Godzilla Minus One Soundtrack 2xLP

Rambling Records (2023)

While this isn't the last kaiju soundtrack I have on deck, this is the last Godzilla one.  Shin Godzilla hasn't had a vinyl release, but since that's a standalone movie and not part of a series of soundtracks, I don't feel the need to call out any record labels for not releasing it.  It would be nice to have at some point, and I assume that a label will get to it eventually.

But to the matter at hand, we have the soundtrack to Godzilla Minus One, with the bulk of the score composed by Naoki Sato, with a little bit of Akira Ifukube as all good Godzilla soundtracks should have.  The movie was spectacular and I cannot possibly recommend it highly enough.  Stop whatever you are doing right now and go watch it.  Even my wife loved it and she doesn't really care for Godzilla movies.  It's everything you want in a Godzilla film and I'm so excited to see where they go with these characters next.

The soundtrack doesn't get me quite as excited as the movie does.  And that isn't because it's bad or anything.  The score is just very somber and low key for the non-Godzilla scenes.  They work perfectly in the context of the movie, but as standalone music, it becomes a bit atmospheric and lost into the background for me.  But when the music hits for Godzilla appearances, it's as loud, chaotic and frantic as you want it to be.

I ended up getting the Japanese version on Rambling as opposed to the US version that Waxwork put out.  I didn't specifically avoid the US version or go after the Japanese version, this one just ended up being the one I could get first.  The Waxwork one looks great though and were it not for the fact that I'm very consciously trying to cut down on variant collecting, I'd want that in the collection as well.  

Godzilla Minus One Soundtrack:
https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_mhw_lbL2k89bu3WU1uT_J47dBTvWUMOTQ

Godzilla: Final Wars Soundtrack - This Does Not Exist on Vinyl

 

Before I move on to another Godzilla Soundtrack write up tomorrow, I just want to remind the world that chronologically, Godzilla: Final Wars should be next.  But much like their omission of Godzilla vs Biollante, Death Waltz and Mondo never released a vinyl version of Godzilla Final Wars.  I don't know why because they never said.  They just stopped releasing Godzilla soundtracks.

Here's to hoping they start that back up again someday, or someone else comes to the rescue.

Ase Man - Step Into The A.M. 3xLP

90s Tapes (2025, Reissue)

Every Wednesday, in honor of Ed Lover Dance Day from Yo! MTV Raps, I take a break from rock and roll to write a little bit about hip hop. In the late 80s and early 90s hip hop ruled my musical life. During this often called 'Golden Era' I discovered so much incredible music. As I am slowly replacing the CDs I've had for thirty plus years with vinyl copies, I'm going to talk about some albums that had a really important impact on me during some very formative years.

I can't say that I was familiar with Ase Man when I got his record along with the two Southpaw releases that 90s Tapes put out a few months ago.  Step Into The A.M. originally came out in 1997, which puts it deeper into the 90s than I typically prefer, though indie releases tend to age better for me than what was happening on the majors during that time.  

It's typically the production that lets me down in the late 90s, but Ase Man avoids this pitfall and has an album with robust production with those loud drums that I think is so important to hip hop.  As a whole the album is slower tempo than a lot of my favorites, and that's another part of the latter half of the 1990s that bugs me - slower songs, but Ase Man doesnt sacrifice enthusiasm and energy on these lower bpm tracks.

Lyrically, Ase Man carries this record just fine.  He's not top tier or the sort of MC that will reveal himself to be a forgotten revelation or anything like that.  But he's very good, has a strong voice and can keep track of rhymes that serve the stories he's telling.  His cadence reminds me a bit of Akinyele, but without that strange guttural noise that Akinyele randomly throws into his verses, which is a massive improvement.  All in all, a very good record by a new-to-me rapper that I'm happy to add into the collection.  90s Tapes strikes again.

