Hope you can get your hands on the Hellraiser Chronicles, they're all fantastic scores. Miller's take on the series is pretty underrated (but not as grand next to Young) IMO.

Review:
http://www.moviewave.net/titles/battlestar_galactica_season1.html

If you have AIM or MSN, email me and I'll send you some tracks from the score, I think you'll really enjoy it ... it's filled with heavily purccusive action (the martial and heroic "Battle On The Asteroid," "Starkbuck On The Red Moon," and "The Olympic Carrier") and raw emotion ("Two Funerals," "Passacaglia," and "Bloodshed"); the orchestral approach to the show doesn't appear until near the end of the disc, like the series, the orchestra isn't heard in full until the season final, "Kobol's Last Gleaming." For me, it probably helps that I'm a huge fan of the show, but nonetheless, I highly recommend it—Mr. McCreary has real talent and what an album and television series to display it! (And my CD is signed by him!!!)

Adding to Sean's praise, the orchestral parts from the finale and moments from the season are indeed quite good. Chances are, if you liked Gibbs' contributions...you'll dig the 1st season. I do think Sean being a fan of the series helps a lot though (as I am too!!!). So be sure to see an episode or two of the series...it's a great hour of TV and will help aid your desicion.

NP - The Village

quote:

---

Originally posted by Dinko:
I frankly found it more enjoyable than the majority of recent film scores.

---

That's why it's my favourite release of the year, far better than anything the "safe" composers have put out this summer.

NP: DJ Green Lantern / D12

A word of warning, though: Don't buy this disc blind. Relying on expectations will send you on a collision course. This is a very different approach to the sci-fi genre. It's got its signature sci-fi moments, but a majority of the music consists of pulse-pounding ethnic percussion and vocals, with an occasional dip into small ensemble orchestral pieces (beautiful). The music is certainly an experience, and like Sean said: full of raw emotion and heroism. If you're not familiar with the show or haven't watched Season One straight through, you're missing out -- and the music won't hold as much weight. It's embued with subtlety that works in layers when paired with the dramatic content of the story and acting. So, I guess I can't recommend this album without recommending the show - but regardless, it's great stuff.

Hope this helps. And Alex, you're crazy! Comparing Gibb's work on Battlestar w/ McCreary's is like comparing apples and oranges.

Jeron

Sadly, my trusted old Nissan 240SX just gave out on me on Thurday evening and I will be going to buy a new car tomorrow (Saturday) so it may be a few weeks before I put in my order at mm.com (or Amazon). Just when I had gotten a raise and everything, my car decides to take its last dump and ruin my savings fund as well as my checking account from the past three months (included in this was my money going towards a whole big order that would cover the next three months for me).

Anyways, thanks to Alex, Sean, Dinko, Sakman, and Jeron for your comments. And Southall,

quote:

---

Another thing.
Does Bear McCreary **** in the woods?

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by tjguitar:
I listen to Stu Phillips RSNO recording far more than either of these discs, though Season One is definitely better than the miniseries disc.

---

Stu Phillips' music is great, no argument there. This is kinda like trying to compare Fred Steiner's original scores for Star Trek to the music Dennis McCarthy wrote on Enterprise. LOL... not the greatest analogy, but you know what I mean.

-j

This is generally not the type of score that I would like as pure musical listening, but I'm finding that I'm enjoying it very much. I think that if you like one, you'll like the other. They're very much in the same vein, very ambient, taiko and snare drums, world influences, occasional washes of orchestra...

quote:

---

Originally posted by tjguitar:
Well, for what its worth I enjoy Dennis McCarthy's work on the latter star trek series, more than this newer Battlestar Galactica music.

---

That's still a poor comparison.

quote:

---

Originally posted by Swashbuckler:
Christopher Gordon, Richard Tognetti and Iva Davies' score for Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World.

---

All Along The Watchtower!!!!! WOOOOT!!

--Brian

quote:

---

Originally posted by Jeron:
I honestly don't think these scores can or should be enjoyed to their fullest extent without first seeing the episodes. Amazing show. Not seeing it is doing yourself a disservice.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by franz_conrad:
But who has the time for a long run committment to a TV show just to appreciate the music better. There are too many unread books to read, films to see, things to do, etc etc.

