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