© 1999 Lawrence Tuczynski

Title GAMERA 1995-1999 ULTIMATE SOUND TRACKS
CD Label Tokuma / Animage
CD Number TKCA-71801
Music Composed by: Ko Otani
Number of tracks Disc 1 - 45
Disc 2 - 49
Disc 3 - 49
Running time Disc 1 - 67:43
Disc 2 - 62:16
Disc 3 - 74:01
Number of discs 3
Year of release/manufacture 1999

REVIEW

Feb. 7, 2000

Review and info courtesy of David Hirsch

This is a nicely packaged 3 disc set spotlighting Ko Ohtani's wonderful work on the new Gamera series. The double jewel box comes in a jet black cardboard slipbox with a full color 32 page booklet and each CD emblazoned with a black and white image of a the foe from each film.

The first CD is dedicated completely to GAMERA: GUARDIAN OF THE UNIVERSE. Unlike the first soundtrack release, the new collection features 13 unreleased cues. mostly score tracks that were cut and a few alternate takes. Bonus tracks include a suite of sound effects and the theatrical trailer audio in much the same fashion as the Toho Futureland series. One of the biggest differences between this release and the original is the sound quality. The spatial ambience of the orchestra is broader and you can hear more instrumentation than ever before. Gamera's roar has been removed from the tail of “To the Sea” and the end title song has also been remixed with a nice new opening movement (the original version does not appear, though). Overall, a stunning audio treat.

The second CD is GAMERA 2: THE ADVENT OF LEGION. This is a bit of an oddity. There are no new score tracks here and one cue, “Countdown 1,” which wasn't used in the final film, but was on the original soundtrack, has been removed to the end. Of course, a sound effects suite and trailer audio follows, but the CD ends oddly with the single versions of the original Gamera songs from the first film series. Some of the cues sound like they have a little more spatial enhancement, but it's not as noticeable as the first CD.

GAMERA 3: THE AWAKENING OF IRYAS round off the set with exactly the same running order as the album released last year. Funny thing about this score, I was disappointed when I first heard it, but after seeing the film, it's become a favorite with its dark, moody motifs. Besides the sound effects and trailer audio, the bonus section includes the original score cues for the trailer and the single version of “Tell Me Once Again”.

If you have the original three soundtrack CDs, there's not much here to really demand this set, other than the sound quality of the first score. However, I love these soundtracks and am something of a completest. Besides, the sound effects are always fun. If you don't have a complete set, this is a bargain for the price CDJapan was offering (and we got ours within a week from ordering!).

- - David Hirsch --

 

UPDATED January 5, 2002

CD1

English Title:	GAMERA, GUARDIAN OF THE UNIVERSE
Japanese Title:	Gamera-daikaiju kuchu kessen (“Gamera-Decisive Air Battle”)

 1. M-1 Opening
 2. M-2 Main Title
 3. M-3 Mysterious Drifting Atoll *
 4. M-4 An Investigation Ship
 5. M-5 Tragic Accident at Himegami Island
 6. M-6 Atoll Discovery *
 7. M-7 Appearance of a Mysterious Bird - Pursuit
 8. M-8 Over the Island
 9. M-9 Night at the Atoll
10. M-10 Mystery of the Atoll
11. M-11 Seizure of Fukuoka Dome Begins
12. M-12 Guidance
13. M-13 Approaching Terror
14. M-14 Gamera Appears
15. M-15 Gyaos Flees
16. M-16 News *
17. M-17 Ancient Civilization and the Orihalcon
18. M-18 Massacre Effect *
19. M-19 Giant Creature Capture *
20. M-20 Defense Agency - Strategy Room
21. M-21 Suspension Bridge - In the Crisis
22. M-22 Gamera's Sudden Attack
23. M-23 Tank Corps
24. M-24 Gamera in Danger at Fuji
25. M-25 Asagi's Sleep *
26. M-26 Gyaos Chromosome
27. M-27A#2 Environmental Change I *
28. M-27B Environmental Change II *
29. M-28 Gyaos Flies Over Tokyo
30. M-29 Collapse of Tokyo Tower
31. M-30 Death District Gyaos *
32. M-31 Gamera & Asagi
33. M-32 Arrival
34. M-33 Gamera Vs. Gyaos
35. M-34 Air Battle
36. M-35 Gamera's Counterattack
37. M-36 Ending Theme - To the Sea
38. Main Theme Song - Myth (remix version) Bakufu Slump


UNUSED & BONUS TRACKS

39 	Opening ~ Omen ~ alternate version (M1 Women's Choir Version) *
40 	News alternate version (M16A) *
41 	Ancient Civilization & Orihalcon out take (M17#1)*
42 	Environmental Change I out take (M27A#1)*
43 	Magatama's Light Bristle ([SFX: Orihalcon] version) (Magatama only)
    (The magatama are the comma-shaped stones which link the wearer to Gamera)
44. SFX: 
	Gamera - Roars, Footfall  and Flight
	Gyaos - Roar, Flight, Wings, Eat, Laser Beam,
	Artifact -  Heartbeat and Destruction
	Machines - Helecopter, Tanks, Missile Strikes
45. Theatrical Trailer Audio

