The Hunt for Red October
Basil Poledouris
" A submarine score: short, to the point and from Pollie to Conny "Written by Thomas Glorieux - Review of the regular release
We travel back in time to 1990, one year after Basil Poledouris' classic with Farewell to the King. That was several years after his astonishing Robocop and simply 9 years after the impressive Conan the Barbarian. But no matter the time or place, Basil Poledouris was simply composing the one enjoyable score after the other. And the films people know now as the Jack Ryan thrillers started a little earlier with this movie, namely The Hunt for Red October.
A typical Poledouris score, it has some trademarks with Robocop, while at the same time delivering you a choral sound that puts the score on the map. Meaning The Hunt for Red October is no joke and adds besides some vintage sound effects and the tense action music a powerful choral sound, ready to please you from the start.
The 30 minute album (which features the incredible length of some 21 second tracks) even offers us one track that wasn't heard in the film, so in fact it is a very short score on album. But what Poledouris makes of those minutes can even outgun 50 or 60 minute efforts of today. Since this movie deals about a Russian submarine, Poledouris adds a phenomenal choir to the score, which opens this soundtrack with a hymn. "Hymn to Red October (Main Title)" starts this score with high prosperity and will return in several tracks, most notably 2 and 8.
"Nuclear Scam" is the longest track and features some tense musical movements as the statement of the already mentioned choir. Plus it is once again a track that flows smoothly towards its climax. "Chopper" is also a suspenseful track and ends very interestingly, with a musical rotor sound which slows down in speed, meaning the chopper's blades are slowing down. The only track which wasn't in the film is also the most quiet one, with an emotional melody that never feels out of place on the album. Still, my personal favorite is "Red Route 1", delivering you an almost heavenly choral sound which supports its climax in style.
The last track "Kaboom!!!!!" again features a powerful intense moment of music. By adding short bursts of choral sound and sound effects to it, it becomes a somewhat explosive finale to the score.
I know that The Hunt for Red October isn't the most known one in the Poledouris canon, but this baby hits the bullseye nonetheless. The short release (which doesn't even half summarizes Poledouris' composed score) still does a remarkable good job because for 30 minutes it brings music that excites and entertains your listening experience. And even if 30 minutes sounds remarkably cheap for your buck, remember it is Basil Poledouris we're talking about.
Tracklisting
1. Hymn to Red October (Main Title) (5.05) Excellent track
2. Nuclear Scam (7.18) Excellent track
3. Putin's Demise (0.54)
4. Course Two / Five Zero (0.21)
5. Ancestral Aid (2.16)
6. Chopper (2.53)
7. Two Wives * (2.42)
8. Red Route I (3.30) Excellent track
9. Plane Crash (1.50)
10. Kaboom!!! (3.19) Excellent track
* Not contained in the picture
Total Length: 30.15
A typical Poledouris score, it has some trademarks with Robocop, while at the same time delivering you a choral sound that puts the score on the map. Meaning The Hunt for Red October is no joke and adds besides some vintage sound effects and the tense action music a powerful choral sound, ready to please you from the start.
The 30 minute album (which features the incredible length of some 21 second tracks) even offers us one track that wasn't heard in the film, so in fact it is a very short score on album. But what Poledouris makes of those minutes can even outgun 50 or 60 minute efforts of today. Since this movie deals about a Russian submarine, Poledouris adds a phenomenal choir to the score, which opens this soundtrack with a hymn. "Hymn to Red October (Main Title)" starts this score with high prosperity and will return in several tracks, most notably 2 and 8.
"Nuclear Scam" is the longest track and features some tense musical movements as the statement of the already mentioned choir. Plus it is once again a track that flows smoothly towards its climax. "Chopper" is also a suspenseful track and ends very interestingly, with a musical rotor sound which slows down in speed, meaning the chopper's blades are slowing down. The only track which wasn't in the film is also the most quiet one, with an emotional melody that never feels out of place on the album. Still, my personal favorite is "Red Route 1", delivering you an almost heavenly choral sound which supports its climax in style.
The last track "Kaboom!!!!!" again features a powerful intense moment of music. By adding short bursts of choral sound and sound effects to it, it becomes a somewhat explosive finale to the score.
I know that The Hunt for Red October isn't the most known one in the Poledouris canon, but this baby hits the bullseye nonetheless. The short release (which doesn't even half summarizes Poledouris' composed score) still does a remarkable good job because for 30 minutes it brings music that excites and entertains your listening experience. And even if 30 minutes sounds remarkably cheap for your buck, remember it is Basil Poledouris we're talking about.
Tracklisting
1. Hymn to Red October (Main Title) (5.05) Excellent track
2. Nuclear Scam (7.18) Excellent track
3. Putin's Demise (0.54)
4. Course Two / Five Zero (0.21)
5. Ancestral Aid (2.16)
6. Chopper (2.53)
7. Two Wives * (2.42)
8. Red Route I (3.30) Excellent track
9. Plane Crash (1.50)
10. Kaboom!!! (3.19) Excellent track
* Not contained in the picture
Total Length: 30.15