First off,
huge thanks goes out, once again, to Robert Storch for
sending this disc for review!
This disc, released by Culture Publishers under their
Volcano label, showcases the soundtrack to the 1979
film House of Hanging. Scored by series
veteran Shinichi Tanabe, the body of work conducted
for this movie is a bit different from the previous
two in the series done by the composer, Hell's
Gate Island (1977) and Queen
Bee (1978). The end result, while mixed in
some spots, is pretty solid and makes for an enjoyable
standalone experience.
The first thing to note about this score is that,
the score isn't nearly as grounded in this timeframe
as some of Tanabe's other work. Some tracks, like
the electric guitar aided "Lullaby", do
still hark to this period without any question, as
does "Search", which could really only come
from the 1970's. So the feel is still there, but it's
not nearly as overt as Queen
Bee (1978) and other entries. Those that do
feel dated to the period, including the "Mystery
2" track, sadly don't stand up as well as some
of Tanabe's other material in this series. His attempt
at a jazz-like track in "Angry Pirates: Theme
of the Angry Pirates" is also a miss, and something
better left avoided. It's also a bit unfortunate that
this disc lacks Tanabe's almost trademark acoustic
guitar heavy tracks, outside of "A Sad Encounter",
making this feel like an almost starch departure from
his other work at times.
On the bright side, Tanabe has traded in his acoustic
guitar for a more favorable outlook on the piano.
The majestic and excellent "The House of Hanging
on Hospital Hill Theme" is very much a center
piece for the piano, and its used pretty much throughout
in other cues such as "Past" and "Secretly...".
It should be noted, though, that these tracks are
all very similar, utilizing the same main theme to
different tempos and beats. The theme is so good,
though, that it never feels repetitious, although
the first track off the disc presents the best offering
of the tune. Tanabe's work here is also heavily aided
by chorus work, such as in the previously mentioned
main theme and "Hill Scenery 4", which has
a pretty catchy vocal backup component.
Overall, this offering is mixed. Arguably the weakest
entry in the Kosuke Kindaichi series. What's odd,
though, is that it also has one of the greatest themes
of the entire series as well in the form of the main
title. It's great enough to make its use here in several
variants not only welcome, but something one almost
wishes was done more across the disc.
As a side note, this disc marks the second time this
score has been released on CD, with the first being
issued in 1993 (SLCS-5015). The difference between
this disc and its earlier counterpart is in the form
of six additional tracks, making this the most improved
entry in Culture Publishers' "Ko-suke Kindaichi"
run. The new material is track 17 through 22. Covered
in this new material are a few themes which can't
be missed, such as the previously mentioned "Hill
Scenery 4". The outtake for "The House of
Hanging on Hospital Hill Theme" is also interesting,
as its notable different from the final version as
this features more chorus and violin work. The disc
also includes a nice version of "It's Only a
Paper Moon", the 1930's song which recovers much
of its retro feel here, sung by Junko Sakurada.
Rating:  |
|
