© 2003 Lawrence Tuczynski

Title: 100 MONSTERS / ALONG WITH GHOSTS
CD Label: Mfg. by Bandai Visual Co. Ltd.
Distributed by Apollon Inc.
CD Number: BCCM-9006~07R
Music by: Chumei Watanabe (100 Monsters)
Hiroshi Watanabe (Along With Ghosts)
Number of tracks: Disc 1 - 18
Disc 2 - 23
Running time: Disc 1 - 46:28
Disc 2 - 39:39
Number of discs: 2
Year of release/manufacture: 07-21-1992
Year Movie released: 1968 & 1969

REVIEW

April 16, 2003 courtesy of Sam Scali

100 MONSTERS / ALONG WITH GHOSTS

This 2-CD set collects the soundtracks from two of Daiei Studios ghost films, "100 Monsters" (aka "100 Ghost Stories", 1968) and "Along With Ghosts" (aka "Journey Along Tokaido Road", 1969). I don't know too much about these films - they were apparently released in the U.S. but are rarely seen today.

"100 Monsters" takes place in 18th century Japan and involves a storyteller whose ghost stories come to life, punishing a greedy landowner for opening a brothel in an old religious shrine. The film was successful, with imaginative special effects, and quickly spawned two sequels. "Along With Ghosts" is the second of these, a tale about a little girl who travels along a haunted road in search of her long-lost father (an earlier sequel, "Ghosts on Parade", is not featured on this set).

The music for both of these movies is suitably eerie and mysterious, but there are also extensive portions of Japanese dialogue inserted between nearly every musical cue, and I found this to be distracting. Still, both scores feature an interesting variety of music, and may appeal to horror buffs as well as collectors of Japanese fantasy soundtracks.

Additional info about the cover courtesy of Jolyon Yates

Left side from top:
Kyokotsu ('Mad Bones')
Hifukibaba ('Fire-breathing Granny')
Rokurokubi ('Potter's Wheel Neck')
Nopperabo ('No-face Goblin')
Karakasa ('From the Umbrella') Tsuchi Korobi ('Earth Roller')

Right side from top:
Okubi ('Big Head')
Dorotabo ('Mud-field Boy')
Abura Sumashi ('Oily Snob') Hyosube (not sure, possibly 'Panther Man')

100 MONSTERS / ALONG WITH GHOSTS

Translations courtesy of Jolyon Yates

    Disc 1
    HUNDRED GHOST STORY
    Music by Chumei Watanabe

    This is a literal translation from YOKAI HYAKU MONOGATARI. A 'yokai' is a ghost or spirit in non-human form, like an object such as the Umbrella Ghost and Lantern Ghost featured in the movie, or a bestial or demonic creature. A spirit in human form is referred to as a 'yurei', such as the ghost of Oiwa in the YOTSUYA KAIDAN dramas.

  1. Opening ~ Brewing Song ~ Hundred Story(Apparition of Rokurokubi)
    (Rokurokubi, literally 'Potter's Wheel Neck', is the long-necked spirit. Perhaps the name suggests the extending neck of a vase as it's thrown)
  2. Hundred Story (Tsuchikorobi) ~ Main Title
    (The Tsuchikorobi or 'Earth Roller' is the giant shaggy cyclops in the woods, which is said to travel about in the form of a great ball of soil)
  3. Gohei's Death
  4. Yasutaro's Warning
    [I think the first kanji on this CD track listing is wrong (it reads 'Momotaro', but not the same kanji as the legendary Peach Boy's name). All my other Japanese sources use the kanji for 'Yasutaro'.]
  5. Shinkichi's Prank
  6. In Praise of Losing the Essential
  7. Shinkichi & Karakasa

    8. (aka Karakasa Obake, the 'Goblin from the Umbrella')
  8. Yasutaro Assault ~ Feelings for Yasutaro
  9. Tajimaya Trap ~ Jinbe's Death
  10. Cheated Effect
    (Not sure at all about this title, as only the hiragana are given: Damasareteita okiku.)
  11. Shrine Worship
  12. Karakasa has Returned
  13. Shinkichi's Nopperabo
    (the Nopperabo is the 'Blank Face Goblin')
  14. Tajimaya's Last Moments
  15. Yokai's Revenge
  16. Hundred Demon Night Parade
  17. Ending
  18. Rokurokubi's Voice
    Disc 2
    ALONG WITH GHOSTS
    TOKAIDO OBAKE DOCHU (Daiei, March 21 1969)
    Music by Hiroshi Watanabe
  1. Main Title
  2. Jinbei's Death
  3. The Document Dances in the Air
  4. The Pond
  5. The Marvelous Document
  6. Staring Corpse
  7. Hyakutaro's Dream
  8. O-Miyo's Journey
  9. Journey Theme (O-Miyo & Hyakutaro)
  10. Saikichi's Crisis
  11. Mt Fuji Bathed in the Evening Light
  12. Appearance of the Jakotsuba
    (lit.'Snake Bone Hag', aka 'Jakotsubaba')
  13. Strangeness in the Trees
  14. Gravesite Apparition
  15. O-Miyo is Mine...
  16. O-Miyo fears for Father
  17. Fateful Roll of the Dice
  18. Demon-Mound Master (ie Momonjiji)
  19. The Way of the Hyakutaro Kanzo Family
  20. Saikichi's Self-admonishment
  21. Phantom Forest ~ Water-wheel Apparition
  22. Ending
  23. Rokurokubi's Voice