Originally appear back in December 2012 nether the elementary, tentative title of "Best Song Collection", what would come to be re-titled every bit Dragon Ball Z 20th Century-SONGS All-time is an interesting beast. Coming off Dragon Ball Kai and its supposed 2d-round of Dragon Ball fans, the music prepare for this new album was really but going to appeal to pre-existing fans from the original circulate; though the Shunsuke Kikuchi groundwork music would afterward come in to replace Kenji Yamamoto'due south score, no vocal tracks from the original Dragon Ball Z popped up in Kai in any capacity. The new CD was also promoted — ever and so loosely — as being in conjunction with the then-upcoming picture show Battle of Gods… which was not going to incorporate any of this music, anyhow, except for FLOW'due south cover version of "CHA-LA HEAD-CHA-LA"…!

These older fans recently (and by "recently", I hateful "within the last decade") got the 2006 1/two Special Remix CD, which not only nerveless a similar number and breadth of songs, but too remastered them. The first description of 20th Century-SONGS All-time mentioned remastered music, also. Why? Unless it was going to exist a completely different batch of songs, why double-up on such a like product?

Quick Details:

Title: "Dragon Ball Z 20th Century-SONGS BEST"
Creative person: Various
Catalogue #: COCX-37869
Publisher: Columbia
Release Date: 27 Feb 2013
Cost: ¥2800
Tracks: 15

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Review By: Mike LaBrie (VegettoEX)

Let's be honest: the cover art for the CD is definitely not some of the best we have seen. Proportions seem a little off all around, and the overall image merely feels rather uninspired. Goku'south confront looks the about normal, only Trunks definitely has some weirdness going on with his hair length.

20th Century-SONGS Best is a rather bare-bones parcel. The opening pages detail the track listing with a couple dainty touches such every bit the episodes and movies they debuted in, along with the verbal air dates (which is as well mirrored on the back cover). The inner pages provide lyrics for each of the songs in the same fashion as previous CDs.

The disc itself is a very stylish blackness-and-white version of the album's comprehend art:

Those of the states who nabbed first-pressing editions of the album were at least treated to a bonus poster with the standard fashion of album art atop the runway listing.

Then how about that music…?

The Track List

20th Century-SONGS BEST spans the usual-and-expected range of songs from the Dragon Brawl Z TV series, specials, and movies:

  1. "CHA-LA HEAD-CHA-LA" — Boob tube Series 1st Opening Theme
  2. "Come Out, Incredible ZENKAI Power!" — Telly Series 1st Ending Theme
  3. "The Boxing (I·KU·SA)" — Movie 2 Ending Theme
  4. "The Whole World" — Motion-picture show 3 Catastrophe Theme
  5. "Light'due south Journeying" — 1st Goggle box Special Catastrophe Theme
  6. "The Incredible Strongest vs Strongest" — Movie 5 Catastrophe Theme
  7. "Hero (You're the Hero)" — Movie 6 Ending Theme
  8. "Listen POWER …Free energy…" — Television receiver Serial Insert Song (Episode 139)
  9. "At the Brink –The Globe's Limit–" — Motion-picture show 7 Catastrophe Theme
  10. "The Blue Wind's Promise" — 2d TV Special Ending Theme
  11. "Burning Fight –A Close · Intense · Super-Fierce Battle–" — Film 8 Ending Theme
  12. "24-hour interval of Destiny –Spirit vs Spirit–" — Television receiver Series Insert Song (Episode 184)
  13. "Surpassing the Galaxy, Rising High" — Movie 9 Catastrophe Theme
  14. "WE GOTTA Ability" — Goggle box Serial 2nd Opening Theme
  15. "We Were Angels" — TV Series 2nd Ending Theme

In a nutshell, that gets you both opening and ending themes to the Goggle box series, 2 of the four major insert songs for the TV series, the ending themes to the two major TV specials, and the closing themes to DBZ Movies ii-3 & 5-nine.

