Various Artists - The Best Of Godzilla 19841995 Original Film Soundtracks (29 tracks) +Album Reviews

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Various Artists
The Best Of Godzilla 1984-1995: Original Film Soundtracks
Genres: Special Interest, Pop, Soundtracks

Track Listings (29) - Disc #1
1. Godzilla's Theme [From Godzilla Vs. King Ghidorah] - Ifukube, Akira
2. Main Title [From the Return of Godzilla] - Koroku, Reijiroh
3. Take Shelter/Godzilla vs. Super X [From the Return of Godzilla] - Koroku, Reijiroh
4. Japanese Army March [From the Return of Godzilla] - Koroku, Reijiroh
5. Godzilla's Exit [From the Return of Godzilla] - Koroku, Reijiroh
6. Ending [From the Return of Godzilla] - Koroku, Reijiroh
7. Scramble March [From Godzilla Vs. Biollante] - Sugiyama, Kohichi
8. Bio Wars [From Godzilla Vs. Biollante] - Sugiyama, Kohichi
9. Ending [From Godzilla Vs. Biollante] - Sugiyama, Kohichi
10. Main Title/UFO Invasion [From Godzilla Vs. King Ghidorah] - Ifukube, Akira
11. King Ghidorah Attacks Fukuoka [From Godzilla Vs. King Ghidorah] - Ifukube, Akira
12. Get King Ghidorah [From Godzilla Vs. King Ghidorah] - Ifukube, Akira
13. Main Title [From Godzilla Vs. Mothra] - Ifukube, Akira
14. Mahara Mothra [From Godzilla Vs. Mothra] - Ifukube, Akira
15. Mesa March [From Godzilla Vs. Mothra] - Ifukube, Akira
16. Rolling Title Ending [From Godzilla Vs. Mothra] - Ifukube, Akira
17. Mothra's Song [From Godzilla Vs. Mothra] - Honda, Ishiro
18. Main Title [From Godzilla Vs. Mechagodzilla II] - Ifukube, Akira
19. G-Force March #1 [From Godzilla Vs. Mechagodzilla II] - Ifukube, Akira
20. Prologue/Main Title [From Godzilla Vs. Spacegodzilla] - Hattori, Takayuki
21. Bass Island [From Godzilla Vs. Spacegodzilla] - Hattori, Takayuki
22. Mogera vs. Spacegodzilla, No. 2 [From "Godzilla vs. Spacegodzilla"] - Hattori, Takayuki
23. Mogera vs. Spacegodzilla, No. 3 [From "Godzilla vs. Spacegodzilla"] - Hattori, Takayuki
24. Crystal [From Godzilla Vs. Spacegodzilla] - Shigetoh, Isao
25. Main Title/Hong Kong's Destruction [From Godzilla Vs. Destoroyah] - Ifukube, Akira
26. Attack of Super X III [From Godzilla Vs. Destoroyah] - Ifkube, Akira
27. Mesa Tank Super Freeze Attack [From Godzilla Vs. Destoroyah] - Ifkube, Akira
28. Requiem [From Godzilla Vs. Destoroyah] - Ifkube, Akira
29. Ending Title [From Godzilla Vs. Destoroyah] - Ifukube, Akira

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CD Details

All Artists: Various Artists
Title: The Best Of Godzilla 1984-1995: Original Film Soundtracks
Members Wishing: 1
Total Copies: 0
Label: GNP Crescendo Records
Original Release Date: 7/29/1970
Re-Release Date: 9/1/1998
Album Type: Soundtrack
Genres: Special Interest, Pop, Soundtracks
Style: Comedy & Spoken Word
Number of Discs: 1
SwapaCD Credits: 1
UPC: 052824805620

Synopsis

Amazon.com

Godzilla, the beast that even a big-budget Hollywood stinkeroo couldn't kill, has been many things in his (her?) illustrious career: nuclear allegory, loving parent, neighborhood pest, property insurance exemption clause. But has-been? That's what many cynics were calling the Big Lizard by the late '70s. Resurrecting their cash, er, cow after a nine-year hiatus in the mid-'80s, Japan's Toho Studios wisely moved away from the tired stock footage, cheap effects, and kiddie-corn plot lines that had come to characterize the series, moving the final seven sagas back to the deadly-serious aesthetic of the original. Ironically, as Gojira's handlers got back to their cinematic roots, the films' music initially moved closer to the Hollywood mainstream, including healthy doses of heroic Korngold-esque romanticism and even screaming, diddly-squeak-school metal guitar. But after the more modern, if questionably effective efforts of Reijiroh Koroku and Kohichi Sugiyama (for Return of Godzilla and Godzilla vs. Biollante, respectively), Gojira music godfather Akira Ifukube returned to score four of the series' last five installments, truly bringing the saga full circle; the man who had musically brought the monster to life 41 years earlier was gratifyingly now allowed to write its moving Requiem. The annotation and illustration (which equals the high standards of its companion volume 1954-1975) are even more crucial here, as most of these "second cycle" films have seen but spotty distribution outside their native Japan. --Jerry McCulley

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CD Reviews

A mostly excellent compilation, with a few odd choices.

