Customer Reviews

Battlestar Galactica: Season 4

5 star:		(48)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

That's right ladies and gents, you heard that right, Bear McCreary has done to television scores what John Williams did to feature film scores. This album rivals any of the Star Wars music and, I LOVE the Star Wars music. Anyone who buys this - whether you are a BSG diehard like myself or simply looking for a good CD - will NOT be disappointed. The opening selection for this album "Gaeta's Lament" was brilliant. It sets the tone for the rest of the album and, indeed, is the primary component to telling the grand final season of the greatest show of all time. I don't know what BSG would be without the music of Bear McCreary. I would probably still like it, but nowhere near as much. The thundering tribal drums, rolling percussions, beautiful violins - all of it - is just spectacular and adds to the suspense and wonder of the show. I have all of the BSG soundtracks, plus the new Caprica soundtrack (Galactica's prequel spinoff series premiering in January 2010 on SyFy Channel) and this is truly the height of Mr. McCreary's work. It incorporates all of the themes previously touched upon in the prior seasons while introducing new themes, and if you listen closely to the SECOND CD music from the series finale, "Daybreak", you can even hear cues from the aforementioned "Caprica" series.

Bear is truly a musical god and a great storyteller in his own right. Look out for "Kara Remembers" which is probably my favorite song on the first CD due to the fact that it is a piano rendition of "All Along the Watchtower" and it is simply beautiful. As stated above the second CD is all of the music from the finale with the epic fifteen minute musical romp "Assault on the Colony" which is quite possibly McCreary's best work (next to season two's "Prelude to War"). I am so sad that this show has come to an end and we will no longer have new music from BSG to enjoy (save for the final BSG soundtrack which consists exclusively of music from the two DVD movies "Razor" and "The Plan" coming out later this year). However, we have Caprica to look forward to which is similar yet...wonderfully different. As the Hybrid in "Razor" told Major Shaw: "this is not an end, but a beginning!"

Some notable tracks include:
Gaeta's Lament
Resurrection Hub
The Cult of Baltar
Among the Ruins
Cally Descends
Kara Remembers
Dreilide Thrace Sonata No. 1
Diaspora Oratorio
The Line
Assault on the Colony
So Much Life
An Easterly View

SO SAY WE ALL!

After one listen I was left with one question Is this too good for TV? It could easily pass for a soundtrack for the big screen rivaling John Williams and Howard Shore. Instruments from China, Japan, India, Middle East, Western Europe make up very rich and diverse palette. Even if you have never seen the show, it is a terrific piece of music. Some highlights: a powerful vocal performance by Alessandro Juliani in "Gaeta's Lament", "The Cult of Baltar", "Kara Remembers", "Diaspora Oratorio", "Assault On The Colony" and "The Heart Of The Sun".

or I just really need to take "Gaeta's Lament" off repeat, but the more is hear it the more I love it. I don't think ,as a whole, this fourth disc is really as good as Season 2, but not much can top "Prelude to War" for me. That said, this disc is packed with music that just makes me want to cry, and that's good. Any true fan of BSG should add this last season's discs to their collection.

Note: I didn't have any problems ripping the music to my computer.

I wondered after listening to the second season soundtrack and several magnificent tracks from the third season if Bear could possibly better his previous works. He did. When I saw the Fourth Season of BSG I didn't pick up on all the music. It was much like watching Star Wars in that one doesn't separate the music from the images initially. The music is as much the show as the characters are. That being said Bear McCreary has composed some of the most moving tracks I have ever heard. Most evoke emotions as well as those works from Williams, Horner and Zimmer. His music takes you on an emotional roller coaster of fear, hope, despair, pain, triumph, reflection, etc. Some personal standouts I particulary love:

Please excuse my poor descriptions for I lack a proper knowledge of musical terms.

1. Track 1 Disc 2: "Caprica City, Before The Fall". This one almost pulled tears from me at times. (There is a seven note theme that is the centerpiece of this track played on a duduk)It perfectly evokes hope and foreboding. A fitting harbinger of things to come in the "Daybreak" episodes. It is easily my favorite track of the two discs. It is serious and solemn and underscores the tone of the series final episode. Bear uses leitmotif as well as John Williams through much of his work blending two other themes including the ominous 10 note theme from " All Along The Watchtowers". This piece evoked fear and hope. Fear in that this is the end, but hope that the characters will preservere till the end. A magnificent piece that captivates me like no other!!!

2. Track 20 Disc 1: "Diaspora Oratorio". A triumph.

3. Track 11 Disc 1: "Roslin and Adama Reunited"

4. Track 9 Disc 2: "Goodbye Sam"

5. Track 10 Disc 2: "Heart Of The Sun"

6. Track 13 Disc 2: "An Easterly View"

As incomparable as the series is, it's still hard to believe some of these tracks were written for a television series. Fittingly enough though, they were written for Battlestar Galactica.

Bravo and encore!

Battlestar Galactica has since come and gone from the airwaves, with the occasional exception of the TV movies that they're planning - the upcoming one is entitled The Plan, due out sometime this year - but the ending season's soundtrack has just been released, ending what is a fine tradition of outstanding scoring for the series.

