Battlestar Galactica: Season Two Reviewed by Jon Minners Season two was much darker than the first. You had a lot going on with issues of mutiny, Civil War, espionage, politics, Cylon-ism (racism), death, love triangles, characters unraveling and an underground scene that seemed perfectly fit for the show’s element. This was when the crew was really tested and even when it looked like they were leading to some sort of salvation, nothing was as good as it seemed in the end. You learned more about the Cylons and you learned more about the characters in one season than you ever would in the original series so long ago. In fact, the best part of this season was the fact that they took storyline elements from the original show and made full blown plot lines out of them that spanned the entire season, highlighting the kind of drama that could have been created way back when and bringing it to an older audience. But back to the soundtrack. Since the entire season rocked and was better than the first, it stands to reason that the same can be said for the soundtrack and that would be true. Bear McCreary calls the first one a soundtrack and this latest release an album. And he would be right. There were even a couple of hard rocking tunes thrown in the mix in addition to the military-style score and a take on the colonial theme from the original series that just brought back so many memories. I love some of the cultural sounds that were evident in the first soundtrack, including the Celtic, Indian, Middle Eastern and African influences. A great touch to the CD are the vocals by Raya Yarbrough and Bt4, who made Lords of Kobol and The Cylon Prisoner, respectively, memorable songs. Other standout tracks include Scar, Something Dark is Coming and Prelude to War, among so many others. So, I saved the best for last. Battlestar Galactica is honestly the only soundtrack I listen to often. The first one is part of my permanent collection and this second volume will join it. Look for more great scores when Battlestar Galactica Season Three begins airing on the Sci-Fi Network this October. |
There really isn’t much to say about this soundtrack that I didn’t already say about the first one. I mean, Battlestar Galactica is probably the best-scripted show on television today. It may be on the Sci-Fi Network, but the show is pointedly realistic in nature, in that it draws from historic and current world themes and plays them out in a futuristic environment involving androids and other alien creatures. The music makes Battlestar Galactica feel more like a theatrical release than a television series; each episode playing out like a mini-film. Yes, it takes an awesome series and makes it that much better. That’s how you word it.
