M-E-G-A Mega!

So you may be wondering what in the world is going on at the end of my review of the Cyberslider from Megaranger. Allow me to explain...

What you just heard was a coded message. I won't get much into details on how it can be translated into words, but I will say that it will be very helpful if you watch my next video...which is the DX Popynica Degitank.

Basically what I did was create my own Numbers Station to send out my own little harmless secret message. If you've never heard of Numbers Stations, I suggest taking a gander at the Wikipedia article and maybe checking out a few videos on Youtube of captured broadcasts. This video of a BBC broadcast also explains them as best as they can be explained.

A few notes on the coded message. All sounds come from the DX Degitaizer and DX Keitaizer (music). I really wanted to wash the sound out to make it sound like it was really transmitted over shortwave radio, but without modification the numbers are hard enough to understand (hence the subtitles...trust me, I could barely understand it--and I'm the one who programmed it!). I did a little bit of a mash-up in my format, but I'd say it's closest to the "Lincolnshire Poacher" station.

I will eventually reveal my message...but I challenge you to try to decifer is it. After next week, either comment on this entry, on the video, or hit me up on Twitter. If you have a Google account, you should be able to get to me in the comments here and Youtube. Twitter...I'm always on Twitter, so that's the fastest.

Have fun

-CC

Rare CD Round-up 2!!

Hiiiii

Well, I decided to add more rare CDs to the fire. Since I did Ultraman last time around, how about some less common Sentai and Kamen Rider this time?

>>>03. Gosei Sentai Dairanger Kiryoku Disc<<<

First up is the Kiryoku Disc. This is promotional item from TV-kun Magazine. It is a short drama CD in similar style to the "Super Action Sound" drama CDs that spanned Turboranger-Zyuranger (more on them later...maybe). There are two big differences on this particular disc. The first is that it was free and therefore very short (the previous discs were around 40-45 minutes). The second is...the Dairanger cast actually sings a little bit. They are truly terrible. Hahaa.

As far as drama CDs go, this one is meh. There really isn't much to it since there isn't much time to create a sound environment. This is one of those things that is fun to own for the novelty value. Heh.

>>>04. Kamen Rider SD CD Single<<<

Kamen Rider SD was a nice little OVA that came out in...1992? 1993? This CD Single is dated 01.December.1992 as the release, so let's go with that. Even though this was just a little piece of animation that not many people saw, the OVA itself spawned a music collection and this CD Single. Beyond the OVA...there are SD video games and toys based on the manga in the early 90s. The actual animation seemed to come out at the tail-end of the lifespan.

The themes to this OVA are...wildly different. The singer of the OP is a woman known as "TOM". She did some songs for Dragonball Z on some of the later Hit Song CDs (I want to say CDs 16 and 17). Her picture is in the liner notes of one the DBZ CDs...such an unassuming looking woman has such a strange voice. Regardless, of the handful of songs I've heard from "TOM" this is definitely the best. It's catchy and fits in very well with the feature.

The ending song is by Hironobu Kageyama in his prime. Fantastic song. It's on the softer side, but it definitely has a nice speedy melody. Imagine him trying to sing like this today... Yikes!

The only thing that bums me out about this CD is that my copy is missing the lyric card. : [ Oh well...I'll take what I can get in the rare CD world...

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There you have it. Another selection of Rare CDs have been successfully rounded-up. I will be back next time with......... How does Metal Hero Karaoke Vol.2 (Jiban-B-Fighter) sound? No? More Sentai drama CDs? No? Unused music from the Hakaider movie? No? We'll see.

Let me know what you think!

-CC

Rare CD Round-up!

Hi.

I've decided to start yet another new series of blog posts. This one will focus on some of the lesser known/appreciated Tokusatsu CDs out there.

As I've mentioned in the past, my toy collection pales in comparison to my collection of Tokusatsu music CDs. I was always fond of those 3" CDSingles that were released between the late 80s and early 00s. Buying these (expensive!!) discs was the only way to get Karaoke for a lot of songs as well as B-sides and, of course, rare tracks that have not seen the light of day since on any compilation.

I plan on uploading some of the less common full-length CDs later on...but to get started here are two rare CD Singles from Ultraman! What better place to start than................

