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Posted: |
Feb 25, 2021 - 4:31 PM
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By: |
increbula
(Member)
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His scores for the National Forest Trilogy (1955) are some of his best efforts at that point in his film music career. The films are apparently lost, and so are the tapes of the scores. However, Bukimisha made new recordings of music from the scores. And my God, those scores are phenomenal! By the way, his scores to "National Forest Part Two" and "King Kong vs. Godzilla" have something in common!
Yes, that Bukimisha CD is a gorgeous recording, and you're right - Part 2 features an early arrangement of what would become "The Plan To Transport King Kong"!
As for "The Birth of Japan", I know the cue you're referring to. I also love it. My favorite cue from the score is Takama-ga-hara (M13A).
Ah, yes - that one is also lovely.
"Ritmica Ostinata" is one of the most dynamic and complex pieces Ifukube composed. It too has something in common with his "King Kong vs. Godzilla" score, albeit briefly.
Oh, I don't think I ever caught that - though I've played it numerous times..!
As far as I know, the harmonica cue is completely Ifukube's. He only recorded a portion of what he had written for "Godzilla". The Wada recording is the entirety of it as Ifukube had written it. By the way, you hear it again in that score, as Oxygen Destroyer (DB-47 M-20), this time arranged for cello and piano. He composed an orchestral version of it for his score to "The Crime of Shiro Kamisaka" (1956). He also made an arrangement of it for Expo '75 according to the Ifukube website.
Wow - I just played "Oxygen Destroyer" (the original and Wada recordings) and I heard what you're referring to. It's so low key that I never picked up on it before. Ifukube sure knew how to get plenty of mileage out of a motif!
The surf music in "Frankenstein vs. Baragon" was also composed by Ifukube. I believe this was mentioned at the Ifukube website, but I can't remember.
Yes, now I seem to recall reading it there as well - and possibly in one of his interviews.
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Posted: |
Feb 25, 2021 - 7:05 PM
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By: |
Ostinato
(Member)
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Yes, that Bukimisha CD is a gorgeous recording, and you're right - Part 2 features an early arrangement of what would become "The Plan To Transport King Kong"!
In addition, there's a 1954 film featuring the same material. "Japanese National Railways: Toward the 21st Century" (1966) also has that material.
Ah, yes - that one is also lovely.
From the flute work to the haunting chorus, M13A is absolutely beautiful. Another favorite of mine from "The Birth of Japan" is Iwato Kagura (PS-60 MIX).
Oh, I don't think I ever caught that - though I've played it numerous times..!
The same brief material from "Ritmica Ostinata", part of The Plan to Transport King Kong, is also in the third movement of "Symphony Concertante for Piano and Orchestra" It's also in the train documentary "Challenge in the Snow" (1961).
Wow - I just played "Oxygen Destroyer" (the original and Wada recordings) and I heard what you're referring to. It's so low key that I never picked up on it before. Ifukube sure knew how to get plenty of mileage out of a motif!
Yeah, it even took me a while for me to realize it. Ifukube got mileage out of a lot of the material he composed! I commend him for that. It would have been wasteful to use certain themes/materials only once.
Yes, now I seem to recall reading it there as well - and possibly in one of his interviews.
It's also known that he composed jazz pieces for some of his scores. There's a cue (PS-83 (A)) in "Bastards of the Sea" which Ifukube used in a couple of other films, such as "Boss of the Underworld". There's some nice '70s music in "The Human Revolution" (1973), and I'm curious if Ifukube composed those cues.
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I'm enjoying this thread very much, and finding it very informative. I'm also happy to learn that somebody other than me is actually fond of Riichiro Manabe's score for GODZILLA VS. HEDORAH; I used to feel so alone!
This seems like an appropriate thread to ask a couple of questions I have about the GODZILLA VS. GIGAN soundtrack CDs (I own both the Futureland and the Perfect editions). Track #2 on both discs, "Construction of Children's Land," has been identified as coming from two different prior scores by various internet sources: some say it's from WILL TO CONQUER, while others say it's from A LIFETIME OF BUSINESS SAVY - THE TOUGHEST GUY AROUND. Does anybody here know which is correct? (It's just occurring to me now that these might even be different titles for the same movie - is that the case?)
Also, the GIGAN cue numbers are listed in the Perfect booklet, spanning approximately "M1" to "M25" - but there is no "M2" listed. There is a source cue heard in the film in between M1 and M3, so I'm wondering if Toho's practice was to "skip" cue numbers wherever source cues are heard (meaning that the cafe background music heard in between M1 and M3 is effectively "M2" even though it isn't listed that way in the film's score documentation.) Does anybody know if this is the case?
