Big Wednesday
Basil Poledouris
" The waves aren't always that big "Written by Thomas Glorieux - Review of the limited release
When it was announced that Basil Poledouris' score for Big Wednesday was about to be released by Film Score Monthly, many people cheered! This because Basil still remains a favourite of many. Plus it was a film that offered opportunities for a composer. And so Film Score Monthly released a piece of material that nearly matched the 80 minute marker. While the film score lasts for about 57 minutes, 21 minutes of extra bonus material is attached to the album release. Yet, Big Wednesday is a more relaxing subdued listen than expected. There aren't many big symphonic moments, and most of them are expectedly placed at the end.
"South Swell / Main Title / 3 Friends Theme" delivers us the noble main theme in a slightly growing manner, before the 3 friends theme appears with guitar, softly and melodic. It's definitely lovely but misses something to make it memorable. And then you start to realize how relaxed this album really is. "Matt Surfs / Kaliponi Slack Key / Bear's Shack" starts briefly with fanfares before the tinkling version of the 3 friends theme reappears. "Bear's Story" is rather somber and dark, "You oughta Know what I Mean, Bear" has a noble version of the main theme and "Bear's Wedding" has the 3 friends theme and Bear's theme played by guitar. All lovely but softer then we perhaps expected. There is also some alternate material on board, a song in track 8 and war like drums in 9, so you get something for everyone.
Luckily "Jack Surfs Alone" shows us some improvement, when we get an emotional feeling coming from the angry touch that's infused in the material. "Aloha, Jack" has a nice string version of the 3 friends theme while some electric guitar cheesiness delivers some surprising moments in "Liquid Dreams". Furthermore "Jack's Back" delivers a brief but good upbeat main theme version.
Basically, this score keeps returning to the themes, always soft and lovely but perhaps a bit too of that as well. "Cemetery" offers more versions of the main theme as the 3 friends theme, but it is "The Challenge / Big Wednesday Montage" that offers us what we wanted to hear all along. The main theme growing into a fanfare that never stops, it is here where we get our heroic and pompous 4 minutes. Even "Matt's Rite of Passage" gives track 3 (the somber one) a surprising epic version.
Concerning the bonus material, most of it is rather forgettable. Mexican tunes, extended pieces of drums or songs and even a strange Indian mess. But luckily it also presents us a fantastic heroic track of epic proportions namely "Big Wednesday Montage (alternate)" which is simply stunning, as is the "Trailer (Big Waves)" track which directly sets the fanfares of track 21 in motion.
Together it delivers it all a bit too soft and relaxed for my liking, and you will realize that it is the epic stuff at the end that gives Big Wednesday its grace and charm. Many people will probably forget that this is one of the earliest Poledouris scores he composed, but we have to look at the obvious as well. No matter how early it was composed, it brings far less excitement than his other pumping water heroic, namely Wind. So be sure to know which wave you want to catch.
Tracklisting
1. The South Swell / Main Title / 3 Friends Theme (4.12)
2. Matt Surfs / Kaliponi Slack Key / Bear's Shack (4.19)
3. Bear's Story (2.05)
4. La Golondrina (traditional) (0.59)
5. Passing of the Years II (1.00)
6. You Oughta Know What I Mean, Bear (1.16)
7. Bear's Wedding (3.03)
8. Crumple Car (1.00)
9. Preparation March (1.37)
10. Jack Surfs Alone (2.39)
11. Aloha, Jack (2.49)
12. Passing of the Years III (1.40)
13. Summerset (1.06)
14. Liquid Dreams (2.20)
15. Jack's Back (3.28)
16. Jack's Back, Part 2 (0.44)
17. Cemetery (3.51)
18. Passing of the Years IV (1.20)
19. Bear's Wharf (1.40)
20. Matt Morning and Ominosity (2.15)
21. The Challenge / Big Wednesday Montage (5.39) Excellent trackmz
22. Matt's Rite of Passage (2.25) Excellent track
23. Passing of the Mantle / Song of Three Friends (5.13)
Bonus Tracks
24. Big Wednesday Montage (alternate) (3.09) Excellent track
25. Three Friends Theme (instrumental) (2.00)
26. Mexican Montage (2.18)
27. Green Opinions (2.38)
28. Crumple Car (extended version) (1.59)
29. Drums Montage (1.11)
30. Cosmic Indifference (1.40)
31. Cemetery (film version) (3.38)
32. The Challenge (alternate) (1.42)
33. Trailer (Big Waves) (0.59) Excellent track
Total Length: 78.34
"South Swell / Main Title / 3 Friends Theme" delivers us the noble main theme in a slightly growing manner, before the 3 friends theme appears with guitar, softly and melodic. It's definitely lovely but misses something to make it memorable. And then you start to realize how relaxed this album really is. "Matt Surfs / Kaliponi Slack Key / Bear's Shack" starts briefly with fanfares before the tinkling version of the 3 friends theme reappears. "Bear's Story" is rather somber and dark, "You oughta Know what I Mean, Bear" has a noble version of the main theme and "Bear's Wedding" has the 3 friends theme and Bear's theme played by guitar. All lovely but softer then we perhaps expected. There is also some alternate material on board, a song in track 8 and war like drums in 9, so you get something for everyone.
