"Prelude to War" - So Say We All: Battlestar Galactica Live

New #musicvideo! By far the toughest #BattlestarGalactica song to adapt for a live concert was the epic #PreludeToWar, with its urgent strings and slammin' taiko drum breakdowns. What do you think? Does this hold up against the studio recording?
#SoSayWeAll
#BSGArchive

[@MedDev404]

The battle drum riff is absolutely iconic to this day. Way ahead of its time as a show.

[@Philistine47]

Bear McCreary: composer, conductor, and Hype Man.

[@arnoldsherrill6305]

I believe in time travel now., because just hearing and watching this took me back to the Glory Days of Battlestar Galactica... Long may she remain in our hearts.... so say we all.. so say we all. Even in this version they didn't lose a step. most excellent and Worthy of being on repeat. And if they ever do get a new series off the ground, for God's sake let bear McCreary do the music

[@blackdog6969]

Let Bear do the music... So say we all

[@commodorejones8044]

So say we all.

[@zlodrim9284]

SO SAY WE ALL!

[@Vortex-295]

So Say We All

[@GodlessScummer]

So say we all.

[@TheFuzzypuddle]

I love the passion in the string section. It seems like in every song either the violinist in the front or Tina Guo, the cellist, is getting after it. This group of musicians compliment each other so well.

[@dosmastrify]

Paul Cartwright

[@maxwalther640]

Just epic. Imho the e-guitars and the drums create a different atmosphere from the studio version, but it still fits perfectly into the BSG sound. Love that version

[@Philistine47]

I'd say this sounds more like something from Blood and Chrome, but it's still the same franchise.

[@greendragon4058]

I love life music, I've watched a lot of shows just because bear did the soundtrack for

[@Necromonger69]

Adama: You told me they'd get a fair trial. What kind of a trial could they have possibly had? Admiral Helena Cain: I assure you I heard them out. I weighed their statements against those of the guards and I took into consideration their service records and commendations. It was a difficult decision, Commander, but I daresay it was a fair one. Adama: They have the right to have their case heard by a jury. Cain: I am a flag officer on detached service during a time of war. Regulations give me broad authority in this matter. Adama: [to Tigh] Launch the fighters. [to Cain] You can quote me whatever regulation you'd like. I'm not going to let you execute my men. Cain: I highly suggest you reconsider that statement, Commander. Colonel Jack Fisk: Admiral, Galactica is launching Vipers and a Raptor. Cain: Commander, why are you launching Vipers? Adama: Please arrange for Chief Tyrol and Lieutenant Agathon to be handed over to my Marines as soon as they arrive. Cain: I don't take orders from you! Adama: Call it whatever you like, I'm getting my men. Cain: You are making such a mistake. Adama: I'm getting my men. Cain: Action stations. Fisk: Admiral, this will spiral out of control fast. Cain: Launch the alert Vipers. Adama has taken us over the line. He's left me with no choice but to launch the alert Vipers. Target the main battery for Galactica. And may the Gods have mercy on their souls.

[@juliet_angeldust]

This song is actually what got me into Battlestar Galactica. At the time I knew NOTHING about the show nor the franchise, but I stumbled upon an episode on TV. Let me tell you that hearing taikos roaring in the middle of a space battle got me hooked instantaneously ! Thanks again for the amazing tracks ! So say we all !

[@promnightdumpsterbaby9553]

The scene where apolo is floating in space watching the galactica and peggy just decimate 2 baseships is the best thing i have ever seen put to film.

[@Thrawn215]

SAME!! I had to do a school project, and dad suggested using this as a backing, and was like "yes. Btw, where does this come from?"

[@bami2]

@@promnightdumpsterbaby9553 it wasn't put to film, all shot digitally :P That scene was loosely based on the experiences of ensign george gay as the battle of midway unfolded above his head while he was floating in the ocean after having been shot down.

[@uri.kalish]

It took me about a year, but eventually I found out that the exotic haunting sounding musical instrument from the TV series was not an artificial synth sound, but an Armenian Duduk. I now own a few of these. Extremely hard to play.

[@petersvillage7447]

You probably know by now, but the Duduk had a phase of popularity in 90s film scores - seemingly always played by Djivan Gasparyan. I first discovered the Duduk browsing the sleeve notes to Graeme Revell's score to The Crow... it's such a haunting sound...

[@uri.kalish]

@@petersvillage7447 Actually, I did NOT know, but I would probably find out anyway in a few days, because I was just planning to see The Crow this weekend on Netflix. Great timing for this comment! Back then, when the movie came out, I LOVED it, so I bought the soundtrack (although I must admit I only remember loving Burn by The Cure), and even went dressed as Eric Draven to some Purim party (kind of a semi-lame Jewish Halloween) in Tel Aviv.