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Posted: |
Feb 25, 2021 - 8:21 PM
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By: |
Ostinato
(Member)
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I'm enjoying this thread very much, and finding it very informative. I'm also happy to learn that somebody other than me is actually fond of Riichiro Manabe's score for GODZILLA VS. HEDORAH; I used to feel so alone!
You don't need to anymore! I, as well as many others, love the score and Manabe overall.
This seems like an appropriate thread to ask a couple of questions I have about the GODZILLA VS. GIGAN soundtrack CDs (I own both the Futureland and the Perfect editions). Track #2 on both discs, "Construction of Children's Land," has been identified as coming from two different prior scores by various internet sources: some say it's from WILL TO CONQUER, while others say it's from A LIFETIME OF BUSINESS SAVY - THE TOUGHEST GUY AROUND. Does anybody here know which is correct? (It's just occurring to me now that these might even be different titles for the same movie - is that the case?)
That is correct, those are titles for the same film. I've actually seen the film, and it's about the founding of Mitsubishi if I remember correctly (it's been a while since I've seen it).
Also, the GIGAN cue numbers are listed in the Perfect booklet, spanning approximately "M1" to "M25" - but there is no "M2" listed. There is a source cue heard in the film in between M1 and M3, so I'm wondering if Toho's practice was to "skip" cue numbers wherever source cues are heard (meaning that the cafe background music heard in between M1 and M3 is effectively "M2" even though it isn't listed that way in the film's score documentation.) Does anybody know if this is the case?
I've been trying to hunt down that cue for years! It's an arrangement of "Children Who Don't Know War" by Jiros. I don't recall anyone knowing where the cue is originally from or who arranged it. It's definitely not from anything Ifukube scored, since the song was released in 1971. Since it's not included on both Gigan releases, it's likely lost. However, someone on YouTube managed to more or less isolate the music from the rest of the audio track.
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Posted: |
Feb 25, 2021 - 9:01 PM
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By: |
increbula
(Member)
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I'm enjoying this thread very much, and finding it very informative. I'm also happy to learn that somebody other than me is actually fond of Riichiro Manabe's score for GODZILLA VS. HEDORAH; I used to feel so alone!
You don't need to anymore! I, as well as many others, love the score and Manabe overall.
I have always had mixed feelings about Manabe's score (not-so-full-disclosure: I may have even reviewed it, in a backhandedly-complimentary way, on a certain website several years ago), but it has grown on me over the years, and I think it certainly fits the film. I suspect that its bad rap is based on the fact that it is SO different from what has gone before, that it was difficult to embrace by early fans (and the fact that its appearance coincided with the perceived decline of the series itself cannot have helped matters). Its dissonant, irreverent tone is the polar opposite of Ifukube's stately and powerful accompaniment, so it's understandable that some fans would be repelled. But I have wide musical tastes (ranging from ethereal progressive rock to angular post-punk), so I can more easily judge and accept Manabe's work on its own terms. Conclusion - I think it's kinda cool, and rollicking good fun.
Sure, it ain't Ifukube - but what is?
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Posted: |
Feb 25, 2021 - 9:17 PM
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By: |
Ostinato
(Member)
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I have always had mixed feelings about Manabe's score (not-so-full-disclosure: I may have even reviewed it, in a backhandedly-complimentary way, on a certain website several years ago), but it has grown on me over the years, and I think it certainly fits the film. I suspect that its bad rap is based on the fact that it is SO different from what has gone before, that it was difficult to embrace by early fans (and the fact that its appearance coincided with the perceived decline of the series itself cannot have helped matters). Its dissonant, irreverent tone is the polar opposite of Ifukube's stately and powerful accompaniment, so it's understandable that some fans would be repelled. But I have wide musical tastes (ranging from ethereal progressive rock to angular post-punk), so I can more easily judge and accept Manabe's work on its own terms. Conclusion - I think it's kinda cool, and rollicking good fun.
Sure, it ain't Ifukube - but what is?
A certain website huh? Speaking of which, I may or may not have written reviews somewhere on the interwebs. However, I'm quite embarrassed with them now, as I feel as if they were written by a child. LOL! Anyway, I agree with you there. Man, you guys got me wanting to listen to the score again!
