Tsuchiro Posted June 17, 2008 Posted June 17, 2008 (edited) Is it avaliable at torrents stores?? Single is coming out on june 25th. Edited June 17, 2008 by Tsuchiro
Mr March Posted June 20, 2008 Posted June 20, 2008 (edited) Macross Frontier O.S.T.1 Nyan FRO Review Yoko Kanno (2008) Like many anime soundtracks, Macross Frontier O.S.T.1 Nyan FRO is a combination j-pop album and original orchestral score. Created by well known producer Yoko Kanno, this first Macross Frontier album has numerous elements of Kanno's previous work found in shows like Cowboy Bebop, Vision of Escaflowne and even previous series Macross Plus. The album begins with the orchestral track "Frontier 2059", setting the mood for a grand epic. This score track is followed up by three "live" tracks performed by May Nakabayashi as the fictional Galaxy idol Sheryl Nome. The choice of live j-pop tracks is a good way to suggest the epic tone of the Macross Frontier story. As such, the music of OST1 is closely associated with the anime, like most such soundtracks and becomes an extension of the animated series rather than a standalone album. This is not to say the album lacks tracks which can be singles, only that the album is best enjoyed for fans of the show. While fans of Kanno will appreciate her ever present style, Nyan FRO also plays with sounds of Macross past, particularly some retro 70's lietmotifs found in some of the j-pop tracks such as "Iteza Gogo Kuji Don't be late". Within this mix of orchestral tracks and j-pop tunes is plenty of variation. The orchestral tracks can be big and bombastic ("Big Boys") or mellow and introspective ("Alto's Theme") and the j-pop tunes vary from catchy ("Triangler") and dance-inducing to melodic and soulful ("Aimo"). Many of the best tracks are songs that take some time to appreciate, but are some of the better songs (such as "Infinity" and "Innocent Green"). Nyan FRO definitely carries with it a sense of adventure in the music and is also very uplifiting music. For those days when you're in the mood for something a bit silly, but fun and entertaining, this OST makes a perfect fit. Looking at the album with a critical eye, there are a few problems with the music and the feel of the OST. At times the album can almost sound a little too familiar, especially for fans of Kanno's previous work. Nyan FRO is also unlikely to be appreciated by those not already fans of j-pop. Some of the orchestral tracks feel almost directionless ("Tally Ho") or too derivative for western audiences (such as the Klaus Badelt/Hans Zimmer-esque "Big Boys"). The tracks in the latter thrid of the album tend to drag and contain some of the weaker songs of the OST. This is without a doubt a soundtrack designed for younger audiences and can feel more than a little vapid at times. Fortunately the soundtrack picks up for the last two tracks and ends on a high note. Rating: 3 out of 5 Macross Frontier O.S.T.1 Nyan FRO is a strong if somewhat uneven album of pop rock tunes and varied orchestral scores. For fans of anime music and Macross in particular, this album is a worthwhile addition to your music library, though not as distinctive as some of Kanno's previous works. Edited June 20, 2008 by Mr March
MisaForever Posted June 20, 2008 Posted June 20, 2008 Wow.... no offense, Mr. March but I rank it much higher than that. I think it is as good as, if not better than her Cowboy Bebop soundtracks. JMO of course.
UN Spacy Posted June 20, 2008 Posted June 20, 2008 My copy of OST 1 and the Don't Be Late single arrived today. How can you tell if it's a first press?