[@petersvillage7447]

@@uri.kalish Yes, I loved it at the time too - it was the first film where I realised there were two soundtrack albums, and I bought them both. I knew a Russian lady for a while who I think told me that Djivan Gasparyan was big in the Soviet Union, I think maybe that he'd actually played for Stalin or something. She sent me an entire album of Gasparyan's music... Anyway, it's him on the Gladiator soundtrack too. For a while him and his Duduk became *that* sound in film scores... anyway, glad my comment was informative, I hope you enjoy The Crow!

[@ripleysephiroth4850]

That sound makes this even more iconic. Been having this on repeat and finally came to find a live version ❤. The energy is epic.

[@BanthaWorship]

Bear McCreary still banging out tunes I can listen to after having lost my hearing thanks to epic drums and visibly extra strings. Never let anyone tell you to cut back on the percussion. In fact, anytime someone suggest less, add one more drum.

[@BanthaWorship]

Doug will back me up on this!

[@Clintondmb]

One of the best scenes of the whole series. What a treat us fans got to experience with Bear and the rest of the team working on BSG.

[@Clintondmb]

Also, “I’m getting my men!”

[@kw7807]

@@Clintondmb YESSSS!!

[@kyffhazard6823]

This instrumental sounds like it began as a impromptu jam session, which slowly sucked in all sorts of instruments, and got so epic it was later properly transcribed into an actual ritual you perform as a Prelude to War

[@tomb7545]

LOL I can imagine that

[@kw7807]

@@tomb7545 same

[@Matisaro]

"I'm getting my men......I'm GETTING MY MEN."

[@joaovitorreisdasilva9573]

Maaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan this is good, I miss BSG Also the ending didn't suck, it was always about the spiritual journey of two civilizations and how humanity, our, has elements of those's two... FIGHT ME INTERNET RRREEEE

[@jaffarebellion292]

It wasn't about that until about halfway through season 3. At its heart, BSG was about humanity's struggle for survival while grappling with the notion that it may not actually be worthy of surviving.

[@joaovitorreisdasilva9573]

@@jaffarebellion292 But even the theme of "is humanity worth saving" plays into the theme of two civilizations comming together. Like... Yes and no... we should save some aspects and let others die, same for the Cylons, and in the end "our" humanity got the best* of both! :D *not really, but to end in a positive note.

[@jaffarebellion292]

@@joaovitorreisdasilva9573 True, and maybe if the execution was a little better, I'd have enjoyed it tremendously. As it stands, the ending was just kind of dumb. My problem isn't that the show had a strong spiritual side. That's nothing new in sci-fi. My problem is that a lot of things are set up and never paid off. It becomes pretty clear by the end that every time the writers needed something to happen and didn't want to explain it, they just shrugged their shoulders, called it an act of God, and moved on. After all they went through, throwing away all their technology was just frakking stupid. When all was said and done, both civilizations left themselves in a position where they lacked modern medicine, advanced shelter, weapons with which to hunt and defend themselves from predators and hostile natives. In addition, the loss of all records of what happened means those who come after them are denied a chance to learn from, (and avoid repeating) their mistakes. At least it gave us one final chance to say "DAMMIT, LEE!" By the by, the flash forward at the end proved my point for me. I'm sure all those engineers working on new AI would've loved to know that "all of this has happened before".

[@GeneralGrievous-1138]

⁠@@jaffarebellion292three things: -their technology was doomed no matter what. They have 38,000 people left out of a society of 50 billion, which inevitably means they've lost a vast amount of their technical knowledge, and they've certainly lost the bulk of their production capacity. Stuff salvaged from the ships could've kept them going for a few decades, but once that stuff started breaking down, they were screwed. They had neither the industrial base nor the means of reestablishing it required to start a new industrial society. Just look at New Caprica - they tried it there and after a year all they had was a tent city and some grounded ships, no infrastructure, industry, or even the foundations for any proper buildings until the Cylons showed up. The same would have happened on Earth, and they would have lost their technology one way or another. Ripping the band-aid off and learning how to live without it from the get-go would prevent the inevitable internal conflict that a slower industrial collapse would have. -It also wouldn't have been nearly as rough as some people seem to think. They mention in the finale that they distributed what medicine and supplies they had to all the different landing parties, and the image a lot of people have in their heads of hunter-gatherer societies as some Hobbesian state of eternal misery is somewhat detached from reality. It would not have been an easy life, but it also would not have been a bad one. -Not only is there no indication that they forgot their history on purpose, and not only is it extraordinarily unlikely that *any* history could be preserved within a group for over a hundred thousand years no matter what method you're using to record and transmit, but it's also silly to assume it would have made a difference. A quick glance at history shows that humans do the same things over and over again even when they know it will turn out poorly from history. In the show, humans repeat the mistake of networking their ships a mere twenty years after the end of the Cylon War, despite knowing the history there, and there are hundreds of historical parallels to that.