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Posted: |
Feb 26, 2021 - 2:50 AM
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By: |
Ifukube
(Member)
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I've been trying to hunt down that cue for years! It's an arrangement of "Children Who Don't Know War" by Jiros. I don't recall anyone knowing where the cue is originally from or who arranged it. It's definitely not from anything Ifukube scored, since the song was released in 1971. Since it's not included on both Gigan releases, it's likely lost. However, someone on YouTube managed to more or less isolate the music from the rest of the audio track.
Wow, did you just mention the song "Children Who Don't Know War" by Jiros?
I actually went through a phase where I bought a lot of Jiro Sugita and Jiros CDs...I became interested in hearing some of his pop songs and albums, after I heard his incredible songs from Bye-Bye Jupiter. Did you ever pick up the 2013 or 2017 reissue of the Bye-Bye Jupiter soundtrack CD? It was a priced-down reissue CD from Japan and it only cost $10.00! It was even remastered as well, which is rare for a priced-down reissue, and sounds very modern with good tone and bass. The four record songs on the soundtrack (2 from Yumi Matsutoya and 2 from Jiro Sugita), are some of my favorite Japanese songs from the 80s.
I also picked up a few of Yumi Matsutoya's CDs...her Voyager album, a 2CD comp, plus a rare 1989 CD single, which features her Jupiter songs.
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Posted: |
Feb 26, 2021 - 7:10 PM
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By: |
Ostinato
(Member)
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Wow, did you just mention the song "Children Who Don't Know War" by Jiros?
I actually went through a phase where I bought a lot of Jiro Sugita and Jiros CDs...I became interested in hearing some of his pop songs and albums, after I heard his incredible songs from Bye-Bye Jupiter. Did you ever pick up the 2013 or 2017 reissue of the Bye-Bye Jupiter soundtrack CD? It was a priced-down reissue CD from Japan and it only cost $10.00! It was even remastered as well, which is rare for a priced-down reissue, and sounds very modern with good tone and bass. The four record songs on the soundtrack (2 from Yumi Matsutoya and 2 from Jiro Sugita), are some of my favorite Japanese songs from the 80s.
I also picked up a few of Yumi Matsutoya's CDs...her Voyager album, a 2CD comp, plus a rare 1989 CD single, which features her Jupiter songs.
Yep! I sure did! I think many people aren't aware that the café music in "Godzilla vs. Gigan" is an arrangement of the song.
That's great! No, I didn't pick up any of the Bye-Bye Jupiter reissues. I wasn't collecting too terribly much in 2013, and what I did collect focused on Akira Ifukube. I lost most of my old CD collection (one so small it fit into a single shoebox) in 2016 and only started to collect again in late 2017. Even then, I focused primarily on Ifukube and Cinema-kan's releases. Admittedly, obtaining any of the Bye-Bye Jupiter reissues never crossed my mind.
I focus Japanese film/TV music (primarily from the '40s up into the '80s), so I'm not familiar with much else (for the most part) I'm afraid. For the record, I do collect Western film/TV music when I can.
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Posted: |
Feb 27, 2021 - 1:10 PM
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By: |
Ifukube
(Member)
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Yep! I sure did! I think many people aren't aware that the café music in "Godzilla vs. Gigan" is an arrangement of the song.
Yes, I had no idea that a different arrangement of the Jiros song was actually in Godzilla vs. Gigan...wow! Hmm, is this Jiros music included on the Godzilla vs. Gigan Futureland CD or Perfect CD? I don't think so, but now I wish it was included...it would be great to have that arrangement from the film isolated on CD, and I think Toho Music and/or Futureland did include some rare source music on other Godzilla soundtrack CDs?
I guess I'll have to watch my Godzilla vs. Gigan DVD one day, to hear that theme during the cafe scene?
How do you know this song though, do you own any Jiro Sugita or Jiros CDs?
That's great! No, I didn't pick up any of the Bye-Bye Jupiter reissues. I wasn't collecting too terribly much in 2013, and what I did collect focused on Akira Ifukube. I lost most of my old CD collection (one so small it fit into a single shoebox) in 2016 and only started to collect again in late 2017. Even then, I focused primarily on Ifukube and Cinema-kan's releases. Admittedly, obtaining any of the Bye-Bye Jupiter reissues never crossed my mind.
I focus Japanese film/TV music (primarily from the '40s up into the '80s), so I'm not familiar with much else (for the most part) I'm afraid. For the record, I do collect Western film/TV music when I can.
Have you seen Toho's Bye-Bye Jupiter movie and are you familiar with the four songs featured in the film? The record versions of these songs, which are on the Bye-Bye Jupiter soundtrack CD, are some of my favorite Japanese movie songs.
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