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<title>Compilation Album Review: Space Battleship Yamato Background Music Collection 6</title>
<link>https://aeschtunes.com/2025/05/12/compilation-album-review-space-battleship-yamato-background-music-collection-6/</link>
<comments>https://aeschtunes.com/2025/05/12/compilation-album-review-space-battleship-yamato-background-music-collection-6/#respond</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Lesley Aeschliman]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Mon, 12 May 2025 17:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[music]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[review]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Hiroshi Miyagawa]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[music review]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Space Battleship Yamato]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Star Blazers]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">http://aeschtunes.com/?p=26492</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Space Battleship Yamato Background Music Collection 6 is a soundtrack CD of the background music from the Space Battleship Yamato film, Final Yamato. This CD has 22 tracks and was released in May 2005. This is another piece of the Space Battleship Yamato franchise that wasn’t Americanized for Star Blazers. Like the previous four CDs… <a href="https://aeschtunes.com/2025/05/12/compilation-album-review-space-battleship-yamato-background-music-collection-6/" class="more-link">Continue reading <span class="screen-reader-text">Compilation Album Review: Space Battleship Yamato Background Music Collection 6</span></a>]]></description>
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<p><em>Space Battleship Yamato Background Music Collection 6</em> is a soundtrack CD of the background music from the <em>Space Battleship Yamato</em> film, <em>Final Yamato</em>. This CD has 22 tracks and was released in May 2005. This is another piece of the <em>Space Battleship Yamato</em> franchise that wasn’t Americanized for <em>Star Blazers</em>.</p>
<p>Like the previous four CDs in this series, the tracks on <em>Space Battleship Yamato Background Music Collection 6</em> have been broken down by themes. There are a total of seven themes on this CD: “Disaster in Space,” “Aquarius – Planet of Water,” “Yuki,” “Denguil Boy,” “Shima Daisuke,” “Okita and Kodai,” and “Battle.” Like I’ve mentioned in previous reviews, I would have preferred to have the songs sequenced on the disc in the order that they appeared in the film instead of being grouped by themes.</p>
<p>On this particular release, some of the songs in the themes sound so similar to each other that you don’t notice that you’ve switched tracks unless you look at the CD player and notice that you’re on a different track number. This was especially true for the “Shima Daisuke” theme and to some extent the “Okita and Kodai” theme. In the “Shima Daisuke” theme, two of three tracks (“Requiem For Shima” and “Shima’s Struggle”) are the ones that sound too similar to each other, and they’re back-to-back on the release. I understand the idea of having musical themes to represent characters, but I just felt those two tracks can easily blend together if you’re not paying attention when you’re listening to this release. At least in the “Okita and Kodai” theme, “Farewell” and “Father And Son” have a similar sound but the arrangement between them is just enough different that it’s not as easy to confuse them.</p>
<p>Another difference on this release when compared to the previous five compilations is the fact that two of the songs that appear on it are about eight to nine minutes in length. Unfortunately, they are both slower songs and they appear back-to-back so early on in the CD that it made this section of the release a bit of a rough listen. That’s not to say that “Drowning of Denguil Suite” and “The Legend of Aquarius” are bad, because they’re not. However, if they hadn’t been back-to-back, I probably would have enjoyed them a little better. But after these two tracks, the remaining songs on the release are four minutes or less in length.</p>
<p>Sonically, the score on <em>Space Battleship Yamato Background Music Collection 6</em> has more of a traditional orchestral sound to it, much like <em>Space Battleship Yamato Background Music Collection 5</em> did. In the “Yuki” theme, one the tracks sounds like a song that could be played on a “smooth jazz” radio station. I thought that this was a nice touch and added something a little different to the music that hadn’t been present earlier in the <em>Space Battleship Yamato</em> franchise.</p>
<p>Overall, composer Hiroshi Miyagawa did a good job on this score. The main issue I had with anything he did was having the two Shima Daisuke themes sounding a little too similar to each other. I don’t blame him for the disc sequencing, though, as he likely had nothing to do with that. For the most part, I found <em>Space Battleship Yamato Background Music Collection 6</em> to be an enjoyable listen.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, <em>Space Battleship Yamato Background Music Collection 6</em> isn’t a very easy CD to come across, because it was never released in North America. It’s also become harder to buy the imports out of Japan. However, if you’re interested in obtaining this CD for your music collection, I would recommend trying to find a reputable online import CD seller that can try to acquire a copy of this CD for you at a reasonable price.</p>
<p>If you’re a fan of <em>Space Battleship Yamato</em> or <em>Star Blazers</em> and enjoy the background music from the series, then this CD would be a great addition to your music library.</p>
<p><em>(review originally written by Lesley Aeschliman for BellaOnline; re-worked by Lesley Aeschliman on May 12, 2025)</em></p>
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<title>Compilation Album Review: Space Battleship Yamato Background Music Collection 5</title>
<link>https://aeschtunes.com/2025/05/11/compilation-album-review-space-battleship-yamato-background-music-collection-5/</link>
<comments>https://aeschtunes.com/2025/05/11/compilation-album-review-space-battleship-yamato-background-music-collection-5/#respond</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Lesley Aeschliman]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Sun, 11 May 2025 20:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[music]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[review]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Hiroshi Miyagawa]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[music review]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Space Battleship Yamato]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Star Blazers]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">http://aeschtunes.com/?p=26466</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Space Battleship Yamato Background Music Collection 5 is a soundtrack CD of the background music from the third Space Battleship Yamato television anime series. This CD has 25 tracks and was released in May 2005. This section of the Space Battleship Yamato franchise was Americanized for Star Blazers, and it’s the rarely seen third series… <a href="https://aeschtunes.com/2025/05/11/compilation-album-review-space-battleship-yamato-background-music-collection-5/" class="more-link">Continue reading <span class="screen-reader-text">Compilation Album Review: Space Battleship Yamato Background Music Collection 5</span></a>]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="https://aeschtunes.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/space-battleship-yamato-background-music-collection-5.jpg"><img data-attachment-id="26464" data-permalink="https://aeschtunes.com/2025/05/11/compilation-album-review-space-battleship-yamato-background-music-collection-5/space-battleship-yamato-background-music-collection-5/" data-orig-file="https://aeschtunes.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/space-battleship-yamato-background-music-collection-5.jpg" data-orig-size="500,500" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="Space Battleship Yamato Background Music Collection 5" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://aeschtunes.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/space-battleship-yamato-background-music-collection-5.jpg?w=300" data-large-file="https://aeschtunes.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/space-battleship-yamato-background-music-collection-5.jpg?w=500" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-26464 aligncenter" src="https://aeschtunes.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/space-battleship-yamato-background-music-collection-5.jpg?w=300" alt="" width="300" height="300" /></a></p>
