Fire on the Mountain / Flyers
Basil Poledouris
" 2 obscure Poledouris scores for the price of 1 "Written by Thomas Glorieux - Review of the limited release
Prometheus remains one of the few labels that continues to bring sparse but interesting material. Mostly they release music from the same composer. And so they have delivered the filmmusic audience a fair share of musical samples, all covering the genius of the late Basil Poledouris. Of course the biggest names they have given us are Amerika, Farewell of the King and the re recording of Conan the Barbarian, but there were a few intimate selections among them as well. A couple of those were released in 2001, under the name Flyers, despite beginning the album with the other one, namely Fire on the Mountain.
That little TV movie Fire on the Mountain is most definitely the calmer one of the 2, delivering us soft Americana music that will take you back to those beloved classics such as Lonesome Dove and Quigley Down Under. Proof of that is immediately heard through a warm and noble theme in "The Ride". That main theme returns rather softly with piano and flute in "Drop Off / Rascal" and with flutes in the delicate "Boots / Cruza / Candle". Fire on the Mountain barely breaks the barrier of the sound here, and when it happens, it raises the Americana level up a single notch in "Good-bye, Ol' Horse". The responsible one is the main theme, receiving a nice version in "End Titles" to close the score with.
The second one, the one on the cover and most definitely the reason why anyone would be tempted on buying this CD shows you immediately another sound. Here the sound barrier will most definitely be broken, as we follow a veteran who becomes a stunt pilot for the movies, giving the IMAX picture (definitely back then) something to be astounded about. As the story explains, this one will delivers us a bolder sound in the end. This is immediately felt in "The Carrier / Coming Home", when we receive the heroic main theme and the lighter secondary theme in one interesting opener.
"Stunt Work / More Stunt Work" is a very alive combination of fanfares and classical scherzos creating a potent and dangerous sound for the stunt work on screen. One can't help but hear an occasional Williams influence during these moments (especially E.T.). The second theme gets a reprise during the graceful "Aerial Ballet" while a wordless choir heightens the beauty of "Night Flight / The Canyon", especially once the main theme gets another E.T. momentum. "The Test" builds in a classical waltz manner to its expressive main theme statement while both themes return to seal the deal in "Soaring".
It's pretty obvious that Flyers will give the listeners the biggest impact when listening to this 40 minute CD. It is the most interesting one, the most entertaining one, the most pompous one. And it is good that it's placed after the soft yet lovely Fire on the Mountain. Don't mind the cover because one would assume this is one score release. I can only assume that it was a harder deal getting some kind of artwork for Fire on the Mountain than it was for Flyers. Because what's most important is that we're getting another interesting Poledouris selection, one soft one as appetizer and one expressive air show as main course.
Fire on the Mountain: ***
Flyers: ***1/2
Tracklisting
Fire on the Mountain
1. The Ride (2.19)
2. Tree Chop (0.56)
3. Drop Off / Rascal (3.01)
4. Gracias! (3.42)
5. Boots / Cruza / Candle (2.25)
6. Forever? / Shutters (1.59)
7. Mountain Lost (2.22)
8. Good-Bye, Ol' Horse (2.50)
9. End Titles (1.03)
Flyers
10. The Carrier / Coming Home (4.17)
11. Stunt Work / More Stunt Work (2.31) Excellent track
12. Aerial Ballet (1.08)
13. Night Flight / The Canyon (3.36) Excellent track
14. We'll Talk / Coming Home II (1.40)
15. The Test (3.55) Excellent track
16. Soaring (1.42)
Total Length: 39.26
That little TV movie Fire on the Mountain is most definitely the calmer one of the 2, delivering us soft Americana music that will take you back to those beloved classics such as Lonesome Dove and Quigley Down Under. Proof of that is immediately heard through a warm and noble theme in "The Ride". That main theme returns rather softly with piano and flute in "Drop Off / Rascal" and with flutes in the delicate "Boots / Cruza / Candle". Fire on the Mountain barely breaks the barrier of the sound here, and when it happens, it raises the Americana level up a single notch in "Good-bye, Ol' Horse". The responsible one is the main theme, receiving a nice version in "End Titles" to close the score with.
The second one, the one on the cover and most definitely the reason why anyone would be tempted on buying this CD shows you immediately another sound. Here the sound barrier will most definitely be broken, as we follow a veteran who becomes a stunt pilot for the movies, giving the IMAX picture (definitely back then) something to be astounded about. As the story explains, this one will delivers us a bolder sound in the end. This is immediately felt in "The Carrier / Coming Home", when we receive the heroic main theme and the lighter secondary theme in one interesting opener.
"Stunt Work / More Stunt Work" is a very alive combination of fanfares and classical scherzos creating a potent and dangerous sound for the stunt work on screen. One can't help but hear an occasional Williams influence during these moments (especially E.T.). The second theme gets a reprise during the graceful "Aerial Ballet" while a wordless choir heightens the beauty of "Night Flight / The Canyon", especially once the main theme gets another E.T. momentum. "The Test" builds in a classical waltz manner to its expressive main theme statement while both themes return to seal the deal in "Soaring".
It's pretty obvious that Flyers will give the listeners the biggest impact when listening to this 40 minute CD. It is the most interesting one, the most entertaining one, the most pompous one. And it is good that it's placed after the soft yet lovely Fire on the Mountain. Don't mind the cover because one would assume this is one score release. I can only assume that it was a harder deal getting some kind of artwork for Fire on the Mountain than it was for Flyers. Because what's most important is that we're getting another interesting Poledouris selection, one soft one as appetizer and one expressive air show as main course.
Fire on the Mountain: ***
Flyers: ***1/2
Tracklisting
Fire on the Mountain
1. The Ride (2.19)
2. Tree Chop (0.56)
3. Drop Off / Rascal (3.01)
4. Gracias! (3.42)
5. Boots / Cruza / Candle (2.25)
6. Forever? / Shutters (1.59)
7. Mountain Lost (2.22)
8. Good-Bye, Ol' Horse (2.50)
9. End Titles (1.03)
Flyers
10. The Carrier / Coming Home (4.17)
11. Stunt Work / More Stunt Work (2.31) Excellent track
12. Aerial Ballet (1.08)
13. Night Flight / The Canyon (3.36) Excellent track
14. We'll Talk / Coming Home II (1.40)
15. The Test (3.55) Excellent track
16. Soaring (1.42)
Total Length: 39.26