The CD Collection--Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers Japanese Dub CD Singles

I die a little whenever someone uses the term "Japanese Power Rangers". In this case...they wouldn't be wrong...

Welcome back to the never ending parade of stuff from my too-large CD Collection. This time I'm only doing a mini-post (a scant five CDs) based on all of the CD Singles released for the Japanese Dub of Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers.

So yeah, the series that was loosely made up of Japanese footage ended up getting a dub back into Japanese (the dub episode titles, for the most part, are exquisite). Now I can't speak too much for the dub itself--I've seen very little of it. I really don't know which episodes these songs were used for, only the order that they appeared. To make matters even weirder, the Japanese dub was aired out of order from the original US broadcast. If you happen to know which ending song belongs to which episodes, let me know and I'll update it.

Starting with the eighth episode of the dub, the series was given three local ending theme songs. These weren't made for the series, rather they were repackaged singles. Think of what Toei did with Dragonball GT. It was done out of convenience and probably a suitcase or two of money from the record labels for cross-promotion. Whatever the case was, I own all of these CDs...so I guess I better talk about them.

Oh yes, I am throwing in a little bonus. I wonder why... It's not like there is a Power Rangers movie coming out this month or anything.....

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modern grey Sekai de ichiban hakanai yoru ni c/w Tenshi ga furu yoru
MVDD-32
1995.11.22

Our trip begins before the official single even came out. In late 1995 a band called modern grey released this single. I can't say a whole lot about modern grey because, well, I only know them for this song. They were pretty short lived anyway. Their entire discography falls within late 1994 until mid 1997. They sure tried to leave an impression it seems--seven singles and four albums in that short amount of time.

The first track on this single, Sekai de ichiban hakanai yoru ni, was used as the first ending song to the Japanese dub of MMPR. More on that song later...

Track two (of two) is a slower rock song called Tenshi ga furu yoru. There isn't too much to say about it. It's pretty decent, but kinda bland. Hmmm...I hope that first track was lively. Let's see how that one was...

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modern grey Sekai de ichiban hakanai yoru ni
MVDD-501
1996.01.24

Two months after it's initial release, Sekai de ichiban hakanai yoru ni was repackaged in a shiny new Power Rangers-themed tanzaku and shot back out into stores. I personally can't think of another instance where an anison CD single had a dual release juuust to change the artwork up a little bit. It's the same song. Yeah. About that song...

I happen to like Sekai de Ichiban hakanai yoru ni quite a bit. 1996 was part of a very...VERY dry period in JPOP. I've talked about songs sounding like "1996" in previous posts. The popular sound of the year was bland rock tracks largely released by bands that were gone by 1998. This song is of the time, but refreshingly upbeat. It features an aggressive synthesizer to keep things lively. On top of that...it's just well done. The singing is good, the music is good, hell...even the title is cool. While there was some obvious cross-promotion here, the label clearly had faith in this song. I dig it.

The second track is the Karaoke version rather than Tenshi ga furu yoru from the previous release. Yeah, only two tracks on this one. There is a sticker included, however.

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ROLL DAYS BREAK YOURSELF c/w LOVE CONFUSE
TKDA-70862
1996.04.05

ROLL DAYS is another band that didn't live past the 90s (barring a brief regroup in 2007). Their song BREAK YOURSELF was used as the second ending song to Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers. It's alright. I mean, it's kinda lively but just so...1996. Why did all music that year HAVE to sound like it was meant to be played on a Summer's evening?? You know what? I blame the composer. He clearly didn't do the song justice. Who was the composer anyway? ...... OK, looking in the liner it said that band's bass player composed this. WAIT. His name is JUNYA?

I thought he died! Whew. Well, personally I enjoyed his previous work...



The other song on this single is called LOVE CONFUSE, Again, it isn't a bad song--it's just boring (or boreing). I can't be certain that they didn't get the title of this song from a random word generator...same goes for the band's name.

Tracks three and four are Karaoke versions of the previous two.

