Nausicaa of the Valley of Wind Soundtrack [Import, Soundtrack]

Japanimation (Joe Hisaishi) (Artist) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 6, 2004)
• Original Release Date: June 1985
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Import, Soundtrack
• Label: MSI:TOKUMA
• ASIN: B0002IJL8C
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #155,275 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Japanese Title

2. Japanese Title

3. Japanese Title

4. Japanese Title

5. Japanese Title

6. Japanese Title

7. Japanese Title

8. Japanese Title

9. Japanese Title

10. Japanese Title

11. Japanese Title

12. Japanese Title

13. Japanese Title

Editorial Reviews

CD ALBUM

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

34 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good, but not Hisaishi's best, February 7, 2006

By 

David Schaich "David Schaich" (Boulder, Colorado) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Nausicaa of the Valley of Wind Soundtrack (Audio CD)

Joe HISAISHI has composed excellent soundtracks to virtually all of Hayao MIYAZAKI's films. "Nausicaa" was one of the first, and though I don't believe it's Hisaishi's best, it is still a good album that fans of the film and of Hisaishi's other soundtracks will likely enjoy.

Since Amazon's tracklist currently has no information, I'll start off by giving the titles of the tracks, with English translations courtesy of the Hayao Miyazaki Web at nausicaa dot net.

1. Kaze no Tani no Naushika (Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind)
2. Ohmu no Bousou (Ohmu Stampede)
3. Kaze no Tani (The Valley of the Wind)
4. Mushi Mezuru Hime (The Princess Who Loves Insects)
5. Kushana no Shinryaku (Kushana's Invasion)
6. Sentou (Battle)
7. Ohmu to no Kouryuu (Interchange with the Ohmu)
8. Fukai nite (In the Sea of Corruption)
9. Pejite no Zenmetsu (Annihilation of Pejite)
10. Mehve to Korubetto no Tatakai (Battle Between Mehve and Corvette)
11. Yomigaeru Kyoshinhei (The Resurrection of the God Warrior)
12. Naushika Rekuiemu (Nausicaa Requiem)
13. Tori no Hito (Bird Person)

Since you've doubtless seen "Nausicaa", you'll understand that I got the soundtrack mainly due to the soaring theme of the opening sequence and the innocence theme whose singing child dominates the haunting dream/flashback sequence. Those two themes pop up in a few places on the album, making the tracks in which they appear ("Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind", "Interchange with the Ohmu", "Nausicaa Requiem" and "Bird Person") the highlights of the soundtrack. Though they lose a little of their emotional power without Miyazaki's mesmerizing visuals to accompany them, they are still elegant and beautiful. The symphonic opening of "Nausicaa Requiem" is also moving and memorable.

Unfortunately, much of the rest of the album is dominated by early-80s electronics. In the film, the otherworldly electronics do a great deal to help set the scene and give it the proper feel. On their own in the soundtrack recording, however, they feel overexposed and out of place (and more than a little dated). This is especially true of "The Resurrection of the God Warrior" but is also a problem for a couple of the other tracks. The short and exciting "Battle Between Mehve and Corvette" is the song where the electronics work the best without the visuals.

Though this isn't Hisaishi's strongest work, most of the electronics grew on me after a few listenings, and the beautiful main themes mentioned above are reminiscent of his later work in "Princess Mononoke" and "Spirited Away". In all, an album that fans of the film will probably enjoy. As a final note, it may be worthwhile to compare prices with the "Nausicaa Best Album", which includes both this soundtrack and another disc of symphonic arrangements.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful, January 1, 2012

By 

Jonathan - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Nausicaa of the Valley of Wind Soundtrack (Audio CD)

I bought this for my daughter (and myself) who loves the movie. We have listened to it many times and never grow tired of it. I did have to manipulate the track names to English before putting it on her iPod.

5.0 out of 5 stars An elegant soundtrack for a more civilized age......, December 17, 2010

By 

16bitgamer - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Nausicaa of the Valley of Wind Soundtrack (Audio CD)

Kaze No Tani No Naushika was first released in early 1984 and has had several reprints since that time. This is truly Hisaishi's finest work. With rich instrumentation and arrangements, KNTN is sure to delight for many years to come!