Of the many scores to be written in the 80s, Basil Poledouris composed one of the more memorable ones with his ROBOCOP. The music is quite melodic, yet moody, consistently from start to finish. Poledouris does an exemplary job of creating a broad musical tapestry with the orchestra. Not only is an orchestra used in the score, but he also fills a lot of the tracks with surging doses of the synthesizer. The two musical styles complement each other quite nicely, which is a welcome musical approach. Sometimes when composers choose to create a score that combines synth with actual orchestra, the end product can come off sounding quite garbled and almost unlistenable. Poledouris, however, is a true master of this style and it sounds very proper and dynamic.

ROBOCOP is a movie about a not-so-distant future where it is a nasty time filled with ultra-violence and betrayal. Amazingly, the score excels at paralleling these particular traits. Poledouris is a composer that is quite skilled at creating melodic, emotional themes without having them become overbearing or monotonous. Another first-rate example here is his own score to the 1982 film CONAN the BARBARIAN. The emotional moments in ROBOCOP emanate a feeling of helplessness and utter dispair. The track entitled "Home" nails this emotion when Officer Murphy (as Robocop) discovers his gruesome murder and returns to his former home only to find it to be empty and his family gone. I don't believe it could've been scored any better than it was.

The main theme, which I call "The Robo March," is both heroic and immensely unforgettable. It always manages to charge me up whenever the orchestra begins to play it. This theme is most prominently showcased in the final action track "Showdown."

I believe, as do most other soundtrack listeners, that the material on a score release is best experienced when the tracks are placed in chronological order. This effectively guides the listener through a transitional journey of emotion. The arrangement of ROBOCOP begins and ends correctly, but the tracks in between are quite an unorderly mess. No true overall feeling can be elicited when the music is so jumbled. I bring this up only because I have watched the film and have gotten accustomed to the score's actual placement. This is the solitary reason why this release (not the score itself) does not get a top rating. At any rate, ROBOCOP was honestly one of the landmark scores of the 1980s.

Running Time: approx. 41 min.

1. Main Title
2. Van Chase
3. Murphy's Death
4. Rock Shop
5. Home
6. Robo vs. ED-209
7. The Dream
8. Accross the Board
9. Betrayal
10. Clarence Frags Bob
11. Drive to Jones' Office
12. We Killed You
13. Directive IV
14. Robo Tips His Hat
15. Showdown