Frackin' awesome CD
One of the best things about the "Battlestar Galactica" CDs is that, unlike many other TV or film soundtracks, the majority of tracks on this album contain full-length compositions, not just little snippets of music that last less than a minute. Season Three of "BSG" was probably the most dramatic season the show's had thus far, and the music is all very intense, energetic, and emotional. Obviously, the best track on this album is the version of "All Along the Watchtower" performed by Bear McCreary, featuring Bt4. This is the song that played during the last few minutes of the dramatic season finale, and it's a fantastic cover version of a classic song. There are also a lot of other great tracks from the show's score included on this album. Highlights include "Precipice," which starts off slow and then builds and builds, becoming more intense as it goes on; "Storming New Caprica," a fast-paced battle song; "Violence and Variations," a somber theme that is used throughout the season; "The Dance," which is an Irish jig (kind of out of place in the world of "BSG," but it works); "Battlestar Sonatica," a melancholy ballad; "Fight Night," another powerful battle track; "Dirty Hands," which almost has a bit of a country twang to it; "Mandala in the Clouds," one of the most frantic songs on the entire album; and "Heeding the Call," a.k.a. the cylon revelation theme.

If you're a fan of "BSG" or just a lover of good music, this album is definitely for you!

Simply One of the Absolute Best
What can I say? Not only does Battlestar Galactica have the best music currently on television, it has some of the best instrumental music that I've ever heard anywhere. And the Season Three soundtrack is, on the whole, the best of all three seasons yet released (although I can't wait for Number Four). Galactica truly has a very distinctive feel with its music by forgoing a constant orchestra and going for a smaller and more concentrated sound.

I'll start at the beginning. Raya Yarborough's vocals in "A Distant Sadness" are beautifully haunting, and it perfectly emulates the emotions from the episode. "Precipice" from the same episode is a great fast-paced piece that works as a prelude or preview to some of the bigger action pieces of the disc. "Admiral and Commander" is a good rendition of the Adama family theme, but it can't quite measure up to "Wander My Friends" from the first season.

"Storming New Caprica" is one of the best pieces of the soundtrack. It is in the vein of "Prelude to War" from Season Two, but New Caprica is far more complex with changing rhythms and more varied instrumentation. There's an inevitable comparison between the two pieces, and I prefer Prelude for its simplicity and power. But "Storming New Caprica" is stunning. This is followed by "Refugees Return", a surprisingly melancholy piece for the occassion is celebrates. It is a beautiful piece that creates a sort of sad victory. Next up is "Wayward Soldier", which introduces a cool new strings theme. However, it's not one I listen to very often simply because I like other pieces better.

We then have "Violence and Variations", the second long cue of the soundtrack. Each season has a long strings cue, and Violence is the best of any of them. Clocking in at nearly eight minutes, it encompasses many old themes from the show while also creating some new ones. It is extraordinary. Next is "The Dance", a piece I rarely listen to. It creates a nice world feel for Galactica, but it does feel a little out of place. Then we have "Adama Falls", an inferior rendition of the "Roslin and Adama" theme. Stick with Season Two on this one. After that is "Under the Wing", a short version of Starbuck's theme. It sounds fine and it's nice, but it's only 75 seconds, so not much happens with it.

Next up is the masterpiece of the disc, "Battlestar Sonatica". This piano solo is absolutely stunning. Words fail to describe how good this piece is. It is one of the most relaxing and calming pieces of music that I have ever heard. Then it's time for "Fight Night", a percussion-driven piece that gets a little lost in the rest of the disc. It's a good cue, but it's not memorable. With a disc like this, it has to be memorable. "Kat's Sacrifice" is next, and this is one of my favorites. It's the second time that brass has been used in the series, which really makes it a special occassion. The music itself is very powerful and creates this sense of both the loss and gain created by Kat's sacrifice. "Someone to Trust" is after that, a string piece that creates a relaxing feel at the start, but becomes very eerie and creepy at the end.

After that, we have two pieces that I've actually not listened to. I've never listened to "The Temple of Five" or "Dirty Hands". They didn't catch my attention when I started them, so I skipped them. We then have the tragic "Gentle Execution", a wonderfully crafted rendition of "Worthy of Survival" that truly evokes the sadness of Ellen Tigh's execution. Then it's "Mandala in the Clouds", an oustanding fast-paced piece that is driven by drum rhythms. It's too bad that this piece is barely audible in the episode, because it's awesome. "Deathbed and Maelstrom" is a beautiful rendition of the Starbuck theme, probably the best one yet released. It truly binds the scene together, creating a very powerful emotional response.

And we come to "Heeding the Call" and "All Along the Watchtower", two nearly inseparable pieces. Heeding serves as a prelude to Watchtower, and it's awesome. It's pulled straight from the season finale, and it sounds amazing. As for "All Along the Watchtower" itself, hasn't everything already been said? Most people (myself included) would have paid the price of the album just for that song. Now what does that tell you?

Battlestar Galactica: Season Three truly showcases the best of the best. There are so many great pieces that it's difficult to pick specific recommendations. But here are my specific song recommendations:
1. Storming New Caprica
2. Violence and Variations
3. Battlestar Sonatica
4. Mandala in the Clouds
5. All Along the Watchtower
But heck, just buy the whole disc. Trust me, it's worth it.

awesome
This is one of the best music albums that I have personally listened to in quite some time. What Bear McCreary did to Bob Dylan's (NOT Hendrix! if you read the liner notes you will see that it is credited to Dylan) song is simply refreshing.

Complicated, intriguing series
The story is difficult to follow unless you've been keeping up. These days those you can see the dvd or download episodes. The new sci-fi show is nothing like the original. The original one was a kids show with bad dialog. The new series kept the basic concept but has complex characters with questionable motives. The twists and turns keep you watching. Don't even think about the original show when you see the new one.

Bittersweet and beautiful
Both heart-wrenching and beautiful, Bear McCreary puts in his best and most innovative work to date, combining traditional orchestral elements with worldwide instruments and themes to create an aural melange that perfectly captures the sorrow, strife, regret and gnawing madness that tormented the crew of the Galactica during the show's third season.

Don't miss this if you caught even one episode of the series.