QUIGLEY DOWN UNDER

BASIL POLEDOURIS

Rating:

Original Review: Every once in a while, you come across a theme that so completely enraptures you that you go around singing it to yourself for days on end. In the shower. In the car. Whilst using the photocopier at work. Even sat on the toilet! Quigley Down Under did this to me and, even now, I think that Basil Poledouris' theme for Matthew Quigley is one of the most intoxicating and lively I have heard for ages. Quigley Down Under was directed by one of Basil's regulars Simon Wincer, and starred Tom Selleck as the eponymous cowboy who, tired of life in the American wild west, decides to uproot and experience the delights of the Australian outback during the time when the English first began to colonise the continent. Things do not go to plan when he arrives, however, and he soon finds himself locking horns with greedy landowner Alan Rickman, and falling for unstable immigrant Laura San Giacomo.

Poledouris' is no stranger to the Western genre, having written the score for the epic mini-series Lonesome Dove, and his music for Quigley Down Under is of the same breed. It is fully orchestral, broad and lush, and captures effortlessly the endless horizons of Australia, the rugged beauty of the landscape, the heroic but whimsical nature of Quigley himself, and the blossoming love affair with Crazy Cora. Two themes make up the bulk of the score: 'Main Title' provides the first rendition of Quigley's Theme, performed initially by a solo clarinet, then with a duelling banjos-style accompaniment, and then by the full orchestra in a confident manner a little reminiscent of a German "oompah" band. Quigley's Theme forms the basis for many of the subsequent cues, and is most prominent in 'The Fight', which also contains a wonderful homage to Aaron Copland's unique brand of Americana, 'The Gift', 'Freedom', and the album's fabulous finale 'Matthew Quigley'.

The theme for Cora is light, delicate, and just a little mysterious. It appears in its fullest form during the lovely 'Cora's Story', where it is performed by a gentle guitar and soft clarinets, and again during 'The Gift', but in a much brighter and conventionally romantic form. The score is not all fun and frolics, though. 'Marston's Murderers', 'The Fire', 'The Attack' and 'The Capture' are all dark and ominous action cues, and feature some clever orchestrations, including pounding timpanis, extremely powerful French horns, acoustic guitars and Basil's trademarked subtle electronic enhancements. 'The Attack' is especially worth noting for its fast-paced, energetic rhythm and bold brass melody.

More than ever, scores like Quigley Down Under demonstrate just what a talented but under-used composer Basil Poledouris is. The movie failed to set the box office on fire, and the score itself is largely undiscovered by film music fans but, since I bought it, it has quickly grown to become probably my favourite Poledouris score. Anyone with a fondness for expansive adventure scores with memorable themes should track down a copy of this album at all costs. I for one love it!

Track Listing: Running Time: 40 minutes 56 seconds

Intrada MAF-7006D (1990)

Music composed and conducted by Basil Poledouris. Orchestrations by Greig McRitchie and Mark McKenzie. Recorded and mixed by Tim Boyle. Edited by Tom Villano. Album produced by Basil Poledouris and Douglass Fake.


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These web pages were designed and maintained by Jonathan Broxton copyright 1998. All opinions and views expressed on these pages are my own and are in no way intended to reflect those of my employer, the Trent Institute for Health Services Research, or those of the University of Sheffield.