>>>01. SCATULTRAMAN<<<

This is the infamous (and -shockingly- legit) Ultraman style cover of the 90s super-dance hit "Scatman" by Scatman John.

Before the internet I read a review of this disc in a music magazine. The author didn't mention the connection between the title track and "Scatman". When I was building my CD collection in the late 90s, a friend of mine said he picked up the disc from a used CD shop because it had an interesting cover. I bought it off of him and was blown away when I heard it. I was familiar with the original song, so imagine my delight when I going through my first play!

In the liner notes, Scatman John is credited under his given name: John Larkin.

In addition to the title track [which everyone has heard at this point] there is a neat little song called "WELCOME TO 'M78'" as well as a glorious karaoke version of "SCATULTRAMAN". Enjoy.

>>>02. ULTRAMAN-LOVE FOR CHILDREN [25th Anniversary Charity Song]<<<

Twenty-two years ago Ultraman was turning 25! To celebrate this landmark birthday, a CD single was released in a somewhat "We are the world" fashion. A fifty-piece group was assembled to sing this song as a charity single.

Going through the names...I only seem to recognize two of the singers. There is Ichiro Mizuki and Takayuki Miyauchi. Listening carefully I can't seem to make out their voices clearly. I *think* I hear Miyauchi as one point...but who knows. Regardless, this song is decent. It could've been much, much worse.

Track two is a karaoke version. That was nice of them. : ]

Alright, so there you have it. This is the first entry in what I hope to make a series out of. Let me know what you think!

-CC

Gaoranger/Power Animals Month-ish

Hello.

I mentioned this on Twitter, but I never gave out a schedule for the Gaoranger month I currently have in progress...so here it goes.

03.March.2013: PA-1 Gaoelephant
10.March.2013: PA-2 Gaogiraffe
17.March.2013: PA-5 Gaorhinos & Gaomadillo
24.March.2013: PA-6 Gaodeers
31.March.2013: PA-7 Gaofalcon
07.April.2013: DX Gao Icarus
14.April.2013: Action Works Metalder (Not Gao, but still...)

So there you have it.

-CC

The Return of BSTTF!

It's back! BSTTF!

For those of you who aren't in the loop, BSTTF stands for Blue Swat To The Future. It is based on the events in this video. If you want to learn more about BSTTF, check out my previous blog entry about it...

Episode 4: Star Trek: TNG/Janperson. This one is pretty good. The Janperson Music Collection is loaded with ripped off music. This is the funniest of the bunch, but the others are also pretty hilarious. Expect to see more from this CD in the future.

 

Episode 5: Magnum, P.I./Liveman Someone suggested this one to me awhile back. I kinda say it's a stretch, but I also hear the similarities loud and clear. Oh, and this isn't the last time Liveman stole music...

Episode 6: Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?/Moero!! Robocon. What an odd mix! The Robocon song is actually one of the ending theme songs (The...third, I think?) Points for being entirely inappropriate!

That does it for this round of ripped off music from Toei. I have plenty more to share... Heh heh heh.

-CC

The Top 007 James Bond Theme Songs

Skyfall is coming out on Bluray in a few days! I can't wait. I've seen the film twice already and look forward to seeing in while laying in bed during the cold of Winter.

Anyway... I love theme songs. I love long running franchises. I love lists. Put them all together and here are my favorite seven of the twenty-three James Bond theme songs!

007. Licence to Kill (1989) Sequence - Full Song

I'd like to start this list by saying that this film is entirely underrated. Yes, it is a very different James Bond film... Apparently the people who complain about it were too busy shoveling popcorn in their faces during the scene where James quits his job near to the beginning of the film.

Anyway...

Great song by the great Gladys Knight. It does a fantastic job of blending modern R&B with a classy horn section. I can understand why some people don't like this one, but I feel like this is the last of the classic Bond theme songs. Maybe the song Adele *cough*OVERRATED*cough* did for Skyfall is similar in that nostalgic-modern feel, but this one is sung by a pro rather than someone who sounds like they're wiped out on xanax.

006. You Know My Name (Casino Royale-2006) Sequence - Full Song

This might be a great song on it's own, but this song probably holds the destinction on this list as the best used song in it's film. If you haven't seen the first ten minutes of this film...see it. This song fits tighter than the suit that Bond wears with such disdain.

