Customer Reviews

Cowboy Bebop

5 star:		(41)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

1. Tank! -- The opening theme to COWBOY BEBOP, an incredible instrumental jazz piece utilizing the big band. Performed by SEATBELTS, the group that does a lot of the jazz/big-band BGM from the show.

2. RUSH -- Another fun jazz band piece, used as background music (BGM) in the show.

3. SPOKEY DOKEY -- A jazz harmonica BGM piece that settles into some very mellow guitar/harmonica blues.

4. BAD DOG NO BISCUITS -- Used as BGM for one of the two huge chase scenes in Session 2 of "Cowboy Bebop." :) A really fun jazz band BGM that goes into a bit of a ska beat towards the end.

5. CAT BLUES -- A light, playful jazz piece used as BGM.

6. COSMOS -- A solo trumpet version of "Farewell Blues" from OST 3, BLUE.

7. SPACE LION -- Used as the ending theme of session 13, "Jupiter Jazz." Some very ambient, flowing jazz saxophone that flows into a native-american type chant.

8. WALTZ FOR ZIZI -- Featuring guitar most prominently, this old-western type waltz paints the scenes of many dramatic or calm scenes in the series.

9. PIANO BLACK -- An incredibly interesting jazz piece (in a meter of 3), with a clanky percussive loop accompanying actual drums, the skilled piano stylings of composer Yoko Kanno, and a stylish saxophone solo. I love this piece! :D

10. POT CITY -- A dreary, guitar-laden riff that lives up to its name.

11. TOO GOOD TOO BAD -- Contrasting the bleak sound of "POT CITY," this jazzy piece takes off from the start, reminding me of 60s cop shows. ;)

12. CAR 24 -- An extremely cute piece which makes use of flute, other winds, vibraphone, and several saxophones. :)

13. The EGG and I -- Reminiscent of an irish folk dance, the complex percussion and incredible guitar fingering makes this one an incredibly entertaining song. Cute beyond belief!

14. FELT TIP PEN -- A pretty decent western-ish piece, absolutely oozing with guitar. ;)

15. RAIN -- An organ-accompanied vocal piece (sung by Steve Conte) makes a perfect setting it follows during the series--a cathedral.

16. DIGGIN' MY POTATO -- An excellent harmonica riff leads into a slow, driving jazzy piece with bongo accompaniment.

17. MEMORY -- A music box version of 'Adieu' from OST 3, BLUE. =)

Yoko Kanno, known for the scores to MACROSS PLUS, Vision of Escaflowne, Brain Powerd, and Turn-A-Gundam, graces COWBOY BEBOP with an array of versatile and incredible music. OST I is mostly jazz band pieces used as background music, but don't expect that of every soundtrack in the Bebop series--each has its own different sound. I highly reccomend all the Cowboy Bebop soundtracks: COWBOY BEBOP (OST I), NO DISC (OST II), Vitaminless (Mini-Album), BLUE (OST III), and Music For Freelance (Remix Album).

~Chiriko (chiriko@catsonmars.com)

