Battlestar Galactica Reviews

• Diehard original series fans won't want to read this.

  
  By ANCRQ7CXLRBY on 2005-02-09
  The new Battlestar Galactica series on SciFi Network has radically "re-imagined" the original, upbeat 1978 cult series as seen through more jaded, post-9/11 eyes...and it works. The series is dark and melancholy - a moving story that plays upon the emotions of loss, defeat, and hope, and even moreso through its music.
  
  The new score by Oingo Boingo's Richard Gibbs reflects this tone through a minimalistic score meant to pull at the heartstrings rather than make you salute the Colonial Fleet. With its Middle-Eastern chord progressions and vocals, distant ambient sounds and sparse percussive sequences, the individual pieces set moods and play to emotions, and do so masterfully.
  
  Old-school BSG fans who (as I did at the tender age of 17) want to regale to the shiny happy 1978 version may find this new series difficult to connect with, since it combines bits and pieces of the original story with some very radical and interesting departures. I suspect this will impact listeners' interest in the soundtrack as well. That disco-era space opera feeling is nowhere to be found in the series, nor in the new soundtrack.
  
  If you long for triumphant, feel-good trumpet lines, go buy an Aaron Copland CD. In producer Ron Moore's universe, however, the human race is nearly extinct. That calls for a minimalistic, tense, and melancholy score. For listeners who are looking for moving, emotive and ambient washes that reinforce this 2005-era remake: this is a great CD.
  
  - weave
  
  

• pretty good, for a TV score

  
  By A33G2XG1S5NSH1 on 2005-01-10
  Television scores are a notoriously tricky genre. Often, even if they're great scores, they tend to be heavily reliant on synthesized sounds, and the scores can sound rather cheesy when put onto a CD by their lonesome. This is true not merely for sci-fi television, but for television in general.
  
  Richard Gibbs' score for the "Battlestar Galactica" miniseries isn't necessarily one of the best scores in the history of the world, but it is definitely a good one. It's a minimalist composition, in some ways, and if you want a couple of similar scores offered up, here goes: the remake of "Solaris" for one, and "The Ice Storm" for another. The music isn't very similar to those scores, but some of the instrumentation is.
  
  As for comparing this score to Stu Phillips' music for the original... why would you do that? This is, like the miniseries itself, something new. It's good, too: bold and daring, even.
  
  In other words, it ain't the same old thing you always hear on this type of show. I, for one, am glad of it.
  
  

• Grand, Sweeping Space Opera - No! Beautiful - Yes!!!

  
  By A1YV2DY7HV5KFI on 2004-03-17
  As a fan of Stu Phillips' wonderfull score for the original 1978 version of Battlestar Galactica I was keen to hear it revived again for the new Sci-fi Channel miniseries. This was not to be the case!
  The director wanted a non-intusive, minimalist approach to scoring this new "re-invented" version of the show.
  Composer Richard Gibbs (Queen Of The Damned) was given this difficult task and (along with assistant Bear McCreary) composed a score that not only compliments the imagery on the show perfectly but stands alone as a great listen on CD!
  At first I found it too subtle or gentle but the more I heard it the more it grew on me. It's use of ethnic instuments mixed with western styles works well. Some tracks really stand out for their sheer beauty. 'To Kiss Or Not To Kiss' is lovely and 'The Storm And The Dead' is just glorious! The "action" tracks are simple but very good in their use of Japanese taiko drums with synth backing.
  If you only like your "space opera" music in the vein of Star Wars, Star Trek or the original Battlestar style then perhaps this score isn't for you. I love all of the above but found this new approach of minimalist action scoring refreshingly different. I'm very pleased with this soothingly stylish addition to the sci-fi music universe. Bravo Mr. Gibbs!
  
  

• Completely different from the original...and a success!

  
  By on 2004-03-28
  When I first heard about a remake of the "Battlestar Galactica" TV Series, I was excited for several reasons, one of which was the score. Who was going to compose it? Would they use the original theme? When I saw the music would be composed by Richard Gibbs, a composer that I was not familiar with (although I listen to a huge amount of soundtracks). I was never-the-less quite disappointed.

  My opinion has changed immensely since my original impression! After viewing the mini-series (which I was *extremely* pleased with), I have to say the score was terrific! It's completely different from Stu Phillips' approach to the original 70's series, and still a great listen.

