I wish there was a way for them to re-issue Ifukube's Wanpaku.
Yes, I would love to see this score reissued too, but Toho probably doesn't own the rights. I happen to own the rarest version on CD, this was only available as part of a 10CD TOEI ANIMATION boxed set that was released by Columbia Japan in 1996. It sounds much better than the Toshiba-Futureland 2CD set, although lacks the bonus tracks found there...
Ah, but those bonus tracks (Mitsubishi Expo) are awesome!
Ditto on the TOHO WAR MOVIES 2cd set. Love it.
The 10cd Toei Animation Box is one of the few things I do not have.
BTW, I am slowly but surely scanning covers of my collection and posting on albumartexchange.
I'll be doing War of the Gargantuas, Matango, King Kong Escapes, and more Godzilla Perfect Collection stuff soon.
Ah, but those bonus tracks (Mitsubishi Expo) are awesome!
Yep, Akira Ifukube's EXPO '70 music is fantastic and that 2-CD set is still the only way to get the entire score. However, the Akira Ifukube Film Music Collection (2007) contains two tracks from his Expo '70 music at least...
About 10 years ago, I had the honor of interviewing Ifukube-sensei in his home. Believe me, the master was every bit as great a man as his music suggests.
P.S. I'm eternally grateful to Squiddy for recommending The Golden Dog, which is too groovy for words. Methinks we'll have to give it another spin this evening.
P.P.S. REALLY looking forward to Virus and Prison Gate Island.
Glad to hear you're enjoying it, Josh! It's still one of my most played CDs at the moment — perfect to put on for a quick Ohno fix when I don't have 70+ minutes for The Great Chase or some Lupin the 3rd.
I've always been curious about this VIRUS soundtrack CD. I am aware of the Janis Ian songs, but is it true that there is very little actual "score" music on it? Do you like the entire CD, or only a few of the tracks? I do have VIRUS on DVD and watched it a long time ago...I thought it was very good.
I've always been curious about this VIRUS soundtrack CD. I am aware of the Janis Ian songs, but is it true that there is very little actual "score" music on it? Do you like the entire CD, or only a few of the tracks? I do have VIRUS on DVD and watched it a long time ago...I thought it was very good. Please visit below website: http://www.toho-m.co.jp//index.php?page=index http://ifukube-official.kifu.officelive.com/default.aspx
I've always been curious about this VIRUS soundtrack CD. I am aware of the Janis Ian songs, but is it true that there is very little actual "score" music on it? Do you like the entire CD, or only a few of the tracks? I do have VIRUS on DVD and watched it a long time ago...I thought it was very good.
Hi Rob!
Look's like you and Joshua know each other...very cool!
We haven't purchased VIRUS yet, thus, I'm not familiar with the complete package. I'm going to check out the links provided below by Hitoshi (^_^)
NP: SARU NO GUNDAN (1974, aka ARMY OF THE APES); Composer: Toshiaki Tsushima
What is SARU NO GUNDAN (ARMY OF THE APES) like? Toshiaki Tsushima is hit-or-miss with me. My favorite of his works is THE MAGIC SERPENT, but oftimes he's too "poppy" for me.
What is SARU NO GUNDAN (ARMY OF THE APES) like? Toshiaki Tsushima is hit-or-miss with me. My favorite of his works is THE MAGIC SERPENT, but oftimes he's too "poppy" for me.
Aye. The use of "poppy" in your last sentence was one of the first words that came to mind when describing SARU NO GUNDAN.
*I even described it to my girlfriend as: "Groovy Beyond Gravy." (Like Pre-Modern J-Pop.)
That said, it's well worth its pennies. (And not to mention, extremely comprehensive [sound wise] with relation to the series.) BUT...it does lend a flighty and poppy like sound...even during the moments of solitude and seriousness. Just me, though. I could easily breeze thru this as Captain Scarlet...no need to think...just feel.
I've always been curious about this VIRUS soundtrack CD. I am aware of the Janis Ian songs, but is it true that there is very little actual "score" music on it? Do you like the entire CD, or only a few of the tracks? I do have VIRUS on DVD and watched it a long time ago...I thought it was very good.
Hi Rob!
Look's like you and Joshua know each other...very cool!
