Battlestar Galactica: Season 2
Bear McCreary
" Lords of Kobol, hear my soundtrack "Written by Thomas Glorieux - Review of the regular release
We all know how season 1 ended, and for those who do not know it, it ended with a shock. It also gave us every intention to continue the ongoing search for Earth, alongside every man and cylon who were desperately seeking this garden of Eden, only to lure them together to an inevitable confrontation. In between all this the Pegasus arrived, under the command of Admiral Cain. And quite quickly the confrontation between Cain and Adama became the biggest and best episodes of the 2 Battlestar seasons so far. Along for the ride once again was composer Bear McCreary, who was hoping to continue the diverse and eclectic road he began during season 1.
Of course Battlestar Galactica isn't anything without its theme it's known for. And then I'm talking about the theme of Stu Philips of the original Battlestar Galactica's 1970's series and TV movie. Perhaps for many it was featured during one of the lesser episodes of the 2 seasons so far, it nonetheless ignited the series with an unfelt feeling of nostalgia, and so we were all saluting our TV once we heard it during "Colonial Anthem", aka the stunning opener of the soundtrack of Battlestar Galactica: Season 2.
The eastern sounding "Baltar's Dream" explodes with a heavenly percussive delight near the end, to be followed by the same sound in "Escape from the Farm" (unleashing the heavenly sound of the duduk once more). The love during "A Promise to Return" (stating the Kara and Anders theme) is a stunning emotional delight through the strings, while "Allegro" continues the road of the mesmerizing theme heard in "Passacaglia" and "The Shape of Things to Come".
And if people aren't realizing by then how diverse the sound of McCreary's music is, they should have their ears checked. Because it goes from the Zimmer like "Martial Law" further to the eastern "Standing in the Mud" to the almost dreamlike "Pegasus" which shouldn't fit at all, but does. And so it simply continues. The hard rock music and the mesmerizing eastern vocal create one of the most mesmerizing unisons in "Lords of Kobol" while "Something Dark is Coming" is underscoring one of the most pivotal scenes during the Pegasus episodes. McCreary's music shows you an ambient, moody and heavy tone, that it gives the words spoken a heavier, even more significant meaning.
The simply delightful Adama and Roslin love theme version in "Roslin and Adama", the return of the Passacaglia theme around the duduk in "Dark Unisons", the Western sound of "The Cylon Prisoner", the return of the soaring Adama theme in "Reuniting the Fleet" and the return of the Adama and Roslin theme in "Roslin Confesses", they are all tracks with a special purpose and diverse meaning.
Of course there are instant fan favourites I want to elaborate upon. And "Prelude to War" is one of them, because there's nothing more exciting than to hear drums over suspenseful rising orchestral music. Considering the fight is now between 2 generals, the percussion is partly replaced by more king like instruments (namely the orchestra). The track "Worthy of Survival" continues on the road of "Prelude to War", with added strings and heightened drums to finish the job in true Galactacious style.
More diverse, more eclectic, less percussive, more emotionally gripping, the use of the main Battlestar theme, these are but parts of the multiple reasons why Battlestar Galactica: Season 2 is better than Season 1. While the most soaring track of Season 1 is lacking its classical magnificence here, the Passacaglia theme is still ever present, and so are the multiple themes that drive the characters and their quest for Earth. But what concerns me the most is that Bear McCreary constructed something far too perfect for just a human, so I'm wondering if he isn't one of the final 5 cylons in the end?