  Some of the tracks, such as Track 4 ("To Kiss Or Not To Kiss") has a theme in it that literally brings tears to my eyes. It's a very emotional theme that has a certain "tribal" quality to it. In fact, most of the music has this sound...kind of a "Thomas Newman meets Hans Zimmer" flair. But I do not mean this to describe Gibbs' score as a knock-off of anything else...it's entirely original and I am thrilled that it got a release on CD.

  I look forward to what Richard Gibbs will bring us once the series premieres in the fall of 2004 on the Sci-Fi Channel.
  
  

• Great and well suited to the excellent new show

  
  By A37G706S5CVQ82 on 2005-01-28
  Please don't listen to the people who can't get beyond the original series. Yes, I too loved that series--when I was 12. This new series is more thoughtful, with better writing, direction, and infinitely better production values. The new soundtrack is correspondingly updated, as well. It's great: non intrustive and atmospheric at times, and extremely tense and driving at others. It's great soundtrack for a great reimagining of the series.
  
  
• A New Take For A New Series
  By A2CMBCCDSA3VF5 on 2004-04-04
  Richard Gibbs had the unenviable task of following up to Stu Phillip's iconic score for the original Battlestar Galactica. However, rather than go with the now formulaic big and brassy space opera score that he chose a more minimalistic and tribal score. It is not only a perfect match for the reimagination of the Galactica universe, but it's a pretty decent score on its own.

  Gibbs hits the kind of atmosphere that Evan Chen tried to hit with his soundtrack to 1999's "Crusade", but does it with much more restraint and must less dissonance. He uses traditional orchestral arrangements with electronic percussion to great effect, blending tribal beats with more conventional underscoring. The first track "Are You Alive?" sets the tone with an understated drum theme that reappears throughout the soundtrack, before the score veers into pulse-pounding action tracks like "Launch Vipers" and pieces that brilliantly reflect the struggle of the Galactica's crew against overwhelming odds.

  If you're a fan of traditional space opera scoring, you'll probably be disappointed with this album. If you like a more restrained and atmospheric score, this is a worthwhile album.
  
  

• Beautiful and Haunting
  By A2EE3J00N5DNQD on 2005-02-25
  I was really captivated by the music while watching the mini series, It never overwhelmed the imagery, didn't try to sound over the top. It worked it's magic in a very subtle manner.
  
  I was so happy to learn of the release of this soundtrack. I had really missed most of the music, because it was so subtle. This music is beautiful and haunting in some spots.
  
  The series is pretty good, too! And this is coming from a non-Sci Fi fan.
  
  
• For a small-time composer...
  By A2NG8XPY9RK1AG on 2005-06-08
  ...this is an amazing score. The direction taken was a refreshing change from the usual bombastic orchestral or, god forbid, the synth that we are so used to in productions of this genre. I was very pleased with the end result. The tribal drum rolls, light synth, and passionate vocals really made this score stand out from everything I've heard in recent years. Though some may find the styles of several tracks to be repetitious, I can be very sure that the soundtrack deserves at least an honorable mention. Though Bear McCreary should also be credited for several tracks. Many of the better ones too. Look forward to the release of the first season's soundtack.
  
  
• Excellent and different
  By A3EBJDZ5N1UEI5 on 2005-04-18
  The first thing I noticed about the show was the music- it fits the mood perfectly and is not the usual fare that tries to tell you what to feel. Then again, BSG 2003 doesn't need that. It enhances the action and doesn't distract.
  
  Excellent and very different...just like the show.
  
  
  
  
  
  
• I was a skeptic; I am now a fan!
  By A35H2EI8SFHKBM on 2005-09-21
  I was a big skeptic when it came to the new Battlestar Galactica show. I never thought much of the bits of the old show that I saw when I was a kid, so when people said the new show was great, I figured, "Eh, I'll take that with a pinch of salt. I suspect they're either nostalgic for the old show or their standards were so lowered by the old show that the new show compares very favourably with it".
  
  How wrong I was!
  
  I eventually decided I ought to watch it and received the mini-series from Netflix. It sat on my TV for a couple of weeks. Then, I heard that if I bought (a US release of the UK version of) season 1 of the new Battlestar Galactica (which follows on from the mini-series), I would get a short "Serenity" promo DVD. Being a huge Firefly/Serenity fan, I bought BSG season 1 for the Serenity promo disc. That same day, we sat down to watch the mini-series DVD. I thought it would be episodes, but it turned out that the 4 episodes had been edited together into a 3 hour (maybe a couple of minutes over) feature! We couldn't stop watching. By the end of it, we wanted more, but it was late, so we went to bed.
  