Ah! The first Cowboy BeBop CD! If you're new to Cowboy BeBop, let me say that this soundtrack will only make you love the series more! Every time I listen to it, I can't help but picture the scene that the song is from. Yoko Kanno is quite possibly the best composer around, and it shows in this CD. I know that the price is a little steep, but you won't regret buying it.
1. Tank! 3:30 - This is one of my fav songs! As you may know, this is the longer opening song to the series. The jazzy melody definatly adds atmosphere to the show.
2. RUSH 3:34 - Here's another fast-paced jazz song. RUSH was played on sessions 0 and 1.
3. SPOKEY DOKEY 4:04 - Now it's getting a bit more laid back. SPOKEY DOKEY is the harmonica song that was played when Spike was training in session 1. I didn't care for it that much at first. But as I listened to it more, I grew to love it!
4. BAD DOG NO BISCUITS 4:09 - Now I know what you may be thinking, as I was thinking this when I first saw the title. "What the hell kind of name is that?!" When I heard it, it made more sense. This is another fast-paced song that was played during session 0 and 2. (Session 2 is the first one with Ein!)
5. CAT BLUES 2:35 - Getting more laid back again! This cool song was played in the beginning of session 10, when Ed was "attacking" the bounty. This song is also on the CD Box set.
6. COSMOS 1:36 - A song for Jet! This song was played in session 16 during Jet's flash-back.
7. SPACE LION 7:10 - I love this song so much! This is probably my favorite song on this CD! This was played as the ending song for session 13. Very moving! This song is also on the CD Box.
8. WALTZ for ZIZI 3:29 - ZIZI was sure played a lot during the series! You'll recognize it when you hear it. It was played during sessions 5, 10, 14, 21, 24, and 25. It's also on the CD Box.
9. PIANO BLACK 2:47 - Remember this song? It was played in session 3 when Faye called her ship in the casino. It's also on sessions 0 and 14, and it's on the CD Box.
10. POT CITY 2:14 - As my brother once said, "This is the perfect hobo music!" ... Ahem, I guess he's right... Anyway, it was played on sessions 2 and 14.
11. TOO GOOD TOO BAD 2:34 - Finally, some jazz again! This song was played in sessions 4 and 19, and is also on the CD Box.
12. CAR24 2:29 - An Ed song! This was played at the end of session 9 (has to do with Ed and the BeBop, that's all I'll say!)
13. The EGG and I 2:42 - I think the most memorable time this song was played was is session 19. You know, when Spike and Jet are looking for a VCR. It was also in sessions 7 and 9.
14. FELT TIP PEN 2:39 - This laid-back guitar song was played on sessions 1 and 8. It is also on the CD Box.
15. RAIN 3:23 - This was played in session 5, when Spike was walking to the church. Well, the version on the show was the FEMALE vocal version. For this version, it's Steve Conte singing. I personally like this one better, but the female version is on the CD Box.
16. DIGGING MY POTATO 2:24 - Ah, some harmonica blues... This song was played in 0 and 6. The longer version of this song is on the CD Box. I like the longer version better, but this one is still really good!
17. MEMORY 1:31 - Ms. Kanno did a great job making this song sound like a music box. It's haunting melody graced BeBop on seasons 1, 25, and 26.
That's about it! I hope you found my review helpful, and I hope that you will buy this CD!

Normally its a given for hard-core anime fans to get the soundtrack for their favorite anime series(normally though, alot of anime music tends to fall flat on its face). Cowboy Bebop's soundtrack is no exception. The main difference is that the Cowboy Bebop soundrack(OST 1) is probably one of the best I have ever heard.

For those who had seen the series, you know that CB intertwines both visual aspects and sounds/music in a way that makes for an ultimate view experience. This sound track is just an affermation of that. With a fusion of mainly blues, jazz, folk, and even a little techno, OST 1 proves to be much more than just a soundtrack. Heck, I can even imagine fans of the genres listed above getting into this.

Because most of this CD plays as a stand alone songs, I figured a song by song view would be the best:

1) TANK! - The brilliant opening of Cowboy Bebop has an incredibly addictive opening theme. For those who dont know, its sort of jazz mixed with a very very thick groove. Also features some excellent horns(as does alot of the series).

2) Rush - Has very little in common with the progressive rock band, but deffinately lives up to its name. Another of the jazz songs with very funky sound to it.

3) Spokey Dokey - Blues harp rains supreme on this song. While its a bit noodley, the faint guitars add a little something to this song.

4) Bad Dog, No Biscuits - Almost ska sounding. This yet another up tempo song that progresses from jazz to ska in an amazingly smooth way. Once again, dig the horns(this CD has alot of that).

5) Cat Blues - Features a very beatnick style sound to it in its use of drums, horns, and percussion. I love this piece!

