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101 of 104 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Classic Kanno, March 10, 2005
Yoko Kanno has long been one of my favourite Japanese composers since I heard the operatic splendour of 'Macross Plus'.
With GITS: Stand Alone Complex Kanno successfully fuses this same feel with the blues/rock influences previously evident from her work on 'Cowboy Bebop'.
The order in which the tracks are presented do not allow for easy listening but you could always program your CD player to
play any combination you choose.
Tracks such as 'Beauty Is Within Us' are so impossibly hard to listen to (I like to call it Kanno a-la Coldplay or Muse, depressing stuff!!). Whereas, 'Run Rabbit Junk' & 'GET9' are exciting, awe inspiring even after repeated listening. This is a soundtrack with something for all tastes. This should appeal to the more adventurous listeners among you.
I of course come to this particular conclusion because of my strangely mixed musical tastes. I'll listen to Jools Holland (check out his album with Tom Jones if you can) or Ray Charles then listen to Metallica or Black Sabbath before rounding it off with some Bach, Danny Elfman (Batman Returns, etc) or John (Star Wars) Williams.
If you enjoy this then check out the 'Tachikoma' concept album 'Be Human' also by Yoko Kanno.
This audio CD has been mastered incorrectly.
Tracks 8 & 9 'Velveteen' and 'Lithium Flower' run back to back within track 8 on the disc ('Lithium Flower' starts roughly 5:04 within the track). The next 2 tracks are one behind what is stated on the cover. Tracks 11 (labeled 'Inner Universe') and 12 (labeled 'Fish - Silent Cruise') should be one track. 'Fish - Silent Cruise is split into two halves across the two.
From 13 onward the tracks match the track listing/cover.
ACTUAL TRACK LISTING:
1. Run Rabbit Junk
2. Yakitori
3. Stamina Rose
4. Surf
5. Where Does This Ocean Go?
6. Train Search
7. Siberian Doll House
8 Velveteen / Lithium Flower
9 Home Stay
10 Inner Universe
11 Fish (Fish - Silent Cruise Part 1)
12 Silent Cruise (Fish - Silent Cruise Part 2)
13. Some Other Time
14. Beauty Is Within Us
15. We're the Great
16. Monochrome
17. GET9 [TV Size]
18. Rise [TV Size]
I bought the 'OST' and 'Be Human' as part of the Manga/Bandai Limited Editions of 'Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex' Volumes 1 & 2 respectively.
Highly recommended!!!
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18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Best techno-rock album that I've listened to in years, June 28, 2005
I have followed Yoko Kanno's music since she created the Macross Plus Soundtrack, which was the defining element of that 4-part anime series. Although Kanno produced a lot of orchestral and instrumental music for the Macross Plus series, it was her rock music with techno and dance influences that stood out. Since then, Kanno has experimented with other musical styles, including jazz , in such musical releases as the Cowboy Bebop Soundtrack and Song to Fly.
In this soundtrack, however, Kanno returns to the rock/techno fusion that played a strong role in the Macross Plus Soundtrack. Her musical style, however, has matured over the years; this music seems much more powerful, more creative, and more artistic than previous soundtracks. The music ranges from Run Rabbit Junk, Yakitori, and Lithium Flower, with strong 1980's rock elements; to Surf and Inner Universe, with strong techno elements and fast tempos; to Monochrome, with slower tempos and quiet, haunting sounds. Although Kanno's music has evolved, she is not beyond presenting either music more in line with mainstream genres or experimental songs with unusual sounds and lyrics. The integration of multiple instrumental and electronic components gives the music a sophisticated sound rich in detail. Additionally, Kanno relies on multiple singers and songwriters, including performers such as Origa who are independent pop-music successes in Japan, to produce music with widely-varying sounds (and widely varying languages).
This music sounds exactly like what is expected for a high-quality soundtrack for a futuristic science fiction series. It's simply great rock/techno music with so many good tracks that the entire CD is worth owning. I recommend it to any music listeners.
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13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
more excellence from Yoko Kanno, August 13, 2005
Yoko Kanno is an amazingly versatile composer, and although she sometimes borrows rather obviously from previously existing material, she seldom duplicates herself. Hence, this disc is not like the blues-jazz-themed Cowboy Bebop soundtrack, the latin-tinged "Wolf's Rain" score, or her more classical album "Songs to Fly." I suppose it most resembles the Sharon Apple pop numbers from "Macross Plus," but even that's a bit of a leap. This album is much more built on heavy metal guitars, dominating synthesizers and much more overstated, grandiose arrangements, the sort that sometimes fall on their face but in this case work to splendidly dramatic effect. The content is engaging, diverse, and often in-your-face. Unfortunately, one trait that is held over from "Wolf's Rain" is that some of the English vocal tracks feature some embarrassingly overdramatic lyrics ("Beauty is Within Us" is the most egregiously unlistenable example) and leave me pining for the quiet beauty of "Is It Real?" from the Bebop movie score. But with 19 tracks at your disposal, one or two duds won't set you back. Another mild gripe is that "Where Does This Ocean Go?" is a flagrant ripoff of Bjork's "Hyperballad," but fortunately it might be better than the original song so all is forgiven. Bottom line, this is another solid and original release that should only fuel the popularity of anime soundtrack music around the world.
P.S. I've never seen a second of Stand Alone Complex and this music is great anyway, so if you're not familiar with the show, don't let that hold you back.
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