Basil Poledouris will always be one of my all-time favorite composers. His legacy is full of examples of why he should always be remembered as being in the elite class of modern day composers. One thing I always admired about his work is that he was never reluctant to make statements with his music; he never shied away from the emotional impact that a proper score could provide. I think that type of approach is slowly being lost in today's world of film music, with scores that play it safe in the context of a film thereby becoming somewhat anonymous. Well, if there is one thing that can be said about Poledouris -- he was never anonymous.
Poledouris teamed up with John Milius in the mid-80's on "Red Dawn," which should be thought of as a moderate tier above a popcorn movie. The film depicted a Soviet invasion of the United States of America as part of a conventional World War III scenario. The movie had many of the bright young stars of the 80's, including Patrick Swayze, Rob Lowe and C. Thomas Howell, who were part of a young band of freedom fighters that waged a guerilla war against the invading Soviets. Though the cinematic themes of this film are in question today, "Red Dawn" should be remembered as an entertaining work of fiction even if dated.
The music for the film featured Poledouris coming into in his prime. While the soundtrack release has been available in a limited format over the years, Intrada has stepped up to the plate and given this score its proper due.
The 2007 release offers the complete score and then some, providing alternate and unused cues that Poledouris fans will appreciate. More than that, this special edition release will give the younger fans of film music a proper representation of this material, something that couldn't be achieved with the prior release that featured approximately 30 minutes of music.
One of the most telling comments I can make about the score from "Red Dawn" is that I can picture the movie's various settings and dates just from the music alone. I can vividly recall seeing the moments in which the timeline of the movie passed from season to season with Poledouris' work setting the tone. While these musical 'transitions' were more subtle, the main anthem of the film is far more bold, appropriately heroic and unmistakable. I applaud the fact that the lines of good versus evil were drawn so clearly with this rousing theme. To this day, it stands up well. Conversely, I was also surprised by how low-key and dramatic some of the underscore was. Indeed, this film was an action piece, but it offered a little more than pure brawn. There was a sense of loss and sacrifice to it and the music represents this side of the story too.
The sound quality of this release is as pristine as it can be. The production team took the necessary steps to ensure that the best possible audio quality was achieved from the master recordings. As merely a common listener of such works, I thoroughly appreciate the efforts that were taken to preserve the score for many years to come. Also of interest, as with most Intrada releases, you will be treated to some interesting liner notes that accompanies the disc. It's always a good thing to read more about the score that you're listening to in this format and I've always thought labels with current releases should follow suit.
If you're any type of soundtrack fan at all, I heartily recommend the special edition release of "Red Dawn" to add to your collection. Beyond the wonderful presentation, the music alone is worth the price of admission and gives us Poledouris fans additional means in which to remember the great maestro by.