6) Cosmos - Sort of an interlude to the next song. This one is essentially a 2 minute jazz solo. Which flows into the next song...

7) Space Lion - The major epic on this soundtrack(and my personal favorite). This song is all about ambience and atmosphere. The spoken almost tribal chant is very soothing as is the sax on this seven minute song.

8) Waltz For Zizi - The Folk track. Great accoustic guitar work.

9) Piano Black - The major player in the action sequences of the series; Piano Black is the ultmate in the fast paced jazz songs. Very Cool.

10) Pot City - I'm not even going to comment.

11) Too Good, Too Bad - The last of the up beat jazz songs. This is also another player in the action scenes in the scenes. Another CD great highlight.

12) Car 24 - The most soundtrack sounding song on the entire CD. The flutes give it an almost super peppy feel to it. Not one of my favorites but still a good track.

13) The Egg and I - Very percussive track. With a great sense of melody.

14) Felt Tip Pen - Blues/folk guitar mostly on this track. Excellent song.

15) Rain - The only vocal track on this CD(its in English?). Great song none the less with its use of organ sound.

16) Digging My Potato - The puesdo-follow up to Spokey Dokey. This is the second blues harp song. Less noddley then its Spokey Dokey and is shorter. Also features some percussion. Gives it a great feel

17) Memory - The final track is sort of a creepy one. Memory is the sum of the series essentially. The music box-like sound is adds very nice touch to track. Great ending song for both the soundtrack and the series.

There you have it. A mamoth review for a great CD. For those of you who have seen the series. I highly sugest you get this soundtrack. For those who still haven't seen Cowboy Bebop, I still recomend you get this.

- You're Gonna Carry That Weight...

For anyone who enjoys the series, or would simply like to experience music that's somewhat different from the everyday run-of-the-mill manufactured and commercialized manure that we are exposed to everyday. Jazz, Ska, Blues, Rock, and More, this album (just as the rest of the albums in the Cowboy Bebop series) is an eclectic collection of masterfully composed pieces that give life to the world of Cowboy Bebop, and gives an interesting twist to our own. My most sincere respects to Yoko Kanno, the musical genius responsible for EVERY SINGLE PIECE OF MUSIC IN THE COWBOY BEBOP SERIES; considering the astonishing variety of music which this envolves, Kanno's feat is nothing short of extraordinary.

If you're conflicted as to which Cowboy Bebop album you should purchase, this first Original Sound Track to the series is my personal favorite, simply because it includes a few of the songs which I like exceptionally well. Tank!, Spokey Dokey, Bad Dog No Biscuits, Cat Blues, Space Lion, Waltz for Zizi, Rain, Digging My Potato and Memory are some of my favorite songs in the series as a whole. The other albums are also extremely well done, and I would highly recommend purchasing all of them; nonetheless, if your are strapped for cash (as these discs are just a bit expensive), Cowboy Bebop OST1 would be my first choice. After listening to the first song of the album, you'll know why.

Cowboy BeBop--a rather strange name for a rather strange CD. But strange is not always bad, as the case studied here proves.

When I started this I was tempted to write one of those reveiws where I give my personal impressions of each song, but decided not to; there are several of those regarding Cowboy BeBop already.

BeBop is a CD that chronicles some of the background music to the anime of the same name. But as almost anyone will notice at once, this doesn't sound like background music. It has far too much prescense. In fact, most people who have watched the Cowboy BeBop cartoon show will recall just what an integral roll music plays in the series, and producer Yoko Kanno rises to the occasion admirably.

Despite the name, BeBop actually covers a wide range of sounds, from James Bond-esque, action-packed tracks like Rush and Bad Dog No Biscuts (one of my personal favorites^^), to the ghost-town harmonica wails of Spokey Dokey, as far as the lullabye-like chimes of Memory.

In short, Cowboy BeBop is an enrapturing range of sounds and paces, sure to please someone somehow. Steve Conte performs the only vocal track--and an incredible vocal it is--in Rain.

...