Mr March Posted June 20, 2008 Posted June 20, 2008 MisaForever No problem. I'm notoriously critical when measuring the worth of music and especially literature. Typically the more effort it takes for me to enjoy a given medium of entertainment, the tougher I am reviewing it. Film is about the easiest entertainment for me to enjoy, so I'm fair with it. Music is harder because there is an abundance of it with so much repeating itself, especially pop music. I am merciless towards literature because I'm a slow reader. It takes much more of my time and concentration to enjoy a book as opposed to music or a film, so it better damn well worth my time
MisaForever Posted June 20, 2008 Posted June 20, 2008 MisaForever No problem. I'm notoriously critical when measuring the worth of music and especially literature. Typically the more effort it takes for me to enjoy a given medium of entertainment, the tougher I am reviewing it. Film is about the easiest entertainment for me to enjoy, so I'm fair with it. Music is harder because there is an abundance of it with so much repeating itself, especially pop music. I am merciless towards literature because I'm a slow reader. It takes much more of my time and concentration to enjoy a book as opposed to music or a film, so it better damn well worth my time Well true, I definitely agree. I'm more of a listener than a reader myself and tend to be more interested in the sound of music rather than lyrics, etc. so anime soundtracks work (especially since I can't understand the lyrics anyways) But no, that's fine. To each their own.
dreamweaver13 Posted June 21, 2008 Posted June 21, 2008 march, i'd have to give you props for your relatively objective review of the album. being both a macross fan and a kanno yoko fan, i couldn't be half as objective about reviewing this OST as you were. for example, right now i'm rating it as the best.ever., but somehere in the back of my macross fanboy mind, i know that it's not true, and that there are a lot of better ones, previous KY works included.
Gubaba Posted June 21, 2008 Posted June 21, 2008 for example, right now i'm rating it as the best.ever., but somehere in the back of my macross fanboy mind, i know that it's not true, and that there are a lot of better ones, previous KY works included. BURN THE HERETIC!!!
mike_s_6 Posted June 21, 2008 Posted June 21, 2008 I actually think that "Power of Light" from Brain Powerd is way better than any of the orchestral stuff in Macross F OST1... and the vocals in Arjuna or Ghost in the Shell:SAC are better than those in this OST hands down. Thing is, it may not her best, but it's definitely one of the better ones. Plus, I think what matters is that the OST fits the animation, and in this case, I think it does so very well.
Elektrix Posted June 21, 2008 Posted June 21, 2008 Here's something that's been puzzling me for a while, hoping someone can help out. Listening to track 18, "The Target", I've been trying to pick out the influences/inspirations for some of the themes in it. The obvious one is from the soudntrack to "The Right Stuff", but there's another part that also sounds really familiar to me. But there's another part that sounds really familiar to me, from 0:43 to 1:29, which then segues into the Right Stuff homage. Does anyone know what this might be? I can't put my finger on it or where I think I've heard it before; another Yoko Kanno soundtrack, another movie soundtrack, another anime soundtrack. Thanks! -Elektrix
Elektrix Posted June 21, 2008 Posted June 21, 2008 I actually think that "Power of Light" from Brain Powerd is way better than any of the orchestral stuff in Macross F OST1... and the vocals in Arjuna or Ghost in the Shell:SAC are better than those in this OST hands down. Thing is, it may not her best, but it's definitely one of the better ones. Plus, I think what matters is that the OST fits the animation, and in this case, I think it does so very well. Yeah, that's the thing; I think Yoko Kanno is able to come up with music that specifically fits the series. Just personally, I've actually found some of the orchestral tracks to be quite well done and memorable, compared to some of her previous series - I think they have some of the most distinctive themes since all the orchestral work she did for Turn A Gundam (another example of her ability to pretty much perfectly match the music to the series and help give it a unique character). -Elektrix
FullMetal-Guitarist Posted June 21, 2008 Posted June 21, 2008 Is there a link somewhere for *ALL* of these songs? I like them all!! This is a huge thread so I don't know if this has been posted before or not. As well as torrents and other methods, there is a website that I use to download all my anime music. http://gendou.com/ It's a totally free website that's fueled by donations. All you have to do to DL is create an account. The DLs are blazing fast and are great rips 99% of the time. All you do is type in the Anime or Artist name in the search box under the music section and you're good to go. Enjoy.
Westlo Posted June 22, 2008 Posted June 22, 2008 I actually think that "Power of Light" from Brain Powerd is way better than any of the orchestral stuff in Macross F OST1... Power of Light is a brilliant bgm piece, easily amongst the best orchestral stuff Kanno has done over her career. Brain Powered is in my top 3 Kanno works along with Escaflowne and Macross Plus. Shame about the actual series itself... I think Kanno said something like she had no idea what Tomino wanted with this series so she just went and made music lmao...
