Basil Poledouris
Conan the Barbarian Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

THE REVIEW

Basil Poledouris's masterpiece: written to serve as the soundtrack for John Milius's visionary film that launched Howard's barbarian character into a true pop culture icon, this soundtrack has a majestic evocative power. Poledouris, with his music, manages to perfectly narrate the poetry of vast spaces, the violence of war, the most intimate and devastating human passions, the charm and horror of an era only dreamed of but never forgotten.

The exceptional nature of this work is especially noticeable during the viewing of the film, as the music blends with the images in a perfect manner, creating an indissoluble unicum. But, and here comes the enormous stature of Poledouris, the soundtrack also shines with a life of its own, recreating that vital tension that has always characterized the adventures magnificently told by Robert E. Howard.

Therefore, it's pointless to talk about one track over another (even though the beginning, with Prologue/Anvil Of Crom, is something wonderful!) because every single moment of this album possesses intense energy and suggestion. The Greek-born maestro reinterprets classical themes of tradition in his own way, assigning each instrument its precise role, alternating pathos with the wildest emotions, using choirs and voices exemplarily, yet carving his very personal groove within this tradition. The allure of gothic music, all the orchestral power, the perverse physicality and the reminiscences of Gregorian chant, the savvy cunning of contemporary music, sounds and noises taken directly from an unhealthy medieval era: Poledouris manages to bring to life a creature that is both terrible and fantastic, captivating and conquering the listener from the very first notes.

Ultimately, then, a perfect soundtrack but also a great album, recommended not only to all those who loved Milius's masterpiece, but also to anyone who simply wants to close their eyes to immerse themselves in a timeless era, that of Conan, the Cimmerian: a thief, a reaver, with gigantic melancholies and great mirth, who came to tread the jeweled thrones of the Earth under his sandaled feet.