<p><em>Space Battleship Yamato Background Music Collection 5</em> is a soundtrack CD of the background music from the third <em>Space Battleship Yamato</em> television anime series. This CD has 25 tracks and was released in May 2005. This section of the <em>Space Battleship Yamato</em> franchise was Americanized for <em>Star Blazers</em>, and it’s the rarely seen third series due to only airing in syndication in a handful of markets. This series was adapted several years after the first two seasons and uses a different voice cast. Because of how limited of a release the <em>Star Blazers</em> version had, the music on this disc isn’t going to be as recognizable to <em>Star Blazers</em> fans as the material on <a href="https://aeschtunes.com/2025/05/07/compilation-album-review-space-battleship-yamato-background-music-collection-1/"><em>Space Battleship Yamato Background Music Collection 1</em></a> and <a href="https://aeschtunes.com/2025/05/08/compilation-album-review-space-battleship-yamato-background-music-collection-2/"><em>Space Battleship Yamato Background Music Collection 2</em></a>.</p>
<p>Like <em>Space Battleship Yamato Background Music Collection 2</em>, <a href="https://aeschtunes.com/2025/05/09/compilation-album-review-space-battleship-yamato-background-music-collection-3/"><em>Space Battleship Yamato Background Music Collection 3</em></a>, and <a href="https://aeschtunes.com/2025/05/10/compilation-album-review-space-battleship-yamato-background-music-collection-4/"><em>Space Battleship Yamato Background Music Collection 4</em></a>, the songs on this CD have been broken down by themes. There are a total of eight themes on this CD: “The Sun,” “Galman-Gamilas Empire,” “Planet Phantom,” “Legend of Shalbart,” “Love,” “Princess Luda,” “Battle,” and “Bolar Commonwealth.” Like I mentioned in the reviews for <em>Space Battleship Yamato Background Music Collection 3</em> and <em>Space Battleship Yamato Background Music Collection 4</em>, I wish the songs had been included on the disc in the order they appeared in the series rather than being grouped together into themes.</p>
<p>All 25 of the tracks that appear on <em>Space Battleship Yamato Background Music Collection 5</em> are instrumentals. Sonically, this is the first of the discs in the series that no longer includes any of the “dated” 1970’s-sounding material. The pieces that appear on this disc tend to have more of a traditional orchestral arrangement and are primarily performed by instruments that are part of an orchestra. While some electronic sounds are included in some of the pieces, the electronic sounds don’t date the music to a particular time period. This change in sound gives <em>Space Battleship Yamato Background Music Collection 5</em> a much different feel when compared to the previous four discs in the set. I was impressed to hear composer Hiroshi Miyagawa changing up the sound of the score, yet retaining the character that fans of the <em>Space Battleship Yamato</em> franchise had come to expect for the series’ music.</p>
<p>Even though there are 25 tracks on this disc, the vast majority of the songs are primarily three minutes or shorter in length. Since many of the songs on the disc are on the short side, it makes listening to this CD a less daunting experience than it might have been otherwise.</p>
<p>Overall, I found <em>Space Battleship Yamato Background Music Collection 5</em> to be an enjoyable listen. I believe that fans of the <em>Space Battleship Yamato</em> franchise will enjoy the pieces that appear on this release.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, <em>Space Battleship Yamato Background Music Collection 5</em> isn’t a very easy CD to come across, because it was never released in North America. It’s now also becoming harder to buy the imports out of Japan. However, if you’re interested in obtaining this CD for your music collection, I would recommend seeing if you can find a reputable online import CD seller that can try to acquire a copy of this CD for you at a reasonable price.</p>
<p>If you’re a fan of <em>Space Battleship Yamato</em> or <em>Star Blazers</em> and enjoy the background music from the series, then this CD would be a great addition to your music library.</p>
<p><em>(originally reviewed by Lesley Aeschliman for BellaOnline; re-worked by Lesley Aeschliman on May 11, 2025)</em></p>
]]></content:encoded>
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<item>
<title>Song of the Moment: Madonna – “Crazy For You”</title>
<link>https://aeschtunes.com/2025/05/11/song-of-the-moment-madonna-crazy-for-you/</link>
<comments>https://aeschtunes.com/2025/05/11/song-of-the-moment-madonna-crazy-for-you/#comments</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Lesley Aeschliman]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Sun, 11 May 2025 17:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[music]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[1980s]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[1980s music]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[80s]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[80s music]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Madonna]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[pop music]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">http://aeschtunes.com/?p=25091</guid>
<description><![CDATA[In early 1985, my interest in Madonna was sealed thanks to the song, “Material Girl.” At this point, the only material I knew by her were either uptempo or midtempo tracks, so when I heard “Crazy For You,” the next single after “Material Girl,” I was surprised to hear Madonna singing a ballad. However, I… <a href="https://aeschtunes.com/2025/05/11/song-of-the-moment-madonna-crazy-for-you/" class="more-link">Continue reading <span class="screen-reader-text">Song of the Moment: Madonna – “Crazy For You”</span></a>]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>In early 1985, my interest in Madonna was sealed thanks to the song, “Material Girl.” At this point, the only material I knew by her were either uptempo or midtempo tracks, so when I heard “Crazy For You,” the next single after “Material Girl,” I was surprised to hear Madonna singing a ballad. However, I fell in love with this song the very first time I heard it. I was about 10 years old at the time, but that musical arrangement and Madonna’s vocal performance grabbed me. While I didn’t have the life experience yet to fully appreciate the emotion behind a song like “Crazy For You,” I still felt that I could hear something genuine in Madonna’s vocal performance. 40 years later, I still love this song, as much, if not more, than I did when I was a pre-teen. I think that’s due to a combination of having the life experience to have a fuller appreciation for what the lyrics are saying and the nostalgia that this song conjures up for me whenever I hear it.</p>