Battlestar Galactica has always had a soundtrack that's stood out, and each of the five soundtracks released for the Miniseries and resulting four seasons have been outstanding, different and beautiful. Composer Bear McCreary has utilized a number of different instruments and influences, from classical to Indian throughout the series, and this season is no exception, and is possibly the best score of the entire series.

Gatea's song from early on in the season is the opening track, and is a beautiful and haunting song, and helps to set the tone for the rest of the score. The sound for the entire season is one that is largely based off of the previous themes, matured and evolved from their starting points. This doesn't mean that the entire soundtrack is a rehash of what we've already heard. There's a greater urgency with some of these songs as the action in the series ramps up, especially evident with the track The Signal, and Roslin Escapes, while new themes, such as from the excellent Resurrection Hub, which is easily one of the best tracks on the score.

Season 4 was one of the seasons where the show began to end the story, wrapping up storylines and building to the conclusion. As a result, much of these two discs feel far less like a television soundtrack and far more like a movie soundtrack. The themes are greater, more sweeping and make their presence felt, which is highly appropriate for the last moments. Case in point would be Farewell Apollo early on in the list, but this really kicks in for the finale moments of the show.

This starts with Diaspora Oratorio, the track that came over when the fleet came across the First Earth for the mid-season finale, which would have worked easily as an end for the show. By far, this is my absolute favorite track for the entire series. It is epic, beautiful and sweeping, and far out of character for the show, which helps to set it apart. From there, the last eigh tracks cover the final moments of the show, and put together a somber, epic and wonderful sendoff to the show. Earth, Goodbye Sam, Heart of the Sun, Starbuck Disappears, So Much Life, An Easterly View and The Passage of Time all allow for a proper sendoff to all the characters, with hints of some of the original themes throughout, but often with a far more etherial sound to them that transends much of what we've heard before.

This soundtrack stands far apart from most other ones that I've heard. It's beautiful, simply elegant, and a proper sendoff to the series. I'll be very sad that this is the last soundtrack, and undoubtably, it will be known as McCreary's finest works. There was a lot of original, creative energy here over the course of the series, and I have no idea when we'll see something like this again.

This two disc set lives up to the superb scoring McCreary did for the first thee seasons.
The addition of a separate disc for the final episodes score was beautiful.

Track 5 on disc one carried that beautiful sound that became the Adama family theme.
And track 17, Kara Remembers is AWESOME, truly capturing the energy and the intensity of the whole show.
The final tracks on disc two rest quietly on the promising ending of the crew on 'Earth'.

Excellent score that McCreary hit with again!

Bear McCreary proves once again that he isn't just the best composer on television, he's one of the best composers of any medium.

Although I own soundtracks for several films, this is the only television show that produces music I believe is worth listening to repeatedly. Bear McCreary started off strong with the Season 1 soundtrack, and yet has managed to top himself with each concurrent season. The Season 4 soundtrack is a culmination of everything done on the show thus far, and it really is amazing to listen to the progression throughout the years. The sheer number of instruments used is enough to inspire awe, but what's more, they're used perfectly, never becoming overbearing. They're also used in several different genres in a way that's unique to my ears. You don't have to like BSG to appreciate what he's done. You don't even have to watch BSG to appreciate what he's done. Just pop in the CD (or mp3s), sit back, and come to appreciate what the BSG viewers already know...Bear McCreary is a genius.

A few tracks I'd recommend: Gaeta's Lament, Laura Runs, Funeral Pyre, Roslin and Adama Reunited, Kara Remembers, Laura's Baptism, Kara's Coordinates, Elegy and So Much Life. Truthfully, I'd recommend almost every song (Not a fan of The Cult of Baltar). If you love music, this is a must-own album.

There isn't a bad BSG soundtrack from Bear. He has created the soul of this show.

My only complaint about this soundtrack is that the track titles don't have the "from..." which episode it was in like the Season 3 soundtrack. I thought that was a sweet little bonus. I'm always trying to envision the scene that goes with the music while I'm listening.

Best track is definitely Kara Remembers. Just awesome.

I've collected (and reviewed) every Battlestar Galactica soundtrack released so far and this one ends the cycle on a super high note!
Bear McCreary and his wonderful crew have done it again! There is nothing more to say that has not been said by everyone else here.
But there is one thing. Thank you Bear for composing such rich and rewarding music for us to share and dream by. The music for Roslin and Adama means so very much to me. Especially as my wife has been through a cancer battle of late. This music in its various forms has brought comfort to me personally as I focused on my wife's journey and victory! Your music has been there with us all along!
Bless you Mr. McCreary. And thank you so much!

10 seconds into listening to this soundtrack for the first time (Gaeta's Lament) and I knew that I would be blown away even after loving all previous BSG soundtracks. I think without the score that had accompanied the TV series the show could not have been as epic as it was, and this album is definitely an epic score. I am pretty picky when it comes to music and I have never heard another composer use the drums more effectively than Bear has in his scores for BSG. What makes soundtracks so appealing to me is there ability to draw out the emotions that the characters were feeling and impress them upon you. This album does that greatly. With over 2hours of content here, there is no doubt that this is a must have for any soundtrack fan.