An Oppo-93 is my player, my amp is a Yamaha (which is pretty old at this point, getting a bit twitchy, and may be upgraded to something a little sexier soon), and either Klipsch speakers or Sennheiser headphones.
To bring us back on topic, much of the reason the music for Conan is so interesting is because the film has so little dialogue, and the central character is by nature stoic, the score is a central aspect of the storytelling. It establishes our protagonist, illustrates other characters as they're introduced to him, describes the world he inhabits, and gives us a constant window into how he feels even though “He is Conan! Cimmerian. He will not cry, so I cry for him.”
The cue “The Leaving” or “Conan Leaves Valeria” is built around showing us how difficult it is for him to make the decision he is about to make while the Conan hides that from Valeria. And with that little passage at the conclusion of “Funeral Pyre,” the music then reminds us of this when he thinks about how much he has paid for his choice.
I also really enjoy the previous Poledouris/Milius collaboration, Big Wednesday. As with Conan, the role of the music expressing what the characters can't say is present, albeit to a lesser degree. However, as with Conan, when the characters start reflecting, the music tells us they can't voice. The cue “Jack Surfs Alone” is as lyrical and searching as anything in Conan.
An Oppo-93 is my player, my amp is a Yamaha (which is pretty old at this point, getting a bit twitchy, and may be upgraded to something a little sexier soon), and either Klipsch speakers or Sennheiser headphones.
To bring us back on topic, much of the reason the music for Conan is so interesting is because the film has so little dialogue, and the central character is by nature stoic, the score is a central aspect of the storytelling. It establishes our protagonist, illustrates other characters as they're introduced to him, describes the world he inhabits, and gives us a constant window into how he feels even though “He is Conan! Cimmerian. He will not cry, so I cry for him.”
The cue “The Leaving” or “Conan Leaves Valeria” is built around showing us how difficult it is for him to make the decision he is about to make while the Conan hides that from Valeria. And with that little passage at the conclusion of “Funeral Pyre,” the music then reminds us of this when he thinks about how much he has paid for his choice.
I also really enjoy the previous Poledouris/Milius collaboration, Big Wednesday. As with Conan, the role of the music expressing what the characters can't say is present, albeit to a lesser degree. However, as with Conan, when the characters start reflecting, the music tells us they can't voice. The cue “Jack Surfs Alone” is as lyrical and searching as anything in Conan.
Actually, I was hoping it was on topic. As others have expressed on this thread, the Prometheus is a difficult listen. I like it but it does take the discipline of steel.
My Sennheiser HD25s work well as do my Proac speakers. I am thinking of upgrading to a Sugden amp soon.
Okay, so I broke down and bought the Intrada (I really like the Prometheus, but just a bit bothered by its debilitating entry in the Loudness War). I imagine the dynamic rang is greater on at least some of the Intrada.
The Prometheus I'm keeping just to have a different experience of the score. For all its faults, it's more than worth having imo.
I'm curious to hear your thoughts after you get the Intrada. Also curious what you think about the Prometheus Conan the Destroyer... for me it has its highlights but I actually find the best part of that two disc set to be The Adventures of Conan: Sword and Sorcery Spectacular. Basil reused none of his first score for that, really, but it plays as an independent tone poem in the same sound world.
I'm curious to hear your thoughts after you get the Intrada. Also curious what you think about the Prometheus Conan the Destroyer... for me it has its highlights but I actually find the best part of that two disc set to be The Adventures of Conan: Sword and Sorcery Spectacular. Basil reused none of his first score for that, really, but it plays as an independent tone poem in the same sound world.
Yavar
Oh heck I forgot to mention: I'm CRAZY about the Tadlow Destroyer!!!!!!
The sound was so good...I feel like nobody told me in advance just HOW good this sounded.
It could just be me, but all I have is raves for that album, and am super grateful so many of you fine folks recommended it to me.
Of course, being a Rozsa-phile I found myself especially thrilled whenever the score showed the influence (at least, I hear it, some might not).
Do you mean in terms of composers (I think Alex North's Cleopatra had an influence on the Conans as well), or recordings?
If you mean the Varese...I won't be in a huge hurry to grab that one, I've got plenty of great Conan for now (not the mention receiving both the Knights of the Round Table/King's Thief and 2 disc Egyptian today YAY!).
Oh, and I hope your weekend will be very wonderful, Yavar!
I was referring to Basil's second Conan score, the Sword and Sorcery Spectacular -- James Fitzpatrick also recorded it as a pairing with Destroyer (it's on disc two with some Destroyer alternates). I actually find it superior to Conan the Destroyer because on the latter Basil was forced to reuse many portions of his first score due to very limited time constraints. (I do still love the original cues like Hall of Mirrors in particular.)
Also, I'm curious: have you dived into Alfred Newman's output yet (besides The Egyptian which he co-wrote with Herrmann)? I ask both because he is a favorite of mine and also because Basil Poledouris specifically cited him along with Rozsa as inspiration for Conan. If you want a suggestion to start with let me highly recommend the incredible deluxe Screen Archives set of Captain from Castile, probably my single favorite Golden Age score: http://www1.screenarchives.com/title_detail.cfm/ID/3277/CAPTAIN-FROM-CASTILE/
My favorite track is actually the amazing action cue De Vargas Family Escape, but I can't find that online unfortunately. Like Rozsa, when he could Newman put a lot of time into researching historical sources to inspire his dramatic music.
I was referring to Basil's second Conan score, the Sword and Sorcery Spectacular -- James Fitzpatrick also recorded it as a pairing with Destroyer (it's on disc two with some Destroyer alternates). I actually find it superior to Conan the Destroyer because on the latter Basil was forced to reuse many portions of his first score due to very limited time constraints. (I do still love the original cues like Hall of Mirrors in particular.)
