© 2003 Lawrence Tuczynski

Title: Godzilla Eats Las Vegas
CD Label: Basic
CD Number: BCD-98016
Music by: Tetsuya Nakayama
Number of tracks: 5
Running time: 51:38
Number of discs: 1
Year of release/manufacture: 1998

REVIEW

March 30, 2003 courtesy of Reed Grele

There are 5 tracks. It starts out with what sounds like Doc Severinsen playing the end of a piece as Johnny Carson is coming back from a commercial break. Then it switches to 60's style lounge music. The audience applauds. The music continues, but changes to an ominous tone. The big guy's footsteps are heard, and then a woman's scream is heard (I guess this is where Godzilla shows up.) After that it's a mix of screams, monster roars, march music, Elvis tunes, Planet of the Apes, Danke Schoen, classical piano, more roars,more screams,.... I don't know, you tell me! This is something only the Japanese would concoct. I sort of like it. Reminds me a little of the crazy novelty records produced in the USA in the 60's. I'll leave the rest of it to your capable reviewing talents.

(My 2 cents worth - Larry Tuczynski)

I pretty much have to agree with Reed on this one. I was able to give it a listen and there is much music that you would recognize from a variety of movies. I distinctly hear the dance number from "West Side Story" in there except instead od shouting "Mambo" they shouted "Godzilla". I also tried to do some research on the web for this and it seems this has been arranged by a variety of people and seems to be popular with many High School & College bands along with many marching bands. I don't know who came up with the idea for this but there is very little related Godzilla music on this CD.

Additional information courtesy of Josh Dearing, August 04, 2004

Tetsuya Nakayama is a band director from Japan. His group seems to have recorded this piece, with him as the conductor.

"Godzilla Eats Las Vegas" is a wind ensemble piece composed by the renowned and accomplished Juilliard School graduate Eric Whitacre (www.ericwhitacre.com).

"Godzilla Eats Las Vegas! was commissioned by the University of Nevada Las Vegas, Thomas G. Leslie, conductor, and received its premiere November 28th, 1996."

The piece is approximately 13 minutes long.

Godzilla Eats Las Vegas
Track listing courtesy of Sam Scali

  1. Godzilla Eats Las Vegas! - for wind symphony (1996)
  2. Waking Angels - in memory of those who died of AIDS (1997)
  3. Heroes, Lost and Fallen - a Vietnam Memorial (1989)
  4. Dance of the New World (1990)
  5. SHAKATA - Singing the World into Existence (1989)