he island-bound dinosaurs of the Jurassic Park films may have seemed terrifying, but they were downright docile compared to the beasts that inhabited Ogasawara Island in the legendary 1968 Japanese movie Destroy All Monsters. Nearly a dozen infamous creatures—most notably Godzilla, Mothra, Baragon and Varan—rampaged across that isle, and when let loose on the world by evil aliens their combined might almost annihilated humanity. Of course, a clash of such magnitude necessitated equally muscular accompaniment, and, to the delight of "kaiju" (giant monster) fans throughout North America, an entire album devoted to these melodies is at last domestically available.
Penned by renowned composer Akira Ifukube, the 30 cues on this scintillating original soundtrack CD exude power and peril. Godzilla's brawny march lumbers through such cuts as "Title Credit," "A Decisive Battle in Fuji I" and "Fire Dragon Pursuit," while motifs for other brutes
surface in tunes like "Rodan Come Flying," "Godzilla, Anguirus vs. Defense Squad" and "Monsters on the Earth Gather." Frenetic orchestral furor signifies life-or-death encounters on "Missile Operations to Protect a Capital" and "Break the Remote Control," just as evocative electronic effects infuse "Moon Base I," "Unknown Metal" and "Kilaak Aliens II" with an odd, unearthly
air.
Nearly half of the numbers are less than 60 seconds long, with only one piece—"Monster Land," the track that introduces many of the key creature themes—lasting more than three minutes. The disc is packaged with austere foldout liner notes furnishing a handful of images from the picture, a succinct citation of the production's players and a listing of ADV Music's
to-date-limited lineup of anime and live-action soundtrack recordings.
Rubber monsters rock and rule
Though more than a dozen new Godzilla movies have since been issued, Destroy All Monsters—the ninth picture featuring "The Big G"—was originally intended as the final chapter in the series. To ensure a bravura conclusion, the studio rehired crucial personnel from prior films, including Ifukube, who had generated the music for most of the previous installments. That decision assured a consequential, highly cohesive work that, despite concise running times for both specific cues and the score as a whole, remains energetic and thoroughly entertaining.
"Gigantic Monsters Attack Tokyo" is a thrilling track, bursting with shrill horns and deep strings cleverly conveying the devastating force of the creatures. Building upon various elements introduced in earlier selections, the piece, which turns up halfway through the collection, offers a chilling crescendo that hints at destructive conflicts yet to come. "Moon Base & SY-3" is another exceptional number, highlighting a percussive, slightly distorted rendition of the Godzilla motif, with "Destruction of the Underground Dome" providing an arresting arrangement of dissonant brass, restrained electronics and, toward the conclusion, somber violins.
The album closes with the aptly titled "Ending," a solemn, understated coda that serves as a tasteful compositional contemplation of the picture's awe-inspiring battles. A few sequences on the recording are repetitive, and at times the brevity of the individual cuts makes it difficult for any meaningful musical ideas to develop, yet overall the score is invigorating and inspired. Along with the all-star "kaiju" cast and massive on-screen mayhem, this CD demonstrates that, thanks to these terrific tunes, Destroy All Monsters is an audio tour de force, too.
