Lonesome Dove
Basil Poledouris
" Americana baby "Written by Thomas Glorieux - Review of the regular release
Lonesome Dove is a 1985 Pulitzer Prize-winning western novel written by Larry McMurtry. The story focuses on the relationship of several retired Texas Rangers and their adventures driving a cattle herd from Texas to Montana. It was made into a four-part TV miniseries in 1989, starring such illustrious names as Tommy Lee Jones, Robert Duvall, Diane Lane, Danny Glover, Anjelica Huston, Chris Cooper and many others. The director Simon Wincer hired Basil Poledouris for the job and immediately discovered the warm voice he was searching for, for his next project Quigley Down Under as his many movies after that.
The 4 part (8 hour) miniseries required Basil Poledouris to deliver a warm, lovely, romantic and at times epic sound. The romantic pieces will remind you easily of the epic material he wrote for Farewell to the King that same year, while the jaunty pieces formed the basis for Wincer's next movie Quigley Down Under.
The richness of this score lies in the themes of Lonesome Dove, because both the main theme as the love theme are knock outs of the Wild Wild West. Hence the reason the track "Theme from Lonesome Dove" is a constant returning track on all those Western compilations. Both the Americana main theme and the beautiful love theme will give you goosebumps. On a personal matter, I love the compilation version of The City of Prague Philharmonic more, because they play the wonderful love theme moment slower, and therefore it comes over much more meaningful.
In general, each track has something sturdy to offer. A variation on the love theme in "Jake's Fate", a wonderful rousing heroic take on the main theme in "Night Mares" that will surely give you a boost, a western folksy jig using the main theme and love theme in "Arkansas Pilgrem", a catchy taste of bounciness that would later become the overall style of Quigley Down Under in "The Leaving", a calmer piece for guitar and flute in "On the Trail" and a pair of love theme versions and main theme versions in "Captain Call's Journey" that sell it every time. The final track "Farewell Ladies / Finale" of course reprises these highlights, including the Western heroism of track 3.
Lonesome Dove was released in 1993 on a 45 minute CD of the label Cabin Fever. But several years after that Sonic Images released an expanded version of the score, with 10 more minutes of music. I can't comment whether that version is the better one or not, but sometimes less is better. And considering the warm voice runs through all the veins of Lonesome Dove, even 45 minutes can make the heart livelier. If you like warm Americana music and dig an occasional jig or Quigley Down Under style, there is no reason to pass up another winner of Basil Poledouris' career. The occasional softer moments don't always sell, but the livelier pieces surely do.
Tracklisting
1. Theme from Lonesome Dove (5.14) Excellent track
2. Jake's Fate (2.15)
3. Night Mares (3.57) Excellent track
4. Arkansas Pilgrim (4.31)
5. The Leaving (3.30)
6. On the Trail (6.47)
7. Murdering Horse Thieves (1.16)
8. Gus & Pea Eye / The Search (5.28)
9. Captain Call's Journey (7.19) Excellent track
10. Farewell Ladies / Finale (5.44) Excellent track
Total Length: 45.51
The 4 part (8 hour) miniseries required Basil Poledouris to deliver a warm, lovely, romantic and at times epic sound. The romantic pieces will remind you easily of the epic material he wrote for Farewell to the King that same year, while the jaunty pieces formed the basis for Wincer's next movie Quigley Down Under.
The richness of this score lies in the themes of Lonesome Dove, because both the main theme as the love theme are knock outs of the Wild Wild West. Hence the reason the track "Theme from Lonesome Dove" is a constant returning track on all those Western compilations. Both the Americana main theme and the beautiful love theme will give you goosebumps. On a personal matter, I love the compilation version of The City of Prague Philharmonic more, because they play the wonderful love theme moment slower, and therefore it comes over much more meaningful.
In general, each track has something sturdy to offer. A variation on the love theme in "Jake's Fate", a wonderful rousing heroic take on the main theme in "Night Mares" that will surely give you a boost, a western folksy jig using the main theme and love theme in "Arkansas Pilgrem", a catchy taste of bounciness that would later become the overall style of Quigley Down Under in "The Leaving", a calmer piece for guitar and flute in "On the Trail" and a pair of love theme versions and main theme versions in "Captain Call's Journey" that sell it every time. The final track "Farewell Ladies / Finale" of course reprises these highlights, including the Western heroism of track 3.
Lonesome Dove was released in 1993 on a 45 minute CD of the label Cabin Fever. But several years after that Sonic Images released an expanded version of the score, with 10 more minutes of music. I can't comment whether that version is the better one or not, but sometimes less is better. And considering the warm voice runs through all the veins of Lonesome Dove, even 45 minutes can make the heart livelier. If you like warm Americana music and dig an occasional jig or Quigley Down Under style, there is no reason to pass up another winner of Basil Poledouris' career. The occasional softer moments don't always sell, but the livelier pieces surely do.
Tracklisting
1. Theme from Lonesome Dove (5.14) Excellent track
2. Jake's Fate (2.15)
3. Night Mares (3.57) Excellent track
4. Arkansas Pilgrim (4.31)
5. The Leaving (3.30)
6. On the Trail (6.47)
7. Murdering Horse Thieves (1.16)
8. Gus & Pea Eye / The Search (5.28)
9. Captain Call's Journey (7.19) Excellent track
10. Farewell Ladies / Finale (5.44) Excellent track
Total Length: 45.51