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Title
 Godzilla vs. Destroyer (Perfect Collection 5)
International Title
 Godzilla vs. Destoroyah
Music By: Akira Ifukube
Record Label: Toho Music
 
Running Time: 49:40/62:01 Discs: 2
Release: January 2008 CD Number: G-022 (Set)
Comments
Anthony Romero
First, thanks goes to Jessica Stan for sending this in for review!

This two disc set includes Akira Ifukube's final Godzilla soundtrack, which was also his final movie soundtrack before stepping down from a long career of composing music. In true Ifukube style, the man goes out with a bang by creating a phenomenal score for the 1995 feature film.

Like the rest of the soundtracks by Ifukube from this decade, the score borrows a lot from his past work. While this might seem quick and easy, it also makes the soundtrack feel instantly familiar; something that feels new and yet at the same time harks back to the golden age of Japanese cinema. It's a prefect blend with a great mesh of soothing and action motifs, both new and old, but its the marches which keep it so lively. The Godzilla theme, for example, has never sounded better than it does for this 1995 movie. The riveting Maser March from The War of the Gargantuas (1966) also returns, along with the march from Daredevil in the Castle (1961) which is now used for the Super-X3. Oddly enough, though, it's some of the more soothing pieces of music that are the show stoppers. "Requiem" is such an example, as it's a beautifully done piece of music to send off the King of the Monsters and adds tremendous emotional weight to the scene in question. "The Oxygen Destroyer" is another great theme, being the perfect balance between a haunting and at the same time soothing cue. Sadly, this score does have a downside, and that is repetitiveness. To be blunt, a lot of these films seem like they could be lumped into four large categories: Godzilla's theme, Destoroyah's theme, Junior's theme and the Super-X3's theme. Still, despite it being repetitive, the strength's of the score still make it one of Ifukube's better efforts.

In terms of this release in particular, it follows the trend of others in this box by mixing deleted and unedited themes with the main score. For example, "Earth Inferno" on the first disc is an outtake, and the utilized version appears on disc two as track 24. This is particularly sad because the Complete Recordings: Akira Ifukube Toho Special Effects Movie Music 11 (TYCY-5469/70) was a prefect representation of the way the score was used in the movie. There is also the downside that many of these unused themes aren't particularly good and were cut for good reason, so having them spliced with the regular score is awkward. For those wondering, the unused tracks on the first CD are: "Toho Mark (M1)", "The Mysterious Life Form Emerges I (M14)", "Yukari's Crisis II (M20)", "Super-X3 Preparation Sortie (M23A)", "Junior vs. Destoroyah I (M30)", "Godzilla and Junior (M33)", "Junior is Captured (M36)" and "The Birth of a New Godzilla (M44B)".

As for the new content here compared to the previous two disc set, there are several new tracks. Sadly, these new cues are exasperating to find due to the "CD" tracks. These "CD" tracks are mostly identical to what was used, outside of a very few like "Earth Inferno (M7 CD)". I have heard them back to back and still haven't noted any difference beyond how much dead space there is at the end. For example, "Emiko Reminisces (M4 CD)" is techincally new, but at the same time it sounds exactly like track four on the first disc along with the version previously released on other CDs. So rather than listing everything, I will just list the new tracks that actually sound different: "Emiko Reminisces (M4-T1)", "Earth Inferno (M7 CD)", "The Mysterious Life Form Emerges I (M14-T1)", "The Mysterious Life Form Emerges I (M14-T3)", "Godzilla's Theme (M39B Extra Godzilla for Conductor Version · Arranged Effect)", "Destoroyah's Appearance (M29 Cymbals for Top · 4-Type)" [this one is extended], "Godzilla Lands - Junior vs. Destoroyah III (M32A + M32B Edit)" and "Godzilla vs. Destoroyah II and III (M38B + M39A Edit)".

In terms of what this set is missing versus the other two disc release, it's lacking additional outtakes for "The Special Forces vs. the Mysterious Life Form (M15)", "Terror of the Mysterious Life Form (M3)" and "Godzilla and Junior (M33-T1)". The worst omissions from this set, though, are some of the unused themes. "The Special Forces Mobilize (M15)" is an example, and although in reality this is a modified version of the Super-X3 theme, it's still interesting to hear and even more interesting to note that it was originally going to be used for the troops before they encounter Destoroyah. "The Giant Growth of Destoroyah (M19B)" is another unused track which didn't make it on this release. Sadly, these missing tracks, while few, are better than the new material from this set. Furthermore, there was plenty of room for these tracks too, so it's a puzzler why they were left off this new release.

