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La-La Land
Records strikes again! This time, the label does an impeccable with the
release of Battlestar Galactica:
Season 4, by Bear McCreary. This is an
ultimate soundtrack release to commemorate the conclusion of the Sci-Fi
Channel (now SyFy) show. There are 2 discs jam packed with music from Season
4 and an outstanding booklet that accompanies it. The booklet contains
commentary from the many of the actors and behind-the-scenes talent that
were involved with Battlestar. There is even an entry from the great Stu
Phillips, the composer of the original series. In all, this is a soundtrack
release with plenty of material both on and off the disc to make it a fair
purchase.
Up front, I'm ready to proclaim the music
from Battlestar Galactica Season 4
(BG4) is a triumph of the highest order. That after I heard Disc 1 (of 2)
from this release. Before I get into any disappointment I had with the
second disc. I'd like to first say that disc 1, which runs for nearly 80
minutes, is on par with the music of the television greats. But strip away
television from the equation -- BG4
has a great musical story to tell and it's one filled with great ingenuity
and heart. Indeed, this is the type of music that can stand atop any medium
and thrive as gorgeous, interesting and exciting material.
The album
kicks off with a rather haunting song entitled, Gaeta's Lament. The deep
vocals lend a sharp edge to the bittersweet melody of the song and it made
for quite an unpredictable but welcome opening that sets the tone for the
overall experience one can expect. The sheer depth that you will discover on
this first disc alone would be enough to fulfill any type of soundtrack
release from any film or show. McCreary delivered the knockout punch early
on this one.
There is
such a bevy of material to grasp hold of on Disc 1 that it would take some
time for me to go through a blow by blow account. Suffice it to say, there
are highlight tracks galore, including the Irish inspired "Farewell Apollo",
the reprise of "Gaeta's Lament (Instrumental)", the heroic notes from "Someone
to Watch Over Me", and so much more. I loved nearly every second of this
disc's running time and I especially appreciated the vast number of unique
instruments that McCreary continued to incorporate into his score. I suppose
the only problem that exists on a soundtrack like this is that if you begin
at the pinnacle, where can one be expected to go to next? That is answered a
bit predictably on Disc Two.
The second
CD did not prove to be as captivating as the first for me. Part of this can
be attributed to the sheer amount of time spent listening to both CDs (the
process started to wear me down) while the other factor is that simply the
highlight tracks landed on Disc One. Thus, I highly suggest you take a nice
intervals when you go from one disc to the next because this is one
listening experience where a timeout is certainly needed to enjoy the music
to its full potential.
An
additional note on Disc 2: Bear gave fans of the original series quite a
treat when he incorporated the original Battlestar theme onto track 10, "The
Heart of the Sun". While I am fully on board with the approach taken for the
"new" series, I couldn't help but be swept up when I heard the classic theme
played by Bear and his musicians. Though brief, it rekindled some fond
memories and made me wonder if perhaps the show could have used just a touch
more of the classic show influence in its music. Though I am sure the
talents involved with the show would disagree with that claim, I urge you to
take one listen of that clip and let me know if you feel the same as I do.
Just a minor, slight critique for an overall grand experience!
Bear
McCreary energizes the small screen with a magnificently written score for
Battlestar Galactica Season 4. It's a
fresh, multi-cultural fusion of drama and sci-fi that is destined to
entertain anyone who chances upon it.
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