<p>Considering how big of a name Madonna was becoming in the mid-1980’s, it really wasn’t surprising that “Crazy For You” hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 on May 11, 1985. While it can sound a little dated, it’s a song that’s held up rather well over the past four decades. “Crazy For You” was a bigger success than <em>Vision Quest</em>, the film that the song appeared in and served as Madonna’s first major motion picture appearance. The film was a moderate success at the box office and has gone on to become a cult classic, but the film itself is nowhere nearly as universally remembered as “Crazy For You.”</p>
<p>After the success of “Crazy For You,” Madonna would go on in 1985 to release two more singles from the <em>Like A Virgin</em> album (“Angel” and “Dress You Up”), another single from <em>Vision Quest</em> (“Gambler,” which unfortunately wasn’t released in the United States), and “Into The Groove” (a song from <em>Desperately Seeking Susan</em> which didn’t get a stand-alone single in the United States but was instead the B-side of the 12” maxi-single for “Angel”). All these releases kept music listeners occupied as they waited for Madonna to release her next album.</p>
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<title>Song Review: Yorushika – “Martian”</title>
<link>https://aeschtunes.com/2025/05/10/song-review-yorushika-martian/</link>
<comments>https://aeschtunes.com/2025/05/10/song-review-yorushika-martian/#respond</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Lesley Aeschliman]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Sat, 10 May 2025 20:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[music]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[review]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[2020s]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[2020s music]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[J-pop]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Martian]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[music review]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Yorushika]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">http://aeschtunes.com/?p=26630</guid>
<description><![CDATA[On May 9, 2025, Japanese rock band Yorushika released the music video for “Martian,” which is being used as the opening theme for the second season of the SHOSHIMIN: How to become Ordinary anime. I have to be upfront in this review and admit that my only familiarity with the anime comes from reading a… <a href="https://aeschtunes.com/2025/05/10/song-review-yorushika-martian/" class="more-link">Continue reading <span class="screen-reader-text">Song Review: Yorushika – “Martian”</span></a>]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>On May 9, 2025, Japanese rock band Yorushika released the music video for “Martian,” which is being used as the opening theme for the second season of the <em>SHOSHIMIN: How to become Ordinary</em> anime. I have to be upfront in this review and admit that my only familiarity with the anime comes from reading a series synopsis and anibloggers’ opinions of the anime.</p>
<p>I already have previous familiarity with Yorushika, thanks to listening to and reviewing “<a href="https://aeschtunes.com/2024/03/07/song-review-yorushika-sunny/">Sunny</a>,” “<a href="https://aeschtunes.com/2024/10/11/song-review-yorushika-aporia/">Aporia</a>,” and “<a href="https://aeschtunes.com/2025/02/27/song-review-yorushika-hebi/">Hebi</a>” over the past year or so. I’ve liked all of the material that I’ve heard by the band up to this point, so when I saw they had released another anime theme song, I knew I needed to check it out.</p>
<p>Musically, “Martian” is an upbeat J-pop track that leans a little bit toward the rock side. At times, it also sounds like this song is drawing some inspiration from jazz with some of the stylistic choices that are made for the arrangement. It’s a catchy track, and I really appreciated how the piano is utilized as a percussion instrument on this. Sonically, “Martian” has a fun vibe to it, and I think it’s a good choice for an anime opening theme. The vocalist for Yorushika sounds great once again, and the vocal delivery perfectly captures the upbeat and fun feel that this song is striving for.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, the video I watched for “Martian” on YouTube didn’t include an English translation of the lyrics in the closed captioning. However, I did find an English translation of the lyrics posted to the internet. Reading through the translation, they appear to utilize imagery of both Martians and Mars to illustrate how crazy their life is and wishing for some kind of normalcy. From what I know of the series, this kind of a lyrical theme makes perfect sense.</p>
<p>“Martian” is another winner for Yorushika, and it continues to keep my interest in the band. Fans of Yorushika and of the <em>SHOSHIMIN: How to become Ordinary</em> anime will likely have the greatest appreciation for “Martian,” but I think listeners who already have an interest in J-pop may find something to like here as well. As for western music audiences, I believe the song could potentially appeal to listeners who enjoy pop rock music.</p>
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<div class="embed-youtube"><iframe title="ヨルシカ - 火星人(OFFICIAL VIDEO)" width="825" height="464" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/OLRbIc8KZ_8?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
</div>
<p><em>(reviewed by Lesley Aeschliman on May 10, 2025)</em></p>
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<title>Compilation Album Review: Space Battleship Yamato Background Music Collection 4</title>
<link>https://aeschtunes.com/2025/05/10/compilation-album-review-space-battleship-yamato-background-music-collection-4/</link>
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<dc:creator><![CDATA[Lesley Aeschliman]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Sat, 10 May 2025 17:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[music]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[review]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Hiroshi Miyagawa]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[music review]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Space Battleship Yamato]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Star Blazers]]></category>
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<description><![CDATA[Space Battleship Yamato Background Music Collection 4 is a soundtrack CD of the background music from the Space Battleship Yamato film, Be Forever Yamato. This CD has 26 tracks and was released on May 30, 2005. The Be Forever Yamato anime film is about part of the Space Battleship Yamato franchised that was never Americanized… <a href="https://aeschtunes.com/2025/05/10/compilation-album-review-space-battleship-yamato-background-music-collection-4/" class="more-link">Continue reading <span class="screen-reader-text">Compilation Album Review: Space Battleship Yamato Background Music Collection 4</span></a>]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p style="text-align: center"><a href="https://aeschtunes.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/space-battleship-yamato-background-music-collection-4.jpg"><img data-attachment-id="26459" data-permalink="https://aeschtunes.com/2025/05/10/compilation-album-review-space-battleship-yamato-background-music-collection-4/space-battleship-yamato-background-music-collection-4/" data-orig-file="https://aeschtunes.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/space-battleship-yamato-background-music-collection-4.jpg" data-orig-size="500,500" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="Space Battleship Yamato Background Music Collection 4" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://aeschtunes.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/space-battleship-yamato-background-music-collection-4.jpg?w=300" data-large-file="https://aeschtunes.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/space-battleship-yamato-background-music-collection-4.jpg?w=500" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-26459" src="https://aeschtunes.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/space-battleship-yamato-background-music-collection-4.jpg?w=300" alt="" width="300" height="300" /></a></p>
