Crom Laughs at Your Four Winds (Conan The Barbarian - Basil Poledouris - Soundtrack)

Name: Frankingsteins

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Product:	Conan The Barbarian - Basil Poledouris - Soundtrack
Date:	15/06/05 (1213 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Atmospheric and memorable, Soundtrack heavily foregrounded in the film, Varied and interestingly foregrounded compositions

Disadvantages: Somewhat repetitive, Nothing new for those who own the film, Difficult to find

Schwarzenegger’s major film debut divided the viewing public. Some admired its attention to detail in creating a world existing just before history, where magic is dying and men can become snakes; some criticised what they viewed as a presentation of Aryan supremacy; some admired Arnie’s enormous arms and chest. But whether you are a nerd or a critic or a woman or man who is gay, Basil Poledouris’ score (ignore Dooyoo's ignorance in clasifying this as 'Various') is imperative in enhancing your view of the 1981 film as excellent or rubbish.

In bringing the world of Robert E. Howard’s ‘Conan’ to life, Poledouris went for majestic and booming over subtle and incidental. Every track on the soundtrack album can be instantly linked to its scene in the film, and running at over an hour in length it’s clear that Conan is highly soundtrack-oriented. Considering the respective acting talents of Conan and his companions (a bodybuilder, a surfer and a dancer), this was undoubtedly a wise decision.

I really like Conan the Barbarian. I don’t play online games or collect Warhammer, but the film is fairly unique and highly enjoyable in a ‘Jason and the Argonauts’ or ‘Flash Gordon’ way. The orchestral soundtrack moves from energetic and lofty horn-oriented pieces to more mellow violins and ominous sound effects, relying on choral chanting in the more action-packed or storyline-oriented sections. Conan is a simple revenge story, and it’s fairly easy, even without the song titles, to distinguish between ‘Conan having a fight’ and ‘Conan running to his next fight.’

1. The Anvil of Crom
2. Riddle of Steel / Riders of Doom
3. Gift of Fury
4. Column of Sadness / Wheel of Pain

This first section of the album (and the film) deals with Conan’s childhood, the destruction of his village and his upbringing in slavery. After the bombastic opening track, the action is instantaneous and it’s only by track four, with its plodding bass and screeching metallic sound effects, that the soundtrack mellows down a little.

5. Atlantean Sword
6. Theology / Civilisation
7. Wifeing (Theme of Love)
8. The Search
9. Mountain of Power Procession

Conan meets his companions and learns the whereabouts of his parents’ murderer. The most varied part of the film in terms of locations, the storyline is obviously required to make complete sense of the shifting moods from intrigue and discovery (track 5) to jovial bartering (6), sweaty chicken-eating and loveplay (7), questing across the land (8) and an impressive cult demonstration (9). ‘Theology / Civilisation’ is one of the stand-out compositions for its memorable light-heartedness.

10. The Tree of Woe
11. Recovery
12. The Kitchen / The Orgy
13. Funeral Pyre

A subdued part of the album that borders on atmospheric but is brought to the foreground every so often, most explicitly in the little ditty of ‘The Kitchen / The Orgy.’ Based on a simple tune hummed by Poledouris’ daughter, this loud and repetitive tune grates after a while, but its reminder of topless women rolling around in a blissful heap is something of a positive note.

14. Battle of the Mounds
15. Death of Rexor
16. Orphans of Doom / The Awakening

Tracks 14 and 15 are the most energetic since the start of the album, and are really entertaining. ‘Death of Rexor’ features a deeper, bassier sound to the trumpets that is interesting, and the album rounds off nicely with the semi-happy, semi-regretful ‘The Awakening.’

Essential listening for Conan or fantasy fans, although the DVD of the film itself is much cheaper and features the same compositions without little in the way of talking over the top. But until they develop a way to combine soundtrack CD and DVD movie, Basil Poledouris’ impressive epic music can only be fully realised with this rare collector’s album. ‘The Anvil of Crom’ (also known as ‘Conan the Barbarian theme’ on soundtrack collections), ‘Theology / Civilisation’ and ‘Battle of the Mounds’ are tracks worth checking out for soundtrack acolytes.

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