There's nothing more wonderful than having high expectations exceeded. I love the music to the reimagined Battlestar Galactica - music is a pivotal element of TV and film for me - and I expected the soundtracks to be good. They are exquisite.
A great deal of TV soundtrack is generic and predictable, either badly written, poorly produced, or both. I loved the Sopranos' use of recorded songs, largely because it would have been criminal to ruin a great show with predictable score. That's definitely not the case here - the variety and poignancy of Bear Mccreary's music for Battlestar is a simple delight.
It's a dark show, and a lot of the music reflects that; but I like the tone of the show, and I feel it in the soundtrack. In Battlestar there were even a few opportunities for the soundtrack to lead, and lead it did - especially the fantastic version of 'All Along the Watchtower' that ends season 3. It's great to hear it in full, with no distractions.
What amazed me on listening to the OSTs is how so many of the themes and one-offs were etched into my memory from watching the show. I've not heard the soundtrack separately before today, but I feel like I've known much of it for years. I had the same experience with the glorious soundtracks to Lord of the Rings and Gladiator; it was a beautiful surprise to feel again another, somehow more personal, aspect to a fine piece of art.
