GODZILLA Soundtrack Perfect Collection
9 CD Box Set
Box 5

© 2008 Lawrence Tuczynski

Title 50th Anniversary GODZILLA Soundtrack Perfect Collection [Box 5]
CD Label Toho Music Corporation
CD Number GB5
Music by: Various
Recordings Stereo
Number of discs 9
Year of release/manufacture January 31, 2008

OVERALL
REVIEW

January 31, 2008

2004 was the 50th anniversary of the first Godzilla movie and the year Toho promised to stop making Godzilla movies for awhile after the release of "Godzilla Final Wars", Toho music decided to remaster and rerelease the soundtracks to the 28 (including "Godzilla Final Wars") Godzilla movies. These soundtracks are being referred to as the "50th Anniversary GODZILLA Soundtrack Perfect Collection" and will be released as 6 box sets. The first set was released on September 20, 2004,the 2nd set December 24, 2004, the 3rd set on April 25, 2005, 4th set on October 20, 2006 and this 5th set 2 years later on January 31, 2008. In honor of 1954 being the 1st movie release Toho is limiting these box sets to just 1,954 numbered sets. This set # 5 I received was numbered 1040 which is the highest numbered set I have received so far and is puzzling that the number is so high considering I preordered the first day preorders were taken.

This box set contains 9 total discs with discs 1, 2 & 3 containg 2 CD's each. All of the soundtracks in this box set have been re-mastered and give improved sound over the now out of print Futureland releases elsewhere on this site. All the discs also contain some additional bonus tracks not found on the previous discs. In addition the booklets feature new cover pictures. Unlike the 1st 3 sets, the booklet cover pictures on this set are in color as they were on set #4 rather than sepia tones. Also if you can read Japanese, these booklets seem to have a lot of information about the tracks and their recordings. The older Futureland sets had the movie posters on the cover. The track order is also sometimes different between the older discs and new ones (the tracks have been resequenced to reflect the order in the film) and in some cases have had two tracks combined and/or the track title changed. In most cases the bonus tracks are either sound effects, movie dialogue with music in the background (probably the only way we'll get to hear that background music) or alternate takes.

Now what can I say to those of you out there pondering whether or not to spend the $100+ on these new sets and this one in particular. At $99.50 plus shipping for 9 discs, set #5 is a real bargain and the two bonus discs it contains are ones often sought after, "Symphonic Fantasia" and "Ostinato". Of course we've waited through many delays over the past two years to get this set and for awhile thought it would be cancelled. While these re-mastered discs sound wonderful, the difference is not night and day. If you own the Futureland releases and are satisfied with them, then there is probably no real need to get this set, especially if you are strapped for money. On the other hand, those of you who missed out on the Futureland releases should get this set as soon as possible before it too goes out of print. And naturally for highly devoted, fanatical fans and completest (like me) buy it anyway and keep both sets. All but one boxed set will come with bonus CDs. These are basically re-releases of older Godzilla LPs and some hard to find, out of print CDs. This set may also be good to pick up just for the bonus discs if yu don't already own them. The bottom line is that these new Godzilla soundtracks are probably as 'complete' as we'll ever get from Toho and the bonus CDs make very nice additions as well and the price isn't bad either for 9 discs.

After a 2 year wait for this set, will the last set, #6, ever be released?

CD 1
Godzilla vs Mecha-Godzilla		 CD 2
Godzilla vs. Space Godzilla
CD 3
Godzilla VS. Destroyer		 CD 4
Godzilla 2000: Millenium
CD 5
Symphonic Fantasia		 CD 6
Ostinato

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