I wouldn't normally do this kind of thing, but this is a special
case. If you don't care for Pokemon, music, and/or anything to do
with dubbed anime, just delete this, it won't interest you.
And away we go...
(And please note that my comments do not refer to dubbed anime in
general; they refer specifically to anime that has appeared ON
TELEVISION. In other words, they don't apply to the myriad CD
releases Pioneer has put out in recent years.)
It's a true rarity for an animated series in America to have complete
soundtracks. They tend to have opening themes, and incidental music
which plays at choice moments, of course, but rarely do they have the
kind of soundtrack that's memorable.
Sadly, this trend has affected most dubbed-for-television anime as
well. With few exceptions, most TV-dubbed anime just don't have solid
soundtracks, the kind that make you want to pick up the CD, pop it
in, and groove to it all night long. In fact, in recent years, the
only TV-dubbed anime that generated a decent soundtrack was Sailor
Moon; the music from the English version is without a doubt the only
good thing that actually came out of an otherwise disastrous dub.
Certainly, no decent English soundtracks have come out of anime since
then.
Until now.
At the end of June, "Pokemon: 2BA Master" was released. It contains
the extended version of the Pokemon Theme, the full PokeRap, and
eleven new tracks which will be featured this fall on Kids' WB, where
supposedly the PokeRap will be replaced by a new segment called
Pikachu's Jukebox.
I recently purchased a copy of 2BA Master, not sure what to expect,
but hopeful that it would be worth a listen.
I was stunned. This is what an anime soundtrack SHOULD sound like.
Pokemon: 2BA Master is the closest thing to a genuine anime
soundtrack that has ever been created for a "children's cartoon" in
North America.
Before I continue, I'll elaborate on exactly what I mean by that
statement:
-2BA Master's 13 tracks are almost all Pokemon-themed or related.
This bears a similarity to the original Pocket Monster soundtrack, as
well as to some of the earlier soundtracks for anime such as Bishoujo
Senshi Sailormoon.
-Two of the tracks on 2BA Master are performed by Pokemon voice
actors.
-One of these two tracks incidentally qualifies, by my reckoning, as
an image song. Anime soundtracks are rife with image songs; 2BA
Master has at least one. I'm still trying to make a determination on
some of the other tracks. There may be at least two other image songs
present.
2BA Master has a distinctive pop flavor. It is, of course, American
pop, as opposed to J-pop, which may turn away those who can't stand
the American pop music scene; however, if you like top-40, you'll
probably enjoy this CD.
Impressively, the CD is extremely solid. Very few of the tracks are
weak, and even the weakest tracks (Viridian City and Pokemon Dance
Mix) are enjoyable in their own way. A lot of effort went into the
production of this CD, and it shows.
And what about the tracks that aren't weak? Well, of course, there's
the Pokemon opening theme, which IMHO still sounds better than the
Japanese opening theme, "Mezase Pokemon". There's also "2BA Master",
a nice, hip little tune, and one of my personal favorites, "What Kind
Of Pokemon Are You?", which is a nice, slow groove that reminds me of
some of the pop hits from the mid-90s. Rounding out the selection of
the best tracks on the CD are Team Rocket's song and Misty's song.
The Team Rocket song is a catchy piece which, predictably, largely
consists of their (in)famous intro speech. Misty's song
is...well...I'll let you hear it for yourself. n.n
So, if you like Pokemon, or even if you don't, but want to hear what
could easily be the beginning of North American "cartoon music"
beginning to shift towards the standards familiar in Japan, I
recommend picking up "Pokemon: 2BA Master".
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"Pokemon...getto daze!"
-The Eternal Lost Lurker
(the 666th Pokemon)
"Chikushou...omae wa...bakemono...."
"Bakemono? Che....ore wa akuma da,"
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