EVANGELION CD II

Star Records
KICA-290
96.2.16
(25 tracks)
¥3000

1. Yokan - (4:52)
2. Zankoku na Tenshi no Teize - T.V. Version (1:30)
3. BORDERLINE CASE - (2:19)
4. A Crystalline Night Sky - (2:20)
5. ANGEL ATTACK II - (1:58)
6. ANGEL ATTACK III - (2:23)
7. Both of you, Dance Like You Want to Win! - (1:49)
8. Waking up in the morning - (1:28)
9. BACKROUND MUSIC - (1:55)
10. A Moment When Tension Breaks - (4:10)
11. The Day Tokyo-3 Stood Still - (1:40)
12. Spending Time in Preparation - (2:21)
13. She said, "Don't make others suffer for your personal hatred." - (1:53)
14. MAGMADIVER - (2:23)
15. PLEASURE PRINCIPLE - (3:48)
16. THE BEAST II - (2:17)
17. THANATOS - (3:28)
18. Rei III - (3:42)
19. When I Find Peace of Mind - (3:32)
20. FLY ME TO THE MOON - T.V. Version (1:08)
21. FLY ME TO THE MOON - Rei(#5) TV. Size Remix Version (1:08)
22. FLY ME TO THE MOON - Rei(#6) TV. Size Remix Version (1:08)
23. Jikai Yokoku - (0:16)
24. FLY ME TO THE MOON - Aya Bossa Techno Version (3:49)
25. FLY ME TO THE MOON - Aki Jungle Version (4:34)

The second in a series of soundtrack CDs, the NEON GENESIS EVANGELION CD #2 is a much better version than it's predecessor, despite its occasional repetition on-disc.
Released on 16 Feb 1996, this soundtrack is a diamond in the rough. After listening to the first one, I was far from inclined to pick up the second, incorrectly making the assumption that it would be exactly the same as its predecessor. Fortunately, I was mistaken. This soundtrack, while not perfect, is more than a good example not only of soundtracks, but of sequels that are better than the originals.
The first song on the disc, "Yokan" ("Precognition") is a beautiful song done by Takahashi Youko, who also sings a version of "Fly Me to the Moon" for the series. Following this is the TV version of "Zankoku na Tenshi no Teize". After that comes a length of about seventeen tracks -- some closely resemble others from the first disc, some carry the same undertones and other parts, while a decent portion of them (close to half or more) are totally new. Something else that's amusing is that these tracks were titled by Anno Hideaki himself, and he apparently has a tendency to purposely label his songs in ways that one would not expect. For example, "Pleasure Principle" has a title which seems to suggest more than a few things, all of them generally considered positive and "good". However, the song itself is dark and foreboding, a total turnaround from what the title suggests. While it may be a bit strange at first, it is sort of fun to have your expectations twisted like that.
After the last of the new tracks comes the "Fly Me to the Moon" (FMTTM) collection. The first three are TV versions, one by CLAIRE, then two by Hayashibara Megumi as Rei. While the first of the three is understandable, versions Rei #5 and Rei #6 are practically identical with the exception of a few intonations of the lyrics. After this comes a brief respite from FMTTM overload and then the final two versions of the song are done in full length. The first is done by Hayashibara Megumi and called the Aya Bossa Techno Version, which I feel is just horrible. To say that this song is sacchrined is to say that that The Iliad is a story. Personally, even though I have not heard a lot of Ms. Hayashibara's songs before, I would consider this a blemish on her record that really ought not be remembered -- like a juvenile misdemeanor.
The final track on this CD is the Aki Jungle Version of "Fly Me to the Moon," which is a real find. Not only is it the greatest in deviation from the original song, it is done in a techno style that while faintly reminscient of Madonna's dance version of "Secret" is still an excellent song that only moderately resembles it's original version. This is the version that I myself would like to remember FMTTM by, and I don't normally care for techno music.
All in all, this is a very good soundtrack because of its new music. Still, it does repeat itself a bit here and there (most notably at the end of the disc), and so I would recommend this to those who didn't like the first soundtrack, those who didn't buy the first soundtrack, and those who who want to start collecting the CDs to the series on the right foot.

--Orin Starchaser