<p><em>Space Battleship Yamato Background Music Collection 4</em> is a soundtrack CD of the background music from the <em>Space Battleship Yamato</em> film, <em>Be Forever Yamato</em>. This CD has 26 tracks and was released on May 30, 2005. The <em>Be Forever Yamato</em> anime film is about part of the <em>Space Battleship Yamato</em> franchised that was never Americanized for <em>Star Blazers</em>.</p>
<p>Like <a href="https://aeschtunes.com/2025/05/08/compilation-album-review-space-battleship-yamato-background-music-collection-2/"><em>Space Battleship Yamato Background Music Collection 2</em></a> and <a href="https://aeschtunes.com/2025/05/09/compilation-album-review-space-battleship-yamato-background-music-collection-3/"><em>Space Battleship Yamato Background Music Collection 3</em></a>, the songs on this CD have been broken down by themes. There are a total of eight themes on this CD: “Hyperon Bomb,” “Love,” “Dark Star Cluster Empire,” “Space,” “Second Lieutenant Arufon,” “Sasha (Mio),” “Combat,” and “Birth of a New Galaxy.” While splitting the songs out into themes is an interesting idea, I would personally prefer hearing the tracks in the order that they appeared in the film. By grouping the music by themes, the listener jumps around all over the place in comparison to the film, and it’s not always easy to identify which tracks go where since some of the songs use the same theme as its base.</p>
<p>Unlike <em>Space Battleship Yamato Background Music Collection 3</em>, this disc doesn’t include multiple versions of the same song. Instead, it’s more like <em>Space Battleship Yamato Background Music Collection 1</em> and <em>Space Battleship Yamato Background Music Collection 2</em> in that it only focuses on the music that actually appeared in the film.</p>
<p>All 26 tracks that appear on this release are instrumentals. Sonically, <em>Space Battleship Yamato Background Music Collection 4</em> has an interesting mix of sounds. While there’s still a fair number of songs on this CD that have the “dated” 1970’s sound that was prevalent on the first three discs in the series, there are also some songs included here that don’t sound quite as “dated.” I commend composer Hiroshi Miyagawa for composing songs both in the traditional sound that was expected for the <em>Space Battleship Yamato</em> franchise at this point as well as in a different style to create an otherworldly sound that works for the story of the film.</p>
<p>The tracks that sound the most different from the previous material are the four songs included in the “Space” theme and the one song that makes up the “Birth of a New Galaxy” theme. These particular pieces of the score have an almost “otherworldly” feel to them, and this sound really helps them to stand out from a lot of the other pieces that are included on the disc. Also, these pieces include vocal sounds that add an interesting texture to them. It’s interesting to note that the track “Double Galaxy” includes a very similar vocal sound to the vocal bits in the score for Iscandar in the first <em>Space Battleship Yamato</em> series.</p>
<p>The score that are composed in the same style as the previous <em>Space Battleship Yamato</em> franchise entries at this point also sound fantastic, but the pieces composed and performed in the different style are definitely the highlights of this release.</p>
<p>Even though there are 26 tracks on this disc, most of the pieces tend to be less than three minutes in length. Because of how short most of the tracks on the CD are, it’s a less daunting listening experience that it may seem on the surface.</p>
<p>Overall, <em>Space Battleship Yamato Background Music Collection 4</em> is an enjoyable listen, especially for listeners who are already familiar with the <em>Space Battleship Yamato</em> franchise.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, <em>Space Battleship Yamato Background Music Collection 4</em> isn’t a very easy CD to come across, because it was never released in North America. It’s now also becoming harder to buy the imports out of Japan. However, if you’re interested in obtaining this CD for your anime music collection, I would recommend finding a reputable online import CD seller that can try to acquire a copy of this CD for you at a reasonable price.</p>
<p>If you’re a fan of <em>Space Battleship Yamato</em> or <em>Star Blazers</em>, and enjoy the background music from the series, then this CD would be a great addition to your music library.</p>
<p><em>(originally reviewed by Lesley Aeschliman for BellaOnline; re-worked by Lesley Aeschliman on May 10, 2025)</em></p>
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<title>Compilation Album Review: Space Battleship Yamato Background Music Collection 3</title>
<link>https://aeschtunes.com/2025/05/09/compilation-album-review-space-battleship-yamato-background-music-collection-3/</link>
<comments>https://aeschtunes.com/2025/05/09/compilation-album-review-space-battleship-yamato-background-music-collection-3/#respond</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Lesley Aeschliman]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Fri, 09 May 2025 20:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[music]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[review]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Feeling Free]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Hiroshi Miyagawa]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[music review]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Sasaki Isao]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Shimakura Chiyoko]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Space Battleship Yamato]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Star Blazers]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">http://aeschtunes.com/?p=26456</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Space Battleship Yamato Background Music Collection 3 is a soundtrack CD of the background music from the Space Battleship Yamato: The New Voyage television special that aired in Japan in 1979. This CD soundtrack for the special has 25 tracks and it was released on May 30, 2005. This is a section of the original… <a href="https://aeschtunes.com/2025/05/09/compilation-album-review-space-battleship-yamato-background-music-collection-3/" class="more-link">Continue reading <span class="screen-reader-text">Compilation Album Review: Space Battleship Yamato Background Music Collection 3</span></a>]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="https://aeschtunes.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/space-battleship-yamato-background-music-collection-3.jpg"><img loading="lazy" data-attachment-id="26455" data-permalink="https://aeschtunes.com/2025/05/09/compilation-album-review-space-battleship-yamato-background-music-collection-3/space-battleship-yamato-background-music-collection-3/" data-orig-file="https://aeschtunes.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/space-battleship-yamato-background-music-collection-3.jpg" data-orig-size="250,250" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="Space Battleship Yamato Background Music Collection 3" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://aeschtunes.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/space-battleship-yamato-background-music-collection-3.jpg?w=250" data-large-file="https://aeschtunes.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/space-battleship-yamato-background-music-collection-3.jpg?w=250" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-26455 aligncenter" src="https://aeschtunes.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/space-battleship-yamato-background-music-collection-3.jpg" alt="" width="250" height="250" /></a></p>
