© 2000 Lawrence Tuczynski

Title: The Shintaro Katsu Collection
Japanese Title: Katsu Shintaro Korekushon
CD Label: King Records
CD Number: KICA 3028 & 3029
Music by: Akira Ifukube & others
Number of tracks: Disc 1 - 49
Disc 2 - 42
Running time: Disc 1 - 75:34
Disc 2 - 73:30
Number of discs: 2
Year of release/manufacture: 1998

REVIEW

May 8, 2000

Based on the music and pictures in the accompanying booklet, it would seem the music on these two discs are from Shintaro Katsu's Non-Zatoichi films.

Shintaro Katsu was born as Toshio Okumura on Nov. 29, 1931 and died of throat cancer on June 21, 1997. The IMdB lists him as starring in and/or producing 37 movies. He is most often known for his portrayal of blind swordsman Zatoichi in many popular Japanese films. His first movie is listed as the 1961 "Akumyo (Tough Guy) and his last is listed as the 1990 "Kujaku o Ashura desetsu (Saga Of The Phoenix)". He is also sometimes known as Katsumaru Kineya.

Disc 1 starts off with the sound of sword fighting and then moves into a traditional Japanese sound. The track also includes some dialogue. Track #2 is mostly dialogue with a male vocal singing traditional Japanese music. Track #4 is very non Ifukube like and features a jazz sound to it. Track #10 features a lot of heavy drumming. This disc is a very good mix of traditional, jazz, mystery and suspense tunes done in a wide variety of styles and tempos. Track # 50 is a very catchy male vocal track. Nothing boring about this CD and no repeated music.

Disc 2 starts off with several fast paced very jazz flavored tunes. Track # 11 sounds like a variation of music heard in some Godzilla movies. It's a nice, fast paced, up tempo variation. This disc is a real good mix of mostly mid and up tempo tunes with a few slow paced tunes scattered throughout. The first third of the disc has a definite jazz flavor to it. Later on we get some marches and suspenseful music along with a few other styles.

This 2 CD set turned out to be a good find and a great listening experience. Both discs on this CD are good but I preferred the contents of disc 2 slightly more. If you're an Ifukube fan, this and the three volumes of "Zatoichi" film music are worth adding to your collection if you can find them. They are quite different from the Godzilla films but done in the same styles we love. 


English Title:		The Shintaro Katsu Collection 
Japanese Title:		Katsu Shintaro Korekushon

Disc-1
From "The Akumyo Series"
 1.	The Akumyo Theme Song
 2.	Akumyo (The Kawauchi Chorus, Song by Shintaro Katsu)

From "Number One Bad Man" (1963) *1
(Hajime Kaburagi)
 3.	DB TOP
 4.	DB6
 5.	DB43
 6.	DB46
 7.	DB48
 8.	DB49
 9.	DB50

From "Akumyo's Drum"(1964) *2
(Ichiro Saito)
10.	DB2 + DB TOP Drums
11.	DB15
12.	DB17
13.	DB21
14.	DB30
15.	PS Last Drums + DB32

From "Akumyo: Notorious Dragon"(1974)
(Isao Tomita)
16.	M1

From "The Hoodlum Soldier" (1965)
(Naozumi Yamamoto)
17.	DB1 A
18.	DB7
19.	DB8
20.	DB9 A
21.	DB15
22.	DB24
23.	DB30
24.	DB33
25.	DB39
26.	DB41

From "The Hoodlum Soldier Breaks Jail" (1966) *3
(composed by - ??)
27.	DB10
28.	DB11
29.	DB19
30.	DB20 A
31.	DB22
32.	DB36

From "The Hoodlum Soldier Escapes" (1966) *4
(Hajime Kaburagi)
33.	DB TOP A
34.	DB17
35.	DB33
36.	DB35
37.	DB36

From "Hoodlum Soldier on the Attack" (1967)
(Hajime Kaburagi)
38.	DB1
39.	DB14
40.	DB31
41.	DB34
42.	DB37

