EW&F on Blu-spec mini-LP CD in Japan

On March 7, 2012, Sony Music Entertainment Japan will release
15 Earth, Wind & Fire titles from the Columbia years
on limited editions of Blu-spec CD in mini-LP replica package.

• Last Days And Time (SICP20351)
• Head To The Sky (SICP20352)
• Open Our Eyes (SICP20353)
• That's The Way Of The World (SICP20354)
• Gratitude (SICP20355/6)
• Spirit (SICP20357)
• All'N All (SICP20358)
• Best Of Earth,Wind & Fire Vol.1 (SICP20359)
• I Am (SICP20360)
• Faces (SICP20361/2)
• Raise! (SICP20363)
• Powerlight (SICP20364)
• Electric Universe (SICP20365)
• Touch The World (SICP20366)
• Heritage (SICP20367)

It's planned to use new DSD remastering.

Jammit vs. R-Mix

What do you think about Jammit?

If you don't know what it is, check out "How It Works" demo.
I find it interesting.

However, I think the software called R-Mix (and its simplified iPad version called R-Mix Tab),
which is soon to be released from Roland, can be their strong competitor.

See this video: R-MIX Audio Processing Software Overview

Roland's official information on the product is here.

If you want a tool to help you to learn to play instrument,
perhaps R-Mix offers more than what you need.
I think you can have more fun with R-Mix as it offers more flexibility than Jammit's service.

On the other hand, if your interest is to listen to the elements of music you love, analyze its structure etc, Jammit may be your treasure trove.

For example, their demos include the Beatles' Revolution.
Brief breakdown of this song alone makes me interested in Jiammit's service.

Sam Cooke's RCA titles on Blu-spec mini-LP CD in Japan

On March 7, 2012, Sony Music Entertainment Japan will release
9 Sam Cooke titles from the RCA years on limited editions of
Blu-spec CD in mini-LP replica package,
6 of which are previously not available on CD in Japan.

• Cooke's Tour (2006 & 2011 remasters)
• Hit of the 50's
• Sam Cooke
• My Kind of Blues
• Twistin' the Night Away
• The Best of Sam Cooke (2006 remaster)
• Mr. Soul
• Night Beat (2006 remaster)
• One Night Stand: Live at the Harlem Square (2006 remaster)

They use 2011 remasters, except where stated otherwise.

Millennium Godzilla Best - Japanese CD

Composed and arranged by Akira Ifukube

Cat.#: TYCY-10043
Release date: Dec. 6, 2000
Publisher: Toshiba EMI
Audio remastered by Shûji Kitamura

cover illustrated by Yûji Kaida

Basically, this is a "best-of" compilation of music by Akira Ifukube from the soundtracks of Toho's kaijû/tokusatsu/sci-fi movies in the 1950s-70s.

In Japan, there are so many compilations of this kind that it's hard to pick one.
But this CD is a good single disc compilation.
If you are a casual fan of Toho's monster/sci-fi movies, and just want one CD that compiles "the best of" Ifukube's music from those movies' original soundtracks (not covers), along with Godzilla's roars and footsteps - then perhaps this CD will do a decent job for you.


Track list:

01-03 from "Godzilla" (1954):

• Footsteps - Main Title (2'09")
• Godzilla Lands (1'55")
• Ending (1'42")

04-06 from "Rodan (Sora no Daikaijû Radon)" (1956):

• Main Title (2'35")
• Supersonic Chase - Chase to Rodan (2'32")
• Rodan Attacks Fukuoka I (3'22")

07-08 from "The Mysterians (Chikyû Bôeigun)" (1957):

• Main Title (1'45")
• The First Battle (5'40")

09-10 from "Varan the Unbelievable (Daikaijû Baran)" (1958):

• Main Title (1'48")
• The Shipwreck of a Fishing Boat - The Depth Charge Attack Begins (3'10")

11-12 from "Battle in Outer Space (Uchû Daisensô)" (1959):

• Main Title (1'24")
• Battle in Outer Space (2'51")

13-16 from "King Kong vs. Godzilla" (1962):

• Main Title (2'04")
• Godzilla Revives (1'43")
• Transportation of King Kong (2'15")
• King Kong vs. Godzilla I (2'44")

17-18 from "Atragon (Kaitei Gunkan)" (1963):

• Atragon Trial Run I - Atragon Trial Run II (3'19")
• The Volunteer Corps in Action (2'17")

19-20 from "Mothra vs. Godzilla" (1964):

• The Recollection of Twin Fairy (1'48")
• Ending (1'11")

21-22 from "Dogora, the Space Monster (Uchû daikaijû Dogora)" (1964):