<p><em>Space Battleship Yamato Background Music Collection 3</em> is a soundtrack CD of the background music from the <em>Space Battleship Yamato: The New Voyage</em> television special that aired in Japan in 1979. This CD soundtrack for the special has 25 tracks and it was released on May 30, 2005. This is a section of the original <em>Space Battleship Yamato</em> franchise that didn’t receive an Americanized version for <em>Star Blazers</em>.</p>
<p>Like <a href="https://aeschtunes.com/2025/05/08/compilation-album-review-space-battleship-yamato-background-music-collection-2/"><em>Space Battleship Yamato Background Music Collection 2</em></a>, the songs on this CD have been broken down by themes. There are a total of seven themes on this CD: “New Journey,” “Yamato,” “Iscandar,” “Dessler,” “Autoplanet Goruba,” “Parting,” and “Sasha.” After listening to both <em>Space Battleship Yamato Background Music Collection 2</em> and <em>Space Battleship Yamato Background Music Collection 3</em>, I’ve come to realize that I’m really not a fan of the songs being arranged by theme. I would rather be able to hear the songs in the chronological order that they appeared in the film or special, so I can hear how the music evolves with the story of the animated work.</p>
<p>Most of the songs on this CD are instrumentals composed by Hiroshi Miyagawa. However, the two exceptions are the songs that open and close the disc: “Yamato!! New Journey” (performed by Sasaki Isao and Feeling Free) and “Sasha My Love” (performed by Shimakura Chiyoko and Feeling Free. “Yamato!! New Journey” is an opening theme that’s slower than what audiences of the <em>Space Battleship Yamato</em> franchise would expect. The instrumentation on this one has a strong emphasis on brass instruments being accompanied by percussion. It may not be as catchy as the opening theme for the first two series, but it’s still an effective opening theme. “Sasha My Love” is the ending theme, and it’s a slow ballad. This is a beautiful track, and Shimakura Chiyoko has a fantastic voice that captures the intended emotion of the song. An instrumental version of “Sasha My Love” is also included on this release, and it’s almost two minutes longer than the vocal version. It’s a good instrumental, but I prefer the vocal version of this song.</p>
<p>Something I noticed on this disc that I hadn’t seen on the previous two discs is the fact that <em>Space Battleship Yamato Background Music Collection 3</em> includes multiple versions of some of the songs. On this disc, there are two versions of “New Journey” (an instrumental and a guitar combo). The guitar combo version is over a minute longer than the instrumental, and it has an acoustic guitar rather than a string section on it. It also sounds like some changes were made in the arrangement as well. To be honest, I prefer the original instrumental version. Something just seems to be missing in the guitar combo version.</p>
<p>There are also four versions of “Goruba’s Theme”: the original version, a piano version, a string version, and a synthesizer version. The original version is the longest, clocking in at four minutes and 17 seconds. The piano version is a minute and 18 seconds in length, the string version is a minute and 35 seconds, and the synthesizer version is one minute and 16 seconds in length. The original is an intense track. The piano version starts out with a similar intro but then reduces the instrumentation back to just a piano that slows the tempo of the track down. The string version uses a similar intro to the piano version, but after the intro, the instrumentation is reduced to just strings at a slower tempo. The synthesizer version is just the synthesizer section of the track, and to be honest, I found this to be a boring version to listen to because it doesn’t really go much of anywhere musically. It just kind of plods along.</p>
<p>This disc also includes four versions of “Parting”: a guitar and orchestra version, a string version, a piano and orchestra version, and a guitar solo version. These versions range anywhere in length from one minute and 13 seconds to three minutes. The guitar and orchestra version is the one that would have been heard in the special, and it’s a strong track for the score. The strings version is simply the strings playing the strong, and while it’s not as full of a track as the guitar and orchestra version, and it’s an enjoyable listening experience. The piano and orchestra version replaces the guitar in the original with a piano and the orchestra section is more minimal in its arrangement. And the guitar solo is simply an acoustic guitar playing the song. Of the four versions included here, the guitar solo is the weakest one for me because the song loses a lot of its character without the orchestra.</p>
<p>I really didn’t understand the inclusion of all the additional versions of “Goruba’s Theme,” especially the synthesizer version. I didn’t mind most of the versions of “Parting,” though, as most of them were pretty decent. I can only guess that these tracks had additional versions included in order to make the runtime of the CD be comparable with the other CDs in the series. However, I do have to question why the track “Goruba Chord” was included on this disc. It’s only about 10 seconds long, and it really doesn’t add anything to the release.</p>
<p>Two of the tracks on this CD really stand out to me. The first is “New Cosmo Tigers,” because it sounds like it came straight out of the disco era. In fact, when it comes to the arrangement, it sounds like the composer was inspired by the works of Giorgio Moroder. The other standout is “Tsunpa March (a.k.a. March of the Underwear),” which is a goofy track that plays in the background when some of the members of the <em>Yamato</em>’s crew are punished for their behavior by having to march around the ship in their underwear.</p>
<p>Even though there are 25 tracks on this CD, most of the songs are under three minutes in length. The only exception to this is “Goruba’s Theme,” which clocks in at four minutes and 17 seconds.</p>
<p>I remember being impressed by the music when I first saw <em>Star Blazers</em> as a child back in the early 1980’s, and I’m still impressed by the franchise’s music score today. Admittedly, while some of the music is rooted in the 1970’s and can sound a little dated, it’s still enjoyable. Like I mentioned earlier, “New Cosmo Tigers” is probably the best example of a song from <em>Space Battleship Yamato</em> that obviously sounds like it came straight out of the 1970’s.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, <em>Space Battleship Yamato Background Music Collection 3</em> isn’t a very easy CD to come across, because it was never released in North America. It’s now also becoming harder to buy the imports out of Japan. However, if you’re interested in obtaining this CD for your anime music collection, I would recommend seeing if you can find a reputable online import CD seller that can try to acquire a copy of this CD for you at a reasonable price.</p>
<p>If you’re a fan of <em>Space Battleship Yamato</em> or <em>Star Blazers</em> and enjoy the background music from the series, then this CD would be a great addition to your music library.</p>
<p><em>(originally reviewed by Lesley Aeschliman for BellaOnline; re-worked by Lesley Aeschliman on May 9, 2025)</em></p>
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<title>Song Review: Purple Disco Machine x Alison Goldfrapp – “Dream Machine”</title>
<link>https://aeschtunes.com/2025/05/09/song-review-purple-disco-machine-x-alison-goldfrapp-dream-machine/</link>
