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Sunday, July 16, 2006

CD REVIEW - Battlestar Galactica Season 2


Battlestar Galactica Season 2
Music by Bear McCreary
La-La Land Records LLLCD 1049 (U.S.)
23 Tracks 78:53 mins

This very lengthy compilation of cues from Season 2 of the SciFi Channel's popular show continues the approach composer McCreary adopted for the first season and extends it somewhat. One very welcome inclusion is an adaptation of the main theme from the Batlestar Galactica of the '70s, composed by Stu Phillips and Glen A. Larson, heard at the beginning of the album as "Colonial Anthem" - a proud rendition, which is easily the best music on the disc.
I'm only just seeing the first season on my Freeview box and am finding it hard to warm to, and I think the music is partly to blame, in that the approach taken, whilst all very unique and different, just doesn't seem to give much emotion to proceedings and is somewhat at odds with the high-tech world we see on screen. OK, so the ethnic stuff sits well with the spirit of the people and their ancient beliefs, but just doesn't fit for the most part. Surely an electronic or electronic/orchestral approach would have made more sense.
Oh well, what do I know? And what of the music on this disc? Well, I have to say that overall I'm liking it more than that for Season 1, with the highlights for me being "Escape from the Farm," a percussive, rhythmic mover; the classical-styled, flowing strings of "A Promise to Return" and "Allegro;" the determined "Martial Law;" the female chant with a beat of "Lords of Kobol;" the easy mover "Roslin and Adama;" "Prelude to War," with its martial build and fast-flowing strings, which eventually join with taiko drums for an action climax; and the folksy, warm and inspirational "Reuniting the Fleet." There are plenty more interesting moments throughout the album, but some of the tracks are quite lengthy, lessening their impact.
The accompanying booklet features plenty of colour stills, plus notes from the show's executive producer and of course composer McCreary.

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