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Title
 Complete Recordings: Akira Ifukube Toho Special Effects Movie Music 10
International Title
 Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla 2
Music By: Akira Ifukube
Record Label: Toshiba EMI
 
Running Time: 74:20/54:24 Discs: 2
Release: December 1993 CD Number: TYCY-5342/3
Comments
Anthony Romero
Toshiba's two disc set to Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla 2, released under their cumbersomely titled "Complete Recordings" line, is another fantastic set from the company. Like the previous volume in this series, the first disc is dedicated to earlier and extended recordings, while the second is the final score as it appears in the movie, and it never fails to amaze me how little time is left between this stage and the movie being released into theaters (six days, in this case). In terms of the music on the first disc, the selection is mostly identical to the final score, save most of the music being slightly extended compared with how the music would be used in the film. There are a couple of themes, though, that are vastly different from anything that would appear in the movie, with the most obvious examples being the "Reverence of Mechagodzilla" and the earliest recording of the "Garuda Simulation". In terms of the latter, composer Akira Ifukube actually intended for a much more simplistic rendering of the "G-Force theme" done in a "midi" type manner that was reminiscent to video game soundtracks of the time. As for the "Reverence of Mechagodzilla", this unused cue was actually very similar to the one Ifukube conducted for Mechani-Kong in the 1967 production King Kong Escapes; to that point, it also bridges the gap between that earlier cue and the one that did end up getting used for Mechagodzilla, demonstrating that the composer used a heavily modified version for the mechanical monster in this movie.

As for the film score itself on the second disc, it displays some very nice themes from the composer, including the amazing one for Mechagodzilla and the revamped one for Rodan. The G-Force/Garuda melody is also nice, along with the ever impressive Godzilla theme. A couple of earlier motifs from Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah (1991) are also reused here in spots like the "Introduction" and "Mechagodzilla's Electric Discharge Attack" to once again great effect. Unfortunately, the score tends to suffer from the amount of repetition utilized in Ifukube's work here. Thankfully, not nearly enough to cause fatigue on the part of the listener, but enough that after hearing the two discs side-by-side one starts to wish that there were a few more distinct themes present in its runtime. Still, for all intensive purposes, this is an amazing set that most dedicated collectors should seek out as the upcoming Perfect Collection will be hard pressed to top it.
Rating:
Tracks
    Disc 1 - Recorded on August 28th/29th
  1. Introduction (M1)
  2. Main Title (M2)
  3. G-Force Training Center (M3)
  4. The Fossil of Adonoa Island (M4)
  5. Rodan Appears (M5)
  6. Godzilla vs. Rodan (M6)
  7. The Music of an Ancient Plant (M7)
  8. The Birth of a Dinosaur (M8)
  9. Baby and Azusa I (M9)
  10. G-Force March Fast (M16)
  11. G-Force March Slow (M35)
  12. Reverence of Mechagodzilla (M19)
  13. Pteranodon Robot (M21)
  14. Baby and Azusa II (M17)
  15. The Transportation of Baby Godzilla (M18)
  16. Godzilla's Theme (G·Extra)
  17. Baby and Azusa III (M41)
  18. Rolling Titles (M43)
  19. Mechagodzilla Preparation Sortie (M2)
  20. Mechagodzilla Flies at Full Speed (M12)
  21. Mechagodzilla Flies at Full Speed EX (M12)
  22. Mechagodzilla's Electric Discharge Attack (M14)
  23. The Bird of Fire (M23)
  24. Rodan Strikes Down the Transport Helicopter (Rodan EX)
  25. Rodan and the Container (Rodan EX)
  26. Rodan Attacks Sendai (Rodan EX)
  27. Mechagodzilla Restarts (M29)
  28. Garuda Sortie March (M30)
  29. Search Eye I (M37)
  30. Search Eye II (M38)
  31. From Miki to Baby (M42)
  32. ESP Chorus (M22)
  33. Godzilla's Fury (M6)
  34. Rodan's Life Energy (M39)
  35. Revival (M39A)
  36. The Tyrant King's Advent (M12A)
  37. The Serenade of a Starlit Sky (M24)

    Recorded on June 9th
  38. The Music of an Ancient Plant · Prescoring (PS No.1)

    Recorded on August 28th
  39. Garuda Simulation (M20)
  40. Godzilla's Fury (M6)
  41. Main Title (M2)
  42. Godzilla vs. Rodan (M6)
  43. G-Force March (M16-M35)
  44. ESP Chorus (M22)
  45. Rolling Titles (M43)
    Disc 2 - Recorded on December 5th
  1. Introduction (M1)
  2. Main Title (M2)
  3. G-Force Training Center (M3)
  4. The Fossil of Adonoa Island (M4)
  5. Rodan Appears (M5)
  6. Godzilla vs. Rodan (M6)
  7. The Music of an Ancient Plant (M7)
  8. The Birth of a Dinosaur (M8)
  9. Baby and Azusa I (M9)
  10. Godzilla at Yokkaichi (M10)
  11. Mechagodzilla Preparation Sortie (M11)
  12. Mechagodzilla Flies at Full Speed (M12)
  13. The Tyrant King's Advent (M12A)
  14. Mechagodzilla vs. Godzilla (M13)
  15. Mechagodzilla's Electric Discharge Attack (M14)
  16. Godzilla's Fury I (M15)
  17. G-Force March I (M16)
  18. Baby and Azusa II (M17)
  19. The Transportation of Baby Godzilla (M18)
  20. Garuda Simulation (M20)
  21. Pteranodon Robot (M21)
  22. ESP Chorus (M22)
  23. The Bird of Fire (M23)
  24. The Serenade of a Starlit Sky (M24)
  25. Rodan Attacks Sendai (M26)
  26. Rodan Strikes Down the Transport Helicopter (M27)
  27. Rodan Flies to Makuhari (M28)
  28. Mechagodzilla Restarts (M29)
  29. Garuda Sortie March (M30)
  30. Rodan and the Container (M31)
  31. G-Force March II (M32)
  32. Mechagodzilla vs. Rodan (M33)
  33. Rodan's Counterattack (M33A)
  34. Godzilla's Fury II (M34)
  35. Godzilla's Fury III (M34A)
  36. G-Force March III (M35)
  37. Super Mechagodzilla (M36)
  38. Search Eye (M37)
  39. Rodan's Life Energy (M39)
  40. Revival (M39A)
  41. Godzilla's Theme (M40)
  42. Godzilla's Theme · Victory (M40A)
  43. Baby and Azusa III (M41)
  44. From Miki to Baby (M42)
  45. Rolling Titles (M43)