I got an email yesterday from my brother to tell me that Basil Poledouris has passed away. His CONAN soundtrack was, I believe, the first CD of movie music that I ever bought. I remember going to see the movie– and while sitting in the theater, I was completely caught up in the film as the images….. and more importantly, the MUSIC… washed over me. His dramatic use of drums, strings and horns was so thrilling and powerful– and the choral infusions were stirring to the soul. The score literally sent chills up my spine– it’s that good. I had to rush out and buy a copy of the music immediately upon leaving the theater. And Poledouris’s CONAN soundtrack has seen me through so many pages of artwork over the years, it’s incredible. Any time I’ve ever needed a kick in the rear to get going, all I have to do is put that disc in the player, and I’m immediately inspired. His music for every scene of the film is so perfect… so evocative. As someone pointed out in the AICN talkback thread, CONAN was a good movie– but it was Poledouris’s score that made it GREAT.

Poledouris had an amazing career and leaves a wonderful body of work. His scores for such other films as ROBOCOP, STARSHIP TROOPERS and THE HUNT FOR RED OCTOBER are great achievements. But it’s his moving and absolutely inspired music for CONAN that will always live in my heart– and still, every time I listen to it, gives me those very same chills I felt the first time I heard it.

Thank you, Basil Poledouris, for so much wonderful music. You may be gone– but your work will live and inspire forever.

This is Entry 301.

Mike

This entry was posted on Friday, November 10th, 2006 at 4:14 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.