GODZILLA Soundtrack Perfect Collection
6 CD Box Set
Box 2

© 2004 Lawrence Tuczynski

Title	50th Anniversary GODZILLA Soundtrack Perfect Collection [Box 2]
CD Label	Toho Music Corporation
CD Number	GB2
Music by:	Various
Recordings	Stereo/Mono
Number of discs	6
Year of release/manufacture	December 24, 2004

OVERALL REVIEW

October 24, 2004Updated Jan. 01, 2005 with additional input from Robert Storch With 2004 being the 50th anniversary of the first Godzilla movie and the year Toho promises to stop making Godzilla movies for awhile after the December release of "Godzilla Final Wars", Toho music has decided to remaster and rerelease the soundtracks to the 28 (including "Godzilla Final Wars") Godzilla movies. These soundtracks are being referred to as the "50th Anniversary GODZILLA Soundtrack Perfect Collection" and will be released as 6 box sets. The first set was released on September 20, 2004 and the 2nd set December 24, 2004. In honor of 1954 being the 1st movie release Toho is limiting these box sets to just 1,954 numbered sets. This set # 2 I received was numbered 235. Unlike the first box set that contained 7 total discs, this set only has 6. All of the soundtracks in this box set have been re-mastered and give improved sound over the now out of print Futureland releases elsewhere on this site. All the discs also contain some additional bonus tracks not found on the previous discs. In addition the booklets feature new cover pictures. The older Futureland sets had the movie posters on the cover. The booklets themselves seem to be updated with new information and pictures but since I can't read Japanese have no idea what they say. The track order is also sometimes different between the older discs and new ones (the tracks have been resequenced to reflect the order in the film) and in some cases have had two tracks combined and/or the track title changed. In most cases the bonus tracks are either sound effects, movie dialogue with music in the background (probably the only way we'll get to hear that background music) or alternate takes. One thing that surprises me with this set is that even with bonus tracks, the running times are on the short side..Disc 1 has the shortest time at 45:40 and Disc 2 is the longest at 55:29. The rest are somewhere in between. Like the first boxed set, this second one has wonderful packaging and the booklets seem to have more photos this time than the booklets from the first set. Also, we can now see each composers face through the clear CD tray on the left side. Now what can I say to those of you out there pondering whether or not to spend the $100+ on these new sets and this one in particular. While these re-mastered discs sound wonderful, the difference is not night and day. If you own the Futureland releases and are satisfied with them, then there is probably no real need to get this set, especially if you are strapped for money. On the other hand, those of you who missed out on the Futureland releases should get this set as soon as possible before it too goes out of print. And naturally for highly devoted, fanatical fans and completest (like me) buy it anyway and keep both sets. There are a couple of additional things that may help you decide whether or not to purchase these new boxed sets. First, all but one boxed set will come with bonus CDs. These are basically re-releases of older Godzilla LPs and some hard to find, out of print CDs. The bonus CD that comes with this set is an exact replica of the "Godzilla 2" LP and future bonus CDs may include "Ostinato", "Symphonic Fantasia" "Godzilla Vocal Collection" and "Godzilla Sound Effects". For anyone who missed out buying these a few years ago or simply couldn't find them, now's your chance to get them again. These newly remastered soundtracks also contain the rare vocal promotional songs that were previously available only on those early Toho 45 vinyl singles, or the now out of print "Godzilla Vocal Collection" CD from 1991 and the more recent "Godzilla Songbook" CD that is still available on some sites. For example, the Godzilla Raids Again score from the first boxed set has those two promotional songs from 1955 at the end of the disc and the Godzilla's Revenge CD that comes with this set has a promo song that is only found on the Godzilla Vocal Collection CD from 1991 (or the older 45 vinyl single perhaps), it was not re-released on the newer Godzilla Songbook CD for some reason. The bottom line is that these new Godzilla soundtracks are probably as 'complete' as we'll ever get from Toho and the bonus CDs make very nice additions as well. Added January 10, 2008 For another review of this Box set visit the Toho Kingdom web site at: http://www.tohokingdom.com/cd/godzilla_perfect2_toho.html.

CD 1 Monster Zero		CD 2 Godzilla vs. The Sea Monster
CD 3 Son Of Godzilla		CD 4 Destroy All Monsters
CD 5 Godzilla's Revenge		CD 6 Godzilla 2

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