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ZYYG GYPSY DOLL c/w BLOOD ON BLOOD c/w Hohoemi dake o kurenai ka
JBCJ-1010
1996.07.22

Much like the previous two bands. ZYYG was gone before the 90s were. Funny thing about this band...I actually have heard of them. Sometimes I'll buy a box of random CD singles from Japan. It's usually full of pretty lousy stuff or singles that sold in the hundreds of thousands. ZYYG has popped up a number of times, but I am under the impression that they haven't sold in the hundreds of thousands. Call it a hunch...

The title track, GYPSY DOLL, is actually pretty solid. The 1996ness is there, but rather faint. I kinda dig this one even if the singing is kinda dull. There is a problem though. This isn't the song I bought this single for. That would be...

BLOOD ON BLOOD is the third and final ending song for the Japanese dub of MMPR. Eh. Yeah, it is a harder track than the previous two ending songs. That really isn't saying much though. 1996 strikes again. This might as well be any of the ending songs to Dragonball GT. They all sound like the exact same damn song with only minor twists.

The final track is called Hohoemi dake o kurenai ka. If it wasn't for Tetsuya Komuro, Japanese music probably wouldn't have survived to see 2000. While he was off completely dominating the charts (i.e. the stuff people actually wanted to hear) bands like modern grey, ROLL DAYS, and ZYYG were releasing the same damn slog in 1996. I think I have found my new arch nemesis. It used to be Forte Music Entertainment...but now it's the year 1996 and it's godforsaken JPOP blandness.

So no, I do not like Hohoemi dake o kurenai ka...

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Power Rangers Orchestra GO GO POWER RANGERS
AMDY-5127
1996.04.25

Naturally "Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers: The Movie" was released in Japan. The soundtrack that was released in 'The States was also released in Japan. If you couldn't bare to hear things like the cover of Higher Ground that Red Hot Chili Peppers* did, then you could just get to the goods and pick up this single instead. Still though...isn't it kinda odd that this warranted a release as a single? Once you dig a little deeper, it alllll makes sense.

OK, so I know I knock Go Go Power Rangers quite a bit. It's a song I genuinely can't stand--just empty calories. The TV version, that is. This version rocks...and for very good reason. When your Power Rangers Orchestra is made up of professional musicians who aren't under an absurd time constraint, you tend to have just a little more depth. The singing in particular is done by one Eric Martin of the band Mr. Big.

Funny story: I was in Wawa during lunchtime not one week before writing this post and Mr. Big's To Be With You was playing. Everyone...EVERYONE started singing along to the chorus. I've never seen anything like it. It was a Number One song back in 1992 (this week, 25 years ago...what a coincidence)...but if you've heard it just once, it hooks into your brain like a parasite. Yeah, good luck not thinking about this song.

As it turns out, Mr. Big is just that...in Japan. Ahh, you see where I'm going? Now this single makes sense! Did anyone from Mr. Big do the theme song to the second Power Rangers movie?? I. Think. NOT!

I'm the one who wants to be with you. Deep inside I hoDAMMIT!

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Recommended Pick: I'm going to have to go with the MMPR version of modern grey's Sekai de Ichiban hakanai yoru ni. It comes with a sticker! Heh. It's a really cool song and the Karaoke version is also pretty great. The artwork also justifies the purchase for the collection too...even though the cover is a strange fuzzy still frame in which the Green Ranger is slowly killing Alpha 5 with his mind.

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That's it for the newest installment of the CD Collection posts. If you're going to see the new Power Rangers movie, enjoy it I guess. I'm going to watch Blade Runner every weekend until the sequel comes out instead.

-CC

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*For the record, I like that cover. It was back when they were a pretty fun band (i.e. wasted).

The CD Collection--Ultraman Tiga, Dyna, and Gaia 8cm CD Singles

Welcome back! This is the still very much alive series of posts where I skim through my expansive CD Collection and report my impressions back to you. This time around I am finally going to be giving Ultraman CD Singles some attention. I really could start at the beginning, but I thought I would change things up a little bit by cutting right into the middle-ish of the list and reviewing the CD singles from Ultraman Tiga, Dyna, and Gaia!