~Kei

If you've seen the anime series "Cowboy Bebop", chances are you enjoyed it, and chances are you'll probably want the soundtrack too. This is the first volume to the soundtrack "series", which totals five CDs in all. This volume deals mostly with the bebop (jazz, swing, call it what you will) songs themselves, which are performed by Yoko Kanno's own bebop band, Seat Belts. "Tank!", the killer opening theme, starts this ride off, and proceeds to boogie on down like it's 1934 all the way to the end. This is a very slick bebop album, and it mixes in some other genres with the songs as well. It's pretty surprising to hear a jazzy song like "Bad Dog No Biscuit" all of a sudden break out into ska! There's also a cool English-sung vocal ballad ("Rain") that you can sing along to. Whether you're a fan of the series or just like the bebop/jazz sound, this one's definitely worth a go. And hang on; the ride just gets better from here.

Even if you've never seen Cowboy Bebop or intend to -- even if you dislike anime -- you just might find this soundtrack a fun listen. I stuck it in the CD changer at work when I first bought it and played it straight through all afternoon. The "Tank" theme song is very catchy big-band jazz and features some spazzed-out sax playing that kicks the whole CD off with a bang -- but the other cuts end up taking you to a lot of other places. Plenty of variety and no time to be bored.

The music? Sort of brassy Las Vegas lounge jazz meets meets da blooze meets New Age meets pop ... in other words, lots of influences. But the music is intelligently composed and very well played -- the bass and sax players deserve special mention. Also, the cat playing hyper-blues harmonica is very cool.

It's not just a goof; the composer and musicians obviously take their fun seriously. It's especially fun if you like playing "spot the influence"; I kept hearing references to early James Bond movies and (I swear) a couple of direct steals from the old "Jonny Quest" theme song.

A little over 50 minutes; not generous but not sparse either -- well recorded, too. A different, fun addition to your CD collection, if you can take the wallet hit.

I gave this album a try because I'd seen the show a few times, and vaguely remembered that the music was interesting counter-point to all the high-tech action. I thought I'd get something techno, back-beat, ambient, peter gun theme whatever.
So I start listening. At first I thought "Hmm. Brash, brassy horn sections, part Bond, part secret agent, part . . . Whuh? Austin Powers?
BUT...BUT....BUT
By about the third song (it's tough in a mix like this) I sensed something else was going on on this album.
Here's the short version: This music is about musicians at play. As deep and shallow as that sounds, these are talented, liberated musicians at play in the universe. Passages are picked as carefully as notes. I found myself saying "Whuh? Why are you doing THAT to the song?" And then realized both they and I realized I could handle it.
If you were to move into an unfurnished house with all the walls painted white, just set up your boom box in the kitchen and crank this album.
Its all the decor you could need.
This is the most human music I've heard in a long time.

KarlMarxEmilioZapata

Ok buddy, take a breath there. I just wonder, if it was so 'crappy' as you elegantly put it... first, why watch the series.. and more importantly, why the hell buy the music??? Your review makes absolutely no sense, and gives no real reason why either upset you so.

As to the music, I DO own Blue, and can't say enough for the stunningly beautiful compositions that make up the absolutely fantastic CD! This current collection is next on my purchase list. As for the series- don't listen to the aformentioned crackpot, it was, and reamins to be, the best anime series ever created in my humble opinion. The sessions are flawless, partly because they were restricted to 26 episodes- therefore never allowing the characters to grow stale and redundant.

And the music MADE this show! If you are a fan of blues, jazz, rock, and music in general- you won't be sorry with any Bebop album you purchase!

I own all of the DBZ soundtracks and most of the Coboy Bebop soundtracks. I am appalled at the price that Amazon is asking for this CD I know of at least three places you can get it cheaper. Animecastle is one of them. This is some of the best Jazz, Blues and Funk ever made in my humble opion. I just wish that main suplyer of Anime DVD would be a bit more resonable about the price of import CD this one I got for [lower price].