Evangelion Soundtrack Starchild / King Records KICA-286 6 Dec 1995 58:45 (23 tracks) ¥3000
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Released on the sixth of December 1995, the Evangelion CD is
a fair example of a good soundtrack for televised anime. With a
decent mix of music that was included in episodes one through eight of
the series, this is probably a must-buy for Eva fans, and not
a bad choice if one wants to listen to an anime CD that doesn't have
drama tracks.The first track is the opening theme,
"Zankoku no Tenshi no Teize," ("Cruel Angel's Thesis"). It is fast
paced and does exactly what it was apparently written for -- to excite
the listener. It has an uplifting theme to it and is a good
introduction for this disc. This is the longest version of the song to
date, which is a selling point for those who enjoyed the opening
theme.The first version of the ED, a cover of
Sinatra's "Fly Me to the Moon" is next; a soft, jazzy tune with the
singer enhancing the effect of the melody. It is fairly calming to
listen to, and its mellow tones are rather pleasing. Unfortunately,
this song is repeated a few times on this disc, so one can easily get
tired of the song in all its various forms (currently five)."Barefoot in the Park" is strikingly
similar to intsrumental music popular between the late 1960's and early
1980's. For those that may not know what I am referring to, this type
of music can still be heard in elevators and department stores across
the United States. As this song copies that style perfectly, lovers of
that type of music will enjoy this song immediately.The instrumental "Ritsuko," named after the
character, is up next. With piano carrying the melody and accoustic
guitar running harmony, this song is gentle but even in speed to give
itself a straightforward presentation. It seems to be the kind of music
one would use to emphasize the description of a tomboyish girlfriend one
had in their past. Contrast this with "Misato," a swinging tune, lead
by woodwinds and backed by a piano and a tambourine. It is lighthearted
and cute."Tokyo-3" is the eleventh track.
Originally used in the first episode to underscore the marvelous feat of
the creation of Tokyo-3 (a huge underground city), even on its own it
carries all the emotional content of both the scene and the music."EVA-00" and "The Beast" are back-to-back
tracks which demonstrate more shortcomings of the choreography and
arrangement. First, "EVA-00" seems to suggest danger and turmoil, but
is does so slowly, to suggest a climax later. Then, "The Beast"
provides that, but it is unoriginal in the fact that all it is is a
faster version of "EVA-00". While I would easily pick "The Beast" over
"EVA-00," the way that Star Child arranged this is discouraging. These
tracks are, for all intentions and purposes, the same. However, not
only were they used separately, but they were also placed together, when
they should have had some space between each other in the form of a few
other tracks, which makes it look to me as if Star Child wanted filler
in between other tracks, which is sad.Overall, this disc is a mixture of
orchestrated music with a touch of older '60s and '70s styles. Those
nostalgic few should fall in love with the disc, while
Evangelion fans should enjoy it, at least. The inclusion of a
sketchbook of characters without increasing the price of the disc is
another bonus. The only major weakness of the album is its repitition,
which would have been a bigger problem if it weren't for the 23 tracks
that the disc has to repeat itself in. I would recommend this CD, but
only if those who haven't seen the series listen to it in some way
before deciding to buy it or not. -- Theo Moon
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