Studio Ghibli Songs

STUDIO GHIBLI SONGS
Copyright © 1998 Studio Ghibli / Tokuma Japan Corporation
TKCA-71381
Available in Japan: 98-5-21
¥ 2,913

—by Mark L. Johnson

1. Kaze no Tani no Nausicaa (Nausicaa of the Valley of Wind) [NAUSICAA] 4:05

Yasuda Narumi

2. Kimi wo Nosete (Carrying You) [LAPUTA] 3:18

Inoue Azumi

3. Sampo (Stroll) [TOTORO] 2:43

Inoue Azumi

4. Tonari no Totoro (My Neighbor Totoro) [TOTORO] 4:15

Inoue Azumi

5. Home, Sweet Home [GRAVE OF THE FIREFLIES] 2:45

Amelita Galli - Curuci

6. Ru-jyu no Dengon (Message of Rouge) [KIKI] 3:00

Arai Yumi

7. Yasashisa ni Tsutsumareta nara (If Enveloped by Tenderness) [KIKI] 3:11

Arai Yumi

8. Ai wa Hana, Kimi wa sono Shushi (Love is a Flower, and You are its Seed) [ONLY YESTERDAY] 4:00

Harumi Miyako

9. Sakuranbo no Minoru Koro (The Time of Cherries) [PORCO ROSSO] 2:53

Kato Tokiko

10. Toki niwa Mukashi no Hanashi wo (Shal We Talk About the Past?) [PORCO ROSSO] 3:57

Kato Tokiko

11. Umi ni Naretara (If Used to the Sea) [I CAN HEAR THE SEA] 4:37

Sakamoto Hiroko

12. Asia no kono Machi (This Asian Town) [PONPOKO] 5:23

Shan Shan Typhoon

13. Itsudemo Darekaga (Always somebody) [PONPOKO] 5:35

Shang Shan Typhoon

14.. Country Road [WHISPER OF THE HEART] 4:24

Honna Youko

15. On Your Mark [ON YOUR MARK] 6:38

CHAGE & ASKA

16. Mononoke Hime [PRINCESS MONONOKE] 3:31

Mera Yoshikazu

Studio Ghibli, the studio responsible for many of the great works from Miyazaki Hayao and Takahata has also produced a lot of memorable music as well. Over the years, Studio Ghibli has released many CDs from soundtracks and image albums to compilation CDs. Perhaps too many compilation CDs actually, as the CDs vary in content and occasionally overlap (for a look at some of these CDs, be sure to check out Ghiblink's efforts at The Miyazaki Web). In my own efforts to find the "perfect" collection (of which I have 3 overlapping collections), STUDIO GHIBLI SONGS was irresistable.
The case itself is surprisingly nice. A cloth-covered case with a plastic slipcover encase the CD. The booklet itself is filled with pictures from the movies, many of which were created for the Ghibli Calendar series. This alone makes the CD a nice collector's item.
The CD tracks are all vocals and are arranged cronologically, from NAUSICAA (1984) to MONONOKE HIME (1997).
KAZE NO TANI NO NAUSICAA leads off the vocals, and is probably the weakest of the songs on this disc. Used for trailers and image tracks but not appearing in the film, this song was sung by contest winner Yasuda Narumi ("Miss Nausicaa"). This song seems to pop up on every compilation album and is unfortunately included for completeness (since Nausicaa had no vocal tracks in the film).
The music from LAPUTA is limited to the beautiful ending theme KIMI WO NOSETE by Inoue Azumi. She also performs the opening and ending tracks from TONARI NO TOTORO. SAMPO, Totoro's opening, is the version performed along with the Suginami Jidou Children's Chorus Group (found as a bonus version on the TOTORO OST). And TONARI NO TOTORO is as cute and catchy as ever.
GRAVE OF THE FIREFLIES (HOTARU NO HAKA) presents the scratchy 1928 radio recording of HANYUU NO SUKU, a version of THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE HOME, appropriately memorable and sad. From KIKI'S DELIVERY SERVICE, the CD contains the full versions of the catchy opening, RUUJYU NO DENGON (MESSAGE IN ROUGE), and the ending, YASASHISA NI TSUTSUMARETA NARA (IF ENVELOPED IN TENDERNESS) by Yumi Arai. I do miss Inoue Azumi's image songs, but I do admit this disk is filled to capacity as is. ONLY YESTERDAY's song is AI WA HANA, KIMI WA SONO SHUSHI, a Japanese version of THE ROSE which is used for the ending credits.
PORCO ROSSO gets two slow, melancholy songs. LE TEMPS DES CERISES is a French chanson, performed by Gina at the Hotel Adriano in the films. TOKI NIWA MUKASHI NO HANASHI WO (SHALL WE TALK ABOUT THE PAST?) was used for the ending credits. Both are performed beautifully by prominent singer Kato Tokiko.
After this, the CD enters newer ground with tracks rarely seen on previous compilation albums. From the ending credits of I CAN HEAR THE SEA (UMI GA KIKOERU) is UMI NI NARETARA, sung by Sakamoto Hiroko and set to Nagata Shigeru's distinctive soundtrack.
PONPOKO (HEISE TANUKI GASSEN POMPOKO) features two tracks: the image song ASIA NO KONO MACHI, and ITSUDEMO DAREKAGA from the ending credits. Both are performed by the Okinawan Rock/Folk group Shang Shang Tsunami, and share a similar simple but touching feel. From WHISPER OF THE HEART (MIMI WO SUMASEBA) is the famed Japanese version of COUNTRY ROADS (sung by Honna Youko) which Shizuku was working on during the film.
ON YOUR MARK is from the spectacular music video promotion film of the same name for Chage & Aska, a popular J-POP duo. This video was released in theaters with MIMI WO SUMASEBA.
Ending the CD is MONONOKE HIME, composed by Hisaishi Jo, lyrics by Miyazaki Hayao and voiced by Mera Yoshikazu. Mera Yoshikazu is a Japanese coutertenor, or a male who sings in a high range.
Simply put, as an all-in-one collection, STUDIO GHIBLI SONGS is a great CD value to any Ghibli fan. People with other Ghibli CDs may want to judge whether the overlap is worth it to them, but with the additions of music from the more recent Ghibli films such as PONPOKO and MONONOKE HIME this may make the choice easier. A great release.