[@justanothermanic1087]

Seriously, McCreary. Shut up, and take my money! And if there's a petition somewhere to get McCreary back for the new God of War game, I'm in!

[@geraldwatts5492]

Agree with the take your money part, but not about the shut up part :P Hope he keeps making amazing music! He is truly one of a kind among composers.

[@fang_uk]

😉

[@michellegriffin1749]

He is the composer for the OST to God of War Ragnarok!

[@didierluthi]

I miss this and especially this music!

[@veevoir]

This is one of the most epic, bombastic-sounding tracks on the OST. And I love it! And it doesn't lose that feeling in this live adaptation - so a job well done. Thank you!

[@Wootwootwooton]

Listening through headphones isn't quite as good as being there - with the taikos reverberating through my bones - but it's still good. That was one of the best shows I've ever attended.

[@Four9sFineJewelry]

AHHH!!! I would’ve killed to be there!! I still got chills listening to that. You can truly see every musician’s absolute love for music.

[@InquisitorMatthewAshcraft]

I was there, and it was a BLAST, although Bear's jaw literally dropped when he saw my driver's license (the name I use here is just a handle).

[@geraldwatts5492]

These guys are all totally into it, but especially McCreary the creator. Love their combination of passion and professionalism for the music. This is definitely one of my favorite pieces in the series!

[@1aranel]

I had the good fortune to see this live. O. M. G. Bear McCreary is a musical GENIUS and these fine musicians bring his music to life. I have fallen down the BSG rabbit hole on KZbin more than once and have stayed up past 5 am getting high on this music. All praise to everyone who performed this. I hope to see them all again. 🤞🤞😢

[@andreabknight]

The string and drum solo at 6:29 is spine chilling

[@IvagaanimaI]

Coming back again to see this masterpiece & live hype! For real each single person who worked on the whole project are absolute legends 🙃🙏

[@lamebubblesflysohigh]

Man drums are unreal in Galactica. They were used since the beginning of time and thus fit like a glow for the other thing we are doing since the beginning of time - war.

[@MattRichardsMusic]

This is magnificent - a string ensemble with violins, cello and electric guitar! Superb! This is some of the music that inspired me to begin composing. Thank you!

[@lj60ful]

simply, the world loves you. thank you my lord, thank you for this wonderful work! 🤩

[@xodus1914]

"So Bear, we want you to do a lead piece inspired by John Williams "Star Wars" soundtrack. We are trying to decide if we wanted to do a classical, rock or a native take on in it. What do you think?" Bear: YES.

[@Nighteyes78]

It gives me chills and tears in my eyes. Now I want to watch the show all over again ! Thank you for this incredible music your brought to this amazing show. It's one of my favorite of all times since 20 years now.

[@davnadz]

I have listened to this many times- it never gets old. Best track on the show.

[@iSlanderEST]

Pure awesomeness! Just perfect! Thank you!

[@MartinDolan]

One of the best compositions of all time. Love it!

[@Chaudab0y]

give me chills everytime

[@NDCCMTX]

The scene where Adama said "I'm getting my men back" always drove chills up and down my spine. For once, things went to DEFCON 5 and it's wasn't because of Cylons. *Everyone* on Galactica knew it was about to go down.

[@TheTrueCallen151]

DEFCON 5 is actually the lowest on the scale.

[@tomb7545]

Nothing can replace a live concert like this. Ever.

[@traojr]

Absolutely fantastic!

[@thomasstevens4735]

Oh this would've been amazing to see! I can't imagine the atmosphere there! The music flowing over everyone. The memories of the show! Oh it would've been a concert to remember!

[@tedball8677]

This is so badass. Thank you, sir.

[@balogh89]

This is one of my favourite song from the whole BSG suite! I really love the strings, and the energy that they communicate. Perfect mix of the orchestral, oriental and modern sounds. I don't remember correctly, it was maybe more than a decate ago when I first heard these tunes, and still, I'm in love. (I think a BSG rewatch is on due..) Thank you, Bear, to bring this to us!!

[@ilumsin987]

What a bunch of metalheads! :-D I LOVE it! Thank you!

[@hudds4eva525]

Ah man this is epic! Would have loved to see this live! Epic tune and will be listening to it for years to come! so say we all!

[@crtupper]

So amazingly intense! Those musicians are really into their art!

[@renthicya]

Goosebumps for 8 minutes!

[@lizard6444]

Phenomenal! The madman on violin...🙌 awesome

[@Hegitomi]

Love the sh*t out of those f*ckin drums ... ahh ....

[@Zero.Element]

Absolutely awesome!! Wouldn’t have known about Bear’s music and his team if it wasn’t for BSG. You are amazing and thank you!!