<comments>https://aeschtunes.com/2025/05/09/song-review-purple-disco-machine-x-alison-goldfrapp-dream-machine/#respond</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Lesley Aeschliman]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Fri, 09 May 2025 17:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[music]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[review]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[2020s]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[2020s music]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Alison Goldfrapp]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[dance music]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Dream Machine]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[electronic music]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[music review]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Purple Disco Machine]]></category>
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<description><![CDATA[In April 2025, German DJ and record producer Purple Disco Machine released “Dream Machine,” a collaboration with Alison Goldfrapp. My knowledge of Purple Disco Machine comes more from remixes than from his actual material, but I’ve liked the remixes that I’m familiar with. I’m familiar with Alison Goldfrapp through some of her material with Goldfrapp.… <a href="https://aeschtunes.com/2025/05/09/song-review-purple-disco-machine-x-alison-goldfrapp-dream-machine/" class="more-link">Continue reading <span class="screen-reader-text">Song Review: Purple Disco Machine x Alison Goldfrapp – “Dream Machine”</span></a>]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>In April 2025, German DJ and record producer Purple Disco Machine released “Dream Machine,” a collaboration with Alison Goldfrapp. My knowledge of Purple Disco Machine comes more from remixes than from his actual material, but I’ve liked the remixes that I’m familiar with. I’m familiar with Alison Goldfrapp through some of her material with Goldfrapp. When I saw that Purple Disco Machine and Alison Goldfrapp had collaborated together, it piqued my interest enough that I decided to listen to and review the song.</p>
<p>Musically, “Dream Machine” is a mid-to-uptempo EDM track that sounds like it takes some inspiration from disco. This is similar in nature to what I know by Purple Disco Machine, but that’s not to say that it sounds generic or that Purple Disco Machine is stuck in one sound. He finds different ways to bring the disco influence into this work and mold it in a way that fits in with what’s going on in the current EDM scene. In this case, I can also hear a bit of a light and airy feel to the sound of the track, which should make this a good fit for a summer EDM hit, Alison Goldfrapp sounds great on this track, and her performance adds to the track’s nearly dream-like atmosphere.</p>
<p>Lyrically, “Dream Machine” seems to be from the point of view of a speaker addressing someone that they have a romantic interest in and trying to convince them to take a chance on a relationship together. Alison’s vocal performance captures the emotional weight behind the lyrics, in addition to contributing to the overall feel and vibe of the song.</p>
<p>I enjoyed “Dream Machine,” and I think that this could become an EDM hit for Summer 2025. I believe that fans of both Purple Disco Machine and of Alison Goldfrapp will appreciate this song, and that listeners who enjoy listening to EDM may find something to like here as well.</p>
<div class="jetpack-video-wrapper">
<div class="embed-youtube"><iframe title="Purple Disco Machine, Alison Goldfrapp - Dream Machine (Official Visualizer)" width="825" height="464" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/H08sNxMSgNA?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
</div>
<p><em>(reviewed by Lesley Aeschliman on May 9, 2025)</em></p>
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<title>Song Review: Hikaru Utada – “Mine Or Yours”</title>
<link>https://aeschtunes.com/2025/05/08/song-review-hikaru-utada-mine-or-yours/</link>
<comments>https://aeschtunes.com/2025/05/08/song-review-hikaru-utada-mine-or-yours/#comments</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Lesley Aeschliman]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Thu, 08 May 2025 20:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[music]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[review]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[2020s]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[2020s music]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Hikaru Utada]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[J-pop]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[music review]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">http://aeschtunes.com/?p=26572</guid>
<description><![CDATA[On May 7, 2025, Japanese artist Hikaru Utada released the music video for their latest single, “Mine Or Yours.” After listening to and reviewing both “A Flower of No Color” and “Electricity” over the past year, I knew that I needed to check this song out and review it. Musically, “Mine Or Yours” is a… <a href="https://aeschtunes.com/2025/05/08/song-review-hikaru-utada-mine-or-yours/" class="more-link">Continue reading <span class="screen-reader-text">Song Review: Hikaru Utada – “Mine Or Yours”</span></a>]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>On May 7, 2025, Japanese artist Hikaru Utada released the music video for their latest single, “Mine Or Yours.” After listening to and reviewing both “<a href="https://aeschtunes.com/2024/02/15/song-review-hikaru-utada-a-flower-of-no-color/">A Flower of No Color</a>” and “<a href="https://aeschtunes.com/2024/12/09/song-review-hikaru-utada-electricity/">Electricity</a>” over the past year, I knew that I needed to check this song out and review it.</p>
<p>Musically, “Mine Or Yours” is a midtempo J-pop track that leans a little toward a softer rock feel. There’s a lot of simplicity in its musical arrangement, but I think that simplicity helps to give the song its character. As I listened to this, I couldn’t help but think the arrangement had a bit of a “soothing” vibe to it. Admittedly, the song doesn’t go much of anywhere musically, but I didn’t feel it got stuck in a rut. This was one of those rare cases where it would have potentially damaged the intent of the song if it strayed too much from its sound. Hikaru’s vocal performance sounded good, and I thought it helped to add to the “soothing” feel of the song.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, the video I watched for “Mine Or Yours” on YouTube did not include any closed captioning. However, I did find an English translation of the lyrics posted to the internet. After reading through the translation, the lyrics appear to be from the point of view of a speaker musing about themselves and about their significant other. I didn’t have this context when I listened to the song the first time, but even with the knowledge of the lyrics I have now, I’m still willing to say that there’s a “soothing” and “calming” feel to this track’s musical arrangement.</p>
<p>After listening to “Mine Or Yours,” I thought it was another winner for Hikaru Utada. I’ve been impressed by everything I’ve heard by them, and I appreciate hearing the different musical styles that these songs have.</p>
<p>Fans of Hikaru Utada will likely have the strongest appreciation for “Mine Or Yours,” but I think that listeners who already have an appreciation for J-pop and aren’t already familiar with the artist may find something to like here as well. As for western music audiences, I believe the song could potentially appeal to listeners who enjoy pop rock music and don’t mind listening to a song that’s being sung in another language.</p>
<div class="jetpack-video-wrapper">