Overall, that is a pretty skillful selection. When you go to pick upward one of these types of compilations you expect the obligatory opening and ending themes alongside a splattering of picture tracks. It somewhat peters out effectually the ninth Dragon Ball Z movie, though, leaving the last section of the franchise underrepresented. This has happened plenty of times before, and is likely related to some of those songs not appearing on the original Hit Song Collection series. The five-disc Daizenshuu collection from 1994 also capped off at the same point (which was to be expected, since things were all the same running at that fourth dimension) and the Never Ending Story ii-disc set from 1996 likewise cut off movie songs at the same point.

If you lot are looking for something truly-comprehensive, a unmarried-disc compilation probably cannot comprehend you lot — 2006's two-disc Dragon Ball Z: Best Song Drove – LEGEND OF DRAGONWORLD is probably the best in that regard, and is too a smashing bang-for-your-buck at merely ¥3,000, substantially the same price as this new single-disc drove.

As a unmarried-disc compilation, though? Information technology mostly does its task. You are getting a great choice of songs that actually appeared in the series (equally opposed to just a "good" selection buffered with image songs): all killer, no filler.

That also means that, with the exception of MANNA'south "ZENKAI Power!", this is an all-Hironobu Kageyama articulation. He is the musical "phonation" of the franchise, which is certainly not a bad thing, merely the collection of image songs e'er gave the albums a take a chance to break things up a bit with Shin'ichi Ishihara, Yuka, KŪKO, etc. There are a couple duets here on 20th Century-SONGS BEST (such as the beautiful "Light's Journey" from the Bardock TV special), but Kageyama leads the style here every bit simply he can.

The Sound

Listings for 20th Century-SONGS All-time promised a new "digitally remastered" sound for 2013. All we actually get here is… well… only some other Dragon Ball CD.

I of the biggest selling points of the Dragon Ball Z BEST REMIX 2006 1/ii Special CD was the remastering itself. Similar to this new CD, the runway listing was the expected mix of series-proper songs also every bit insert songs. The attention to item and bits of extra flair in the remastering actually prepare information technology apart, however. Little touches like the "g-g-thou-yard-m-get information technology!" in "Ikusa" and the significantly-reduced opening to "Hikari no Tabi" were exclusive to the new remasters. The stereo separation felt enhanced without going overboard, and the entire product was clean, professional, and genuinely made the songs experience "fresh" again.

Have "Called-for Fight", for example. The 2006 remix brought downward the opening instrumentals to bring out a very clean vocal performance, all while the underlying drums become more than singled-out with far less reverb. The "20th Century" version here is presented pretty much identical to its original version: certainly non "muddled", just with no separation or clarity.

"ZENKAI Power" feels like a completely new experience with its 2006 remix every bit things kick off with shorter opening synths and a bit of a muddled speaking vocalisation compared to the original version. None of that "freshness" is nowadays in its "20th Century" version. Similarly, all that "CHA-LA Caput-CHA-LA" seems to gain in its "20th Century" version over its original is a piffling bit of a deeper sound. Already-booming songs like "Heed Ability" actually seem to lose a flake of their punch in the process!

Final Thoughts:

20th Century-SONGS BEST has a good — not "great" — selection of songs. The trouble is, previous collections accept been even amend (in terms of comprehensiveness and multifariousness) and at a similar price.

It does not seem every bit if Columbia was upward to the task again. Everything is perfectly fine, only there is very lilliputian that I can put my finger (well, ear) on to say that anything most this collection of songs is dissimilar. You will accept to very forcibly tune your ear just to hear any differences over the existing versions, and other "remastered" versions exercise a better job than what is presented hither.

What Dragon Ball Z needs to celebrate its musical catalog is non a half-hearted "remastered" collection, but something that truly does just that: celebrates it. If Menses is getting in on the act, and Shoko Nakagawa has already jumped in a few times, why non get together a best-of-the-best group of artists for a full-scale covers anthology? Let Maximum the Hormone take a stab at a crazy song like "GIRI GIRI". Bring Takayoshi Tanimoto over from Dragon Brawl Kai to cover an as-upbeat song similar "A Miraculous Large Fight".

These songs will e'er exist timeless, but that is no reason to tread so lightly.

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