Ase Man - Step Into The A.M.:
https://90stapes.bandcamp.com/album/step-into-the-a-m

Gentleman Jesse – I Wonder If You Would Even Notice - Singles And Rarities LP - Translucent White ("Natural") Vinyl (/200)

Beach Impediment (2025)

There was a time when I was beyond obsessed with everything that Gentleman Jesse put out.  That sweet period of time between the release of their first single and their second LP, Leaving Atlanta, saw the release of classic song after classic song.  Many were included on those first two LPs.  Many more were scattered across various other releases.  There was then a long period of inactivity before Jesse came back with the last LP, Lose Everything in 2021.  A few years later we have this newly released singles comp.

This collection starts off with my favorite Gentleman Jesse song and the one that was the first thing I heard after seeing that Jesse was also in the Carbonas, who were another band that was reasonably new to me at the time.  "I Don't Wanna Know (Where You Been Tonight)" is one of those perfect power pop songs that is as catchy as it is fun.  I was floored by it and immediately tried to find what else was out there.  At the time, not much but the first LP on Douchemaster came out pretty soon after my initial discovery.

This song is just one of many, many amazing compositions on this LP.  16 songs in total, though the accompanying Bandcamp download has another seven extra songs.  Why? I don't know.  But more Gentleman Jesse is typically better than less. All of the tracks from the first few years of singles and compilations are present along with some unreleased outtakes and demos.  If you don't already have these singles (for shame), this is an absolutely essential record to pick up.  Even if you do already have everything, there's still new tracks on here to enjoy and I've always loved singles comps and how they let you listen to a cross section of the band's catalog while only  having to flip a record once.

They also have this really great T shirt that's a spoof on the Sound Sleeves record sleeve logo that I've been trying to get my hands on.  So if anyone has access to one of those, please get in touch! timpopkid [at] gmail [dot] com

Gentleman Jesse – I Wonder If You Would Even Notice - Singles And Rarities:
https://beachimpedimentrecords.bandcamp.com/album/i-wonder-if-you-would-even-notice-singles-and-rarities

Godzilla: Tokyo SOS Soundtrack LP - White w/ Red Splatter Vinyl & Red Vinyl (/2000)

 

Death Waltz / Mondo

Tokyo SOS is a direct follow-up to 2002's Godzilla x Mechagodzilla, making these two movies the only ones in the millennium series that aren't standalones.  Both benefit from that and I wish there had been more continuity from movie to movie in the 2000s.  Like its predecessor, this film is a high water mark for the millennium series with a great story, excellent monster fighting action and pretty much everything I'm looking for in a Godzilla movie.

The soundtrack is once again turned in by Michiru Oshima and she does her usual serviceable job.  Of the shoundtracks she's done, none of them really soar to the heights of anything Ifukube composed, but when you compare them to some other soundtracks, particularly the dreck that is Giant Monsters All Out Attack, her stuff is looking pretty good.

At this point the critiques and compliments for the vinyl release of this soundtrack are pretty much the same as they are for all of the other Death Waltz / Mondo versions.  Nice artwork that I wish had more in common with the other releases in the series, an obi, an interesting D side screen print and nothing major you can really complain about.  It's always quality work, but when you line everything up next to each other it's all so weirdly disparate that you'd never know they were all part of the same series.  Also, when you compare them to the Showa box set that Waxworks did, they tend to not seem quite as great in comparison.

This is also the last Godzilla movie soundtrack that Mondo released as they have neglected Godzilla: Final Wars the same way they neglected Godzilla vs Biollante.  It's extraordinarily frustrating to have those massive holes in the collection, especially since Mondo thought it was more important to make sure that they got soundtracks out for the three 90s Mothra movies.  That's a choice I'll never understand.  And I bought those ones too, so more on those in future weeks.

Godzilla: Tokyo SOS Soundtrack ("Mothra Suite"):
https://youtu.be/0lg5dHNWUgA?si=YRkYUZKVG5ubB74L