From "Hoodlum Soldier: The Holdup" (1968) *5
(Hajime Kaburagi)
43.	DB1
44.	DB2 B
45.	DB7	
46.	DB9
47.	DB27
48.	DB29
49.	DB30

The Theme Song from "The New Hoodlum Soldier:  Line of Fire" (1972) *6
50.	The Hoodlum Soldier (Song by Shintaro Katsu)


*1	The IMDb does not list an English title for this movie.  
	The Japanese title is "Akumyo Ichiban".
*2	The IMDb does not list an English title for this movie.  
	The Japanese title is "Akumyo Daiko".
*3	The IMDb does not list an English title for this movie.  
	The Japanese title is "Heitai Yakuza Datsugoku".
*4	The IMDb does not list an English title for this movie.  
	The Japanese title is "Heitai Yakuza Daidasso".
*5	The IMDb does not list an English title for this movie.  
	The Japanese title is "Heitai Yakuza Godatsu".
*6	The IMDb does not list an English title for this movie.  
	The Japanese title is "Shin Heitai Yakuza: Kasen"

Disc-2

From "Doctor Drunkard" (1966) *1
(Naozumi Yamamoto)
1.	DB2
2.	DB13
3.	DB39

From "Doctor Drunkard, Part II" (1966) *2
(composed by - ??)
4.	DB The Daiei Logo Mark
5.	DB1
6.	DB12
7.	DB16
8.	DB32

From "The Wharf Drunkard" (1966) *3
(composed by - ??)
9.	DB2

From "The Tale of the Common Soldier" (1963) *4 
(composed by - ??)
10.	DB1

From "The Courageous Man from Suruga" (1964)
(Akira Ifukube) *5a
11.	DB31i

From "The Courageous Man from Genkai" (1970) *5b
(Masao Yagi)
12.	DB1
13.	DB2

From "First-Generation Brawler - The Big Guy" (1970) *6
(Takeo Watanabe)
14.	DB1
15.	DB4 A
16.	DB29

From "The Funeral Masters" (1968) *7
(Hajime Kaburagi)
17.	DB1

From "The Baby Received from the Fox" (1971) *8
(Hajime Kaburagi)
18.	DB1
19.	DB15

From "The Rickshaw Man"(1965)
(Akira Ifukube)
20.	DB1
21.	DB37 A

From "Devil's Temple" (1969)
(Akira Ifukube)
22.	DB1
23.	DB9 A
24.	DB23i

From "Tenchu!" (1969)
(Masaru Sato)
25.	DB4 A
26.	DB5
27.	DB12
28.	DB13
29.	DB19
30.	DB23
31.	DB24
32.	DB29
33.	DB32 A
34.	DB33 A
35.	DB35
36.	DB36

From "The Big Boss" (1971) *9
(Kunihiko Murai)
37.	DB2 (M1)
38.	DB5 (M2)
39.	DB30 (M22)

From "The Homeless" (1974) *10
(composed by - ??) 
40.	M20 (2-3)
41.	M6 (1-5)
42.	M19 (2-1)


*1	The IMDb does not list this movie.  
	The Japanese title is "Yoidore Hakase".
*2	The IMDb does not list this movie.  
	The Japanese title is "Zoku Yoidore Hakase".
*3	The IMDb does not list this movie.  
	The Japanese title is "Yoidore Hatoba".
*4	The IMDb does not list this movie.  
	The Japanese title is "Zohyo Monogatari".
*5a	The IMDb doesn't list this title.  
	The Japanese name is "Suruga Yukyoden Yaburetekka
*5b	The IMDb doesn't list this title.  
	The Japanese name is "Genkai Yukyoden Yaburekabure
*6	The IMDb does not list an English title for this movie.  
	The Japanese title is "Kenka-ya Ichidai - Dodekai Yatsu".
*7	The IMDb does not list this movie.  
	The Japanese title is "Tomuraishi-tachi".
*8	The IMDb does not list this movie.  
	The Japanese title is "Kitsune No Kureta Akanbo".
*9	The IMDb does not list an English title for this movie.  
	The Japanese title is "Kaoyaku".
*10	The IMDb does not list an English title for this movie.  
	The Japanese title is "Mushuku".