  We watched all of season 1 over the next few days and absolutely LOVED it.
  
  I later found out that the UK version of season 1 had a different (_wonderful_) opening theme from the US version of season 1 (though US season 2 uses the UK season 1 theme! Yay!).
  
  Either way, both the mini-series and the series have INCREDIBLE soundtracks. They are brilliant TV, with great stories and characters and full of excitement and emotion. I would recommend them to anybody.
  
  Now, we watch season 2 on TV as it is broadcast, but I miss watching it in beautiful DVD quality, with un-cut credit sequences, wonderful sound quality and no ads.
  
  I'll be getting the season 2 DVDs when they become available.
  
  The mini-series is what grabbed us and reeled us in. It gets even better in the series, but the mini-series is excellent.
  
  
• Good but season 1 soundtrack better
  By A17LQTZ3KK7DSL on 2005-10-17
  This cd was good but I think the season 1 sountrack was better. The first few tracks on this were my favorite and while the others are good it was hard to pick out where they belonged in the DVD because they were somewhat similar, like one long song instead of different scenes.
  
  
• Great music for a great show
  By A21TWMG8FUNSUS on 2005-10-08
  The music is really understated, and I love the heavy use of percussion
  
  
• Battlestar Rocks!
  By A3234GVAAHEGEG on 2005-10-18
  The music from this show is second only to the show itself. It's powerful and movie. A must have for any Battlestar Galactica fan!
  
  
• BSG soundtrack............
  By ADHKVCYZ4D104 on 2005-09-08
  I opted for the double set and glad I did. The music is REALLLLY good, but some of the songs are a little short. They last just long enough to grab you and then it's over. Guess i'll have to loop them. Hope this helps!
  
  
• A remarkable diversion from standard SF cinematic scoring!
  By AR8Y6VPVUHCSB on 2006-07-01
  I love Jerry Goldsmith and John Williams as much as the next SF buff, but I was knocked back on my heels by how different the soundtrack to the Galactica miniseries turned out to be! Instead of shouting trumpets and fanfare and the 'space opera' panache of a typical Williams work, Gibbs takes the opposite road and often sets moods with subtlety, employing a range of non-traditional instrumentation including Japanese Taiko drumming and indonesian gamelan. Synthesizer is also employed, with judicious precision, and the entire work compliments the tight, skillfully written, acted, and shot movie right down to the last scene.
  
  I purchased this several weeks ago, and have listened to it many, many times since. Hearing the score without the film actually reveals further levels of richness that I didn't detect while watching the movie, and certain tracks, such as 17 and 22, really attain a heightened level of emotional and aural impact that I found most remarkable.
  
  Kudos for Ron Moore and Co. for having the daring(?) to use Gibbs, who has created a most unusual and delightful soundscape for this most unusual and remarkable remake of a traditional popcorn Saturday afternoon SF classic.
  
  The new score, like the new series, stands impressively on its own. Bravo!
  
  
• awesome
  By A1HRQF655CTDNW on 2006-08-19
  great soundtrack, very original pacing, style, really adds to the sombering darkness of the series and great to listen to as you work on something... dark and somber
  
  
• They call this a score?
  By A3EKR4ADZUTVZO on 2004-11-21
  If you have no appreciation for music and/or tone deaf, then this definitely right up your alley, for it sounds not unlike the strangling of cats at 50 metrons.
  
  Now if you like a rich, full-blown score that creates amood and stirs the emotions, buy the Battlestar Galactica (Original Soundtrack) 25th Anniversary Edition right here at Amazon!
  
  
• Nice soundtrack
  By A2EYFSG6QPUG8T on 2006-03-23
  This is a nice soundtrack. I think it's more reserved because this series has lots of dialouge so it does have delicate sounding tracks then explodes during battle scenes but still a small set of instruments and synthisizers I believe but still makes it work very well for the series. It's very enjoyable to listen to it.
  
  
• Dark but Original / Non Bombastic but very moving and it grows on you
  By A2O64AG9B5QS8O on 2007-03-17
  After finally catching up on the series and downloading the 3rd season from ITunes I can finally write a review for the soundtracks. After watching the miniseries and the first season of the new Battlestar Galactica I of course ordered the soundtracks.
  
  Let's of course start here with Battlestar Galactica: The miniseries soundtrack and then later I'll write a review for the first and second season...I recieved my copy of the miniseries last week but I wanted to hear the soundtrack a few times before giving my review..at first I was going to give it 4 stars because at times part of the score can be very dark and not be rich in color but I think after listening to this a few times now I can agree with some of the other reviewers and say this definitely grows on you.
  