CD2

English Title:	GAMERA 2: ADVENT OF LEGION
Japanese Title:	Gamera 2: Region shurai (“Gamera 2: Attack of Legion”)

 1. M-1 Opening
 2. M-2 Main Title - A Meteor Stream
 3. M-3 Go! Science Platoon
 4. M-4 Aurora
 5. M-5 Abnormality
 6. M-6 Shadow
 7. M-7 Unidentified Creature
 8. M-8 A Sudden Assault
 9. M-9 Blockade Order
10. M-10 A Group of Mysterious Creatures
11. M-11 Appearance of Soutai
12. M-12 Rescue Operation
13. M-13 Strategy Meeting
14. M-14 Demolition Plans
15. M-15 Simulation
16. M-16 Appearance of Gamera
17. M-17B Countdown 2
18. M-18 Flying Over
19. M-19 Thy Name is Legion
20. M-20 Enormous Legion Conformed
21. M-21 Autopsy
22. M-22 Body Formation Solved
23. M-23 Day of Catastrophe
24. M-24 Soutai Goes Down South
25. M-25 Refugees
26. M-26 Clash of 2 Giant Monsters
27. M-27 Desperate Struggle
28. M-28 Explosion
29. M-29 Defeat
30. M-30 The Setting Sun
31. M-30A Tank Corps on the Move 1
32. M-31 Salute
33. M-32 Preparation to Attack
34. M-33 Tank Corps on the Move 2
35. M-34B Presentiment 1
36. M-35 Presentiment 2
37. M-36 Revival
38. M-37 Anti-Aircraft Fire
39. M-38 Counterattack
40. M-39 All Out War
41. M-40 Last Defense Line
42. M-41 The Ultimate Blow
43. M-42 Ending - Roar
44. Wolves (Sky)


UNUSED & BONUS TRACKS

45. M17A Countdown 1
46. SFX: 	
	Gamera - Footfalls, Liftoff, Landing
	Legion - Roars, Motion, Coming Aboveground, Rays,
	Soldiers Walking,
	Soldiers Swarm Flight,
	Machines - Jets, Tanks, Gunfire
47. Theatrical Trailer Audio
48. (The Original) Gamera Song
49. (Another) Gamera Song (Twist)

CD3

English Title:	GAMERA 3: INCOMPLETE STRUGGLE
“Gamera 3: The Awakening of Irys / The Evil God”

 1.  M-1 Prologue
 2.  M-2 Main Title
 3.  M-3 The Nightmare
 4.  M-4 Refusing Heaven and Earth: Indestructible
 5.  M-5 The Discovery
 6.  M-6 The Seal
 7.  M-7 Yanagaboshi Hari
 8.  M-8 Catastrophe
 9.  M-9 The Destruction of Shibuya
10. M-10 Hatred
11. M-11 The Birth
12. M-12 Irys
13. M-13 The Shrine Sword
14. M-14 Different Life Form
15. M-15 Fusion
16. M-16 Manna
17. M-17 The Cocoon
18. M-18 Bizarre Occurrence
19. M-19 The Investigation
20. M-20 The Black Curved Jewel
21. M-21 Chromosome Sample
22. M-22 Response
23. M-23 The Evil Deity Awakens
24. M-24 Self-Defense Forces Mobilized
25. M-25 Mature Irys
26. M-26 The Mystery of Gamera
27. M-27 Strange Variation
28. M-28 Resolve: Theme Song Variation
29. M-29 Flight
30. M-30 Offense and Defense
31. M-31 The Air War
32. M-32 The Descent of Irys
33. M-32A Descendants  from Antiquity
34. M-33 Kyoto in Flames
35. M-34 The Crash
36. M-35 Ayana and Irys
37. M-36 Will Gamera Die?!
38. M-37 Confrontation
39. M-38 Recollections
40. M-39 Desperation
41. M-40 The Red Lotus Flame
42. M-41 The Guardian Beast
43. M-42 Ending Theme:  Gamera 1999
44. “Tell Me Once Again”


UNUSED & BONUS TRACKS

45. Theatrical Trailer BGM part 1 (original full version)
46. Theatrical Trailer BGM part 2
47. SFX: 
	Gamera - Groans
	Iryas - Groans, Movement, Flight, Baby Iryas Squeals, Beams
	Weapons - Missile Tracking & Launch
	Suite - Air Battle
48. Theatrical Trailer Audio
49. “Tell Me Once Again” (single version)

*previously unreleased