© 2005 Lawrence Tuczynski
| Title: | Godzilla vs. Megalon |
| Japanese Title: | Gojira Tai Megaro |
| Movie also known as: | N/A |
| CD Label: | Toho Music Corporation |
| CD Number: | G-013 |
| Music by: | Riichiro Manabe |
| Number of tracks: | 68 |
| Running time: | 72:35 |
| Number of discs: | 1 |
| Year of release/manufacture: | April 25, 2005 |
| Year Movie Released in Japan: | 1973 |
| Year Movie Released in U.S.: | 1976 |
| REVIEW |
October 12, 2006 As with the other CD's in these sets, this is a remastered version of the Futureland disc, TYCY-5357 that has been remastered and more tracks added. This disc clocks in at around 24 minutes more than the previous disc. If you have the Futureland disc you have to decide if the extra tracks are worthwhile and if you don't have it I strongly suggest you buy these limited edition sets before they are gone and out of print like the Futureland discs. This soundtrack is Riichiro Manabe's second foray into writing music for a Godzilla film (the 1st being "Godzilla vs Hedorah"). I am not a big fan of Riichiro Manabe's Godzilla work. It sounds nothing like the great Akira Ifukube soundtracks or even the Masaro Satoh ones. Most of the music sounds very dated and doesn't hold up well over time or repeated listenings. In fact some of it is quite boring and the music forgettable. About the only saving grace, if that, is the Jet Jaguar music. While this certainly isn't a bad listening experience it's not great either and none of the tracks bring Godzilla to your mind. Review by Sam Scali - November 1, 2006 Riichiro Manabe's initial attempt at scoring a Godzilla film, 1971's GODZILLA VS. THE SMOG MONSTER, must have thrown Toho execs into a tizzy. Why else would they hastily exhume vintage Akira Ifukube music for the next installment, GODZILLA VS. GIGAN? Perhaps the studio was beginning to panic because its signature franchise was rapidly running out of steam, and hoped that Ifukube's classic themes might somehow bring back the glory years. Whatever the reason, Toho evidently opted to give Manabe a second chance, enlisting him to score their next great muppet caper (and Lucky 13 in the series), the cringe-inducing GODZILLA VS. MEGALON (1973). Whether or not they made the right choice is a matter of opinion (assuming one can get past Toho's decision to make the film in the first place). Continuing in the more juvenile vein of the previous three entries, MEGALON's score retains many of the same trace elements that arguably "polluted" Manabe's SMOG MONSTER opus two years before. But while that score was sparse and maddeningly repetitive, the music for MEGALON reveals some welcome improvements. The overall tone is more upbeat and friendly, and noticeably (if sporadically) more melodic than its hazmat-laden predecessor. Several cues also benefit from richer, more sophisticated arrangements, and there is less repetition this time around. Ifukube fans who say, "Bah, humbug, heresy, sacrilege!" are missing the point. The quality of the film itself is the real issue, and it's unlikely that an Ifukube score would enhance its reputation, let alone complement its style. Certainly the recycled Ifukube themes in GODZILLA VS. GIGAN gave undeserved weight to that film's cartoony imagery. On the other hand, while Manabe's MEGALON score is a better match for what is essentially a kiddie flick, most cues manage to downplay any feeling of menace whatsoever. For example, one might think that groovy-sounding Track 8 was written to accompany some sort of fun, leisurely activity, but onscreen it actually backs a car chase. Instead of inspiring excitement or thrills, the music just seems out of place. Elsewhere, a military march theme (Track 17) is so emphatic that it borders on parody. Such a whimsical approach cannot help but emphasize the film's less-than-serious intent. Despite these incongruities the soundtrack has some winning moments, at least during the first half. The score begins with a surprisingly lovely opening fanfare (Track 1), consisting of a stately flute melody and tuned percussion, followed by a few brief bursts of brass and a sad violin passage. Manabe's notorious slide trombone theme for Godzilla once again rears its rubbery head in the Main Title (Track 2), but this time the effect is less jarring than in SMOG MONSTER, and somehow more lazily melodic. The cue quickly dissolves into a funky, mid-tempo jam dominated by a driving drum beat and cello that introduces Jet Jaguar's heroic, kid-friendly theme. Track 3 is the first of several ominous passages dominated by woodwinds and eerie organ effects. "Highway Road" (Track 