Tracklisting
1. Colonial Anthem (4.03) Excellent track
2. Baltar's Dream (2.44)
3. Escape from the Farm (3.09)
4. A Promise to Return (3.03)
5. Allegro (4.59) Excellent track
6. Martial Law (1.51)
7. Standing in the Mud (1.45)
8. Pegasus (2.46)
9. Lords of Kobol (2.50) Excellent track
10. Something Dark is Coming (8.51) Excellent track
11. Scar (2.26)
12. Epiphanies (2.43)
13. Roslin and Adama (2.49) Excellent track
14. Gina Escapes (2.00)
15. Dark Unisons (2.53)
16. The Cylon Prisoner (3.51)
17. Prelude to War (8.22) Excellent track
18. Reuniting the Fleet (2.50) Excellent track
19. Roslin Confesses (2.05)
20. One Year Later (1.43)
21. Worthy of Survival (3.35)
22. Battlestar Galactica Main Title (0.44)
23. Black Market * (5.48)
* featuring Steve Bartek
Total Length: 77.50
Of course Battlestar Galactica isn't anything without its theme it's known for. And then I'm talking about the theme of Stu Philips of the original Battlestar Galactica's 1970's series and TV movie. Perhaps for many it was featured during one of the lesser episodes of the 2 seasons so far, it nonetheless ignited the series with an unfelt feeling of nostalgia, and so we were all saluting our TV once we heard it during "Colonial Anthem", aka the stunning opener of the soundtrack of Battlestar Galactica: Season 2.
The eastern sounding "Baltar's Dream" explodes with a heavenly percussive delight near the end, to be followed by the same sound in "Escape from the Farm" (unleashing the heavenly sound of the duduk once more). The love during "A Promise to Return" (stating the Kara and Anders theme) is a stunning emotional delight through the strings, while "Allegro" continues the road of the mesmerizing theme heard in "Passacaglia" and "The Shape of Things to Come".
And if people aren't realizing by then how diverse the sound of McCreary's music is, they should have their ears checked. Because it goes from the Zimmer like "Martial Law" further to the eastern "Standing in the Mud" to the almost dreamlike "Pegasus" which shouldn't fit at all, but does. And so it simply continues. The hard rock music and the mesmerizing eastern vocal create one of the most mesmerizing unisons in "Lords of Kobol" while "Something Dark is Coming" is underscoring one of the most pivotal scenes during the Pegasus episodes. McCreary's music shows you an ambient, moody and heavy tone, that it gives the words spoken a heavier, even more significant meaning.
The simply delightful Adama and Roslin love theme version in "Roslin and Adama", the return of the Passacaglia theme around the duduk in "Dark Unisons", the Western sound of "The Cylon Prisoner", the return of the soaring Adama theme in "Reuniting the Fleet" and the return of the Adama and Roslin theme in "Roslin Confesses", they are all tracks with a special purpose and diverse meaning.
Of course there are instant fan favourites I want to elaborate upon. And "Prelude to War" is one of them, because there's nothing more exciting than to hear drums over suspenseful rising orchestral music. Considering the fight is now between 2 generals, the percussion is partly replaced by more king like instruments (namely the orchestra). The track "Worthy of Survival" continues on the road of "Prelude to War", with added strings and heightened drums to finish the job in true Galactacious style.
More diverse, more eclectic, less percussive, more emotionally gripping, the use of the main Battlestar theme, these are but parts of the multiple reasons why Battlestar Galactica: Season 2 is better than Season 1. While the most soaring track of Season 1 is lacking its classical magnificence here, the Passacaglia theme is still ever present, and so are the multiple themes that drive the characters and their quest for Earth. But what concerns me the most is that Bear McCreary constructed something far too perfect for just a human, so I'm wondering if he isn't one of the final 5 cylons in the end?
Tracklisting
1. Colonial Anthem (4.03) Excellent track
2. Baltar's Dream (2.44)
3. Escape from the Farm (3.09)
4. A Promise to Return (3.03)
5. Allegro (4.59) Excellent track
6. Martial Law (1.51)
7. Standing in the Mud (1.45)
8. Pegasus (2.46)
9. Lords of Kobol (2.50) Excellent track
10. Something Dark is Coming (8.51) Excellent track
11. Scar (2.26)
12. Epiphanies (2.43)
13. Roslin and Adama (2.49) Excellent track
14. Gina Escapes (2.00)
15. Dark Unisons (2.53)
16. The Cylon Prisoner (3.51)
17. Prelude to War (8.22) Excellent track
18. Reuniting the Fleet (2.50) Excellent track
19. Roslin Confesses (2.05)
20. One Year Later (1.43)
21. Worthy of Survival (3.35)
22. Battlestar Galactica Main Title (0.44)
23. Black Market * (5.48)
* featuring Steve Bartek
Total Length: 77.50