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Battlestar Galactica: Season Three
ReviewsFrom strength to strength Review date: 2008-03-28 Rating: 8 out of 10 I've been following the show since its beginnings and have always, when gushing about it to friends, cited the music as one of the key selling points. Now we are into the third album, and its pleasing to be able to say that McCreary has continued to go from strength to strength - building on the strong foundations of the first two scores. This album has more of a concept theme to it than either of the other two which I find lends it an extra level of depth; weaving the strains of "All Along the Watchtower" (the final track) into the opening few seconds of "Distant Sadness" (the opener) works wonderfully and is a lovely touch. McCreary also developes themes present on the previous albums occasionally, reminding us of characters and times past and giving the music a history. "Admiral & Commander" for me personally is the standout in terms of leitmotif with its emotionally charged string harmonies, followed the understated but brilliant acoustic guitar (closely followed by "Violence & Variations", the hints of "Passacaglia" from S1 in the outro sending shivers down the spine). "Storming New Caprica" is a bombastic tour de force which, while not matching the epic grandeur of S2's "Prelude to War", has an almost brutal quality to it (I find it strange that the producers used different music for the Pegasus-to-the-rescue section of the battle in the end - McCreary's original score for the moment Lee arrives all guns blazing is pitch-perfect); similarly, "Temple of Five" and "Mandala in the Clouds" are great atmosphere and action cues respectively. The album is not without flaws though - "The Dance" is lifted straight from the Titanic soundtrack and "Fight Night" is about as bland a piece as McCreary has managed so far in my opinion - and I can't help but think that surely there were more memorable compositions that could have taken their place in the track listing. These are minor gripes however, and are more than made up for by the staggering quality of the rest of the collection. Speaking of staggering quality, every season so far has had a stand-out track ("Passacaglia", "Prelude to War"), and S3 is no different. The re-imagining of "All Along the Watchtower" is quite simply astonishing, from the quiet and calm beginnings through to the turn-it-up-to-11 solo that smashes the end of the track through the speakers. BT4's soaring voice and the crescendo of menacing guitars all combine with McCreary's percussive expertise to produce a track that stands right up there with Hendrix's interpretation (which sounds like hyperbole but I genuinely believe it does). Its all so spectacular and at the same time, weirdly curious - its a bloody masterpiece. All in all this is a fantastic addition to the canon that will one day, surely, see McCreary become one of the great cinematic composers of our time. At times serene & melancholy, others joyous and frenzied, but always (bar the moment of James Horner thievery) original and innovative. A must have for any fan of classical music. Fantastic - Buy it Now Review date: 2008-02-13 Rating: 10 out of 10 For some unknown reason I have been hesitant in buying any of the soundtracks - but having noticed some outstanding scores on series 3 I thought I would invest in this CD. My only regret is that I never bought it sooner, I loved this right from the first play (which is very rare as I am a feckle listener!). The whole CD takes you on a journey of feeling the solitude, beauty and anxieties of life. I will be investing in the other albums and I urge anyone still uncertain to invest in this soundtrack. Accessible and rewarding to all Review date: 2007-12-09 Rating: 10 out of 10 The music on this album is simply breathtaking and not limited to fans of the `Battlestar Galactica' TV Series, but is accessible to all listeners. While those of you who avidly watch the show like myself may recognise much of the music, to the uninitiated this is an effortlessly engaging and rewarding album. The music on this soundtrack is at its peak when around you all is quite, when there's no distraction and when your ears are able to pick-up and pick-out the many instruments, vocals, influences, timbres and moods that are utilised and extemporised to such great effect by composer Bear McCreary (who's a composer of staggering skill) on this CD. The range is truly startling, from the melancholy and hope evoked by pipes and guitars on track (3)- `Admiral and Commander' to the cold, but touching piano-play of track (11)- `Battlestar Sonatica' (that you may remember as the back-drop to Gaius's surreal admission into the Cylon's domain) and finally to the invigorating and angry war-cry of the re-mixed and rejuvenated track (21)- `All Along the Watchtower'. Those are just a few of the stand-out tracks, but there are many more inspiring songs spread over the course of this album, in fact there isn't a single duff song on board. It's quite incredible. And empowering. Recommended to all. Drifts into the Mind. Review date: 2007-11-21 Rating: 10 out of 10 Bear McCreary's Season 3 of Battlestar Galactica. My Review: Battlestar Galactica gets a reformatting this season as well as more matured taste of music, Bear McCreary starts to mix and mingle every episode to the cunning vocals and intrinsically dramatic themes to starling effect. Excellent songs include `A Distant Sadness' has some excellent vocals in Armenian. `Battlestar Sonatica' is a beautifully piano piece, carefully crosscut with outlandish images of Cylon Basestars floating in space which has but a relaxed and rhapsody effect. The hard-beating `Precipice' that really gets your blood pumping. Others include `Gentle Execution' which is but a reminder of the sadness endured by Saul Tigh and his wife, the emotional empathy we associate with him and his harsh time on New Caprica. `All Along The Watchtower' from `Crossroads: Part II' is the concluding final track that really can make you a heavy beats/ alternative rock fan if not one already. Amazing lyrics improvised by Bob Dylan's song, it really makes it stand out a lot like Hendrix's great standalone. The albums get better every season. Verdict: It leaves you breathless. 9/10. Product Details/SpecificationsArtist(s): Bear Mccreary Recording label: La La Land Manufacturer: La La Land EAN: 0826924106228 Binding: Audio CD Format: Soundtrack, Release date: 2007-10-23 Universal product code (UPC): 826924106228 Number of discs: 1 Running time: 79 minutes Disc 1 Tracks: 1. Distant Sadness 2. Precipice 3. Admiral And Commander 4. Storming New Caprica 5. Refugees Return 6. Wayward Soldier 7. Violence And Variations 8. Dance 9. Adama Falls 10. Under the Wing 11. Battlestar Sonatica 12. Fight Night 13. Kat's Sacrifice 14. Someone To Trust 15. Temple Of Five 16. Dirty Hands 17. Gentle Execution 18. Mandala In the Clouds 19. Deathbed And Maelstrom 20. Heeding the Call 21. All Along the Watchtower Publishers: La La Land
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