Quigley Down Under
interprets the modern Western score from a distinctly Australian perspective.
Basil Poledouris
' aw-shucks melodies and quirky arrangements employ French horn, banjo, and clarinet to create a vivid evocation of gunslinger life in the Outback. While
Lonesome Dove
remains
Poledouris
' definitive work in the Western arena,
possesses no shortfall of charm or imagination; its playful approach bubbles with an energy quite uncommon to the genre, avoiding portent and ponderousness to communicate the joie de vivre of its characters and setting. Most impressive is
' stirring main theme, a bold, oddly funky reinvention of the classic Western fanfare that immediately serves notice that
is a horse of a very different color. ~ Jason Ankeny