This may not be the biggest departure in style for a Bond theme, but it certainly is the rock'nest.

005. Live and Let Die (1973) Sequence - Full Song

This song is a little goofy and all over the place, but it's always been one of my favorites. It kind of sets the tone for Roger Moore's tenure as Bond. It's a little carefree and wacky but knows how deliver the action to make it memorable.

I also like the fact that it's randomness isn't all that random at all. This song is basically made up of various musical cues from the film...or am I getting that backwards? Either way...all the random little bits in this song are peppered throughout the film.

004. You Only Live Twice (1967) Sequence

This is the grandest Bond film of Sean Connery's tenure as James Bond. The sets, the locations, and the story make this an enormous film. Just think about it...James Bond DIES...ends up on a mission in Japan...which leads him to a hidden space shuttle launch site inside of a volcano. The song for this film had better be good. Luckily it is probably one of the most memorable and recognizable Bond themes of all time (Goldfinger definitely has it beat). The making of this song was a long and difficult road according to some historians. It was almost this. Then it was almost this. In the end we got a dreamy song that is damn near perfection.

Poor Aki :(

003. For Your Eyes Only (1981) Sequence - Full Song

This was the movie where they briefly slammed on the brakes for Roger Moore Bond's reign of terror. In the past two movies he'd been in an underwater base and then a space station (complete with lasers!). There have been very few films where the song didn't atleast somewhat match the film's tone. This song is no exception. It is very grounded film with both snow and aquatic settings. I guess the best way to think of this film and song are the great outdoors and how great they are. Well, except the lyrics. The lyrics are probably the opposite of all of that. Heh.

002. On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969) Sequence - Full Song

There is a new Bond in town...and he's Australian and weird. On Her Majesty's Sercet Service picked up where the previous films left off (kinda) and yet the new Bond makes reference to "the other fellow" (Sean Connery). To make things even weird the next film, Diamonds are Forever, picks up where this movie ends...and Sean Connery returns as Bond. George Lazenby only portrayed James Bond in one film which somehow even shows in the music.

Instead of going with another vocal theme song (as they'd been doing for pretty much every film since "From Russia with Love") they went with an instrumental theme song. The film might not be a straight-up adventure movie, but it does have several notable action scenes for which this music fits perfectly. It think it can be most closely linked to the ski chases. Infact, the melody from this theme made it's way in the background music for the ski chase in "A View To a Kill" sixteen years later. Outside of the "James Bond Theme" no theme song has ever been so prominently featured...especially several years later.

001. Living Daylights (1987) Sequence - Full Song

At the top and bottom of my list are the theme songs for the two Timothy Dalton Bond films. How weird is that?

Of all of the James Bond songs I could have liked, the one that tops my list is probably the poppiest of the lot (Duran Duran's weird theme for "A View To a Kill" is probably poppier, actually). This is a song that I enjoy more in it's full version than the sequence edit.

Like the song for "You Only Live Twice" (see #4) this song was apparently made with difficulty...but for different reasons. The band, A-ha, wasn't agreeing on a direction with composer John Barry. This resulted in two versions of the song. The version that A-ha preferred ended up on their album while the version with Barry's heavier influence ended up being used for the film's opening sequence.

I prefer the film version myself, though the consensus seems to be split down the middle on this one. Truth is, both are fine songs. I just feel that the singing is heaps better in the film version and some of the elements that I like the most seem to be absent in the album version. Both versions are on my daily playlist...so I'm never without this song for very long.

Oh...so why do I like it? I just do. It's a great song and it reminds me of how great the movie is everytime I hear it.

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THE WORST. Die Another Day (2002)

Seek this song out at your own risk.

It sounds like robotic buttsex. Gross, I know. Those were my exact words to the lady who surveyed me at MGM Studios back in 2002 after a screening of the movie.

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So there is my seventh Top Seven list. If you want to read more, have at it...

Top Seven Sentai Themes
Top Seven Sentai Mecha Themes
Top Seven Sentai Suit Designs
Top Seven Metal Hero Themes
Top Seven Kamen Rider Themes
Top Seven Ultraman Themes

Bye!

