4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
up and down, but when it's good it's good, February 15, 2007
This review is from: Nausicaa Best Collection (Highlights) (Audio CD)
Joe Hisaishi scores pretty much all Miyazaki movies and does so very well. This is no exception, but this is an old soundtrack, and in addition to Hisaishi's gorgeously subtle use of symphonic and orchestral instrumentation, there's a fair amount of jarringly dated '80s synthesizers. Some of these work surprisingly well, but others sound awfully corny and detract from the album's emotional power.
This particular release is two in one. The first half of the album is all-orchestral takes on the music from the movie. The second half is the half-orchestral, half-synthesized tracks that were used in the movie. Strangely, for the second half, different songs and bits and pieces of soundtrack are thrust onto single tracks on the CD, which is jarring.
This album is a bargain, because I've seen each half of it sold separately for comparable prices to this one. So if you want this soundtrack, this is the version to get. At its best, like in the opening theme, it's as compelling as anything as Hisaishi has ever done, working both as a movie soundtrack and on its own. Just listening to it makes me feel more creative and imaginative. But all told, Nausicaa Best Album is slightly less consistent than Hisaishi's later works, like the scores to Spirited Away and Princess Mononoke.
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