| Abel's comments: The producers
of the SM CDs seem to be fond of remixes. The cd has instrumental
versions of R/S songs, they are remixed and redone, in such a way it sounds
like Sailor Moon meets 70's pop music! If you like this kind of thing,
by all means, this is a CD for you! Track 10 is a techno mix of several
SM songs. My opinion is that there are only a few tracks I like,
and those that I do like are truly awesome, but the rest sounds like a
pathetic attempt to give Sailor Moon a "new sound". BUT, those few
tracks I liked are good enough to justify the purchase of the CD.
Beej's review: An unbelievably good CD!
All the songs are quite catchy and open to continuous replay. ^_^
My favourites include Knight of Tuxedo, Holy Grail, and Dancing in the
Moonlight. Of course, they're all quite good, with elements of "70's
pop music" (courtesy Abel) and basically just good grooves. Looking
to buy? Get it quick - it rocks!
-
Overture - Moon Heart Sequence-
this is an incredibly weird song. First, it starts out with an ethereal
bit that changes into the fast "disco" beat that we hear in the early henshin
sequences - the music even gives that feel! Then, the whole thing
slows down a bit and we hit the actual song! Unfortunately, I have
no idea who the singer is. -_- Anyway, there's lots of flute,
strings, and a background choir singing "Oooohoohhh Sailor Moon..." à
la the henshin. It's a great song, but I have a tendancy to skip
over it and hit track 4 . . .
-
Make Up! Sailor Moon
- again, this has that touch of "70's pop music", with the disco drum beat
and the violins, but there's also more to this particular track.
Trumpets, flutes, and a glockenspiel each take a turn with the melody.
This track definately has the henshin sequence feel to it, as if it's the
"other" henshin that got left behind when they were considering alternatives
. . .
-
Sailor Illusion - a great,
catchy song with an alto sax playing the melody. It still has
that feel of the 70's, but that's attributable to the drum kit and bongo
drums. The brass backs up the sax with the harmony, and the bass
has some good riffs in between "verses".
-
Knight of Tuxedo - no,
this is not Tuxedo Knight - that's on "Ai
ha Dokoni Aruno". This is one of my absolute favourite songs
- anime or otherwise. It's good enough to leave on 1-track repeat
on my CD player, due to the catchy Spanish guitar and the absence of any
drums - it's a beautiful use of classical Spanish guitar. There's
also some accordion (or harmonica - I can't really tell) in there, playing
the melody on occasion. And when I say "absence of drums", it doesn't
mean there is no rhythm section - it's just with different instruments.
-
Rendezvous - a slow ballad
with the flute taking the melody initially, then handing it off to the
piano. You would most likely hear music like this if, for example,
you walked into the Rainbow Room one night and couples were fox-trotting,
enjoying a romantic dinner, or sipping chablis while drinking in each other's
company. It's very gentle, relaxing, and non-intrusive.
-
Energy Hunter -
now we get funky! Starting on a bass-and-drums syncopated beat, a
pair of saxes play a "question" to the harmonica, and it answers back.
After a bit of that, an electric guitar takes a solo. Then it's more
of the same with the harmonica, with the feeling getting more urgent until
we drop back to the original beat. A cool tune to funk out to, while
you're crusing along.
-
New Wave Heroines - Uranus, Neptune,
Pluto - Everybody Tango!! Hey, that's what this is - a
great tango, with some excellent violin. What else would you expect
from Sailor Neptune, eh? ^_^ A very worthy listen indeed.
-
Holy Grail - very majestic,
yet ethereal at the same time. Starts with a mixed choir (who come
back later) "hoo"-ing an ethereal chant, then there's a majestic fanfare
with a gong sounding in the background. After that, a violin and
oboe picks up the melody. All the while, there's a relentless rhythmic
bass in the background, but not techno bass. This is a upright bass,
I believe . . .
-
Tuxedo Mirage - And if
I had my way, I'd play this myself at my own wedding - I suppose first
I'll need a bride, though . . . This is an excellent take
on this classic, played by a tenor sax with a very romantic feeling.
It's not at all similar to the Brass Fantasy
version, though. As I said, it's romantic and only the sax has the
melody. Backing up the tenor is a smooth string section, keyboard,
bass, and soft drums. An absolutely exquisite piece . . .
-
Dancing in the Moonlight-
now just in case you were falling asleep after listening to the last track,
they threw this in here to keep you awake. ^_^ This is Sailor
Moon at EC (Electric Circus)!! Just imagine Moonlight Densetsu, Otome
no Policy, Moon Revenge, and - get this - Princess Moon put to a
wicked techno beat! ^_^ One of my faves! All of the instruments
are synth, of course, but the melodies remain intact, so it's not like
you're listening to anything new.
(c) Takeuchi Naoko, Koudansha,
TV Asahi, Toei Douga
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