As a quick reminder, this series of posts is designed for research purposes only. I'm doing this to help your physical music collection, not your digital one. So please, please don't ask for anything that I have listed anywhere on my site. Save yourself the disappointment when I never reply to you.

With all that said...let's get into some Ultraman CD Singles!

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V6 TAKE ME HIGHER / Coming Century Suki sa sukkyanen

AVDD-20143

1996.09.16

Oh...my God...

It really is no secret that I despise this song. The very core of my being seethes hatred for every note of this cheesedick diddy. Yet, there is quite a lot for me to say about it...so here goes...

Ultraman Tiga marked the Ultraman franchise's big return to television after only a smattering of activity since the end of Ultraman 80. I like to think of Tiga as Kamen Rider Kuuga before Kamen Rider Kuuga...it's different, but oh so familiar. The biggest departure, however, comes in the form of it's theme song TAKE ME HIGHER by an upcoming pop group called V6. There isn't a single mention of Ultraman in the entire thing and it feels like the backing track was smuggled out of the worst Italian cruise liner disco on the planet. It's just so damn.......avex (See also: Initial D).

I can see the appeal of the song, but I just don't have it in me to like it. It doesn't need six singers shouting through the entirety of the song. It doesn't need the shrillest setting on the synth. The guitar work is pretty sweet at least. As this is the most covered song in Tokusatsu history, there is likely a more suitable version out there for you. I personally prefer the "Dave Rodgers" version, which is actually a self-cover by producer Giancarlo Pasquini (Ha! My Italian cruise liner theory isn't all that whack afterall!). The singing is pretty awful on that one too, but it's less in-your-face and is structured more like a real song. As for the original, I'm going to invoke a little American into this Italian with a hearty "fuhgeddaboudit".

Oh yeah, I have to talk about the other song on this piece of shit I guess.

The coupled song on this single is by Coming Century, who is the younger half of V6 (the elder half recorded as 20th Century). The funny thing about V6 is that in their 22 year run the lowest charting single they've had was #4. 4th! When you break the group down into half, you can see where the weak links are.

If V6 really were a V6 engine, Coming Century would be the dead cylinders.

Nevermind TAKE ME HIGHER--this song is the real shit on this godforsaken CD. Not only is the music pretty much the blandest mid-90s drivel, but the singing is unbelievably bad. Maybe the whole six-singers-shouting-through-the-song spiel was used to mask the under-performance of individual members, but then why does Coming Century even exist at all (outside of tripling record sales by turning one group into three...OK, I just answered my own question)? Also, why is there a (probably illegal) sample of Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock's It Takes Two throughout the duration of the song? You know this song is bad when you no longer consider Action 52 to be the worst thing to happen to It Takes Two...

Karaoke tracks for both of the aforementioned songs are included if you're into doubling the pain.

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Chikyu Boei-dan Brave Love, TIGA

AYDM-120

1996.10.21

I'm not sure what to say about this one. The ending song to Ultraman Tiga is this little song called Brave Love, TIGA. I can honestly say I'm not much of a fan of it, but I kinda dig what they were doing. The group behind it, Chikyu Boei-dan is a bit of a super group consisting of 2/3 of my beloved...OUR beloved TM Network among several others. Proceeds from the single went to fund AIDS research, which is pretty noble. On one hand you have the flashy JPOP group singing the OP, on the other...charity.

Considering how many people worked on this song, it's surprisingly hollow. If Tetsuya Komuro were involved it wouldn't have been, that's for sure. It isn't terrible, but the Ichiro Mizuki and Takayuki Miyachi Columbia Cover is far more enjoyable.

The second track is the Karaoke version of the song. 

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Ultraman Dyna c/w Take Off!! Super GUTS

TYDY-2103

1997.10.08

Things very much pick up here. Making his Ultra series return is Tatsuya Maeda who previously sung the theme songs to Ultraman Powered, the Metal Hero series Blue SWAT as well as several other Ultra series songs and even the random Carranger IN song.