• Dogora's Natural Enemy (1'33")
• Air Force Begins Attack (2'10")

23 from "Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster (San Dai Kaijû: Chikyûaidai no Kessen)" (1964):

• The Birth of King Ghidrah (1'43")

24 from "Frankenstein Conquers the World (Frankenstein tai Chitei Kaijû Baragon" (1965):

• An Incident in the Mountain Forest - The Searching March (3'05")

25-26 from "Invasion of Astro-Monster (aka Monster Zero) (Kaijû Daisensô)" (1965):

• Kaijû Daisensô March (3'09")
• Kaijû Daisensô (2'19")

27 from "The War of the Gargantuas (Frankenstein no Kaijû Sanda tai Gaira)" (1968):

• Operation L March I (3'53")

28 from "Destroy All Monsters (Kaijû Sôshingeki)" (1968):

• Toho logo - Main Title - Title Credits (2'03")

29-30 from "Terror of Mechagodzilla (Mekagojira no Gyakushû)" (1975):

• The Revival of Godzilla (3'40")
• Ending (1'20")

The track titles are, of course, not official. Just my translation.


The Booklet (in Japanese only, of course) has liner notes explaining the concept of this compilation.

It also includes basic informations about the movies, with theatrical posters printed in B&W. Not bad.

For each track there's a brief description, where in the movie it's used, etc.
For a few tracks that have lyrics, they are printed too.


Audio:

The booklet explicitly states it's pseudo-stereo made of mono.

Personally I don't like this approach. If the original material is recorded in mono, I want to listen it in mono.
But, to be honest, practically it's not a problem at all - for me at least.

The advertisement slip claims it's "digitally remastered with the latest digital technology." (Remember the CD was released in 2000.)
But in the liner notes, the writer claims that technology was used to restore the sound, and get the full potential of the source magnetic tapes.

In terms of audio quality, this disc would never blow anyone away.
This sounds very much like what I expect from old Japanese movies, as good as it gets.

Memories of Matsuko - Japanese DVD

English title: Memories of Matsuko
Japanese title: Kiraware Matsuko no Isshô (嫌われ松子の一生)

DVD publisher's official website: http://www.amuse-s-e.co.jp/matsuko/
Release date: Nov. 17, 2006
Publisher: Amuse Soft Entertainment
Region code: 2
NTSC


First off, this DVD does NOT have English subtitles.
Its lavish and unusual packaging is the main reason I decided to write about it here.

There are 2 (or 3) editions of Japanese DVD of the movie,
the 2-disc "Collector's Edition" in "photo album" packaging.

and 1-disc edition in standard keepcase packaging.

The contents of 1-disc edition seems to be identical to the 1st disc of the 2-disc edition.

The "Photo album" edition is limited, and it's supposed to be replaced by standard packaging 2-disc set, but I haven't seen that one.

The "Photo album" edition is relatively easily found on online shops, often with good discount. And I got my copy from such shop recently and want to give informations about it.


The Packaging

It's large. Slightly smaller than vinyl LP sleeve.

Under the factory sealing, the "album" is protected with a plastic cover. A nice precaution.

According to the advertisement slip, this "album" is designed to look like the one found in Matsuko's apartment room.

It has 26 pages, most of which consist of photos.

The discs are housed in the last page:

One minor complaint: the discs are rather easily come off, and it's hard to put the discs back to the holders properly.
This package looks good and I'm glad that I got it, but practically it doesn't work very well.



Disc 1: The Movie

Single-sided, Dual-layered.
Running time: 130 mins

Video: VistaVision 16:9 enhanced Widescreen

Audio:

• Japanese DD 5.1
• Japanese DTS 5.1
• Audio commentary: Japanese DD 2.0

Subtitles:

• Japanese
• None

Supplements:

• Audio commentary
• Trailers & TV spots
• 3 types of chapter menus

Audio commentary is describled as "by the frequent customers of Matsuko's snack bar."
Actually it's done by a group of crew:

• Tetsuya Nakajima (writer/director),
• Towako Kuwashima (art director)
• Masahide Yanagase (VFX)
• Toyohiko Kanahashi (music producer)
• Yûji Ishida (producer)
• a woman who calls herself Natsuko, who served as a waitress of the bar.

Trailers & TV spots section has 3 teaser trailers, 1 theatrical trailer, 11 TV spots (total: 7 mins).


This disc has 3 types of chapter menus entitled

• History of Matsuko
• Characters
• Music

History of Matsuko menu serve as normal chapter index you expect for DVD.
It looks like a chronicle of Matsuko's life,
each chapter has the year of the event and Matsuko's age at the time.

