Memories: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Victor Entertainment VIZL-22 1 Jan 1996 Disk One, 58:52 (29 tracks) Disk Two, 21:35 (12 tracks) ¥3900
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The theatre where I saw Katsuhiro Otomo's Memories played a nasty trick
on me: they played the music from the CD while I was waiting to see the
film! This made me actually pay attention to the music during the film,
and forced me to buy the CD a week later.The first thing that caught my eye about
the soundtrack is that it's what I call a 1 1/2 CD set. 1 1/2? To fit
in all 80 minutes of music they used a regular full sized CD and a
single (8cm) size CD.The case itself is non-standard also, made
of a thick paper substance, which holds two clear plastic CD holders and
folds out into 3 sections. Through this transparent area you can see
with the case closed a beautiful scene from Magnetic Rose painted on the
full sized CD overlaid by the single sized CD which contains the words
of the title.The front flap hold a fold out booklet with
CD information and sharp stills of major characters. As a final
surprise, the front title "Memories" is actually composed of 3 separate
clear "cells" that are overlaid on each other. Each hidden cell also
contains many small screenshots from the movie.So the case earns 1000 points for style
(this may just become a collector's item). Practicality wise though,
it's a little inconvenient. The fold out booklet sometimes gets in the
way, there is no latch keeping the folds folded, and the plastic trays
really want to keep the CDs (i.e. they're very hard to remove
sometimes). Despite these problems, the design is still very cool.
"Who expects to find an opera diva in the dark recesses of space? She dwells alone in a rose garden with her cherished memories and one very dark secret."Magnetic Rose's music was composed by Yoko Kanno (best known recently for his great work in Macross Plus) and performed by the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra. I found the haunting operatic themes that accompanied the mood so well during the film also can stand on their own. Many of the pieces are similar in style to
the slower background music in Macross Plus. It is definitely
background music, as the music is following the action and not trying to
dominate. However, I found each piece to be distinctive in its own way,
and not just re-edited parts of one song.The climatic ending piece is the highlight
of this section, with the symphony backing up a dramatic operatic piece.
The chorale also stands out with a choir and saxophone bringing a
little life to the emptiness of space.
"He's under odors--uh, orders, that is to reach Tokyo. But events turn, and he thinks something smells rotten--and it could be him."The music from Stink Bomb is one of the 2 reasons I decided I had to buy this CD. Jun Miyake did a great job creating the music for this section, with a jazzy upbeat present throughout most of the work. You first run into "Ohyio Yamanashi!" which
could easily be a theme for any morning program in Japan, and is mainly
to enforce the initial carefree mood. Nobuo's Groove is probably my
favorite piece on the CD, with quick blasts from various horn
instruments and vocal sounds leading it onwards. Other pieces range from
the mysterious almost middle-eastern theme "Capsule of Blue" to the
orderly militaristic "Steps to Heaven" pieces. Finally this section
ends with "Ants," a vocal piece in English adding lyrics to the music
Nobuo's Groove.
"Know your place. Know your job. Know your enemy. Life is to fulfill your duty. And Shoot without question.""Cannon Fodder" is the dark militaristic piece accurately scored by Hiroyuki Nagashima. The music itself has some of the best quality computer synthesized sound I've heard. This gives it an alien, futurist taste but it still keeps a traditional snare drum and pipe theme. Most of the pieces have a strong beat
pushing along an ordered fast pace with the sound of rushing steam and
moving metal. The slower pieces are more relaxed but still are under
the influence of the military machine.My favorite pieces in this section include
"The Cannon's Fanfare" which moves at a hectic but organized pace (great
for getting up in the morning). And the ending "A Boy and a Portrait"
gives a great climatic lead into the last piece.
"In the future, present or imaginary world, Memories reveal themselves, like rose petals opening.""In Yer Memory" is the name of the intense fast paced music that plays as the credits roll. Takkyu Ishino is responsible for this and the brief prologue that plays during the opening. This music is also completely computer
synthesized, with an appropriate choir sample from Magnetic Rose playing
in the background later on in this 6 minute piece. The song adds and
subtracts many separate instruments and themes thoughout the piece,
while being supported by a strong beat and other sounds.
This the other reason I decided to purchase this CD, as I sat there
stunned in the theatre with the credits playing and this music with the
bass turned on overload shook the theatre (nobody left the packed
theatre early).Overall, I found this to be a good
collection. All four styles are uniquely different from each other, and
none of songs I would consider weak or filler material. It is a
background music CD though, and most of the songs are mainly to set the
mood of the scene. I found no apparent music missing, as all the songs
from the movie seem to stored in this one set.So if you have not seen the movie and are
interested in a solid background music CD, I can definitely suggest to
you the Memories soundtrack. It would be the closest thing to actually
viewing the film. If you have seen the film though, this is the only
stop necessary to bring you back to the theatre and re-live Memories.
-- Mark L. Johnson (Editor's note: The quotes used in this review are from the CD liner notes.)
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