Product description Conan the Barbarian by Basil PoledourisThis product is manufactured on demand using CD-R recordable media. .coms standard return policy will apply. .co.uk Based on the pulp tales of Robert E. Howard, John Milius's Conan The Barbarian (1982) is a sword-and-sorcery epic starring Arnold Schwarzenegger as a warrior who seeks vengeance on a cult leader (James Earl Jones) who massacred his village. Still his finest effort to date, Basil Poledouris's sweeping, thematic score functions as a continuous music drama, covering Milius's visceral film from beginning to end. Written for 24 French horns, strings, and percussion, the opening "Anvil Of Crom" features a noble theme for Conan and a melodic bridge emblematic of his quest. To represent the cult leader's twisted misanthropy, Poledouris composed a massive choral piece (inspired by Orff's Carmina Burana) adding Latin verses and Eastern elements to denote the Russian locale. Other highlights include a strong love theme for the physically well-matched pair of Conan and Valeria ("Wifeing"), a graceful, folk-influenced melody evoking medieval codes of honour ("Theology/Civilization"), and "The Orgy", in which Poledouris uses thematic repetition and melodic counterpoint to cast an obsessive, hallucinatory spell over Conan's assault on Thulsa Doom's chamber. A modern film-music classic, stunningly recorded and performed. --Kevin Mulhall
J**D
5 stars for the music NOT the vinyl
Where to begin? I have a real issue with new vinyl. They never seem to be as good as old copies (there may be new vinyl, but there are no new pressing machines!) None the less I am tempted when old copies are unavailable as was the case here. Firstly, unlike nearly every eBay seller, amazon have not figured out (or don’t care) they need to remove the vinyl from the sleeve & inner, otherwise the record moves & rips the inner (& sometimes outer) sleeve. My copy was ripped in 2 places. Secondly, it played great the first time, but as it’s new I could not play side 2 at first due to the static from the new vinyl, meaning side 2 was covered in dust. I cleaned using the correct cloth & anti-static spray (as I have countless times), but ever since it crackles so badly that it’s near unlistenable. I will persist in the hopes this improves & may post an update. On a positive note, this seems a nice pressing, the sleeve is a nice design, & the music is magnificent (when you can hear it over the crackle!)
S**
High quality pressing: high quality soundtrack
Excellent sound on this 180g pressing. Far superior to the recent Geffen press which sounded terrible. The cover looks like a cheap Mondo effort though. This soundtrack complimented the film perfectly and still sounds thrilling today as it did nearly 40 yrs ago.
C**A
Five Stars
Amazing edition of one of the best soundtracks ever! Great Vinyl!!!
R**D
Five Stars
excellent!!!
A**S
Top Seller
Great CD thank you
T**R
A great soundtrack for a great film
Conan the Barbarian is probably one of the best Sword and Sorcery films ever made and this soundtrack fits the tone of the film perfectly. The twelve tracks on this CD are all beautifully composed and arranged, even if they do not seem particularly original in places. Having said this soundtrack is still one of my favourites, being wonderfully evocative and in places it is both emotional and exhilarating in equal measure. The addition of the films opening monologue to the first track is a great idea, setting the scene and feel for the CD perfectly. I really enjoy this soundtrack and any fan of the film should do likewise.
D**A
Poledouris' masterwork
This is probably Poledouris' masterwork: a rich and clever soundtrack with both original themes and allusion to other works, notably the Carmina Burana and the Dies Irae. Listening to it in isolation makes you realise that "Conan the Barbarian" is a thoughtful and emotionally powerful film, its ideas carried not by dialogue but by the Wagnerian use of musical leitmotifs - representing Conan himself, Thulsa Doom, a love theme, and so on - that convey the character's moods from moment to moment.
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1 day ago
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