Thanos6 | Chapin, SC USA | 12/16/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This is a collection of "the best" of the music from the second series of Godzilla films, known in fan circles as the Heisei series, which were released from 1984 to 1995.After a very nice version of Godzilla's signature theme, by Godzilla's signature composer, maestro Akira Ifukube, we listen to a suite of five songs from THE RETURN OF GODZILLA (aka GODZILLA 1985). These pieces by Reijiro Koroku, a severely underrated composer, are some of the best on the disc; "Main Title," "Take Shelter/Godzilla vs. Super X," "Japanese Army March," "Godzilla's Exit," and "Ending" can be re-listened to over and over again, espeically "Super X."Next are three songs--"Scramble March," "Bio Wars," and "Ending"--from GODZILLA VS. BIOLLANTE, composed by Koichi Sugiyama. They are also quite nice, but are rather long, which cuts down on their replay value a bit.Now we enter Ifukube-sama's section. The first of the Heisei films he scored was GODZILLA VS. KING GHIDORAH. "Main Title/UFO Invasion," "King Ghidorah Attacks Fukuoka," and "Get King Ghidorah" are, sadly, the only songs from this excellent soundtrack.This album's first misstep comes with the songs from GODZILLA VS. MOTHRA. Although "Main Title," "Mahara Mothra," "Mesa March," and "Rolling Title Ending," are all good Ifukube works, there are too many; this soundtrack was not as good as the previous (or the next), and it is over-represented. They also erred by including "Mothra's Song," when they'd already included a version in "Mahara Mothra."The next misstep was including only two songs from GODZILLA VS. MECHAGODZILLA II, the soundtrack of which is widely considered to be one of Ifukube's best soundtrack's ever. "Main Title" and "G-Force March #1" are excellent, but together they are not even 4:30 minutes long. At least one more should have been added.The final misstep was including so many songs from GODZILLA VS. SPACEGODZILLA, composed by Takayuki Hattori; with "Prologue/Main Title," "Bass Island," "Mogera vs. Spacegodzilla #2," "Mogera vs. Spacegodzilla #3," and "Crystal," this is another overrepresented title. Only the first and last songs should have been included; the middle three are not that good.Fortunately, they also include five songs from Ifukube's swan song: GODZILLA VS. DESTOROYAH, which at the time of production was also thought to have been Godzilla's own, final film. "Main Title/Hong Kong's Destruction" is a majestic, sweeping piece; "Attack Of Super X III" and "Mesa Tank Super Freeze Attack" are stirring militaristic marches. "Requiem" is a truly moving piece played during Godzilla's death, and "Ending Title" is a blending of some of Ifukube's greatest hits that ran as a montage of some of Godzilla's was shown.The last track on this CD is "Monster Zero March," a rearrangement of one of the great Ifukube pieces of the 60's by Neil Norman and his Cosmic Orchestra.Despite some flaws, this CD is definitely worth a buy, not just for Godzilla fans, but for movie music fans in general."

Contains most of the best of the recent Godzilla themes.

Thanos6 | 06/08/1998

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This CD contains themes from all of the Godzilla movies post Godzilla 1985. It opens with an appropiate Godzilla theme by Ifukabe and then proceeds into five tracks from Godzilla 1985, not by Ifukabe. The forth of these is particularly amusing, as it was the music that was supposed to make us feel for sorry Godzilla when he died, even though the movie built up absolutely no sympathy for the monster. It sounds kind of like something from the end of Dr. Zhivago.Next up are upbeat themes from Godzilla vs Biollante.After that we get some of Ifukabe's great music from the recent films. True, he recylced a bunch of his old themes, but it's all good. The suite of themes from Godzilla vs Destroyah is probably the best.The CD also includes two sung pieces from Godzilla vs Mothra, Mahara Mothra (as it appeared in the movie) and Mothra's Song (in its rockified single version).My only complaint is that the CD devotes way two much time to non-Ifukabe scores, particularly the blatantly John Barry inspired themes from Godzilla vs Space Godzilla."

Great Stuff, the Heisei Era

Slade Simon | 10/06/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This CD beats the previous one. Except for the ultimately bad selections from "G vs. Biollante," this CD has it all. The 'Godzilla 1985" music is very good, and is up there with Ifukube. And the "G vs. Space G" music is incredibly good, considering it isn't Ifukube. Everything else except those three movie collections are all classic Ifukube, bringing all of his old monster themes back from the previous series and thensome. This CD has some of Akira Ifukube's best work on it, and must be bought with its companion CD."