Elektrix Posted June 22, 2008 Posted June 22, 2008 Power of Light is a brilliant bgm piece, easily amongst the best orchestral stuff Kanno has done over her career. Brain Powered is in my top 3 Kanno works along with Escaflowne and Macross Plus. Shame about the actual series itself... I think Kanno said something like she had no idea what Tomino wanted with this series so she just went and made music lmao... From what I've read about BrainPowerd, it sounds like even Tomino didn't know for sure exactly what he wanted - although apparently some of the ideas/etc. he started off with in it were finally solidified when he made Turn A Gundam. I'd be curious about what Kanno had to say about what feedback she got from Tomino music-wise for that series, because I at least get the impression they were all firing on all cylinders with that one.
mike_s_6 Posted June 22, 2008 Posted June 22, 2008 I think Kanno said something like she had no idea what Tomino wanted with this series so she just went and made music lmao... I remember in one interview that Kanno was somewhat describing the directors she has worked with, and she said that Tomino was like the director waving her off and saying, "Do whatever you want." This is in contrast with Bebop's director Shinichiro Watanabe who really knows what he wants and somewhat argues with her when she gives something that's very different (although he admits that sometimes, it's better than his original idea). Funny though that Brain Powerd and Turn-A Gundam are great OSTs o__O
Daigoro Posted June 22, 2008 Posted June 22, 2008 Here's something that's been puzzling me for a while, hoping someone can help out. Listening to track 18, "The Target", I've been trying to pick out the influences/inspirations for some of the themes in it. The obvious one is from the soudntrack to "The Right Stuff", but there's another part that also sounds really familiar to me. But there's another part that sounds really familiar to me, from 0:43 to 1:29, which then segues into the Right Stuff homage. Does anyone know what this might be? I can't put my finger on it or where I think I've heard it before; another Yoko Kanno soundtrack, another movie soundtrack, another anime soundtrack. Thanks! -Elektrix Yeah, that was bothering me too -- it sounds so familiar, but I just can't place it! The orchestrations sound very similar David Arnold's Independence Day, but the melody isn't the same. There is one part around the 1:05 mark where the melody reminds me of Disney's Beauty and the Beast (the "tales as old as time, songs as old as rhyme" part), but it isn't really a ripoff or homage. Dang, just can't place it... As for the use of The Right Stuff theme, I earlier classified that in ripoff territory... This is a huge thread so I don't know if this has been posted before or not. As well as torrents and other methods, there is a website that I use to download all my anime music. http://gendou.com/ Thanks, that is a great find -- though the two tracks I just downloaded from it were both 128 k rips. Probably not representative. As for everybody else's recommendation, I'll have to try and get Brain Powerd's OST then -- I thought Escaflowne was her greatest ever, but never watched Brain Powerd.
Mr March Posted June 22, 2008 Posted June 22, 2008 march, i'd have to give you props for your relatively objective review of the album. being both a macross fan and a kanno yoko fan, i couldn't be half as objective about reviewing this OST as you were. for example, right now i'm rating it as the best.ever., but somehere in the back of my macross fanboy mind, i know that it's not true, and that there are a lot of better ones, previous KY works included. I'd have to agree with that to a certain extent. In the context of the anime itself, the music works perfectly and garners a somewhat elevated level of appreciation due to my emotional investment in the characters. "Diamond Crevasse" is a good example of an above average j-pop song that is probably elevated to a "great" song in my mind as a Macross fan who loves Macross Frontier. My attachment to the events of Macross Frontier episode 6 are likely forever a part of that song.
