© 1998 Lawrence Tuczynski

Title Godzilla's Counterattack
Japanese Title Gojira No Gyakushu
Movie also known as: Godzilla Raids Again
Gigantis, The Fire Monster
CD Label Futureland / Toshiba EMI Japan
CD Number TYCY-5346
Music by: Masaru Satoh
Number of tracks 27
Running time 30:04
Number of discs 1
Year of release/manufacture 1993
Year Movie Released in Japan 1955
Year Movie Released in U.S. 1959

REVIEW

This CD from the second Godzilla movie features Masaru Satoh instead of Akira Ifukube who did the first one. The music when compared to the first movie is as different as night and day. The disc starts off with a theme very reminiscent of the U.S. "King Kong" of 1933 and is repeated several times throughout the disc. Unfortunately this is, in my opinion, probably the best this disc has to offer. The music here is a drastic departure from Ifukube's rousing, action oriented music. Instead, Mr. Satoh gives us very slow moving, mellow music. While the music itself isn't bad, it's hardly what you'd expect from an action oriented monster movie.

Overall this disc is an OK listen but not a great one. I certainly can't recommend spending a lot of time, money and effort to get this CD. You'd be much better off looking for one of the scores done by Akira Ifukube. Another thing for me to pick on is the length of this CD. The first one was pretty short but this one is even shorter, clocking in at barely over 30 minutes.

Updated December 30, 2003

For an excellent essay on Masaru Satoh's music for "Godzilla's Counterattack" (aka "Gigantis, The Fire Monster" and "Godzilla Raids Again"), check this link http://www.mmmrecordings.com/Music/MusicGigantis/musicgigantis.html courtesy of David Schecter of Monstrous Movie Music. It's a great piece of work on the music and also how it was replaced by stock music in the American dubbed release as well as mentioning other Kaiju films this happened in.

The disc is now out of print. However it has been nicely redone as part of the new Box Set 1 released September 20, 2004. See CD 2 on this site from that set. The set itself is located here at: 50th Anniversary GODZILLA Soundtrack Perfect Collection

U.S. Title: Godzilla's Counterattack
Japanese Title: Gojira No Gyakushu

  1. Main Title (M1A)
  2. Battle At Iwato Island (M2A)
  3. Dragons Falling (M2, unused)
  4. The Quiet Peace (M4)
  5. Godzilla Located (PS45)
  6. SDF Scramble (M5)
  7. Godzilla In Osaka Bay (PS mix)
  8. Flares & Godzilla (PS45)
  9. Scarlet Chain Reaction (M7)
  10. Osaka In Flames (M2A)
  11. Death Battle At Osaka Castle (PS45)
  12. Osaka In Ashes (M8)
  13. Northern Land With Dancing Snow (M9)
  14. Godzilla Advances (G1)
  15. Fighter Sortie (M12)
  16. Kobayashi's Plane & Godzilla (M12A)
  17. Death Of Kobayashi I (M14A mix)
  18. Death Of Kobayashi II (M14)
  19. Memories Left (M15)
  20. Battle To The Death (M17)
  21. Last Attack (M19)
  22. Ending (M20)
  23. Godzilla Located (M5 mix)
  24. Kobayashi's Plane & Godzilla (M12B, unused)
  25. Death Of Kobayashi
  26. Godzilla I (M2A)
  27. Godzilla II (PS45)