I love the hell out of this theme song. It's hard to speculate why they decided to go JPOP for Tiga, but the return to the traditional anison was very much welcome. This one manages to be upbeat and kinda glum at the same time. Cautiously optimistic, I suppose. It almost feels like it copies TAKE ME HIGHER and corrects ALL of it's sins while keeping the great guitar work.

Take Off!! Super GUTS is the coupled song and it's pretty cool, to be honest. I never cared for many of these "Wandaba" songs from the older shows, nor do I like anthems that have crept into various Tokusatsu series soundtracks since 2000ish, but this one is actually really engaging and quite majestic in parts. I like it.

Tracks 3 & 4 are Karaoke versions of the previous two.

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Kimi dake o mamoritai c/w Love & Peace

AYDM-140

1997.09.20

Kimi dake o mamoritai is the first ending song from Ultraman Dyna. Awesome, awesome song. Man, Ultraman Dyna is really bringing it to make up for Tiga's themes. This song is one of only two Tokusatsu credits by Fumiaki Nakajima (both of which reside on this disc). I really don't know much about the singer, but the music was composed by The Alfee, who released their own self-cover version (that was the thing to do in the 90s, I guess...write a super-popular song for someone else and then record a far less popular self-cover). This song feels like it could've come out in 1981, but manages to compliment the opening theme song perfectly. It even includes a little "SHUWATCH!".

The second track is an IN song called Love & Peace. It's pretty painful...and kinda in the same vein as Tiga's Coming Century abomination, but I wouldn't say it's that bad. Overbearing children...that's all I'm going to say... I mean, the title kinda serves as a warning.

Karaoke of each song rounds out the disc.

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Imakoso Flash

TYDY-2105

1997.12.22

Before I get into the songs, I just want to point out the bullshit of putting out three CD singles on the same day with only one song each on them. What the hell, Toshiba EMI...

Imakoso Flash is an IN song by Tatsuya Maeda. It is pretty similar to the OP song, but isn't quite as grand. Still a pretty solid song. Not enough to warrant an entire CD, but good.

The Karaoke version is also included.

What in the world is going on here?

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Miracle no kaze ni nare

TYDY-2106

1997.12.22

Another Dyna IN song here, and definitely not one worth it's own CD. Here it is, though. It's...alright. The singer is Fumiichi Miyashita...who may not even exist based on how little information I have on him.

Again, it isn't a great song. I would probably skip this one unless you're after a full set.

Oh yes, and there is a Karaoke version on it.

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Dyna no akai kagayaki ni

TYDY-2107

1997.12.22

This time I am willing to give them song slack for releasing a single song on a single. When it's Shinichi Ishihara, it's suddenly alllll OK.

It's actually a really damn good song too. I would say it's very much on par with his GoGo Five work in terms of passion. In fact, I would say that this is probably his earliest song where he just became a belter. The early 90s Ishihara was focused on being sex-ay. Once he broke free from B-Fighter he really went all-out whenever he stepped up to the mic.

Even if the song is great, sadly there is only one of it...unless you count the Karaoke version, which is included.

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LAZY ULTRA HIGH c/w EVERYBODY WANTS LOVE

AYDM-146

1998.03.21

YES!

For the uninitiated, LAZY is the band that Hironobu Kageyama cut his teeth on. LAZY formed in 1977 and lasted only until 1981. Kageyama broke out on his own and became...Kageyama. However, in 1998 they regrouped to release the single for the second ending song from the latest Ultraman series. Yes, THIS is the first single from the legendary band in seventeen years. It took Ultraman to bring this band back together.

First off, ULTRA HIGH is amazing. Like even if it weren't an Ultraman theme song, this song would be a remarkable return of a beloved band. Between the pre-ruined Kageyama vocals and that signature guitar work, this is the return of LAZY.

