Title
 Godzilla, Ebirah, Mothra: Big Duel in the South Seas (Perfect Collection 2)
International Title
 Ebirah, Horror of the Deep
Music By: Masaru Sato
Record Label: Toho Music
 
Running Time: 55:29 Discs: 1
Release: December 2004 CD Number: G-007 (Set)
Comments
Anthony Romero
For director Jun Fukuda's first attempt at the Godzilla franchise, composer Masaru Sato is brought back for another try at the King of the Monsters after having previously done Godzilla Raids Again (1955). Thankfully, Sato is much more experienced now and delivers a soundtrack for the 1966 picture that, while a starch departure from scores before, does an excellent job of conveying the tropical setting of the movie and creating a fun stand alone experience. The fact of the matter is that Sato has managed to create a number of cues here which are extremely pleasant to listen to. The best example of this is the exotic sounding "Setting Sail for Letchi Island", which is also heard during the opening cue. It's modified from "Mothra's Song", but Sato has changed the cue enough to give it a life of its own and is arguably the standout theme on this CD. However, "Riding the Yahlen II" is another personal favorite of mine. It just has a great laid back type of pace to it that makes it a joy to listen to. On the flip side of things, the theme for Red Bamboo, heard on cues such as "To the Red Bamboo Base", is more sinister in its tone yet Sato still manages to give the cue a unconventional type of feel that fits with the tropical setting through the use of drums in the theme. The disc doesn't have a huge amount of variety, but Sato changes things up enough in his work to keep the music interesting from start to finish.

Now in terms of how this disc differs from the earlier Toshiba release (TYCY- 5351), there is actually 13 minutes of additional music here. First off, the infamous fighter jet music, which was left on the cutting room floor for the US version of the movie, is finally included. As some know, this theme is actually stock and was originally from Akira Kurosawa's High and Low (1963), where it's heard in the club while the "killer" is purchasing a lethal dosage of heroin. Given the more serious tone of its original use, its odd to see it reappear center stage for this movie. Suffice to say, it works far better in the background without a lot of attention being drawn to itself, and as a stand alone experience it's quite lackluster to say the least. Anyway, another change versus the previous release is that the second "Dayo's Prayer" has been moved to the bonus tracks while a number of outtakes are also included. Most of these are fairly similar to what ended up being used without much to note. There are quite a few outtakes related to "Mothra's Song", however, which can get a little taxing when heard side-by-side.

Overall, this is a fairly enjoyable soundtrack from Sato. The cues tend to be on the short side, but this ends up working in the disc's favor as the themes drift from one to the next fairly quickly and maintains the listener's interest time and time again. The only problem are the "Mothra's Song" which, while good, dominate too much of the overall runtime, accounting for more than 30% in fact. Again, though, the song is pleasant, despite repetition, and the score as a whole is worth searching out.
Rating: Star Rating
Tracks
  1. Opening (M1)
  2. Endurance Dance Rally (M2)
  3. Yoshimura Appears (M3)
  4. Riding the Yahlen I (M4)
  5. Riding the Yahlen II (M5)
  6. A Sailboat, a Storm and a Monster (M6)
  7. Letchi Island (M7)
  8. Red Bamboo (M8)
  9. Ebirah's Fury (M9-T2)
  10. Desperate Situation (M10)
  11. Dayo's Prayer (M11)
  12. Mothra's Song I (PS-55B)
    By: Tokiko Iwatani
  13. Sleeping Godzilla I (M12)
  14. Infiltrating the Enemy Base I (M13)
  15. Infiltrating the Enemy Base II (M14)
  16. Fleeing (M15)
  17. Ryota's Escape (M16)
  18. Mothra's Song II (PS-55A-T8)
    By: Tokiko Iwatani
  19. Search-and-Destroy Operation (M17)
  20. Sleeping Godzilla II (M18)
  21. The Plan to Revive Godzilla (M19)
  22. Setting Sail for Letchi Island (M20)
  23. Godzilla's Resurrection (M21)
  24. Godzilla vs. Ebirah I (M22)
  25. To the Red Bamboo Base (M23)
  26. Escaping the Base (M24)
  27. Godzilla vs. the Giant Condor (M25)
  28. Godzilla vs. the Fighter Squadron (High and Low M14)
  29. The Destruction of the Red Bamboo Base (M26)
  30. Godzilla vs. Ebirah II (M27)
  31. Godzilla vs. Ebirah III (M28)
  32. The Prayer of the People of Infant Island (PS-55D)
    By: Tokiko Iwatani
  33. Godzilla vs. Ebirah IV (M29)
  34. Mothra's Song III (PS-55C)
    By: Tokiko Iwatani
  35. Mothra Arrives (M30)
  36. Just Before the Nuclear Explosion (M31)
  37. Ending (M33-T2)

    Bonus Tracks
  38. Godzilla's Attack (M25A)
  39. Ebirah's Fury (M9-T1)
  40. Dayo's Prayer (Tape-1)
  41. Godzilla vs. Ebirah IV (M29 - Normal Playback Amount)
  42. Ending (M33-T1)
  43. Mothra's Song A (PS-55C)
    By: Tokiko Iwatani
  44. Mothra's Song B (PS-55BA)
    By: Tokiko Iwatani
  45. Mothra's Song C (PS-55BA)
    By: Tokiko Iwatani
  46. Mothra's Song D (PS-55D)
    By: Tokiko Iwatani
  47. Mothra's Song E (PS-55C)
    By: Tokiko Iwatani
  48. Mothra's Song F (PS-55D)
    By: Tokiko Iwatani
  49. Mothra's Song G (PS-55C)
    By: Tokiko Iwatani