<div class="embed-youtube"><iframe title="宇多田ヒカル『Mine or Yours』Music Video" width="825" height="464" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/n9Nrl9qXxow?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
</div>
<p><em>(reviewed by Lesley Aeschliman on May 8, 2025)</em></p>
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<title>Compilation Album Review: Space Battleship Yamato Background Music Collection 2</title>
<link>https://aeschtunes.com/2025/05/08/compilation-album-review-space-battleship-yamato-background-music-collection-2/</link>
<comments>https://aeschtunes.com/2025/05/08/compilation-album-review-space-battleship-yamato-background-music-collection-2/#respond</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Lesley Aeschliman]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Thu, 08 May 2025 17:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[music]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[review]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Hiroshi Miyagawa]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[music review]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Space Battleship Yamato]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Star Blazers]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">http://aeschtunes.com/?p=26450</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Space Battleship Yamato Background Music Collection 2 is a soundtrack CD of the background music from Farewell to Space Battleship Yamato: In the Name of Love and the second set of episodes for Space Battleship Yamato. This CD has 37 tracks and was released on May 30, 2005. For viewers who are only familiar with… <a href="https://aeschtunes.com/2025/05/08/compilation-album-review-space-battleship-yamato-background-music-collection-2/" class="more-link">Continue reading <span class="screen-reader-text">Compilation Album Review: Space Battleship Yamato Background Music Collection 2</span></a>]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p style="text-align: center"><a href="https://aeschtunes.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/space-battleship-yamato-background-music-collection-2.jpg"><img loading="lazy" data-attachment-id="26449" data-permalink="https://aeschtunes.com/2025/05/08/compilation-album-review-space-battleship-yamato-background-music-collection-2/space-battleship-yamato-background-music-collection-2/" data-orig-file="https://aeschtunes.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/space-battleship-yamato-background-music-collection-2.jpg" data-orig-size="500,443" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="Space Battleship Yamato Background Music Collection 2" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://aeschtunes.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/space-battleship-yamato-background-music-collection-2.jpg?w=300" data-large-file="https://aeschtunes.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/space-battleship-yamato-background-music-collection-2.jpg?w=500" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-26449" src="https://aeschtunes.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/space-battleship-yamato-background-music-collection-2.jpg?w=300" alt="" width="300" height="266" /></a></p>
<p><em>Space Battleship Yamato Background Music Collection 2</em> is a soundtrack CD of the background music from <em>Farewell to Space Battleship Yamato: In the Name of Love</em> and the second set of episodes for <em>Space Battleship Yamato</em>. This CD has 37 tracks and was released on May 30, 2005.</p>
<p>For viewers who are only familiar with <em>Star Blazers</em>, the Americanized version of <em>Space Battleship Yamato</em>, this would be the background music from the second series, which focused on the Star Force fighting the Comet Empire and finding Trelaina of Telezart.</p>
<p>There’s a big difference between <a href="https://aeschtunes.com/2025/05/07/compilation-album-review-space-battleship-yamato-background-music-collection-1/"><em>Space Battleship Yamato Background Music Collection 1</em></a> and this soundtrack: the songs on this CD have been broken down by themes. There are a total of eight themes on this CD. The first seems to have to do with the universe. The second theme focuses on the <em>Yamato</em>, while the third theme appears to focus on Dessler (aka Desslok). The fourth theme seems to be about a worthy opponent. The fifth theme focuses on the White Comet (aka the Comet Empire), the sixth theme focuses on love, the seventh theme seems to focus on a warship, and the eighth theme focuses on Teresa (aka Trelaina).</p>
<p>Another difference between these two soundtracks is the fact that this CD only has instrumental tracks on it. But considering that the opening theme with vocals appears on <em>Space Battleship Yamato Background Music Collection 1</em>, I don’t see the lack of including the opening as being a drawback for this release.</p>
<p>36 of the tracks on this disc are all themes that should be recognizable to viewers of <em>Space Battleship Yamato</em> and/or <em>Star Blazers</em>. Track number 36 is a collection of several themes used during the series, and it’s also the longest piece on the CD, clocking in at three minutes and 43 seconds. Although I wonder why this was included under the “Teresa” theme, since these don’t match the sound and feel of the score for Teresa’s character.</p>
<p>Even though there are 37 tracks on this CD, most of the songs are under three minutes in length. There is only one other exception besides track 36: “The Rival I,” which clocks in right at three minutes. The majority of the tracks on this disc seem to come in between one and one-and-a-half minutes.</p>
<p>I remember being impressed by the music when I first saw <em>Star Blazers</em> as a child back in the early 1980’s, and I’m still impressed by the music score today. The orchestral sound works well for a series like <em>Space Battleship Yamato</em>/<em>Star Blazers</em>. One of the standouts here is “Dessler’s Tactics,” which is one of the themes that’s also been used in the <em>Space Battleship Yamato</em> reboot series (albeit in a modernized form). I love the intensity of this particular track, and composer Hiroshi Miyagawa captures the right sense of excitement and dread that this theme utilizes. I also have to give credit for Teresa’s themes, as they all capture a sense of mystery and have a nearly mythical feel to them. This is an appropriate choice for the character of Teresa (aka Trelaina). The epic feel for the White Comet themes emphasizes the threat that it presents in the series. For the various themes, Miyagawa perfectly captures an appropriate sound and feel for what they represent.</p>
<p>On <em>Space Battleship Yamato Background Music Collection 1</em>, the vocal version of “Scarlet Scarf” (the ending theme) was included. On this disc, there’s an instrumental version of the track.</p>
<p>While I love the score for <em>Space Battleship </em>Yamato, I admit that some of the arrangements can sound a little dated to its being rooted in the late 1970’s. However, I still think these tracks are fantastic, and it’s not surprising that the reboot series utilizes modernized versions of a number of tracks included in this score.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, <em>Space Battleship Yamato Background Music Collection 2</em> isn’t a very easy CD to come across, because it was never released in North America. It’s now also becoming harder to buy the imports outside of Japan. However, if you’re interested in obtaining this CD for your anime music collection, I would recommend seeing if you can find any reputable online import CD sellers and seeing if they can acquire a copy of this CD for you at a reasonable price.</p>
<p>If you’re a fan of <em>Space Battleship Yamato</em> or <em>Star Blazers</em>, and enjoy the background music from the series, then this CD would be a great addition to your music library.</p>