We haven't purchased VIRUS yet, thus, I'm not familiar with the complete package. I'm going to check out the links provided below by Hitoshi (^_^)
NP: SARU NO GUNDAN (1974, aka ARMY OF THE APES); Composer: Toshiaki Tsushima
Hi ! Holly, It is amazing!!! I watched "Saru no Gundan" on TV in Japan when I was school boy! How did you know "Saru no Gundan" ?
Look's like you and Joshua know each other...very cool!
We haven't purchased VIRUS yet, thus, I'm not familiar with the complete package. I'm going to check out the links provided below by Hitoshi (^_^)
NP: SARU NO GUNDAN (1974, aka ARMY OF THE APES); Composer: Toshiaki Tsushima
Yes, Josh certainly knows his stuff and both of you happen to own a lot of Japanese CDs that I didn't even know about. My Japanese CD collection is mainly based on Akira Ifukube (including his classical music, which is fantastic) and on Kaiju soundtracks, although I have branched out into other areas as well, like the Kosuke Kindaichi scores, The Peanuts and other soundtrack CDs by Satoh, Hattori, Akutagawa, Oshima, etc, etc.
One of my all-time favorite Kindaichi CDs is this one...
As for SARU NO GUNDAN (1974, aka ARMY OF THE APES), was this a Japanese Apes TV series? Now, I am curious to hear it, so I will try to find sound samples...
By the way, have you ever heard the soundtrack to Prison Gate Island before...do you currently have any of the Kosuke Kindaichi soundtracks?
Hey Rob. No, I haven't heard any of those yet, but I knew as soon as I saw the cover art on the PRISON GATE ISLAND CD that it is something very special and that we'd have to have it.
Regarding SARU NO GUNDAN:
"In 1975 Fox created a TV spinoff to the much loved Planet of the apes films. The following year when the series was shown in Japan on TBS. Rival station Fuji TV decided to create their own ape show titled Saru no Gundan (Army of the Apes). 26 episodes were made, even though lacking in budget it actually lasted longer then the original POTA series which was cancelled after only 14 episodes.
In 1987 Sandy Frank edited and dubbed the entire series in to one 100 minute feature film which later found notoriety for being featured on an episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000.
The film was released in the UK on VHS which bizarrely was given an 18 rating by the BBFC, though I would say is actually tamer then most of the original POTA films. These videos are taken from that tape."
Someone posted the entire butchered English-dubbed feature film version (which was retitled "TIME OF THE APES") on youtube, along with the explanation quoted above. I'm not sure about the accuracy of the dates, though, as IMDb lists SARU NO GUNDAN as airing in Japan in 1974, but that's neither here nor there. Funny, the main title music used in the film version is actually a rather clumsily spliced-up version of the original Japanese theme song, edited to omit the (Japanese-language) vocals. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YTRda-4NfzI&feature=related
I haven't seen either the original TV series or the feature film version, but just like PRISON GATE ISLAND, I knew as soon as I saw the cover art for the SARU NO GUNDAN CD that I had to have it. If I had to choose a few words to describe the music, I'd say cartoonish, quirky, groovy, and experimental. Like many other soundtrack releases featuring music from Japanese tokusatsu/sfx TV series of the 60s and 70s, however, the CD is made up of several million very short cues.
Hi ! Holly, It is amazing!!! I watched "Saru no Gundan" on TV in Japan when I was school boy! How did you know "Saru no Gundan" ?
Aloha Hitoshi!
Joshua picked it up on a whim...I sure wish we would've grown up with the series...sigh. I hope that when we visit Japan, we can pick up some of these series (not to mention soundtracks!) that are not available in the states. Or cost an arm and a leg to acquire as imports!
Hi ! Holly, It is amazing!!! I watched "Saru no Gundan" on TV in Japan when I was school boy! How did you know "Saru no Gundan" ?
Aloha Hitoshi!
Joshua picked it up on a whim...I sure wish we would've grown up with the series...sigh. I hope that when we visit Japan, we can pick up some of these series (not to mention soundtracks!) that are not available in the states. Or cost an arm and a leg to acquire as imports!
Hi ! Holly, It is amazing!!! I watched "Saru no Gundan" on TV in Japan when I was school boy! How did you know "Saru no Gundan" ?
Aloha Hitoshi!
Joshua picked it up on a whim...I sure wish we would've grown up with the series...sigh. I hope that when we visit Japan, we can pick up some of these series (not to mention soundtracks!) that are not available in the states. Or cost an arm and a leg to acquire as imports!
