hile mothers have warned their children not to go in the water for generations, that admonition was particularly prudent during the mid-1950s. At the time, numerous motion pictures were being issued playing up outlandish dangers from the deep, spotlighting such aquatic fiends as The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms, Monster From the Ocean Floor and The Creature From the Black Lagoon. Among these supposedly fearsome entities the most enduring is undoubtedly Godzilla, who first emerged from Tokyo Bay in 1954 and, 50 years and more than two dozen films later, continues to assault (and every so often defend) humanity.
In celebration of The Big G's longevity—and the recent theatrical re-release of the original, uncut Godzilla, King of the Monsters! movie—La La Land Records has issued an extraordinary Godzilla 50th Anniversary Edition soundtrack CD. Opening with the unmistakable "Godzilla Main Title," the collection offers 20 remarkable cues from the classic production, including a somber "Theme for Ootojima Island," the jittery "Horror of the Water Tank" and the terrifyingly creepy "Godzilla Comes to Tokyo Bay." The compositions ingeniously balance pain, panic and power, with selections like "Godzilla Comes Ashore" brimming with dissonant, destructive energy, "Desperate Broadcast" supplying stark, sharp tones and "Prayer for Peace" presenting a tearful, touching melody.
The album also features four bonus tracks, all familiar pieces re-edited for specific points within the picture, plus two sound-effects cuts, "Godzilla Approaches" and "Godzilla Leaving." Former Starlog contributor David Hirsch provides eight pages of informative liner notes, accompanied by brief comments from Phantasm and The Beastmaster writer/director Don Coscarelli and Internet gossipmonger Harry Knowles.
A near-perfect score
There are few cinematic icons so closely associated with an explicit musical motif as Godzilla. Instantly recognizable to even the most casual monster-movie fan, the initial film's key theme reeks of muscle and menace, an impression bolstered by the fact that the imposing melody has also been utilized in just about every succeeding Godzilla production. What's perhaps more surprising after hearing this disc is the realization that composer Akira Ifukube's entire score—even minor incidental cues—is insightful and inspired.
The plodding pace of "Godzilla's Rampage" conjures up unforgettable sensations of bulk and brawn, with hammering piano and rich woodwinds marvelously emphasizing might, mass and destruction. "Japanese Army March I" possesses a brighter outlook, using vibrant horns and a forceful tempo to signal a robust defense, even as numbers like "Tragic Sight of the Imperial Capital" and "Godzilla at the Ocean Floor" convey both the suffering of the general public and unexpected sympathy for the misunderstood creature. Ifukube also displays remarkable subtlety with "Oxygen Destroyer," a work that, though harsh at the outset, quickly becomes a mournful and deeply moving elegy. It's a piece that serves as an ideal compositional counterpart to the adventure's unambiguous anti-atom-bomb subtext.
Even the bonus tunes, which are largely cobbled together from disparate cuts heard elsewhere on the album, exhibit an uncommon consistency, especially the ominous "Last Assault (Film Version)." Despite a sometimes outdated orchestral style, the Godzilla 50th Anniversary Edition disc remains an impressive and important release, recommended not only to Godzilla fans but for anyone interested in magnificent movie music.