<p><em>(originally reviewed by Lesley Aeschliman for BellaOnline; re-worked by Lesley Aeschliman on May 8, 2025)</em></p>
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<title>Compilation Album Review: Space Battleship Yamato Background Music Collection 1</title>
<link>https://aeschtunes.com/2025/05/07/compilation-album-review-space-battleship-yamato-background-music-collection-1/</link>
<comments>https://aeschtunes.com/2025/05/07/compilation-album-review-space-battleship-yamato-background-music-collection-1/#respond</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Lesley Aeschliman]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Wed, 07 May 2025 17:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[music]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[review]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Hiroshi Miyagawa]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[music review]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Sasaki Isao]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Space Battleship Yamato]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Star Blazers]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">http://aeschtunes.com/?p=26445</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Space Battleship Yamato Background Music Collection 1 is a soundtrack CD of the background music from Space Battleship Yamato: The Movie and the first set of episodes of the Space Battleship Yamato television anime series, as well as the opening and ending theme songs. This 32-track CD was released on May 18, 2005. If you… <a href="https://aeschtunes.com/2025/05/07/compilation-album-review-space-battleship-yamato-background-music-collection-1/" class="more-link">Continue reading <span class="screen-reader-text">Compilation Album Review: Space Battleship Yamato Background Music Collection 1</span></a>]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p style="text-align: center"><a href="https://aeschtunes.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/space-battleship-yamato-backgrounf-music-collection-1.jpg"><img loading="lazy" data-attachment-id="26444" data-permalink="https://aeschtunes.com/2025/05/07/compilation-album-review-space-battleship-yamato-background-music-collection-1/space-battleship-yamato-backgrounf-music-collection-1/" data-orig-file="https://aeschtunes.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/space-battleship-yamato-backgrounf-music-collection-1.jpg" data-orig-size="355,355" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="Space Battleship Yamato Backgrounf Music Collection 1" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://aeschtunes.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/space-battleship-yamato-backgrounf-music-collection-1.jpg?w=300" data-large-file="https://aeschtunes.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/space-battleship-yamato-backgrounf-music-collection-1.jpg?w=355" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-26444" src="https://aeschtunes.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/space-battleship-yamato-backgrounf-music-collection-1.jpg?w=300" alt="" width="300" height="300" /></a></p>
<p><em>Space Battleship Yamato Background Music Collection 1</em> is a soundtrack CD of the background music from <em>Space Battleship Yamato: The Movie</em> and the first set of episodes of the <em>Space Battleship Yamato</em> television anime series, as well as the opening and ending theme songs. This 32-track CD was released on May 18, 2005.</p>
<p>If you grew up in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s, you may have watched a cartoon series titled, <em>Star Blazers</em>. This was an Americanized version of <em>Space Battleship Yamato</em>, where the name of the ship and the characters’ names were all changed from the original Japanese version. <em>Star Blazers</em> utilized the same background music as <em>Space Battleship Yamato</em>, so fans of <em>Star Blazers</em> should recognize a lot of the background music included on this disc.</p>
<p>The CD opens with the iconic opening theme for <em>Space Battleship Yamato</em> being performed by Sasaki Isao and the Royal Knights. For fans of <em>Star Blazers</em> who have never seen <em>Space Battleship Yamato</em>, this theme has the exact same backing music as the opening theme that you’re used to from <em>Star Blazers</em>, but it has the Japanese singer on this track instead of the English vocals. I love Sasaki Isao’s voice, and I’m happy to have a CD with his performance on it. No offense to the English singer, but I do prefer Sasaki Isao.</p>
<p>The final track on the CD is “Scarlet Scarf,” which is the ending theme song for <em>Space Battleship Yamato</em>. This is another song performed by Sasaki Isao and the Royal Knights. Unfortunately, this song was not used for the ending theme of <em>Star Blazers</em>. However, an instrumental version was used during the series, so <em>Star Blazers</em> viewers might recognize the music for this one. In my opinion, this disc is worth having simply to be able to have both of these songs on a CD in my music collection.</p>
<p>29 of the remaining 30 tracks on the disc are all background music tracks composed by Hiroshi Miyagawa. These score pieces should be familiar to viewers of either <em>Space Battleship Yamato</em> and/or <em>Star Blazers</em>. Track number 30 is actually a collection of several themes used at the ending of various episodes in the first <em>Space Battleship Yamato</em> series. These themes range anywhere from 11 to 35 seconds in length, and I found it a little puzzling why these tracks were put together on one track of the CD rather than split out into five shorter tracks. I can only guess that whoever compiled this CD decided it was better to only have 32 tracks instead of 38. When it comes to the length of the 32 tracks on the CD, the longest one is about three minutes long.</p>
<p>I have to say that I loved the score for this series when I watched <em>Star Blazers</em> as a kid, and I have an even stronger appreciation for it over 40 years later. This background score is so iconic that the <em>Space Battleship Yamato</em> reboot series has utilized a number of these pieces but has modernized them so it sounds less noticeable that they were originally written in the 1970’s.</p>
<p>As a long-time fan of <em>Space Battleship Yamato</em> and <em>Star Blazers</em>, I have a hard time simply putting this CD in and listening to the tracks in the background. The music composed for the series is just so memorable that it grabs me and distracts me from whatever else I’m doing at the time when I listen to this CD. When I hear many of the pieces included on <em>Space Battleship Yamato Background Music Collection 1</em>, I can’t help but sit there and see the scenes in my mind that these pieces originally came from.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, <em>Space Battleship Yamato Background Music Collection 1</em> isn’t a very easy CD to come across, because it was never released in North America. It’s also gotten to a point that it’s becoming harder to buy the imports outside of Japan. However, if you’re really interested in trying to obtain a copy of this CD in order to add it to your anime music collection, I would recommend looking around at reputable websites that sell import CDs and seeing if any of them can acquire you a copy of this CD for a reasonable price.</p>
<p>If you’re a fan of <em>Space Battleship Yamato</em> or <em>Star Blazers</em> and enjoy the background music from the series, then this CD would be a great addition to your music library.</p>
<p><em>(originally written by Lesley Aeschliman for BellaOnline; re-worked by Lesley Aeschliman on May 7, 2025)</em></p>
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