The Hunt for Red October

Review by Thomas Glorieux:

We travel back in time to 1990, one year after Basil Poledouris' classic with Farewell to the King. That was several years after his astonishing Robocop and simply 9 years after the impressive Conan the Barbarian. But simply Basil Poledouris was on fire that time, composing the one enjoyable score after the other. The films people know now as the Jack Ryan (Harrison Ford) thrillers started a little earlier with this movie. Alec Baldwin played Ryan in that movie and instead of James Horner we heard Basil Poledouris's thrilling score. I love Basil Poledouris' music as any other when he simply starts writing music as good as this. It has some trademarks towards Robocop but mostly this score proves what a choir can add to an action score of this size. The Hunt for Red October is no joke and adds besides some vintage sound effects and the tension building action music a powerful choral sound, ready to please you.

The 30 minute album (which features some short tracks like 54 seconds or 21) even has one track that wasn't heard in the film, so in fact it is a very short score but what Poledouris makes of it can even outgun 50 or 60 minute efforts. It listens simply that good. Since this movie deals about a Russian submarine, Poledouris adds a phenomenal choir to the score, which opens this soundtrack with a hymn. 'Hymn to Red October (Main Title)' starts this score with high prosperity and will return in several tracks, most notably 2 and 8. 'Nuclear Scam' is the longest track and features some tense musical movements as the statement of the already mentioned choir. 'Chopper' is also a suspenseful track but ends very interesting, with a musical rotor sound which increases of speed, meaning the chopper's blades are slowing down. The only track which wasn't in the film is also the most quiet one, with an emotional melody that never feels out of place on the album. Still, my personal favorite is 'Red Route 1', with an almost heavenly choral sound which supports every climax in Poledouris' score.

The last track 'Kaboom!!!!!' again features a powerful intense moment of music but by adding shorts bursts of choral sound and sound effects, it becomes a somewhat explosive final of the score. I know in the end that Poledouris scored perhaps better scores in the future or past then The Hunt for Red October and it hasn't exactly got a main theme that starts and ends the score, but it is credit to Poledouris that he makes the music count when it has to. The short release (which doesn't even half summarizes Poledouris' composed score) still does a remarkable good job because for 30 minutes it brings 20 minimally that excites more then bores. Usually, short releases bring too less but The Hunt for Red October succeeds in capturing the spirit of the movie pretty well. In the end it will satisfy submarine fans, Poledouris fans and a good amount of movie music listeners. The Hunt for Red October is your submarine score along with the recent U-571, but these after the unbreakable Crimson Tide.

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Tracks

Single Disc

1. Hymn To Red October (Main Title) (5.05) Excellent Track

2. Nuclear Scam (7.18) Excellent Track

3. Putin's Demise (0.54)

4. Course Two - Five Zero (0.21)

5. Ancestral Aid (2.16)

6. Chopper (2.53)

7. Two Wives (2.42)

8. Red Route I (3.30) Excellent Track

9. Plane Crash (1.50)

10. Kaboom!!! (3.19) Excellent Track

Total Length: 30.15

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=== Link to Composer Site: Basil Poledouris ===