Also, I'm curious: have you dived into Alfred Newman's output yet (besides The Egyptian which he co-wrote with Herrmann)? I ask both because he is a favorite of mine and also because Basil Poledouris specifically cited him along with Rozsa as inspiration for Conan. If you want a suggestion to start with let me highly recommend the incredible deluxe Screen Archives set of Captain from Castile, probably my single favorite Golden Age score: http://www1.screenarchives.com/title_detail.cfm/ID/3277/CAPTAIN-FROM-CASTILE/
My favorite track is actually the amazing action cue De Vargas Family Escape, but I can't find that online unfortunately. Like Rozsa, when he could Newman put a lot of time into researching historical sources to inspire his dramatic music.
Yavar
I've been so awed by the first disc of the Destroyer (just got it a few days ago) that I haven't even given the second a go yet. I am really liking the links.
LOVE Alfred Newman's "The Robe" (I have both the Varese and original), and I'm a fan of the Song of Bernadette score. But I'm WAAYY behind on his music. I've heard (from sampling) good things from Greatest Story and am looking forward to checking the King and I. But I will be stockpiling his works soon lol. Very excellent composer.
Behind on Alex North as well, love Cleopatra and Streetcar, for instance.
I keep eyeballing the Rozsa Treasury, but unfortunately I have to wait closer to the Thanksgiving holiday. Hope like crazy there will be one left at that price (there are a few sellers right around that mark now). I obsess over it every day.
Well I guess all you have to do is stop buying other stuff! (Still can't believe you were considering paying so much for King of Kings!) With all of the albums you've been buying lately, you could have purchased the Rozsa Treasury twice over! And placing all of those separate orders for each album as it caught your interest made the shipping costs add up, I'm sure.
But you've been making excellent selections of what to get, so I can't really fault you too much. I just really hope you get a Treasury before it's too late. I always regret missing out on the Varese Herrmann at Fox set.
Do let me know what you think of the second Conan score when you get a chance to listen to it!
I was referring to Basil's second Conan score, the Sword and Sorcery Spectacular -- James Fitzpatrick also recorded it as a pairing with Destroyer (it's on disc two with some Destroyer alternates). I actually find it superior to Conan the Destroyer because on the latter Basil was forced to reuse many portions of his first score due to very limited time constraints. (I do still love the original cues like Hall of Mirrors in particular.
That's the strange aspect of the Conan the Destroyer score: it is this strange hybrid of new and exciting, and a rehash of the music from the first film. There is a stunning new theme for Conan himself, several thrilling and wholly original setpieces, but several cues are just recreated from the first film. Now obviously there are some music returning that make a lot of sense; Anvil of Crom, Akiro the wizard's motif, and Valeria's theme are all reprised as appropriate, but bringing back whole sequences from “The Disccipline of Steel,” “Wheel of Pain” and “The Awakening” is a little distracting, and all of the diegetic music is pulled from Barbarian. On the other hand, the bulk of the music is new.
Now I think for various reasons that this all tends to work better on the Prometheus than in the film or on the (short) soundtrack album, and I really like the Dagoth Ceremony, which is “The Orgy” with choir.
I discovered “The Adventures of Conan: Sword and Sorcery Spectacular” through the SuperTracks promo — I bought it when it came out because Conan and Poledouris, 'nuff said. That CD had the music first, then the entire audio of the stunt show itself, which helped me to put the music in context. While there isn't much thematic connection to Conan the Barbarian (stylistically there are parts that put me more in mind of Destroyer), the conclusion does sound remarkably like a sly quote of Anvil of Crom. I found this a lot of fun and still listen to it from time to time, but the Prometheus recording is a bit longer, and (obviously) the sound quality is better.
If you're enjoying Poledouris' Conan scores, I would also suggest tracking down a copy of his score for Paul Verhoeven's first American film, Flesh + Blood. While the film is set in the medieval period instead of some prehistoric era as with the Conan scores (and the music reflects this), it has that same adventurous sweep and is chock full of memorable themes and sequences. It is available from La-La Land.
Flesh+Blood is a great recommendation and nice that LLL put it back in print.
I consider Flesh+Blood to be Poledouris's Sodom & Gomorrah...inasfar as its got a dual title as well as dual fantastic love themes.
Yavar
Well, being that Sodom and Gomorrah is one of my favorite scores by ANYbody, looks like I'll have to put Flesh and Blood in my cart! Just a couple weeks and I'll know for sure about the Treasury, so I'm going to curtail my spending more 'till then. So want that Treasury (I'm sure you know the feeling Yavar).
That's the strange aspect of the Conan the Destroyer score: it is this strange hybrid of new and exciting, and a rehash of the music from the first film.
The director went with a complete tonal shift for the sequel. He wanted Conan to be more like a super hero from the comics, Schwarzenegger was asked if he could bulk up more muscle, (which he laughed, "You want more muscle?!) The films demographics were towards a much younger crowd. Thus the revved up orchestration which he wanted to sound like "classical-rock".
Edit: I highly recommencement Flesh & Blood, though I think it's miles apart from Conan the Barbarian. Listen to it on it's own terms.
After re-reading my complaints earlier in this thread (and other threads on the subject) about the congested sound of some of the louder passages in this re-recording, I now feel obliged to admit that despite those reservations, this re-recording is now my Conan recording of choice these days. The overall recording and fine performance has eventually won me over despite my previous reservations.
I have only listened to the Tadlow, but that recording is one of the most marvelous, most perfect scores I have ever heard. I'm glad I don't know the film intimately enough to be bothered by differences between Tadlow's recording and the original. If you don't know the difference either, the Tadlow certainly isn't a bad option.