---

Check it out on DVD!

I love it!

quote:

---

Originally posted by tjguitar:
Series is overrated there's better sci fi such as Heroes, Stargate SG-1, The 4400 etc.

---

4400!?! Heroes!?! Get real! SG-1 is good, but it's no Battlestar, that's for damn sure. Please describe in detail how Battlestar Galactica is overrated.

quote:

---

Originally posted by sean:
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size=1 face=arial>quote:</font><HR size=1>Originally posted by tjguitar:
[b]Series is overrated there's better sci fi such as Heroes, Stargate SG-1, The 4400 etc.<HR size=1></BLOCKQUOTE>

4400!?! Heroes!?! Get real! SG-1 is good, but it's no Battlestar, that's for damn sure. Please describe in detail how Battlestar Galactica is overrated.

[/B]

---

It's just not a very good series. In the last season alone, they tease deaths of characters who should die, they turn likable characters into cylons, that whole love quadriangle was pointless...and the worst of all is the cinematography is awful. Bad writing, bad directing, oh, and the blatant religious overtones are annoying. And the Bob Dylan thing was really cheesy.

Oh, I can totally see some people going to town on this thread.

And Tig, your answer has to have examples. We all went to school here, so, to prove a point you need supporting information. Saying something is bad just because is lame.

--Brian

tjguitar: First of all, I'm fascinated by your their "cinematography is awful" comment. Please elaborate. In my estimation, BSG has the best look of any series to date and right now; the show is shot like a film; their HD cameras certainly bring out that film-like look to it, which is far better than the generic look given to everything else, from Lost to 24 to Heroes etc.; and I'd argue the look of it is one of the best things about the show, from Joel Ransom's DOP work on the mini-series using 35mm film to Steve McNutt's excellent DOP work with HD on seasons 1-3. "Bad writing" in what sense? What episode(s) are you talking about? "Kobol's Last Gleaming" is a fantastic script by Ron Moore and David Eick; "Pegasus" is just stellar, by Ron Moore and Anne Coffell Saunders; same with the following 2-part "Resurrection Ship" by Ron Moore and Michael Rymer (also director); and let us not forget the two best writers on show Bradley Thompson and David Weddle (Sam Peckinpah's excellent biographer), who've done fantastic work with "Act Of Contrition," "Hand Of God," "Scattered," and "Exodus," just to name a few. Who are the "bad directors"? Is it Michael Rymer, probably their best director, for the mini-series, or the intense "33," or the 3-part "Pegasus / Resurrection Ship," or the 4-part "Kobol's Last Gleaming / Scattered / Valley Of Darkness," or "Lay Down Your Burdens," or for the finale "Crossroads"? Or do you mean Sergio Mimica-Gezzan (Steven Spielberg's assistant director for years)? And his work with widely considered successes like "You Can't Go Home Again," the action-packed "Fragged," the intense Pegasus-centred episode "Captain's Hand" with a strong guest performance from John Heard!, or the amazing season 3 opener "Occupation / Precipice"? Is that what you're talking about? What's wrong with religious overtones? I'm an atheist, no doubt about it, but I find the "religious overtones" fascinating and great for many of the characters; hell, a lot of them make terrible decisions because of it. Whose deaths did they tease out? I don't remember any. There was a fantastic and legitimate death episode with "The Passage" (written Jane Espenson!!! for frak's sake!), but I won't spoil who dies for anyone who hasn't seen it and is reading this. tj, you've got to be specific and smart here if you're gonna tackle tearing down something like Battlestar Galactica.

--Brian

::reads sean's commentary::

: ssssskl;ajfoiwemafdsF!!!!!!!!! milk is coming up my nose!::

Some of the episodes you mentioned were good, and I do think that this past season was the strongest, but I hate that "Film-like shooting" that you seem to desire on TV.

It's very DARK and hard to see details. They need more birghts to contrast. I don't know.

quote:

---

Originally posted by tjguitar:
It's very DARK and hard to see details. They need more birghts to contrast. I don't know.

---

Bad tv set? I can see the details fine with my non-HD set and the HD rips I have on my computer look spectacular.