[@alanrodrigues5257]

Awesome...wonderful to remember!!!

[@sirknight7762]

Sounds amazing!

[@ScoreCues]

This music is one of our modern treasures and this performance is SUPERB! Watching the exhuberant performers really get into this and even break a sweat is a real treat. Bear's passion for his craft is on full display here and he is a great credit to the artform.

[@janarussell3515]

One of the best of many amazing songs from this show. It's 8+ minutes long in this version, and it seems to fly by. Epic. Thank you to Bear and the orchestra for this fantastic piece

[@toripoe4873]

Amazing, just great music!!!

[@jeebus022]

Damn dude. Perfection.

[@Popdaddy88]

EPIC BEYOND WORDS TO DESCRIBE. THANK YOU FOR THIS.

[@wecontrolthevideo]

Wow! just Wow! Don’t know what else to say except play it again!

[@kalventure]

This is simply epic and I love how much fun everyone seems to be having! Definitely holds up to the studio recording and I would give anything to have been there in the room.

[@crazywarriorscatfan9061]

Lovely

[@kerkonig5102]

So say we all!

[@yaisit2]

"I'm getting my men!"

[@Platschu]

So listen we all!

[@KilianStawsonadnSpoof]

La atmósfera que genera es brutal. ¡Que energía! La de horas estudiando que he pasado con la ost de BSG de fondo ✨

[@andrewmcandrew7642]

This makes me want to set condition 1 throughout the ship

[@efetherman]

Thanks, sir!

[@turtlewoman]

Incredible! Yes it stands!

[@lepageeric6689]

J'écoute souvent, encore aujourd’hui, l'extraordinaire BO de BSG, si importante pour l'ambiance de la série. Cette version live est incroyable !

[@Americandragonrider333.]

Freakin cool, dang!

[@mg42mg42]

The best music, and musicans!! Love. :D :D

[@janjep3]

Spectacular!!!!!!

[@ParaDoxiusCT]

Perfect!

[@SthefanyMello.]

Magnífico 🌻💕🎶

[@TheDaxamite]

Glad to know I'm not the only one who loves this song.

[@HiddenHangar18]

This music reminds me of one of the most tense and dramatic scene of BSG

[@jimhughes3961]

I'm getting my men!

[@paranoiaaa4126]

25 yrs now annd here iI am regularly. Although I wish more of it were on your channel. I feel kind of bad watching it on someone else's channel knowing they're getting the stream and not you. This music has such an upkifting quality, even the sad ones.

[@airmike7973]

U rock man❤️‍🔥

[@skippertheeyechild6621]

Fastest electric to acoustic change I've seen at 7.07 heheheh Excellent stuff. Love this tune!

[@paulaansai6069]

Me encanta su música me hace sentir bien y trae epifanías

[@kazuarus]

Это, мать вашу, божественно)

[@afroraven9544]

Col. Adama: "I'm getting my men."

[@ThePhotographyHobbyist]

If I were to go to a concert, this is what I'd like it to be.

[@SpinCycleStudio]

Epic!

[@darrenwalsh354]

Cosmic

[@justinquinn370]

Game of thrones soundtrack, battlestar, guardians of the galaxy all editions…. When a film and the music with it connect…. Epic

[@ispowart]

Love to see a Triton still being used :)

[@thechronicnoizeco.6675]

Triumphant!

[@chrischapman2955]

I wish I could give more than one thumbs up.

[@catchme2379]

great 👍

[@renthicya]

Hm, I hope these BSG vids are not reappearing because of the reboot idea... I'd pray for a sequel with another set timeline in the past (between Caprica and BSG)!

[@defmedia85]

Bear just released a live album with these performances

[@bellelavie9083]

It is like a futur version of a forgotten melody

[@Mermully]

would have loved to attend one of these in person

[@arnvkv2798]

I'M GETTING MY MEN

[@melindacochran5193]

Bear is an absolute genius!

[@tomb7545]

Wow

[@bellelavie9083]

What a sond!

[@cracksi001]

SO SAY WE ALL. 2023

[@foolfromhell]

Will you go on tour live?

[@Jennifer-pk4wq]

Anything with taiko drums is amazing!

[@mickandbobby]

Please take this on tour.

[@silentservice7441]

Tina Gou is in this, love this woman's energy!

[@Oatmealism]

Can only imagine how it feels to be Bear up on that stage, with all that power behind him

[@ptonpc]

Ohh yes :)

[@TomUK737]

Is that Tina Guo on the cello?!

[@GeneralGrievous-1138]

yes it is

[@otaldobet]

I just wish I could ever have the experience these people in the audience had, but it seems so unlikely now :( Any plans for concerts like these in the future mr. McCreary? :D