Elektrix Posted June 22, 2008 Posted June 22, 2008 (edited) Yeah, that was bothering me too -- it sounds so familiar, but I just can't place it! The orchestrations sound very similar David Arnold's Independence Day, but the melody isn't the same. There is one part around the 1:05 mark where the melody reminds me of Disney's Beauty and the Beast (the "tales as old as time, songs as old as rhyme" part), but it isn't really a ripoff or homage. Dang, just can't place it... As for the use of The Right Stuff theme, I earlier classified that in ripoff territory... As for everybody else's recommendation, I'll have to try and get Brain Powerd's OST then -- I thought Escaflowne was her greatest ever, but never watched Brain Powerd. Yeah, I don't know what it is - hopefully someone will recognize it. It's going to be driving me nuts otherwise. Regarding the Right Stuff theme, it seems less egregious to me - I don't know that I'd put it in ripoff territory, as it does come across much more as musical quoting. Also, given how Conti similarly used elements from Holst's Jupiter and Mars in the Right Stuff soundtrack, it seems like other composers should get a fair shot at his work too.... And either way, the part she quotes is distinctive but the more I listen to it the more I realize it isn't used that much (it's just such a powerful theme that it sticks in your mind). The only one that really comes across as a full "ripoff" to me is "Big Boys" which much more directly uses themes from the Pirates of the Caribbean soundtrack. It seems like something more than just quoting. And yeah, definitely check out the Brain Powerd OST's - no need really to see the anime unless you're a Tomino completest. I think it really is true that BrainPowerd was like his testing ground or something for what he would end up doing much more successfully with Turn A Gundam. Not sure if you mentioned whether you had the Turn A Gundam OST's but those are also definitely well worth it - some of YK's most beautiful music IMO. Same with the Arjuna soundtracks too actually. Edited June 22, 2008 by Elektrix
UN Spacy Posted June 23, 2008 Posted June 23, 2008 I just got my shipping confirmation for the Ranka Lee single.
mike_s_6 Posted June 23, 2008 Posted June 23, 2008 The only one that really comes across as a full "ripoff" to me is "Big Boys" which much more directly uses themes from the Pirates of the Caribbean soundtrack. It seems like something more than just quoting. I was wondering what your definition of "full ripoff" is? Because if it fully copied from one of the themes melody-wise or arrangement-wise from the themes of PotC, I can't seem to find it. Perhaps you can point me which piece sounds so much like it? This is the closest piece I could find in PotC that resembles Big Boys (by the way, it's by Klaus Badelt, not Hans Zimmer): http://www.imeem.com/anhkiet29/music/03WZI..._and_elizabeth/ Big Boys has been changed enough to not be a plagiarism, so I don't know why it would be a "full ripoff". It's just an oh-so familiar and mainstream theme that Kanno decided to be influenced from (unlike in other soundtracks where she really copied both melody and arrangement). I just got my shipping confirmation for the Ranka Lee single. ...I almost forgot that there was a single coming up in two days! (Cause I didn't buy it, I'm buying only full albums )
dreamweaver13 Posted June 23, 2008 Posted June 23, 2008 BURN THE HERETIC!!! can i come out now? no more torches?.... ok, since i have this idea of KY as a weird space alien from Kpax visiting our planet temporarily... i always feel that KY just comes up with music that fits perfectly into the anime, and the scene. and if you haven't seen PoTC, i would hazard a guess that the first thought is that Big Boys BGM would sound just right for that particularly scene, as opposed to immediately coughing out "rip-off". the point being, maybe she just came out with the music. maybe she hears something from somewhere, and it becomes an inspiration. maybe some of the people around her might have mentioned that it sounds a bit similar to something from PoTC. to which KY replied.... "eh?" that being said. i'm still dreaming of the day that some big time sci-fi/fantasy movie would recruit KY for the musical score. and she'd win an oscar for it.
mike_s_6 Posted June 23, 2008 Posted June 23, 2008 By the way guys, if we keep a tally of the Macross F CDs that have come out, none of them debuted in the Oricon weekly charts lower than rank 3. My fingers are crossed that the same happens for Ranka's single, and the Lion single, and OST 2... Or at least one of them get up to #1 in the weekly charts! That'd be awesome.
