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Posted: |
Feb 18, 2018 - 7:50 AM
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By: |
Bill Cooke
(Member)
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You can't go wrong with the recent re-recording of GODZILLA (1954).
And if you need more, the Perfect Collection boxes are outstanding. The fist two boxes contain mono recordings but they sound quite good, especially MOTHRA VS. GODZILLA, GHIDRAH THE THREE-HEADED MONSTER, MONSTER ZERO and DESTROY ALL MONSTERS. (And it should be said that the Masaru Sato Godzilla scores in this box are a lot of fun, too - like great breaths of fresh air after Ifukube's relatively ponderous affairs.)
Unfortunately, the stereo version of KING KONG VS. GODZILLA in the Perfect Box is not so good (sounds like they lifted it straight from the old laserdisc isolated score track without any remastering), so for that title you need to get LaLaLand's domestic CD version, which sounds much better.
As for non-Godzilla Ifukube, I absolutely love the last CD remasterings of RODAN (paired with YOG) and THE MYSTERIANS (paired with BATTLE IN OUTER SPACE).
I was hoping that this "Toho Sci-fi complete soundtrack series" would get around to re-releasing FRANKENSTEIN CONQUERS THE WORLD and WAR OF THE GARGANTUAS, but it seems they have stopped. Nothing for years, unless I've missed the boat. So much for "complete series."
By the way, of late, my most played scores out of the Toho films have to be THE H-MAN and MATANGO. These are not Ifukube scores, but they are both highly rewarding if you like cool jazz and creepy atmospherics.
ADDENDUM:
I just did a search on Screen Archives and see that there are now individual remasterings of FRANKENSTEIN CONQUERS THE WORLD and WAR OF THE GARGANTUAS back on the market. Expensive, but worth it, I hope.
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I would also strongly recommend seeking out some of Ifukube's concert works--Birth of the Japanese Islands, Prelude for Orchestra, The Drumming of Japan, etc. Fantastic stuff that fits in stylistically very well with his Toho scores.
Searching Youtube all I found of those suggestions was The Drumming of Japan. I'm on the second movement now and still enjoying it.
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