  I too was critical and not sure what direction the soundtrack was going to go being a fan of the original series and the way Stu Phillips wrote the score but after watching the miniseries and finding out that Richard Gibbs a former member of Oingo Boingo had taken the helm for the mini I was intrigued. I of course watched the mini and was pleasantly surprised how good it worked in the show but maybe not quite on cd but again listening on cd it has grown on me. I think overall for many soundtrack fans I can understand this isn't the most pleasant of soundtracks but like a lot of things it is an aquired taste. So if I could give a 4 1/2 instead of a 5 I would but unfortunately there is either 4 or 5 to give and I'm giving it a 5 because it is original and shows that not all science fiction has to be so unrealistic that it has to have a sweeping bombastic crashing score.
  
  This is by far the most realistic science fiction television show ever even though Babylon 5 is very very close 2nd. In this soundtrack it shows that the even in their universe life isn't perfect. The score is dark but very beautiful in it's own sense beginning with "Are You Alive?" which becomes the signature theme for #6 throughout the series and of course is used in the prologue before each episode. Fans of the original Battlestar Galactica theme don't be dissapointed that it isn't featured here in the soundtrack from the decommissioning ceremony because Bear McCreary has Stu Phillips as a guest during the 2nd season to compose the theme a little differently in one of the episodes and is included on the 2nd season disc so please refer to that disc and you won't be dissapointed plus you can read several reviews inluding mine very soon.
  
  A few more things inluding Track #19 Thousands Left Behind-I of course won't be giving anything away here but the music is so realistic in a sense that it does make me remember that scene in the movie and how the event could actually take place here on Earth.
  
  There are plenty more tracks that I could review here but overall there are so many to choose from that are so good and rich that even some of the ones that may seem almost too dark and feel like fillers are better with each listen. This music is very reminiscent of the individual Babylon 5 episodic discs that I own but just a bit darker. No you can't have a party or have a cadance with this soundtrack but if you have an open mind and enjoy this music for what it is really meant to do and describe a documentary style of tv show then I will not be dissapointed. Give this soundtrack a shot and by the time you get to Season 1 and Season 2 (both the series and soundtrack) you will want to go back and listen to the miniseries soundtrack again and again because it truely grows on you plus it's so surreal and realistic that it's a good listen on almost any occasion
  
  Don't be afraid because it's dark it's refreshing to listen to other music than Star Wars or Star Trek or even the original Battlestar Galactica. Trust me you will appreciate how good this score really is and not to take away from other Sci Fi music like Star Wars because I really enjoy those scores too but this breaks up the monotany and shows a different side of the universe a little more realistic...Enjoy!!..now look for me on Season 1 review..
  
  
• Haunting Score
  By A6U3MF4ZGTCER on 2006-07-22
  Bear McCready (composer of the regular series' music) took many of Gibb's leifmotifs from this score, and for good reason. The Miniseries score begins eerily with the "Cylon" chiming, then progresses into a Galactica main theme (which is unfortunately not used at all in the regular series). The main theme is most dramatic in the the track, "The Storm and the Dead," complete with vocals. It's not your everyday "space opera" Wagnerian music; people who like that stuff should look elsewhere.
  
  
• A stellar score for a ground-breaking show
  By ALVZTTOMF0YIP on 2006-11-08
  When Battlestar Galactica re-appeared it was clear that we were dealing with something that would challenge our expectations of a sci-fi drama, and it did so with such critical success that it made fans of people from widely varied and unlikely walks of life.
  
  A great deal of the success of the tone of this show is attributible to Richard Gibbs' score, which is as unconventional as the show itself. Stark Koto drum arrangements underscore battle scenes to add to tension, and the times of desperate peril are sometimes voiced by simple sad bell arrangements which run counterpoint to the direness of the situations. The music is truly another main character to provide reference to the action, and always in an unconventional way.
  
  Pick this up to relive the spectacle of the show, or to give similar mood to your day in the world which our heroes on Galactica are so valiantly trying to find.
  
  
• Did you notice?
  By A28GWZNPQW7QEU on 2006-05-26
  Has anyone noticed that the original theme can be heard during the decomissioning ceremony on board Galactica in the new miniseries? It lasts only a couple of seconds. You can also see displays with the old Cylon centurions and a model of one of their motherships. I guess it was a way to establish a connection with the original film and series, without relying too much on the older premises.
  