Luckily "Jack Surfs Alone" shows us some improvement, when we get an emotional feeling coming from the angry touch that's infused in the material. "Aloha, Jack" has a nice string version of the 3 friends theme while some electric guitar cheesiness delivers some surprising moments in "Liquid Dreams". Furthermore "Jack's Back" delivers a brief but good upbeat main theme version.
Basically, this score keeps returning to the themes, always soft and lovely but perhaps a bit too of that as well. "Cemetery" offers more versions of the main theme as the 3 friends theme, but it is "The Challenge / Big Wednesday Montage" that offers us what we wanted to hear all along. The main theme growing into a fanfare that never stops, it is here where we get our heroic and pompous 4 minutes. Even "Matt's Rite of Passage" gives track 3 (the somber one) a surprising epic version.
Concerning the bonus material, most of it is rather forgettable. Mexican tunes, extended pieces of drums or songs and even a strange Indian mess. But luckily it also presents us a fantastic heroic track of epic proportions namely "Big Wednesday Montage (alternate)" which is simply stunning, as is the "Trailer (Big Waves)" track which directly sets the fanfares of track 21 in motion.
Together it delivers it all a bit too soft and relaxed for my liking, and you will realize that it is the epic stuff at the end that gives Big Wednesday its grace and charm. Many people will probably forget that this is one of the earliest Poledouris scores he composed, but we have to look at the obvious as well. No matter how early it was composed, it brings far less excitement than his other pumping water heroic, namely Wind. So be sure to know which wave you want to catch.
Tracklisting
1. The South Swell / Main Title / 3 Friends Theme (4.12)
2. Matt Surfs / Kaliponi Slack Key / Bear's Shack (4.19)
3. Bear's Story (2.05)
4. La Golondrina (traditional) (0.59)
5. Passing of the Years II (1.00)
6. You Oughta Know What I Mean, Bear (1.16)
7. Bear's Wedding (3.03)
8. Crumple Car (1.00)
9. Preparation March (1.37)
10. Jack Surfs Alone (2.39)
11. Aloha, Jack (2.49)
12. Passing of the Years III (1.40)
13. Summerset (1.06)
14. Liquid Dreams (2.20)
15. Jack's Back (3.28)
16. Jack's Back, Part 2 (0.44)
17. Cemetery (3.51)
18. Passing of the Years IV (1.20)
19. Bear's Wharf (1.40)
20. Matt Morning and Ominosity (2.15)
21. The Challenge / Big Wednesday Montage (5.39) Excellent trackmz
22. Matt's Rite of Passage (2.25) Excellent track
23. Passing of the Mantle / Song of Three Friends (5.13)
Bonus Tracks
24. Big Wednesday Montage (alternate) (3.09) Excellent track
25. Three Friends Theme (instrumental) (2.00)
26. Mexican Montage (2.18)
27. Green Opinions (2.38)
28. Crumple Car (extended version) (1.59)
29. Drums Montage (1.11)
30. Cosmic Indifference (1.40)
31. Cemetery (film version) (3.38)
32. The Challenge (alternate) (1.42)
33. Trailer (Big Waves) (0.59) Excellent track
Total Length: 78.34