Battlestar Galactica [Remastered] - Various Artists > Reviews > Not a ragtag soundtrack

Author's product rating:   

Originality	Definitely a cut above the rest
Lyrics	Not applicable
Quality and consistency of tracks	A couple of weak links
Value for Money	Good

Advantages:	Interesting music for those who liked the sci - fi series
Disadvantages:	-

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

To a certain extent, I was surprised when I discovered this soundtrack on CD, and even more finding it to be an already-listed item on Ciao. Being a great fan of the television series back in the 1970s (when I was 12 years old, part of the key demographic Battlestar Galactica was aiming to attract), I bought the soundtrack on vinyl, and still have that copy. The vinyl and CD are duplicates, save that there is one more track on the CD that probably should have been left off -- that is the 'disco version' of the main theme. More on this later...

Otherwise, this is a great soundtrack CD. Battlestar Galactica tried in many ways to be the 'Star Wars' of television -- it was trying to capitalise on the success of Star Wars in the theatres the year before, and in so doing even used the same special effects teams and other devices developed out of that film. However, when it came to music, they did not go with John Williams (who did so much with films and science fiction), opting instead for Stu Phillips, and having the music performed by the Los Angeles Philharmonic.

The original theme for the pilot (later released as a feature film) was modified for the rest of the television series; that theme is unfortunately missing from this collection. However, this original theme has the characteristics that Battlestar Galactica music was known for -- orchestral crashes at the introduction long before they became standard fare as a synthesizer sample, loud brassy sections that trumpet the main line of the theme, and full orchestra participation -- this is not a band or a synthesizer production, but a real composition.

The main theme is triumphant and full of life, with a militaristic drumbeat and orchestral crashes that symbolise both the fight and flight of the people in the rag-tag, fugitive fleet, protected by the surviving battlestar. The music is both tragic and forward looking at the same time; it fits the opening credits well, as scenes of the destruction as well as the escape are played out overlaid by the main theme.

The various pieces of music are moody and sombre, foreboding and dark as the backdrop of the destruction of twelve worlds of humanity; the music of the enemy, the Cylons, is ominous and imperious, in keeping with their 'Imperious leader' and forbidding presence. The beginning of the album shows a slow descent into chaos and despair, with music in minor keys and mysterious tones dominant. There is something sinister in the Cylon themes, duplicated whenever the human agent, Baltar, is also on screen.

There is one song that perhaps the producers hoped might become a pop song -- the song that was sung by the singers on Carillon. One thinks of the jig performed by the band in the Star Wars bar as Luke and Obi-Wan negotiate for a ride; this is a backdrop also to a casino/bar where people are trying to escape. This song was performed by the 'Space Angels', not a real group in a true sense of the word. The CD now also includes a disco version of the main theme for Battlestar Galactica – remember, this was done in the campy, disco-dominated 1970s. This version is the 'bonus' given for those who will purchase the CD; I recall the 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind' vinyl album that also included a 45 RPM disco version of the main theme -- what's up with this? While I am not part of the 'disco is dead' crowd necessarily, the disco version of the theme is really out of place, both in the old series, and in our contemporary times. For me, it doesn't even add the value of nostaglia, as I'd not known of its existence before this CD.

With one exception ('The End of the Atlantia') these pieces are presented in the same order as they would fall in the film. The music is fun and interesting, not a half-hearted attempt at filler sounds by any means. Certain elements (Fighter Launch, Imperious Leader Theme) would be continued throughout the television series.

The new miniseries on television has a very different look and feel, and that extends even to the music. However, for one brief moment, the brass-heavy and triumphant-sounding Stu Philips theme can be heard as the Vipers make a fly-by. A good tribute, but it reinforced how much I missed the music of the original, which is happily available here.

The CD now available is re-release becoming more popular because of the surge of interest in the old series (just released last year on DVD) due to the remake currently playing on networks around the world.

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Tracks on the CD
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1. Main Title Theme
2. Exploration/Theme
3. Destruction of Peace
4. Fighter Launch
5. Adama's Theme
6. Cylon Base Ship (Imperious Leader Theme)
7. Cassiopia and Starbuck
8. End of the Atlantia
9. Cylon Trap
10. Boxey's Problem - Serena's Illness
11. Red Nova
12. Suffering
13. Casino on Carillon - "It's Love, Love, Love"
14. Escape from the Ovion Mines
15. Dash to the Elevator
16. "Let's Go Home" End Title
17. Main Title Theme [Disco Version]