© 2000 Lawrence Tuczynski

Title: ZATOUICHI'S MUSICAL JOURNEY - Volume 1
Japanese Title: Zatoichi: Ongaku-Tabi, Sono Ichi
CD Label: King Records
CD Number: KICA 3023
Music by: Akira Ifukube & Others
Number of tracks: 40
Running time: 73:39
Number of discs: 1
Year of release/manufacture: 1998

REVIEW

May 23, 2000 (Updated 11/13/2003)

Zatoichi is a blind masseur, gambler, drinker and one hell of a samurai swordsman. Shintaro Katsu as Masseur Ichi starred in over 20 films in Japan and was very popular. You can find some of these movies in the US on VHS videotape with English subtitles.There are also some now out on DVD.

This is volume 1 of a three volume series. Some of the music is by Godzilla maestro Akira Ifukube. I now have all three volumes of the music and several of the films. Of the three volumes I liked this one the least. I didn't care for it because most of the tracks on this CD maintain pretty much the same monotonous tempo without much variety. Several of the first batch of tracks sound similar to some of the slow marches in some Godzilla films. The rest of the tracks are in a slow tempo as well. Don't get me wrong, this wasn't a bad CD and I'm glad I picked it up, but I enjoyed Volumes 2 & 3 more.

English Title: ZATOUICHI'S MUSICAL JOURNEY - Volume 1
Japanese Title: Zatoichi: Ongaku-Tabi, Sono Ichi

Tracks titles updated 11/13/2003 courtesy of John Cassidy

    From ZATOUICHI MONOGATARI (The Tale of Zatouichi)
    Akira Ifukube
  1. Musical Suite (Main Title ~ Bitter Triumph)

    2. From ZOKU ZATOUICHI MONOGATARI (The Tale of Zatouichi Continues)
    Ichirou Saitou

  2. DB TOP (Daiei Mark ~ Main Title ~ The Surface Of Toride River)
  3. DB3 (Yoshirou On The Beach)
  4. DB17 (Memories Of Miki Hirate)
  5. DB24 (Brothers Of Fate)
  6. DB33 (Enraged Zatouichi ~ Ending)

    7. From SHIN ZATOUICHI MONOGATARI (The New Tale of Zatouichi)
    Akira Ifukube

  7. Musical Suite (Daiei Mark ~ Ending)

    8. From ZATOUICHI KYOUJOU TABI (Zatouichi's Criminal Journey)
    (AKA: Zatoichi The Fugitive)
    Akira Ifukube

  8. Musical Suite (Daiei Mark ~ Main Title)

    9. From ZATOUICHI KENKA TABI (Zatouichi's Fighting Journey)
    (AKA: Zatoichi on the Road)
    Akira Ifukube

  9. DB TOP (Daiei Mark)
  10. DB2 (Main Title)
  11. DB6 (Ichi And Omitsu [I])
  12. DB7 (Lured Into The Palinquin)
  13. DB14 (Ichi And Omitsu [II])
  14. DB23 (The Douyama Household To War)
  15. DB27 First Half (Zatouichi's Great Sword Fight)
  16. DB28 (Farewell ~ Ending)

    17. From ZATOUICHI SEN-RYOU KUBI (Zatouichi's Head For 1,000 Ryou)
    (AKA: Zatoichi and the Chest of Gold)
    Ichirou Saitou

  17. DB-TOP (Daiei Theme ~ Main Title - Ichi's Nightmare)
  18. DB5 (The Government Money Robbery)
  19. DB15 (Chuuji Kunisada And Zatouichi)
  20. DB17 (The Great Sword Fight Of Mount Akagi)
  21. DB29 (Anger And Sadness)
  22. DB31 (To The Execution Ground ~ Zatouichi's Great Sword Fight)
  23. DB33 (Ichi And Ochiyo)
  24. DB35 (Ending)

    25. From ZATOUICHI ABAREDAKO (Zatouichi's Raging Kite)
    (AKA: Zatoichi's Flashing Sword)
    Sei Ikeno

  25. DB TOP (Daiei Mark)
  26. DB3 (Main Title)
  27. DB4 (The Men Chasing Zatouichi)
  28. DB7 (The World Isn't Just Filled With Demons)
  29. DB31 (Zatouichi's Underwater Killing Technique)
  30. DB41 (Looking Back At Kajikazawa)
  31. DB46 (Zatouichi's Raging Kite)
  32. DB49 (The Face Of Carnage)

    33. From ZATOUICHI KESSHOU TABI (Zatouichi's Journey Of Blood And Laughter)
    (AKA: Fight, Zatoichi, Fight)
    Akira Ifukube

  33. Musical Suite (Main Title ~ Three People At Night ~ Ending)

    34. From ZATOUICHI SEKIJO YABURI (Zatouichi Breaks Through The Barrier)
    (AKA: Adventures of Zatoichi )
    Taiichirou Kosugi

  34. DB1 (Daiei Mark ~ Main Title ~ The Kite)
  35. DB9 (Trick Escape)
  36. DB14 (Ichi And Osaku)
  37. DB20 (Shinsuke And Osen)
  38. DB34 (Zatouichi Vs. The Bodyguard ~ Breaking Through The Barrier)
  39. DB35 (The Rising Sun - Ending)
  40. "The Song Of Zatouichi" ("Zatouichi" 2-Chorus Version)
    Performed by Shintarou Katsu and the Daiei Orchestra