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 |
Title |
| Bye-Bye Jupiter
- Original Soundtrack |
| International Title |
| Bye-Bye
Jupiter |
| Music By:
Kentaro Haneda |
| Record Label:
Toshiba EMI |
| |
|
| Running Time: 51:57 |
Discs: 1 |
| Release: April 1984 |
CD Number: CA35-1073 |
|
| Comments |
 |
Anthony
Romero |
 |
|
|
First
off, a big thanks goes out to Robert Storch for sending
this disc for review!
Generally regarded as the first Toho science fiction
release on the CD format, this disc from Toshiba EMI
for the 1984 production of Bye-Bye Jupiter
was given a simultaneous release alongside its LP
and audio cassette counterparts. Today, the CD is
incredibly rare, commanding very high prices when
it does manage to emerge. Part of the reason for this
demand is the age of the disc, and the unavailability
of the music elsewhere on the format, while another
is the inclusion of songs from two successful singers
in Japan: Jiro Sugita and Yumi Matsutoya (aka Yuming).
Composed by Kentaro Haneda, probably best known internationally
for his work on G.I.
Samurai (1979) and Virus
(1980), the score here is, although with its charm,
fairly dated in a few places. A couple of these themes
are synthesized, giving it a smaller budget feel.
This benefits some tracks, such as "Recollection
of Love", while holding back others, such as
the corny sounding "Panic: Jupiter at the Beach"
which fittingly plays during the lackluster scene
of Jupiter (the dolphin) versus the shark in the movie.
Surprisingly, though, Haneda tends to favor more traditional
orchestrations for most of the cues here. This manages
to produce a few rousing tracks such as the "Main
Theme", which utilizes a lot of violin work,
and the march-like "The Spaceship Fleet Prepares
for Battle". Haneda, overall, creates a pretty
good body of work here that shows his range and does
very well with crafting themes such as the wonderful
"Parting with Carlos".
In terms of the songs, the disc features a total of
four vocal tracks, all of which are the record versions.
Two are by Yumi Matsutoya, one of the most popular
singers in Japan who has been active since the 1970's.
Having a large fanbase, who have consumed over 40
million of her records, it's likely this is a large
factor in why this disc is so hard to find today.
In regards to the two songs, "At the Blue Ship"
and "Voyager", both are pretty solid. "At
the Blue Ship" has a very nice, slow beat while
the lyrics work to make it a very soothing song as
Yumi has a wonderful voice to carry it. "Voyager"
is also nice, although with things like an echo effect
sounds a bit more contemporary.
Artist Jiro Sugita, who also contributed work for
Horror
of the Wolf (1973), rounds out the other two
songs present here. "The Four Seasons of Earth"
is a pretty nice folk song, utilizing an acoustic
guitar to good effect along with a few moments with
backup singers. The second song, the self titled "Bye-Bye
Jupiter", is simply wonderful. It's hard not
to get wrapped up by its lyrics as it swells during
key points, supported by piano, drum, and violin work.
It's a departure from the normal acoustic guitar songs
that Sugita is known for, and the marriage between
his vocal work and the more traditional orchestration
ends up being a great combination.
Now, in terms of this release in particular, it sadly
does not contain the full score. This is especially
sad given the fairly low runtime here, which would
have easily permitted more tracks to be added. Hopefully,
at some point, a company decides to revisit the score
and give it a much deserved full release.
Bottom line, this is a pretty solid body of work.
Its few faults, like "Panic: Jupiter at the Beach",
are easily overlooked by the rest of the content available.
It's a shame, though, that the release is so hard
to come by today.
Rating:  |
|
| Tracks |
- Bye-Bye Jupiter - Main Theme
- Bye-Bye Jupiter - Sub Theme
- Dark Reunion
- Recollection of Love
- The Four Seasons of Earth
By: Jiro Sugita
- Approaching the Giant Red Spot
- At the Blue Ship
By: Yumi Matsutoya
- Nazca Base Discovery
- Space Arrow Disaster
- Hoger Kinn's Death
- Panic: Jupiter at the Beach
- Bye-Bye Jupiter
By: Jiro Sugita
- The Spaceship Fleet Prepares for Battle
- Carlos Finishes the Explosion Preparations
- Parting with Carlos
- A Hero's Death
- Funeral on a Small Planet
- Voyager
By: Yumi Matsutoya
|
|
|
|
