Best Of El Hazard

BEST OF EL-HAZARD

Pioneer Entertainment USA
Copyright © AIC * Pioneer LDC, Inc. * Pioneer Entertainment USA
PICD-1006A
18 Tracks, 68:24
$15.98

— by Keith Rhee

1. El-Hazard Main Theme 3:54

2. Gold Finger 4:08

3. Boys Be Free 3:48

4. Ifurita's Theme 4:22

5. Little Flower - E 5:03

6. The Conqueror Jinnai 3:11

7. Bugrom's Theme 3:28

8. A Hole In The Mountain 5:35

9. Money Blossom 4:23

10. The Eye of God 3:31

11. Noisy Training 5:48

12. The Adventure 4:20

13. Bugrom Fortress 0:49

14. So What Leeward! 3:36

15. Galus' Death 1:07

16. Back In Love 3:49

17. Lonesome Memories 2:29

18. Little Flower - J 4:56

Neat character designs, lush backdrops, and the right blend of wacky humor and seriousness made EL HAZARD: THE MAGNIFICENT WORLD a surprisingly enjoyable series. This lighter nature of EL HAZARD is reflected in the "Best of El Hazard" CD as well—unlike the sturm and drang of ESCAFLOWNE, the tracks on the album range from PRETTY SAMI-esque cute girl vocals to melancholic, low-key instrumental pieces, without getting too serious or dramatic.
The fact is, sturm and drang tend to make for some very impressive soundtracks—note the Char's Counterattack soundtrack and the Escaflowne albums. In comparison, the music from EL HAZARD doesn't strike me as being equally impressive. While they fit the mood of the show rather well (thus serving their primary purpose), few of the EL HAZARD tracks manage to stand on their own once they've been separated from the anime show.
Much of the otherworldly feel for the EL HAZARD universe seems to be provided in the form of Persian tunes and oriental instrumentals. The first track is the El Hazard Main Theme, an orchestral piece with a decidedly Persian flavor. One of the better tracks on the album, the theme succeeds in projecting an image of "the Magnificent World" of EL HAZARD. Another notable instrumental piece is "Ifurita's Theme," a gentle, melancholic piece that starts out as a piano and harp duet almost reminiscent of the soothing instrumentals that played on the radio during the 70's. Portions of the theme crescendo into a full orchestral sequences with oriental instruments providing just a twinge of spark to this romantic number. The same theme is repeated briefly in "Galus' Death," with a heavier tune befitting of the title, and "Lonesome Memories," which substitutes the piano for an emphasis on the harp.
Most of the vocals come across as being either too sugary or just plain wacky. "The Conqueror Jinnai" has Jinnai singing in a pompous, boisterous voice. The song completely fits his character and would go great with the scene from the anime where Jinnai is proclaiming his greatness—with the caveat that Jinnai is far from a decent singer. And avoid "Gold Finger" at all costs unless you feel like subjecting yourself to what sounds like some bad karaoke singing...
Not all of the vocals are as horrible, fortunately. "Boys Be Free" is a Pretty Sami-esque affair, with a cute li'l girl singing along to a sugary tune. Though these kind of songs aren't my cup of tea (and I usually take my tea without sugar), the song isn't half bad to listen to. Its English incarnation "Back in Love" is also surprisingly well done, and sounds like it would fit the dubbed version of EL HAZARD quite well. As for the only song with a male vocalist on the album, "The Adventure" manages to be upbeat and catchy, without the sugary, hyperactive feel of the "cute girl" songs.
Overall, the album strikes me as serviceable yet unremarkable. As nice as the opening piece and Ifurita's theme may be, the rest of the album doesn't quite succeed at reaching out and grabbing your attention. It's too bad, really, especially since the show itself was so well-received. As such, the music may work well with the visuals in the show, but the "Best of El Hazard" doesn't quite measure up to the best that anime music has to offer.