-CC

Top SEVEN,SEVEN,SEVEN Ultraman Theme Songs

Well I'm back from traveling the country for some January adventures. I went far and saw much. Along the way I had my Grom Bluetooth [set-up and wired by yours truly] and iPhone to keep me company with several gigs worth of crystal-clear music. I made sure to add several Tokusatsu CDs to my phone (jeez, that sentence would've sounded really strange ten years ago). Luckily for today's topic, one of the things I added was the 5-disc Columbia Ultraman Box Set that came out in the late 90s...

...which is lucky. I was asked what my favorite Ultraman theme was earlier today. With these great, yet seldomly listened-to songs still fresh in my mind I should have no problem listing off my favorites!

So here we go...my Top 7 Ultra Theme songs!

07. The Ultraman (Ultraman Jonias/Joe/J) 1979 [TV size/Full Size]

Ahhh... The (Animated) Ultraman. A good way to start off my list. This is a really nice song sung by the immortal Isao Sasaki. It's very mellow and very 70s, but I like it a lot. The show itself was pretty cool too. Imagine if Kamen Rider or Super Sentai were suddenly an animated series...

06. Kaettekita Ultraman (Ultraman Jack) 1971 [Full Size]

I felt obligated to add an original Ultraman song to my list. Of the initial Ultra themes, this is my favorite. I like it better than the themes of Ultraman and Ultraseven. It was stuck in my head while I was doing my review of the MAT Vehicle.

05. Ultra Chodensetsu Andromelos 1983 [Full Size/Full Size Bass Cover]

OK, I might be cheating a bit because this isn't quite Ultraman...but it is a part of the Ultra Family. This is a basic song, but it's a lot of fun. Ichiro Mizuki is, as always, great. Check out the Bass cover for more fun.

04. Ultraman Dyna 1997 [Full Size]

I'm really not a fan of newer Ultraman theme songs (once Project DMM came in, I was out). This is about as modern as I get. This is a very rich song with great singing. Much like my next favorite...

03. Ultraman Powered 1993 [Full Size]

How is it that what is considered to be the worst Ultra series has one of the best Ultraman theme songs? That's right, the US produced Ultraman series had it's own theme song for it's eventual Japanese release (it took them two years).

I really love this song. It is airy and majestic along the same lines as the Gingaman theme song. We all know how much I love the Gingaman theme song...so yeah, this was an easy choice.

02. Ultraman Leo 1974 [Full Size/TV Size]

LEEOOOOOOOOO! I love how crazy this theme is. It's almost western sounding, but has that 70s acid trippy sound to it. It's definitely the strangest theme song on this list...and I have to be totally honest in saying that I love it. It deserves to be this high on my list.

01. Ultraman 80 1980 [Full Size]

I guess it's no surprise that this song tops my list. It is probably very high on your list as well. This song has to be the most sung-along Ultraman theme song ever--Karaoke fodder at it's best right here. This song is the purest example of a great Tokusatsu theme song. Positive, catchy, unforgettable, and timeless.

If I had to make a Top 7 list of ALL Tokusatsu theme songs, Ultraman 80 would be very high if not number one on that list as well.

Honorable Mention: Ultraman USA 1987 [Full Size]

There was a Hanna-Barbera animated Ultraman movie in the late 1980s. Wow... When it got it's eventual Japanese release in 1989 (what's with Tsuburaya and two year delays?) it gained two theme songs by the excellent Shinichi Ishihara (his earliest Tokusatsu work!). I couldn't find a link with the theme song on Youtube. Oh well...atleast Columbia was smart enough to add it to the 5-Disc set that I own.

I remember seeing this movie on VHS as a kid when it came out... I liked it then, I liked it again when I went back and watched it a few years ago. I liked the songs the entire time in between viewings.

THE ABSOLUTE WORST: Ultraman Tiga 1996

"Take Me Higher" is the worst song ever. No link. You know the damn song...I know you do.

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Thus concludes my latest Top 7 list. Here are my previous lists for more of my favorite things~!

Top 7 Sentai Theme Songs
Top 7 Sentai Mecha Theme Songs
Top 7 Sentai Suit Designs
Top 7 Metal Hero Theme Songs
Top 7 Kamen Rider Theme Songs

I just realized that my next Top 7 list will be my 7th Top 7 list. I can see where this is going...

See ya~!

-CC