from this picture and Basil's score is nothing short of dramatic genius that proves Poledouris on piano is perhaps the best way to hear his raw talent turned into emotional mastering without being over-manipulative.

While the film works on an almost ethreal level, the CD excels on it's own feet as a sweeping piece of virtuoso talent. It is a very relaxing piece of music that soothes while at the same time acting as a cathartic journey of the soul. Basil Poledouris' playing is vibrant and somber, and will devistate and inspire at the same time. This is why film music is such an important artform. Basil bared is Basil at his best!

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