Customer Reviews

The Best Of Godzilla 1954-1975: Original Film Soundtracks

5 star:		(23)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This is a great collection of old soundtrack tunes and monster sound effects.

The best songs are the first half of this 70+ minutes CD. The earliest Godzilla music is a bit lo-fi, circa 1954, but the compositions can often be considered classic, and are quickly recognizable; so these earliest songs are written so well that they overcome the primitive recording techniques and are very enjoyable anyway. Since the songs are in chronological order matching the release dates of each film, the lo-fi recording quality only last for the first 10 minutes. By the time we get to Godzilla vs. Mothra, (including the priceless singing by the tiny twin girls), the recording quality seems perfectly normal.

The second half of the CD leaves behind the grand themes and monumentally moody atmosphere, and the later music starts to reflect the swinging 60's, Playboy mansion-type atmosphere that is fun yet kinda cheesy for trying to be so hip and contemporary. Some of it sort of sounds like the cocktail retro surf sounds that were en vogue in the late 1990's, except these tunes are actually from the authentic era of the 1960's, so it's this crazy Japanese version of trying to mimic American surf and cocktail music. Beautifully campy!

Sprinkled throughout the CD are brief sound effects of the monsters' voices and roar.

The editors of this CD did a very good job of collecting the best choices from each film, and not repeating basic melody themes too often, unless the theme has been significantly rearranged using different sounding musical instruments. So even though Godzilla films all contain the Godzilla theme song, this CD spreads it out so it isn't too redundant, but rather interesting to hear the different arrangement from many years apart in recording dates.

This CD brings me back to my childhood where I grew up watching Godzilla movies. This collection is better than the 84-95 collection, although that collection is great too. When I listen to this album, I feel like I'm that little kid in the Gamera or Godzilla movies. Brings a tear to my eye!!!!! Long Live GOJIRA!!! You need to get other Japanese monster movie soundtracks available to us like War of the Gargantuas or the music from the Daimajin trilogy. Akira Ifukube is God!!!

This is an especially good and comprehensive CD of the music of the classic Showa-period Godzilla era. Maestro Akira Ifukube's vibrant monster marches and horror themes particularly stand out, as do the informative liner notes inside... unusually extensive for a simple fold-out piece of paper. Overall the music selection is very good, but I have one minor quibble: more of King Ghidora's themes would have made the disc truly complete, as would have more monster sound FX (Japanese import discs of the latter can get quite expensive). However, these are only minor points. This would be an excellent CD to introduce Western fans to the wild world of kaiju music...I have a couple of friends who work in the movie business here in L.A. who were positively enchanted by it. And on a side note, it's also a nice disc to listen to while reading a Godzilla-related book...not quite as distracting as a movie!

I actually got this soundtrack as a used CD, but I still find some of the music to be pretty enjoyable. Here's what I think about it.

Godzilla, King of the Monsters (1-7): A great score by Akira Ifukube. I love the gloomy music for the destruction scenes and track seven, which is pretty emotional.

Godzilla Raids Again (8): Only one track, which is fairly good, but not the type of music I would want to listen to over and over again. This music is by Masaro Satoh, who I believe didn't get really good until later.

King Kong vs. Godzilla (9-12): I think more Ifukube music from this film could have been better than the FX sounds (althoguh King Kong's roaring is pretty cool). The main title music is my favorite.

Mothra (13): An annoying track. The fairies are among my least favorite characters fromt he Godzilla series. THe song does have a nice tune, but the singing is not worth lsitening to again and again.

Godzilla vs. Mothra (14-15): Another good Akira Ifukube score.

Ghidrah, the Three-Headed Monster (17): Here it is, A track containing Ifukube's Showa Godzilla theme!

Invasion of the Astro-Monster (18): Interesting FX sounds followed by a cool military march.

Son of Godzilla (19-21): Excellent! Masaru Satoh's Minya's theme, the battle music, and the ending theme are awesome! Too bad no music from Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster was included.

Destroy All Monsters (22-27): Fairly good music from Akira Ifukube, but it gets way too repetitious!

Godzilla's Revenge (28): The Cute Kid Theme is awfully hilarious! A so-so track from Kunio Miyauchi.

Godzilla vs. Hedorah (29): Only one track given and it's this?! We have Richiro Manabe's horific Godzilla thme, with its blaring horns. They should have put in Hedorah's theme.

Godzilla vs. Gigan (30-32): Akira Ifukube's music from previous movies were used, so the music was orignally compoesed for other films. Okay msuic, and the song is fairly good.

Godzilla vs. Megalon (33-35): Blaring music by Richiro Manabe. His work on Godzilla vs. Hedorah was far better than this.

Godzilla vs. MechaGodzilla (36-38): The best music on the CD! MechaGodzilla's theme is so jazzy and sinister! Thanks, Masaru Satoh!

Terrror of MechaGodzilla (39-42): Akira Ifukube produces some amazing music, but once again it gets a little too repetitious.

Theme from Godzilla (43): A band led by some guy named Neil norman produces a fine tribute to Godzilla, endinghte soudntrack.

Music that should have been included:
1. At least one selection from Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster
2. Some Ifukube music that is played during the Godzilla vs. Gigan scene in which Angurius is driven away by the military.
3. Heodrah's Theme
4. The opening music from Godzilla vs. MechaGodzilla

All in all, this soundtrack is a must for Godzilla fans!

Akira Ifukube's positively monstrous scores (pun DEFINITELY intended) dominate this disc. Quite simply, if you want to know a major reason why the original Godzilla series (the Showa series) flourished, tke a good long listen to this disc. Die-hard fans of John Williams' scores will discover where he got at least SOME of his ideas! Any fan of movie music should get this CD IMMEDIATELY...this is not an understatement!

This CD was the best CD I ever listened to. My favorite track was the JAPANESE ARMY MARCH. The amount of tracks at this price was pretty good too. What's good is that they didn;t put in a track from Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster. That music from that movie stunk! But if you like Godzilla, you'll love this music. This one and the 1984-1995 ensemble are given 100-thumbs up by me!

Anyone who is looking at this item is probably already going to buy it, so my opinion is just another to add to the pile. I'll keep it short.

If you like Godzilla, buy this. It is crammed with music, nearly all of it terrific. Whenever I play this CD, I feel like stomping around a miniature city in a big rubber suit, and that's the best endorsement I can think of.

I'd have bought it for "Mothra's Song" alone.

I have been a fan of Godzilla for a long time, and I was lucky enough to have seen this CD for sale in a record store, so I bought it. Am I ever glad that I did! Most of the best music from the 1950's to the 1970's are available on this CD, including a number of Godzilla theme tracks. Personally, I think they did leave out a few good tracks from a few of the movies, but anyway this is a great CD for those of you who like the old and good Godzilla films.

If you are a hardcore Godzilla fan get this CD. It is a great recording of the original Godzilla themes. A must buy for any Godzilla fan!

I was needing some background music for my home videos and this cd didn't disappoint. It was perfect!