All in all, Godzilla vs. Destoroyah is one of Ifukube's crowning achievements for the franchise. The CD does demonstrate that a few of his originally planned themes weren't the greatest, but what did make it into the film was fantastic and made for a wonderful send off to the Heisei Godzilla series. In regards to which of the two disc sets is superior, Complete Recordings: Akira Ifukube Toho Special Effects Movie Music 11 (TYCY-5469/70) comes out ahead for featuring better unique tracks and for having the score organized correctly. However, both have a huge amount of material and in the end either is a good way to enjoy this score.
Rating:
Tracks
    Disc 1
  1. Toho Mark (M1)
  2. The Destruction of Birth Island (M2)
  3. Main Title (M3)
  4. Emiko Reminisces (M4)
  5. Incident at the Underwater Tunnel (M5)
  6. Godzilla Advances from the Coast of Taiwan (M6)
  7. Earth Inferno (M7)
  8. The Oxygen Destroyer (M9)
  9. The Hole in the Flask (M10)
  10. The Nightmare at the Aquarium (M11)
  11. Discovery of the Microorganism (M12)
  12. Godzilla Advances from the Coast of Okinawa (M13)
  13. The Mysterious Life Form Emerges I (M14)
  14. The Mysterious Life Form Emerges II (M16)
  15. Yukari's Crisis I (M19)
  16. Yukari's Crisis II (M20)
  17. Godzilla Appears in the Bungo Channel (M21)
  18. Super-X3 (M22)
  19. Super-X3 Preparation Sortie (M23A)
  20. Godzilla vs. the Super-X3 (M23B)
  21. Little One Was Alive (M24)
  22. Meltdown (M25)
  23. Self Defense Forces Attack Preparation (M26)
  24. Junior and Miki (M28)
  25. Junior vs. Destoroyah I (M30)
  26. Junior vs. Destoroyah II (M31)
  27. Godzilla and Junior (M33)
  28. The Super-X3 Takes Off (M15)
  29. Junior is Captured (M36)
  30. Junior on the Verge of Death (M37)
  31. Godzilla vs. Destoroyah I (M38)
  32. Godzilla vs. Destoroyah II (M39B)
  33. Godzilla vs. Destoroyah III (M39)
  34. Godzilla vs. Destoroyah IV (M40)
  35. The Death of Junior (M41)
  36. Godzilla vs. Destoroyah V (M42)
  37. Requiem (M44 Full Size)
  38. The Birth of a New Godzilla (M44B)
  39. Ending (M45)
    Disc 2
  1. The Destruction of Birth Island (M2 CD)
  2. Main Title (M3 Edit)
  3. Main Title (M3 CD)
  4. Emiko Reminisces (M4-T1)
  5. Emiko Reminisces (M4 CD)
  6. Earth Inferno (M7 CD)
  7. The Oxygen Destroyer (M9 CD)
  8. Godzilla Advances from the Coast of Okinawa (M13 CD)
  9. The Mysterious Life Form Emerges I (M14-T1)
  10. The Mysterious Life Form Emerges I (M14-T3)
  11. Super-X3 Preparation Sortie (M23A CD)
  12. Self Defense Forces Attack Preparation (M26 CD)
  13. Junior and Miki (M28 CD)
  14. Godzilla and Junior (M33)
  15. Junior is Captured (M36 CD)
  16. Godzilla's Theme (M39B Extra Godzilla for Conductor Version)
  17. Destoroyah's Theme (MDestoroyah Extra)
  18. Godzilla vs. Destoroyah V (M42 CD)
  19. Shooting Down Destoroyah (M43)
  20. Requiem (M44)
  21. Ending (Keep for M45)
  22. Godzilla's Theme (M39B Extra Godzilla for Conductor Version · Arranged Effect)
  23. Destoroyah's Appearance (M29 Cymbals for Top · 4-Type)
  24. Earth Inferno (M7 Edit)
  25. The Oxygen Destroyer (M9 Edit)
  26. Godzilla Advances from the Coast of Okinawa (M13 Edit)
  27. The Mysterious Life Form Emerges II (M16 Edit)
  28. The Special Forces Mobilize (M17 Edit)
  29. Menace of the Mysterious Life Form (M18 Edit)
  30. Yukari's Crisis I (M19 Edit)
  31. Super-X3 (M22 Edit)
  32. Godzilla vs. the Super-X3 (M23B Edit)
  33. Little One Was Alive (M24 Edit)
  34. Self Defense Forces Attack Preparation (M26 Edit)
  35. Destoroyah's Birth (M27 Edit)
  36. Junior and Miki (M28 Edit)
  37. Destoroyah's Fury (M29 Edit)
  38. Junior vs. Destoroyah II (M31 Edit)
  39. Godzilla Lands - Junior vs. Destoroyah III (M32A + M32B Edit)
  40. Destoroyah's Final Form (M34 Edit)
  41. Super-X3 Sortie (M35 Edit)
  42. Junior on the Verge of Death (M37 Edit)
  43. Godzilla vs. Destoroyah I (M38 Edit)
  44. Godzilla vs. Destoroyah II and III (M38B + M39A Edit)
  45. Godzilla vs. Destoroyah IV (M40 Edit)
  46. The Death of Junior (M41 Edit)
  47. Godzilla vs. Destoroyah V (M42 Edit)
  48. Godzilla vs. Destoroyah VI (M43 Edit)
  49. Requiem (M44A Edit)
  50. The Symphony of Tokyo Bay (M8)
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