Elektrix Posted June 23, 2008 Posted June 23, 2008 I was wondering what your definition of "full ripoff" is? Because if it fully copied from one of the themes melody-wise or arrangement-wise from the themes of PotC, I can't seem to find it. Perhaps you can point me which piece sounds so much like it? This is the closest piece I could find in PotC that resembles Big Boys (by the way, it's by Klaus Badelt, not Hans Zimmer): http://www.imeem.com/anhkiet29/music/03WZI..._and_elizabeth/ Big Boys has been changed enough to not be a plagiarism, so I don't know why it would be a "full ripoff". It's just an oh-so familiar and mainstream theme that Kanno decided to be influenced from (unlike in other soundtracks where she really copied both melody and arrangement) Yeah, that's the one (Will & Elizabeth), although I was pretty sure there's another arrangement of that theme in at least one of the PotC soundtracks that sounds more directly like Big Boys. The one in the example you gave doesn't sound quite as much like it as some other bits of music from the movies (I'm not really up on the soundtracks so I can't quote it exactly). I'd be fully willing to admit that "Big Boys" is probably more accurately described as something that is at least clearly riffing on that theme, and not really ripping it off. But I think the ultimate effect on the listener though is that it instantly recalls that theme. I wouldn't have normally brought up the word "ripoff" except in response to Diagoro saying that the bit of the "Right Stuff" theme in "The Target" is something he would classify in the ripoff category, while I thought that was more closely an example of musical quoting (in the same way that Bill Conti himself more heavily "quoted" themes from Holst's "The Planets" in "The Right Stuff" soundtrack. -Elektrix
Gubaba Posted June 23, 2008 Posted June 23, 2008 can i come out now? no more torches?.... The torch won't light (damn zippos...), so I guess it's safe to come out...
Gubaba Posted June 24, 2008 Posted June 24, 2008 Q-R just released the Ranka Single on tokyotosho Damn...you beat me to it...
UN Spacy Posted June 24, 2008 Posted June 24, 2008 I love her voice. Plus I think my Amazon Japan shipment is arriving tomorrow. Full versions of Ai Oboete Imasu Ka and My Boyfriend is a Pilot v.Ranka? There's NO way I'm passing that up .
Tsuchiro Posted June 24, 2008 Posted June 24, 2008 Full versions of Ai Oboete Imasu Ka and My Boyfriend is a Pilot v.Ranka? There's NO way I'm passing that up . Ai Oboete Imasu Ka is the deculture version and "My boyfriend is a pilot" is only 1:56 long
Gubaba Posted June 24, 2008 Posted June 24, 2008 They'll probably wait until some kind of "Macross F OST ~for deculturists only" album to release the full versions...
mike_s_6 Posted June 24, 2008 Posted June 24, 2008 (edited) I suppose it's a single and so they're giving us a single with a bonus track... (and a few bread crumbs of other songs here and there) Edited June 24, 2008 by mike_s_6
Gubaba Posted June 24, 2008 Posted June 24, 2008 Mmmm more Minmay songs. Minmay songs are nice...but I want "PLANET DANCE ~Sheryl Live 2059~," dammit! And, as always, "Santi-U" sung by Luca.
mike_s_6 Posted June 24, 2008 Posted June 24, 2008 Someone please tell me if there's a lower quality torrent / download link out... I really don't like downloading the lossless ones
UN Spacy Posted June 24, 2008 Posted June 24, 2008 Were those supposed to be full versions of Minmay's songs? How come people hate loseless ones? They play with any decent media player (VLC or Zoom).
stray Posted June 24, 2008 Posted June 24, 2008 Minmay songs are nice...but I want "PLANET DANCE ~Sheryl Live 2059~," dammit! And, as always, "Santi-U" sung by Luca. I'm pulling for Sheryl, Ranka, and Sivil to make a comeback for a rendition of "Try Again." Were those supposed to be full versions of Minmay's songs? How come people hate loseless ones? They play with any decent media player (VLC or Zoom). They won't play on an iPod or mp3 player tho... aside from Apple lossless but those take up a metric f**kton of space.
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