 |
Title |
| Ponyo on the
Cliff by the Sea - Original Soundtrack |
| International Title |
| Ponyo |
| Music By: Joe
Hisaishi |
| Record Label:
Colosseum |
| |
 |
| Running Time: 67:28 |
Discs: 1 |
| Release: March 2009 |
CD Number: CAS-8508.2 |
|
| Comments |
 |
Anthony
Romero |
 |
|
|
This
disc is a bit hard to review. On one hand, it's a
fine release with a good body of musical work. However,
this is a Joe
Hisaishi score for a Hayao
Miyazaki film. In the past, their collaboration
has lead to work such as Spirited
Away (2001) and Howl's
Moving Castle (2004), both of which are exemplary.
So the bar is set high for this score and, sadly,
it just doesn't reach the level of his other work
with Miyazaki. Still, this is a good score and it
deserves a fair review regardless of expectations.
The music here is solid, with no real weak cues. The
problem is that it lacks much in the way of stand
out cues either, save perhaps one. The best track
on the CD is probably " Ponyo Rides a Sea of
Fish", which is that one exception. It has a
energetic start, with a slight ominous undertone,
before becoming very lively and inspiring at the end,
syncing up very well with the scene in the movie where
Ponyo looks like she is riding the waves which is
a reprise of "Ponyo Flies". "Ponyo's
Sisters" is another nice theme off this disc,
with a little more energy found in it compared to
the others. In fact, the entire score benefits a lot
from the large orchestra, which is the New Japan Philharmonic
Orchestra. It gives the entire score a bit more of
a robust and grand feel than what is the norm for
Japanese soundtracks. Still, a lot of this music,
despite being good, is more of the downplayed variety
that supports the scene but does not lend itself as
well to a stand alone experience.
On another note, the relative lack of piano work,
a trademark in many Hisaishi scores such as the one
for Parasite
Eve (1997), is a bit surprising here. In fact,
"Night Signal", "Sosuke's Tears"
and "The Grand Finale" are really the only
tracks on this disc to feature a piano in it, and
in the case of the former and the latter its only
at the start of the themes.
In regards to the songs for the soundtrack, they are
fairly forgettable. "Mother Sea" by Masako
Hayashi is okay, but a little overwrought and has
a very stereotypical opera feel. In the context of
the film, it was very over the top. As a standalone
experience, it's a little better, but still pretty
forgettable. The other song is "Ponyo on the
Cliff by the Sea - Movie Version" by Fujimaki
Fujioka and Nozomi Ohashi. It's aimed at a younger
audience, but lacks the timeless and more widespread
appeal that similar songs shared in films such as
My Neighbor
Totoro (1988).
In terms of this release in particular, it's a European
edition done by Colosseum. It was first released in
Germany, than France, and later the UK. The disc is
a mirror of the previously released one by Tokuma
(TKCA-73340) back in 2008 in Japan, although is notably
cheaper than its Japanese counterpart. Despite this,
the release never comes off as a "budget title"
and contains three different booklets. Two of these
booklets feature large foldout concept drawings of
two different locations, which are the town and the
ocean.
Bottom line, this is a good soundtrack. It's not great
like the past few from this director-composer pairing,
but still worth owning for fans of the movie and anime
in general. This particular release is also recommended
over the Japanese CD, as it's a lot cheaper without
any downside and, outside of the two fold booklets,
is in English as well.
Rating:  |
|
| Tracks |
- Deep Sea Pastures
- Mother Sea
By: Masako Hayashi
- The First Meeting
- Town by a Cove
- Kumiko
- Ponyo and Sosuke
- The Empty Bucket
- Night Signal
- I Want to be a Girl!
- Fujimoto
- Ponyo's Sisters
- Ponyo Flies
- The Sunflower House Caught in the Storm
- Ponyo Rides a Sea of Fish
- Ponyo and Sosuke II
- Lisa's House
- A New Family Member
- Ponyo's Lullaby
- Lisa's Resolve
- Gran Mamare
- A Night of Shooting Stars
- The Toy Boat
- Towards the Sea of the Dipnorhynchus
- March of the Boats
- The Baby and Ponyo
- March of the Boats II
- Sosuke's Voyage
- Sosuke's Tears
- Underwater Town
- A Mother's Love
- The Tunnel
- Toki
- Ponyo's Sisters Lend a Hand
- A Song for Mothers and the Sea
- The Grand Finale
- Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea - Movie Version
By: Fujimaki Fujioka & Nozomi
Ohashi
|
|
