The most fascinating aspect of Big Wednesday is how accomplished Poledouris had already become in establishing the prevailing symphonic style that would define his works for decades to come. Even if you add to the equation the enthusiasm inherent in the topic for Poledouris (a sea-worthy, sailing spirit that would flourish once again many years later in his scores for Wind and Free Willy), you still receive a score for Big Wednesday that is significantly better than what you would expect to hear from a composer in his first feature assignment. As the tale of the four primary characters passes through the years, Poledouris sets a dramatic backdrop with lush string themes and pulsating brass for the crashes of the waves, always pleasant in tone and rooted at the level of personal perseverance. So heroic is the sound of "Matt's Rite of Passage" that Poledouris (likely unintentionally) writes a reflection of the same bravado heard in John Williams' Superman. The many softer guitar cues are likely to be dismissed by fans of Poledouris' larger ensemble recordings, but their personality is vital to Big Wednesday's tale. Also important are several divergent cues for individual quirks in the story, such as the militaristic barrage of percussion in the induction center scene and a recording of "Crumple Car" (both in film edits and the extended version) for some cultural pizzazz. The somber inclusion of the traditional melodies from "Taps" and "We Shall Gather at the River" in key dramatic cues, seamlessly integrated with his own themes, is an exhibition of Poledouris' musical knowledge even at that time. The "Liquid Dreams" cue is a spoof of early surfer movie music, with pop electric guitar work imitating some of Poledouris' real life early assignments. Outside of some source Mexican music, there really is no major detraction from the score's overall focus. Despite this diversity, the deeper swells of the orchestra produce the true magic in Big Wednesday for any Poledouris enthusiast, from the opening performance of the score's surfing theme in "March of the Hawaiian Kings" to the heartfelt transitional music in the "Passing of the Years" cues, and, of course, the momentous three cues that highlight the film's "big wave" finale. With a larger ensemble and a better recording quality, these three climactic cues, along with "Jack Surfs Alone" prior in the score, are early symphonic marvels for Poledouris, rivaling the intensity of his later works.

For casual Poledouris collectors, there are several direct hints of music to come later from the composer. The progressions of the melodies in the highlights of Big Wednesday will resemble familiar shifts heard in his Free Willy scores. Some of the heavier brass techniques in the three major symphonic cues during the finale foreshadow Poledouris' knight and barbarian-related scores of the mid-1980's (and Flesh + Blood most specifically). Although not clearly evident in the soundscape, close listening will reveal some applications of Poleoduris' eventual trademark synthetic tones as well. On the whole, the score for Big Wednesday, despite some slower passages, is like a friendly snapshot in time, a work as effectively dramatic as it is intellectually engaging. While the score never received an official release for more than two decades, scarce bootlegs of the score (with decent sound quality) circulated during the 1990's on the secondary market. In 2004, Film Score Monthly's Silver Age Classics series producer Lukas Kendall collaborated directly with Poledouris to organize a legitimate release limited to 3,000 copies. While the 1978 score stretched the limits of the series' boundaries at the time (and some critics argued that FSM releases had been redundant during the same period), there should be no complaint whatsoever about this treatment of Big Wednesday. As usual, the assembly of the score by FSM was outstanding, with an impressive presentation both on CD and in the packaging. Poledouris' original trailer cue for the film, for instance, featuring the surfing theme that the composer would expand upon for the main score itself, is an intriguing addition. Likewise, listeners receive both film and alternate edits for several cues, filling the album to nearly the maximum length possible on a CD. The sound quality of the album is very good considering its recording in early 1978, and the higher-quality master tapes for tracks 20 to 22 provide music that is comparable in sound quality to much of what you heard a decade later. That said, the remainder does have an archival feel to its soundscape. It was not uncommon for FSM's Silver Age titles to sell out rather quickly in the early 2000's, and while there was speculation that the appeal of Big Wednesday to both the older and younger generations of film score collectors would cause it to disappear, the product surprisingly remained available for many years. It's a highly satisfying dramatic listening experience, and a fascinating one in particular for collectors of the composer's music.  ****   @Amazon.com: CD or Download