  This is a different series that calls for different music. I think the new score enhances the mood in this approach to BSG.
  
  
• Love it!
  By AL0CQH9JCE2F6 on 2006-06-30
  This album is really good. I've been disappointed with other TV show albums, but I really like this one. The music is beautiful, I love the drums and the tribal sounds. I also love the celtic music! Great show, great soundtrack!
  
  
• View from a trumpet player...
  By A2L2T241FX9MQL on 2006-09-29
  I got a good laugh at the reviewer who advised listeners looking for "feel good triumphant trumpet" too buy Aaron Copland's music. That's rich! And it is actually very good advice. In Aaron Copland's universe the piece "Quiet City" is not too far from the new Battlestar's mood.
  
  In short, I adore all of the music for the new series. The opening theme is fantastic.
  
  I'm a trumpet player, life-long from playing lead in U.S. Navy Bands, through college working on my music degree, and now in retirement as a volunteer in a community orchestra.
  
  Good music is good, no matter one's background. The new Battlestar Galactica music is perfect for the current program.
  
  
• some of the best
  By A1DP1Q1Z1J22S9 on 2006-11-02
  This is one of the best soundtracks out there. The originality of the music is wonderful but the way the composer captures the mood..well its stunning.
  
  
• Spare, but true
  By A1I6H9EUH3MAV4 on 2007-01-10
  Listening to Richard Gibb's sound track for Battlestar Galactica is a bit jarring at first. Perhaps that has to do with the shock of such a minimalistic score after becoming used to the much richer scores from the Season One & Season Two disc sets. That being said, however, Richard Gibb's music is still very pleasing in it's own right. The spare, crisp notes lose none of the flavor of the first two discs, of which he was also a performer.
  
  All three albums together create a very complete audio picture of this fantastic drama. Well worth adding to one's collection.
  
  
• BSG Fan
  By A3CV5L87RQ3MUP on 2007-04-10
  I Love Soundtrack. And I love the Battle Star Galactica Series both classic and Present. It's great to listen to the sound of the series. They are a little diffrent than what I'm use to liking in a SoundTrack or Score. But their enjoyable and relaxing to me.
  
  
• Good as far as soundtracks go
  By A3OELIRJQXZLRL on 2007-07-29
  I'm not sure how to make this terribly objective, so at the risk of bias, I'll just say what's on my mind.
  
  I enjoy this particular set of music. Not all of it is interesting - in particular there's a fair amount of percussion solo and soli (not a typo) sections that struck me as boring. Then again, I'm just one person with one particular set of likes and dislikes. Keep this in mind.
  
  I bought this CD along with the soundtracks for seasons one and two, and so my comparisons will be based mostly on the three albums. Of those three, the miniseries soundtrack (the one you're looking at) probably has about as much music I like as the other two combined. Some good tracks:
  
  1. "Are you alive?" / BSG main title
  4. To Kiss or Not to Kiss (warm and serene - great to listen to when you need a little internal peace)
  5. The Day Comes
  17. Apollo Is Gone / Starbuck Returns (similar to track 4)
  21. Reunited
  24. Battle (one of the more interesting percussion sections - I wish I knew what kind of drum was used for this)
  25. Good Night
  26. By Your Command (a great recap with that creepy Cylon theme)
  
  A rather large gap there, between tracks 5 and 17 - you might say that's the meat of the material I was bored by.
  
  
• Great on the show, not so great my itself
  By A346HXUI5QZ64A on 2007-11-09
  I'm a big fan of the show, and while the music works really well on screen, by itself its rather bland.
  
  Most songs are percussion heavy and simplistic, which is what they wanted the music for the show to be. I only really like a few tracks on the disc, usually the ones involving six's theme.
  
  If you are reading this review then it's highly likely that you are trying to decide if you should buy this CD and the answer to that it simple - if you are a BG fan then yes, if not then my advice to you would be to carefully listen to all the samples before making up your mind.
  
  
• Galactica Expanse
  By A18AEK20X7HND2 on 2007-11-19
  It is a nice soundtrack for those who enjoy the series. It is instrumental and it is something that I use to give me inspiration for creating art.
  
  

• Battlestar Galactica: Season One
• Battlestar Galactica: Season Two
• Battlestar Galactica: Season 3
• Battlestar Galactica - Razor (Unrated Extended Edition)
• Battlestar Galactica - Season Three