Search - Basil Poledouris :: Conan The Barbarian: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

Differences between the Varese and Milan editions...

tearsinraine | 03/08/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Basil Poledouris' score to Conan the Barbarian is one of the great powerhouses of film music and remains as one of my favorite film scores to this date.



The score is a perfect blend of melodic beauty and raw power with a huge orchestral sound and lots of wonderful choral passages that range from haunting and slow to in-your-face and over-the-top. I could go on forever on this score, but suffice it to say that I really can't think of a more perfect score than this.



As for the CD's sound quality...



The sound quality is definitely dated and isn't quite as crisp and clean as one would hope. However, what it lacks in sound quality, it more than makes up for in musical quality. I've purchased a number of albums containing re-recordings of Conan music and while the sound quality has been better, NOTHING has matched the emotion and power of the original film soundtrack.



Differences between the editions...



The 12-track Milan edition was released first, followed later by an expanded 16-track edition by Varese Sarabande.



The Milan CD runs around 49 minutes, while the Varese edition runs about 67 minutes. The Varese edition includes pretty much all the same music as the Milan release, with one exception:

The first track of the Milan edition opens up with Mako's opening prologue speech which then immediately segues into the "Anvil of Crom" opening. The Varese track opens up directly with "Anvil of Crom".



The Varese edition adds the following four tracks:

- Mountain of Power Procession (3:21)

- The Tree of Woe (3:31)

- Recovery (2:11)

- Death of Rexor (5:34)



and expands the following two tracks:

- The Leaving/The Search (5:59)

- The Kitchen/The Orgy (6:30)



Compared to the original Milan tracks:

- The Search (3:09)

- The Orgy (4:14)



All in all, the Milan edition is missing about 19 minutes worth of music.



In my opinion, the Varese edition is definitely worth seeking out, but even if you decide to get the 12-track Milan edition, the music is worth getting in whatever form you can.



For any fan of film music and for any fan of the film, this score is definitely a must have!



However, if you're an audiophile, you may want to think twice.



NOTE: I noticed that Amazon lists the Milan edition twice and the Varese edition once... yet the reviews for both the Varese and one of the Milan editions appear on both pages, so beware of which page you are looking at, especially if you are ordering the title.



You can easily tell which edition it is by checking the Label information under "Product Details" or simply looking at the cover image: The Varese cover has a black area on the right side of the containing the title and credits, while the Milan edition has the Conan cover image centered in a box with the title centered at the top.



[ASIN B00008O89K] Milan

[ASIN B0000261NH] Milan

[ASIN B0000014T1] Varese"

Music for your inner barbarian

Michael J. Mazza | Pittsburgh, PA USA | 02/09/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The musical score to "Conan the Barbarian" is truly one of the great achievements in fantasy/adventure film music. Basil Poledouris, who composed and conducted the music, brings a tremendous amount of passion and skill to his task. Equally passionate are the performances by the Orchestra and Chorus of Santa Cecilia and the Radio Symphony of Rome. This is big, bold, richly colored music with a lusty, savage vibe.The film follows the adventures of Conan, a well-muscled warrior played by Arnold Schwarzeneggar, as he battles his way through a mythic fantasy landscape. Poledouris brilliantly combines choral voices with a full orchestra to evoke Conan's world, with all of its beauty and danger. Particularly good is the percussion that spices many of the best tracks.As you might expect, there is a lot of chest-pounding, martial-sounding music on this CD. But there are also passages of sweetness and delicacy. Every track is excellent, but my particular favorites include the relentlessly pounding "Anvil of Crom"; the tender, yet joyful "Theology/Civilization"; and the sensuous second part of "The Kitchen/The Orgy." "Conan the Barbarian" is a classic of the art of film scoring."

The Best CD you'll ever buy

Nathan Blumenfeld | Wilmington, DE United States | 01/15/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is the most powerful CD that you will ever buy. The amount of raw emotion and power that it conveys are simply amazing. This isn't light fare, but heavy stuff. The only other CD that comes even close to comparing in power and size is Williams' Summon the Heroes. This CD is an excellent investment; don't be shied away simply because it's Conan -- this is the real stuff, and it would be a shame to miss it."