Welcome back to another underwhelming CCLemon99 audio project! I've previously done these audio posts on my Tokusatsu remix album along with a recent post on the demo versions of songs from Dengeki Sentai Changeman and the theme songs of Gosei Sentai Dairanger.
This time around I am sharing a medley that I assembled of five songs that you know so well.
I have a habit of waking up at about 2 or 3AM. Terrible, I know. The only thing that can get me back to sleep is searching for something new...something nobody cares about except for me. Sometimes I'm looking for rare car parts, sometimes I look for random toys, but a lot of the time I am looking for music. I need music all the time. My CD Collection is never done. Are you kidding me? I need it all!
My searching one night lead to a jackpot of sorts. I found a series of CDs that Columbia has released since at least the early 90s until, well, today pretty much. There appears to be shifts in title and topic, but these are self-cover versions of songs from the radio and anime that are made specifically for dance routines.
Before you turn away at the notion of Karaoke-machine style covers of songs...these are way better, I promise. None of these have lyrics, but they are performed by Columbia Orchestra when the songs were fresh and new. These are slightly peppier alternate takes on the classics!
I bought...a number of these CDs, but for brevity I am only going to cover the first two that I got--1993 and 1994. I'm also not going to cover every song. You can pick that up on your own time if you're interested. Here is a medley of five killer tracks from the 1993 and 1994 Anime Hit March:
Anime Hit March '93
COCG-10707
01.04.1993
Kyoryu Sentai Zyuranger
The Zyuranger theme song as it was meant to be...for dance!
Of the three Sentai songs in this medley, this one is probably my least favorite. It's more of a tarted up BGM than anything. It's still a delight!
I should note that the reason I did this project as a Medley was to save space and, well, the songs are really repetitive. If you've heard half, you've basically heard the whole thing.
Moonlight Densetsu [Bishojo Senshi Sailormoon]
This is a weird, somewhat slower version of the earwormy Sailor Moon opening theme song. Jazzier...I suppose. Had to include it because who doesn't love this song?
It's a decent version, I just wish it was maybe a smidge more dramatic.
Gosei Sentai Dairanger
I really dig this interpretation of the Dairanger opening theme song. I've mentioned numerous...NUMEROUS times that this is one of my favorite theme songs and that I'm super protective of it. OK, maybe not so much that last part.
This is pretty damn sweet. It's pretty damn dark as a track to dance to. The flutes add a modicum of levity, but there is no getting around that image of Ryuseioh shooting flames from it's mouth.
Love it!
Anime Hit March '94
COCG-11583
01.04.1994
WE GOTTA POWER [Dragonball Z]
OK, this is a REALLY fucking great version of this song. The original is a banger even if it was the era of Dragon Ball Z that I really didn't give a damn about. *shouldaendedwithCell*
The original song is powerful enough on it's own, but this is just incredible. I never thought I'd say it, but Hironobu Kageyama's vocals aren't entirely necessary this time. The energy here is great and they just knocked it out of the park.
Oretachi Muteki sa!! Dairanger [Gosei Sentai Dairanger]
Instead of including any Kakuranger song in this CD, they made the baffling decision to go back to 1993 and use Dairanger's ending theme song. I'm glad they did! This is a fantastic version of it. I would say that this is a smidge more chill than the original version, but the elements are all there. The guitar work is great as well.
I let this one play out a little more since it isn't as repetitive as the other tracks.
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I have to say--these were far, far cooler than I expected. I don't know if I want to pursue a full set, but I enjoy the notion of more music being out there for me to add to the collection.
Do you wanna hear more about these CDs? I can tease that '91's disc does not have Jetman, but does have the Ultraman theme, Blade Runner ending credit theme as well as a killer rendition of Bobby Brown's On Our Own and even Back In The U.S.S.R. in case you needed to dance out your feelings three months after it was dissolved. Oh, and '96 has not only the Carranger theme (the first one....and correct one), but it also has TWO-MIX's Rhythm Emotion. Sweet.
Let me know what you think!
-CC
