I stopped in at the local Borders bookstore today, and while wading through the gobs of latte-sipping bobos, I managed to find a most wonderful thing, a 25th anniversary edition of the original soundtrack to Battlestar Galactica.

This means about zilch to most of the audience, but nevertheless, I thought I'd start trying to get the word out. I own the 1999 Royal Scottish National Orchestra version; bought that several years ago, but it's not the same. For obvious reasons, the score I'm used to hearing is decidely not what's on the RSNO disc. I do, however, concur in the judgment of the Filmtracks review and suggest that you ought to pick up the RSNO release, because it is objectively a good recording.

This disc is the original Stu Phillips/Los Angeles Philharmonic recording from 1978 remastered at 96k/24-bit (whatever that means), presented with an extra track that happens to be a disco version of the Galactica main theme. Yeah, er...whatever. I can't imagine anyone in a disco doing those weird dances to such a thing, but then I had a hard time believing Bonnie Tyler's "Total Eclipse of the Heart" was redone into a reasonably successful club tune in the 1990s, too.

Liner notes are from Mark Altman, co-publisher of Cinefantastique, a veteran sci-fi movie magazine; Glen A. Larson, the creator; Stu Phillips the composer; and Richard Hatch, who played Apollo on the series. Most of 'em are worth reading, so for once the liner notes aren't annoying.

Glen Larson apparently still believes the premise of the show, that "life here began out there" and that "there may yet be brothers of Man who even now fight to survive far, far away amongst the stars..." Moving back to reality, Larson also says he's negotiated the feature film rights and suggests that a movie will be around soon. Here's hoping he's a) right and b) uses as much of the 1970s look as possible, because there's something special about it; for whatever reason, the look of the show is distinct and appreciable.

I did, of course, snap this disc up without a second thought, and if you're a fan of the series or like the late 1970s sci-fi soundtrack genre in general, I'd recommend purchasing it. It's been a decent year for Galactica fans, what with the original series on DVD and the Sci-Fi remake starting tomorrow. I don't get either of them, 'cause I'm broke for the latter and don't get Sci-Fi. This is unfortunate, because I'd be watching if my lousy local provider gave me such things. I'd gladly trade Lifetime and Bravo for it, if you bums are listening.

NB: Galactica gave us two of the Holy Trinity of 1970s TV Sci-Fi Babes in the persons of Maren Jensen's Athena and Jane Seymour's Serina. The third is, of course, Erin Gray's Colonel Wilma Deering in the first season of Buck Rogers in the 25th Century. [It goes without saying that Carrie Fisher's Leia Organa reigns supreme in the grand scheme of things, though.]

Posted by: Country Pundit at 11:20 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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