Hey! It's another song collection from 1987! You thought I was done with this year after my listen to Hikari Sentai Maskman and Kamen Rider Black? Well, no. In fact, I may have dropped a little fib when I mentioned that the only reason I was checking out the Black Song Collection was due to it's upcoming third SHFiguart attempt. The *real* reason I started reviewing 1987 was due to this...
When was the last time you saw a Toei label like that? 1999ish???
For this post I'll be listening to the Metalder Song Collection through the Superhero Chronicle Metal Hero Vol. 1. I previously talked about this set here.
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01. Kimi no seishun wa kagayateiru ka / Isao Sasaki
The un-opening theme song-theme song to this series. The tone is a clear message that the interstellar adventures of past Metal Hero series are gone. The song and the series are the result of the realities of life. There is a lot of humanity here. The music is militaristic and grim, with Isao Sasaki performing his lone Metal Hero song. The lyrics are actually quite motivational, though.
Despite it's dour presentation, this song has endured in popularity over the years. I can only imagine the thoughts of someone encountering this song for the first time in 2020. Would they like it? I know I've loved it over the years! It has a great start with those pounding drums similar to the (outstanding) Macross opening theme but continues on with a monotonous and retro melody. I think that Isao Sasaki was the right choice, but I don't think he delivered his best performance. Speaking of Macross, this would've been a great song for Makoto Fujiwara. I think the only Tokusatsu songs we ever got out of him were the two IN songs from Kyodai Ken Bycrosser.
Sore wa hitori no Ningen no kokorooOoooooOooo!
02. Fighting Shoot da! Metalder / Koji Kaya
The first action song by future Liveman/Turboranger songster Koji Kaya. I used to be kinda warm on this, but it's actually pretty great. The beat is a little generic, yet it serves the energy of the track well. Everything leads up to that "Ikaru! Ikaru! Ika-ru!!".
Kaya is truly an underrated gem. This may not be my favorite song of his, but it's pretty damn good.
03. Hoshikara no Tegami / Da Capo
This weird little generic ballad is a little bit of a mystery to me. This sounds like the type of off-soundtrack song you would randomly hear in an episode (it did play in the final episode). It's even by a legitimate married Columbia folk group called Da Capo.
Part of me thinks this was a grab for an older audience...but I also think the fifth track kinda invalidates that theory. Hmmm...
04. Isshun no Chance / Ichiro Mizuki
This is something of a rehash of the opening theme song in tone. It kinda carries on without becoming anything big. It has some grumbly guitar work and sedated horn bits, but never carries on to become an action song. It isn't a ballad either. Still...I like it. Mizuki's voice was just perfect in this era. Even Koorogi '73's uncredited backing vocals are good.
Speaking of Koorogi '73......
05. Neros Tekoku 4 Gundan / Koorogi '73
This song is utter madness.
This is the same year that they performed the crazy Ungler song from Maskman. This time around we have another spooOooOooky villain song with a dash of 1987 thrown in for good measure. See...this is the sort of thing I enjoy Koorogi '73 for. The Fushigi Song from Uchuu Keiji Shaider is their wheelhouse, not invasive backing vocals in otherwise decent songs.
For added fun, I would try to track down the Karaoke version of this from the 2-Disc Music Collection. The music is a lot of fun on it's own.
06. Voltage Up / Koji Kaya
Another awesome action song. Once again...Koji Kaya is the man for this. Less questionable is that we say more of him in 1988 and 1989. More questionable...why didn't we hear more since then?
Regardless, this is a great song. You'll definitely not mind having this one as an earworm.
07. Never Give Up / Koji Kaya
Koji Kaya gives us a ballad this time around. He isn't really made for this type of song. This should've been a Mizuki song. He does the "Never Give Up!" well, but yeah...
OK, so maybe the man isn't a jack of all trades...but I stand by how good his action songs are.
08. Shunten! Yume no senshi / Ichiro Mizuki
Rumor has it that *this* is what the theme song to the series was meant to be. It kinda makes sense with the "Motor Heart" lyric and overall safe, peepy feel of it. It even name drops the name of the series right before an obvious cut point for the TV size version. The fact that Ichiro Mizuki sings this with an uncredited Koorogi '73 assist kinda backs this up as well since it's the same gang that did the ending theme song.
Rumors are rumors, though, no matter how real they may feel. Hahaa.
This song does rule, though. If this really was the proposed theme song, it would've worked perfectly well to carry in the show each week. Is it incredible? Nah. Should it have been the theme song over the one they went with. Nah again...but I can see it. The biggest thing that it does share with Kimi no seishun wa kagayaiteiru ka is that it scraped away the space-adventure mystique of the previous Metal Hero themes. No whimsical opening like Spielban. No funky beat. NO COW BELL. Yeah, this is Earth in 1987. Haha
09. Dash! Side Phantom / Koji Kaya
One more belter of a song from Kaya. This is the theme song for Side Phantom and Metal Charger. What series would be complete without a vehicle theme song? Even if the vehicles are a sidecar motorbike (perfect for the solo hero man) and grandma's flying Mazda Familia.
Love the song. I would say that this is my favorite Koji Kaya song of this set.
10. Time Limit / Ichiro Mizuki, Koorogi '73
We're at the series ending song. I...love this song. It's my favorite Metal Hero ending song. The urgency 100% lives up to the name of this song. I would best describe the energy as frantic... Once again we have some nice backing vocal support from Koorogi '73. Come to think of it...this song collection is probably my favorite use of them. Reviewing these songs has kinda opened my eyes to how weak they are, but they're actually pretty solid this time around.
More than an ending song...as a song in general this is awesome!
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OVERALL: Outside of a few little bumps, this is an incredibly solid song collection. 1987 in general was a great year for Tokusatsu songs and music ('cept Maskman BGM). We got the lone Isao Sasaki Metal Hero song, but more importantly we got some great songs from the rare Koji Kaya and some excellent final Showa songs from Ichiro Mizuki (he did one song for B-Robo Kabutack). Even with it's unusual theme song, this is a textbook song collection.
Yeah, I definitely recommend checking this one out. It's a very easy listen!
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Thanks for checking out the last of the 1987 Tokusatsu Song Collections! Who knows...maybe I'll take it a step further sometime and talk about Sukeban Deka III songs. Hahaa. Be sure to check out the CD Collection page for more!
Maskman, Masked Rider, and Masked YOU. Stay safe!
-CC
PREVIOUSLY...
Song Collection: Hikari Sentai Maskman
Song Collection: Kamen Rider Black
Song Collection: Dennou Keisatsu Cybercop REVISED
Ghost Warrior--That Time Hiroshi Fujioka Was In a Fish-Out-Of-Water Action ThingK2--That Time Hiroshi Fujioka Was In a Mountain Climbing Movie
The first thing that called my attention in the opening: Hakaider in human form using a sword in the beach
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