Search - Basil Poledouris :: Under Siege 2: Dark Territory (1995 Film)

Always Moving

Douglas H | KS USA | 08/24/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Most times, sequels don't live up to the originals and the same can be said about some of the soundtracks. Even though I liked Under Siege better than Under Siege 2: Dark Territory, both were good movies. In the case of the soundtracks, both are quality soundtracks. Basil (who composed other soundtracks like 'Conan', 'Hunt for Red October', 'Starship Troopers' to name a few) composed a moving, action filled soundtrack that always keeps you waiting for the ending. I am very satisfied with this soundtrack as far as quality. The only real complaint I have is in length. The whole soundtrack is just under 28 minutes long leaving you wanting more."

Outstanding Trumpet Work

Shane Turner | Orem, UT | 10/05/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"As a semi-professional trumpet player, I can't say enough about how good the trumpet work is in this soundtrack. In my opinion, Basil Poledouris' work on this score is every bit as good as the more widely known work of John Williams. The lead trumpet parts consistently sore above the high-C range, yet the sound is smooth and powerful without becoming excessively piercing. The lead player handles the full range of this score with such ease and versatility, the casual listener would probably never realize how high the parts really go.



Basil's opening theme is indeed reminiscent of the U.S. Navy music mentioned by the reviewer from Texas. In fact, the piece he is referring to is called "Fanfare for the Common Man", and it has also been widely used in Olympic settings. Basil's theme begins in a nearly identical fashion, but then changes to soar higher and stronger than the piece it is based on. Basil demonstrates impressive versatility in his writing too by creating soft and tender music (Casey's Family) as well as hard-hitting, high-energy pieces (Compound Assault, Intruder Discovered, etc.) that are driven with riveting percussion work.



Steven Seagal's final song on this soundtrack (After the Train Has Gone) is undoubtedly the most criticized piece of the set, but I'm not sure this criticism is completely deserved. This tune exhibits such a stark contrast in genre from the rest of the soundtrack that it basically strikes the listener as being out of place. Whereas the rest of the tracks are non-vocal orchestral pieces, the final tune sounds more like a southern-style gospel choir tune. But if you are willing to accept this radical change in musical style, the piece is actually well done. It is not the genre of music that I listen to often, but it is as good as most of the other music I have heard in the genre.

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