4) is a surprisingly enjoyable theme; an idyllic, mid-tempo piece featuring keening flute lines and countrified electric guitar. Never mind that it immediately follows the film's life-threatening whirlpool scene. After a few abstract effects cues, the "Highway" motif reappears during Track 8's aforementioned car chase, meandering along almost as pleasantly as in its initial appearance. Such an odd juxtaposition is a perfect example of how Manabe's approach differs from that of Ifukube, who would have surely employed a brisk march or similarly pulse-quickening device. The "Highway" theme makes its final appearance during a second car chase (Track 15), and despite an added layer of scratchy guitar and percolating organ there is little hint of actual danger. More incidental eeriness ensues with "Making of a Robot" and the two "Kidnap" cues, while the bombastic "Underwater Kingdom" (Track 12) flirts with unpleasant atonality. Godzilla's title foe makes his first appearance with the grating and decidedly unmusical "Megaro On Land" (Track 13), followed by an alternate reading of Jet Jaguar's theme. "Defense Team Takes Action" is another unimpressive cue that struggles (and fails) to maintain a unified direction. "Attack Preparation" and "Attack Begins" (Tracks 17 and 20) are much better, though their strident horn fanfare and martial rhythm bear a somewhat mocking resemblance to Walter Schumann's classic "Dragnet" march. Unfortunately, subsequent cues rely more on repetition, aimless jamming and noise to get their point across. "Monster Island Flies" (Track 21) presents a brief, revved-up version of the Jet Jaguar motif, and "Invincible Megaro" (Track 23) offers a darker, more guttural arrangement of the "Attack" march. "Godzilla of Monster Island" awkwardly positions the Big G's comically heroic trombone theme amid a churning sea of hyperactive percussion, low woodwinds and chaotic atonal effects. The swirling cacophony of the following cue, "The Fierceness of Megaro & Gaigen", pushes the bounds of aural tolerance even further. "Jet Jaguar" slows down the malleable robot's theme to a lazy shuffle that is curiously devoid of any drama. Tracks 28 and 30 are fairly straightforward renditions of Godzilla's theme, while the tedious "Bitter Battle" (Track 29) doesn't sound particularly battle-like, though it may cause listeners to experience considerable bitterness. All three "Monster Match" cues are tuneless amalgams of buzzing, bleating, directionless noodling desperately seeking a melody, with the Godzilla fanfare peeking through at the end. The Big G's theme is reduced to anemic crawl for "Strike Back", but "Godzilla's Strong Punch" (Track 35) briefly jolts the score back to life with an unexpectedly appealing blend of staccato drums, angular rhythm guitar, trombone squawks and organ-generated "explosions". The action draws to a close with "Victory Shake", which combines the two heroic character motifs to chronicle the inevitably silly farewell scene. Instead of a proper "End Title" the film closes with a pop song - a reworked version of Jet Jaguar's theme called "Godzilla and Jet Jaguar Punch-Punch", complete with overwrought vocals by Masato Shimon. Unlike other entries in the series, the remastered "Soundtrack Perfect Collection" edition of MEGALON exhibits noticeably enhanced clarity and presence when compared to its 1993 Futureland counterpart (TYCY-5357). Also, while the earlier release added only four bonus tracks to the original film cues, the new disc piles on thirty extra cuts. The first dozen are alternate score takes, followed by three variations of the "Punch-Punch" finale (two of them karaoke versions). Unfortunately Tracks 54 through 66 are of limited appeal, consisting of just over ten minutes of organ sound effects used during the film. The final two tracks feature the 45rpm single version of "Godzilla & Jet Jaguar Punch Punch Punch" and its bizarre B-side, "Attack Megaro". Arguably the score to GODZILLA VS. MEGALON works better on CD than in the movie, where it is often drowned out by sound effects and monster roars, or marred by unlikely placement. As with other discs in the 50th Anniversary series, it features the most complete presentation of the score to date, and will certainly appeal to diehard fans and Godzilla completists. Nevertheless, it is not an essential purchase for less fanatical listeners who already own the Futureland edition. |
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Godzilla vs. Megalon
BONUS TRACKS Yamaha Electone Variations Theme songs record version Lyrics
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