How do you go from 'amazing' to 'even better'? Boom. The second track on this is called EVERYBODY WANTS LOVE. Man, you can tell these guys genuinely loved getting back together. Their reintroduction to the public sounds as if they never missed a beat, yet they all honed their craft in their years apart.

Karaoke versions of both tracks are included.

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Ultraman Tiga & Dyna Hikari no hoshi no senshitachi Shudaika

CODC-1484

1998.03.21

It has truly been a long time since there was an Ultraman team-up, so why not give the latest two series a go of it. It's GUTS and Super GUTS! The Ultraman Tiga & Dyna film has a brand new theme song called SHININ' ON LOVE by Hironobu Kageyama and Tetsuya Maeda--an excellent combination! It's the catchy and upbeat song that you really want your movie to have, Wooowooo~wooooo!

The image song, Kimi no ai to boku no yuuki~mo kanashimi nankanai is a duet/ballad by the same duo. It's a bit of a generic borefest, but pretty decent when you stand it next to songs of similar weight. I mean, you might as well listen to this if you want a novelty ballad. Granted, I think Kageyama and Maeda might have better chemistry than those two.

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Ultraman Gaia! c/w Gaia no chikara

TYDY-2120

1998.09.23

Another flippin' awesome theme song! Ultraman Gaia's theme song is purely meant to pump you up. It would even say it's on par with Ultraman 80's theme song in cheeriness, while updating it to a late 90s horn-fest. It's actually a duet between Masayuki Tanaka (who you know from Kamen Rider Kuuga's theme song as well as .......THIS) and Kazuya Daimon of the future Project DMM. Without looking, I think I have this one on my Top 7 Ultraman theme songs. If not, it's definitely Top 10 worthy.

Gaia no chikara is the second track on this disc. Despite being an IN song, it is painfully obvious that this was intended to be the ending song. If there was ever a paint by number ending song, it's this one right here. It complements the Opening song perfectly, and is even sung by the same duo. It's a really good song, but maybe a little bit boring. I like it well enough.

If there is one Karaoke track you have to listen to on any of the CDs mentioned here today, it's the Gaia theme song. It's included here, as well as Gaia no chikara.

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B.B.WAVES Lovin' You Lovin' Me

AYDM-158

1998.09.21

Oh boy...

This is TAKE ME HIGHER all over again. OK, maybe not that bad. Clearly there was a decision somewhere that they needed to shoehorn in some more of the sweet JPOP synergy into the Ultra series. Project DMM wasn't ready yet, so they took on B.B.WAVES, who...never really took off.

Lovin' You Lovin' Me managed to sneak solos in, but is like a thousand other songs I've heard from groups of similar annoyance to me. I begrudgingly have to make this relationship work, however, since it is an Ultraman song. Feh.

This CD is rounded out by a lousy remix and a Karaoke version of the original. I suppose it's better than just two tracks like the Dyna IN songs singles...

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Tomohiko Kikuta Beat On Dream On c/w Aoi okami

AYDM-166

1999.03.21

Despite the title that makes me snicker every time I see it, Beat On Dream On is an incredibly decent song. It also happened to be the second and final ending theme song from Ultraman Gaia. I definitely buy this one over the previous ending song. It has that feeling of "well, that was enough adventure for this week...see ya next time". I really dig it. It has a lot of momentum and some pretty solid singing.

The IN song, Aoi okami, is an incredibly smooth track. It kinda peters out at points, but it is a very chill song. It might be a few years late (I'm getting a very 1996 vibe) but very enjoyable.

Naturally there are Karaoke versions of both songs.

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Recommended Pick: LAZY's ULTRA HIGH......easily. It's a multipurpose single that really should have a place in the collection of all Tokusatsu and metal fans. This is really the only time they got the whole crossover appeal thing right, IMO. Sure, TAKE ME HIGHER sold a bajillion copies, but I bought ULTRA HIGH much earlier in my collecting for a reason.

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Thanks for sticking with me during my break from the CD Collection series. There is much more to come. For the second post in March I plan on doing a small CD post based on...let's just say "current events".

See ya!

-CC