• 1971 23 Resigned as school teacher
• 1971 23 Lived with Tetsuya Yamekawa
• 1972 24 Had an affair with Kenta Okano
• 1973 25 Worked as "soap lady" in Nakasu
• 1974 26 Murdered the pimp who betrayed her, attempted suicide
• 1974 26 Imprisoned
• 1983 36 Met her former student Ryû again
• 1989 41 Started living alone
• 2001 53 Found dead on the riverside
• 2006 -- Happy End Credits

Character menu is a cast list of minor characters in order of appearance in the movie.
You can go to the scene where each character first appears.
Despite their short screen time, some of them are very well known in Japan.

Page 1:

• Kaela Kimura - A very popular singer
• Sola Aoi - A girl picked up on the street
• Nagisa Katahira - Herself
• Hirotarô Honda - The murderer in "Woman Lawyer" drama
• Hideo Sakaki - The leader of Megumi's bodyguards
• Maggie - Detective
• Masahiro Kômoto - A clerk in the hotel of the school excursion
• Midoriko Kimujra - Tamie, Matsuko's mother
• Takuzô Kadono - Headmaster
• Risa Ai - An idol singer
• Kayoko Ôkubo - Okano's wife

Page 2:

• Mari Hamada - Norio's wife
• Hana Kino - Female police officer
• Tetsu Watanabe - Detetcive A
• Kôji Yamamoto - Detective B
• Anna Tsuchiya - Prisoner C: Bride
• AI: Prisoner A: Song
• Yorie Yamashita - Prisoner B: Family
• Hanako Yamada - Prisoner D: Memory
• Takejô Aki - Prison ward
• Kyûsaku Shimada - Clergyman
• Hôka Kinoshita - A resident of Hikari-sô apartment

Music menu is an index for the songs:

1. Too Lil Too Lil Liquor by Kaela Kimura
2. faker by ch feat. B-BANDJ
3. Love Is Bubble by Bonnie Pink
4. Dream Train by Rin Oikawa
5. What Is A Life by AI & Rin Oikawa
6. Endless by Joe Himeji feat. J.
7. Candy Tree by Rin Oikawa
8. Happy Wednesday by Miki Nakatani
9. Magete Nobashite by Ami Yuasa
10. Furui Nikki by Akiko Wada
11. USO by Risa Ai
12. Anata no Kokoro ni by Chinatsu Nakayama
13. Feeling Good / Michael Buble
14. Walking On Springtime / Barbara Borra
15. Here, Always by Tommy Snyder & Yoshika
16. She's What I Want To Be by ch
17. Matsuko Medley by Matsuko Singers

Interestingly, the order of the songs in the menu is different from the movie, but almost the same as the soundtrack CD (which has 2 more songs.)



Disc 2: Supplements

Single-sided, Dual-layered.
Running time: 100 mins
Video: 4:3
Audio: Japanese DD 2.0

- Making-of entitled "285 days of Kiraware Tetsuya" (30 mins)
An ordinary documentary with lots of behind-the-scvenes, interviews with cast & crew.
It mostly covers the events chronologically from the inception to the theatrical release. Very comprehensible.

- 2 deleted scenes (with making-of footages)

1. The first shooting day of Megumi Sawamura's AE video (1'20")
2. Matsuko sings "Koibito-yo" (1'10") - a yakuza is touched by her song.

- How to love Kiraware Matsuko (total: 20 mins)
is a collection of various fun bits with making-of footages:

1. Aoi Mizusawa (Megumi Sawamura) filmography (2'45")
2. Shunji Ôkura's Tattoo (2'45")
3. Nagisa Katahira played by Nagisa Katahira (2'30")
4. The Shimazu Family (1'40")
5. Daddy is a playboy (2'00") - Kenji Shimazu's transformation to a handsome guy
6. Minna no Uta (4'00") - about the song "Magete Nobashite" sung by many characters at the end
7. Matsuko's fashion and hairstyles (4'07")

- Storyboards (12 mins)

First we see how director Nakajima uses storyboards to explain his intention to actors.

Then we see lengthy storyboard-to-film comparisons on musical scenes.

Also, occasionally storyboards are replaced with rehearsal footage of dancers.

- Matsuko Kawajiri's Best Friends
is a collection of short interviews with 22 actors and writer/director Nakajima.
Most of them run less than one minute.

- Bonnie Pink "Love is Buibble" music video (3'55")

- Textless end title (4 mins)


A note on the movie's Japanese title "Kiraware Matsuko no Isshô":
A literal translation would be "The life of disliked Matsuko".
I think the word "kiraware" (disliked, hated) is probably an expression of how her love had been unfairly treated, rejected, neglected, or so it seemed. Just MHO.


DVD:


Soundtracks:


Book on the making-of:


UK versions: