Oh wow, another CCLemon99 Top Seven List! In case you didn't see my last entry, I suggest you check it out. I break down my video schedule through mid-September.
Mecha songs have always been hit or miss. They should be the best songs on the song collection, but some times they fall flat. Who cares about the flat ones though...I'm here to talk about the best!
7. Hyakujuu Gattai! Gaoking > Hyakujuu Sentai Gaoranger
Good way to start off the list, eh? This is perfect song for the 25th Anniversary mecha. This is technically the first Sentai mecha song by Ichiro Mizuki, and what a debut! Granted, he is the master of mecha songs from the 70s/80s but this is his first Sentai mecha song. Naturally a veteran singer will do an excellent job. 'Nuff said.
6. Makkana tokkon! Red Puncher > Choriki Sentai Ohranger
This is one of the few secondary mecha songs that I like. The intro alone is wonderful, it is Red Puncher being introduced to a match. This song has a unique energy to match a unique mecha. Hironobu Kageyama at his finest. Before he became the empty shell of a singer that he's been since 1999.
5. Dash! Liverobo > Chojuu Sentai Liveman
This song might not have the energy of the other songs on this list, but it definitely a winner. It starts off quiet and doesn't really get very exciting. It is, however...Badass. It's the perfect song for the best mecha of the 80s.
4. Engine Gattai Engineoh > Engine Sentai Go-Onger
Easily the best mecha song of the 2000s. Shinichi Ishihara began his Tokusatsu singing career in 1989 with the theme song for Turborugger from Turboranger. During the 90s, he had some of the most memorable Tokusatsu songs of the time. Since then, however, he has only done a handful of Tokusatsu songs. This song is one of those instances that makes you wonder why they don't let him sing theme songs anymore. Great song, great singer.
3. Biorobo no uta > Chodenshi Bioman
This was the oldest mecha song that really kicks ass. Takayuki Miyauchi (more on him later) did a great job singing, but that isn't the real reason I like that song. Listen to the last forty seconds of the song. It's completely unnecessary, but it is completely awesome. They decided to include some of the show's soundtrack into the mecha's theme song. I approve of this. It blends in, and it sounds awesome.
2. Ginga no ouja Gingaioh! > Seijuu Sentai Gingaman
Takayuki Miyauchi began his Tokusatsu singing career in 1984 with Bioman. Since then he has done it all...Themes, IN songs, mecha songs, the lot. However, he has been most strongly linked with mecha songs for some reason. I think this has to do with quality. Is there a bad mecha song by this guy? Nope. He's put out nothing but gold. I've mentioned before that the Gingaman theme song is my favorite of the era, which still seems right to me. Gingaman has two song collections with excellent songs in them. They're all well composed and well sung. However, this song is the shining star of the series. It is the catchiest of all of the excellent Gingaman songs and almost the best mecha theme song of the 90s...
1. Denji Gattai Galaxymega > Denji Sentai Megaranger
Yeah. I said it. This is MY favorite mecha song ever. This song has it all to me. It's majestic in the same way that the Liverobo theme is. It's upbeat in the same way the Engine-oh theme is. It's as solid as all of the others on this list. Yet it doesn't seem to get a lot of love from people I talk to. I think my favorite touches in this song are when the music breaks from the intro and the backing vocals singing "5-4-1! 5-4-1!!", which is Galaxymega's code on the Degitaizer. This song is a perfect match for one of the coolest mechas ever.
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Well there you have it. My favorite Sentai mecha theme songs of all time. There are dozens of mecha themes out there, and I've heard them all. I definitely recommend those Mecha song collection CD sets when they release them every few years.
Take care!
-CC
I'm glad you included Dash! LiveRobo since I love that song (along with Raibu Bokusaa No Uta) Even though there weren't produced in that order, in Peru we got to see LIVEMAN first then like a year and a half later FLASHMAN, and that was it. In fact, only those 2 were translated to spanish for southamerica. I only got to see every episode of LIVEMAN though since FLASHMAN didn't get much my attention because I didn't have time to see it plus the translation was a total mess (they use voices with strong accents from each popular country in southamerica for the 5 main characters, ugggh)
ReplyDeleteLive Boxer has a great theme as well. Had this list been a "Top 10", it probably would've been on it as well. :)
DeleteI knew that both of those series made it to South America, but I only managed to see some of the Liveman dub. I never knew they had five seperate accents for Flashman. That seems like a very strange way to go about dubbing the show. I mean, it makes a little bit of sense seeing as the characters were trained on different planets. It's still an odd choice, though.
Personally...I REALLY liked Engine Oh G6's theme (Sorry, don't know the name of the song. It starts out with engines running or whatever that is, telling you that something big is starting. Then comes in the next lyric, which I still recite to this day because it's so catchy. The rest of the song is what I call "epicocity" and I love it. One problem: I can't find it ANYWHERE. As a free video, that is. That's one thing I never really get with old songs in Sentai... If the song is old, obviously they're not going to sell the CD for it anymore. So why do they still pull the copyright law on those who post videos of the song for free on YouTube? If they're honestly worried about people making money off of it, then the person could just claim in the description that they don't claim any credit or ownership for the song and be done with it. Though I'm not sure if they do this or not, they could just keep the songs as an option to buy.
ReplyDeleteCCLemon, you're one reason I'm able to find these songs: I watch your videos not only to see the review, but also the epic songs that go along with them. I thank you GREATLY for that. Maybe I will find Engine Oh G6 again, but I doubt it'll be anytime soon... Thanks again.
Also, I fully agree with *most of* your choices here. Live Robo is a little behind, Galaxy Mega is okay and...Bio Robo I've never heard, so I can't really say anything about that one.
ReplyDeleteSort of glad you mention the final ending of "Bio Robo no Uta"; the finisher music being at the end of the song is epic beyond belief.
ReplyDeleteRegarding secondary mechs, one theme I love is "Zettai Shouri! VRV" from Carranger; mostly because it just sounds glorious alongside the VRV machines, particularly the chorus part when it is used as the finisher music.
I love the bassline in VRV. If this list were a top 10, it'd probably be on it.
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