© 2000 Lawrence Tuczynski

Title:	COMPLETE RECORDINGS - AKIRA IFUKUBE TOHO SFX FILM MUSIC Vol. 8
CD Label:	Futureland
CD Number:	TYCY-5209~10
Music by:	Akira Ifukube
Number of tracks:	Disc 1: 28 Disc 2: 29
Running time:	Disc 1: 65:10 Disc 2: 60:56
Number of discs:	2
Year of release/manufacture:	1992

REVIEW

August 20, 2000 This 2 CD set by Akira Ifukube concentrates on the movie "Birth Of Japan" (Nippon Tanjo). Disc 1 starts off with a short speech in Japanese by Akira Ifukube. Most of this disc is slow, plodding and somber. The first music track features a chorus and brings to mind people slowly walking away from a destroyed city. The tracks are a slow and suspenseful. Tracks 4, 5, 12, 16, 19 & 28 also feature a chorus. Track #10 was my favorite here and featured a march type tune. This is definitely not a disc to play on a depressing, dark, rainy day when your mood is already low. There is no upbeat, happy music here. Disc 2 has tunes that are a bit more on the suspense side and some tracks sound like they could be from a Sci-Fi movie. Track # 12 is a vocal track with no music while a chorus is again heard on tracks 17, 21, 23, 27 & 28. This is a good disc but a very somber sounding one. My copy is a CDR as these discs are extremely hard to find.

English Title: Akira Ifukube Futureland 2-CD Set The Complete Collection of Special Akira Ifukube Soundtracks Toho Collection No. 8 Japanese Title: Akira Ifukube Futureland Nimai-gumi Kanzen Shuroku Ifukube Akira Tokuei Eiga Ongaku Toho-hen 8 CD-1 From "The Birth of Japan" I 1. Credits 2. Main Title 3. The Birth of Japan 4. Oyashima *1 5. The People of Yamato 6. Prince Osu 7. Prince Kosu 8. The Emperor and Otomo 9. The Conquest of Kumaso 10. Yamato Goes to War 11. Ise Shrine 12. Uda's Song I 13. Princess Ototachibana 14. A Prayer for Military Triumph 15. Ise Sets Off 16. Kume's Song 17. Heading West to Conquer 18. Remote Thoughts 19. The Kumaso Banquet I 20. The Kumaso Banquet II 21. Kumaso Vanquished 22. Triumphant Return of Prince Yamatotakeru 23. Takamagahara *2 24. Prince Susano-o 25. The Amanoiwato Cave 26. The Amanoyasu River 27. Iwato Kagura *3 28. Amaterasu the Sun Goddess CD-2 The Birth of Japan II 1. Part II Begins 2. Prince Susano-o Weeps Bitterly 3. The Fate of the Shrine Maiden 4. The Home of the Huge Serpent 5. The Strange Princess Inada 6. Prince Susano-o's Stratagem 7. The Eight-Headed Giant Snake 8. Defeating the Huge Serpent 9. Restless March 10. Princess Miyaju *4 11. Drums of Prayer 12. Prayer 13. Uda's Song II 14. Princess Miyaju *4 and the Prince 15. Two Thoughts 16. The Land of the Fire-Mountain 17. The Fire-Mountain Dance 18. Kusanagi, the Magical Sword 19. Wavering Mind 20. Nighttime in the Land of the East 21. Yamato's Song 22. Tornado 23. The Death of Princess Ototachibana 24. The Otomo Army Goes to War 25. Beautiful Yamato 26. Chaotic Battle 27. The Rage of Mother Earth 28. Ending 29. Iwato Kagura *3 (Ending) *1 A name referring to the Japanese islands. *2 Name of a place in Japanese mythology. *3 Kagura is a form of traditional Japanese music and dance. *4 The name of this Princess could not be confirmed with certainty.