Bubblegum Crisis Complete Vocal Collection

BUBBLEGUM CRISIS
COMPLETE VOCAL COLLECTION
Copyright © Toshiba EMI
TYCY-5610-12
Available Now in Japan
¥4,587
Where to buy

—by Charles McCarter

Disc 1

1. Konya wa Harikein
(Hurricane Tonight) 4:41

Vocal: Ohmori Kinuko

2. Mr. Dandy 3:59

Vocal: Blew

3. Kizudarake no Wild
(Wild and Scarred) 4:15

Vocal: Ohmori Kinuko

4. VICTORY 4:04

Vocal: Ohmori Kinuko

5. Crisis ~ Ikari o komete hashire (Crisis ~ Run with Anger) 3:46

Vocal: Tsubokura Yuiko

6. TWILIGHT 4:42

Vocal: Tsubokura Yuiko

7. Bara no Senshi
(Soldiers of the Rose) 3:20

Vocal: Tsubokura Yuiko

8. Omoide ni Dakarete
(Enfolded in Memories) 4:37

Vocal: Tsubokura Yuiko

9. Rock me 3:49

Vocal: Tsubokura Yuiko

10. Say Yes! 6:07

Vocal: Hashimoto Maiko

11. Never the End 4:57

Vocal: Hashimoto Maiko

12. Chase the Dream 4:29

Vocal: Ohmori Kinuko

Disk 2

1. Kiss, Seventeen Girl 4:02

Vocal: Hiramatsu Akiko

2. Q ~ Anata wa Watashi no Taiyo (You are My Sun) 3:37

Vocal: Hiramatsu Akiko

3. First Impression 3:42

Vocal: Hiramatsu Akiko

4. Kodoku no Enjeru
(Angel of Loneliness) 4:43

Vocal: Tomizawa Michie

5. Sutaaraito (Starlight) 3:46

Vocal: Knight Sabers

6. With 4:40

Vocal: Sakakibara Yoshiko

7. Here in the Dark 3:55

Vocal: Sakakibara Yoshiko

8. Silent Moon 4:33

Vocal: Sakakibara Yoshiko

9. Mayonaka no Etowaru
(The Midnight Moon) 3:57

Vocal: Tomizawa Michie

10. Haato wa Nuutoraru
(My Heart's in Neutral) 3:15

Vocal: Tomizawa Michie

11. Come into action 4:13

Vocal: Tomizawa Michie

12. Route California 5:41

Vocal: Tomizawa Michie

Disk 3

1. Remember 4:45

Vocal: Ohmori Kinuko

2. Mad Machine 5:01

Vocal: Ohmori Kinuko

3. Wasurenaide
(I'll Never Forget) 5:19

Vocal: Ohmori Kinuko

4. Yasashiki Raibaru
(Gentle Rival) 4:53

Vocal: Ohmori Kinuko

5. Suriru ni Odoru Tenchitachi (Angels Dancing in the Thrill) 4:50

Vocal: Knight Sabers

6. Ashita e Tacchdaun 4:29

(Touchdown into Tomorrow)
Vocal: Knight Sabers

7. Akuma to Tenshi no Kisu (Angel and Devil's Kiss) 3:34

Vocal: Knight Sabers

8. Kodoku no Enjeru
(Angel of Loneliness) 4:43

Vocal: Knight Sabers

9. Misuteriasu Naito
(Mysterious Night) 3:55

Vocal: Knight Sabers

10. Jyanpingu Haato
(Jumping Heart) 3:04

Vocal: Knight Sabers

11. Yes, Do It! 3:25

Vocal: Knight Sabers

12. Bye^2 My Crisis 3:47

Vocal: Knight Sabers

Fans of the music of the original BUBBLEGUM CRISIS OVA series can stop their whining now. No longer do they have to buy three CDs to get all the music from this landmark series. Now, the COMPLETE VOCAL COLLECTION, VOCAL COLLECTION VOLUME 2, and BUBBLEGUM CRISIS 8, all necessary purchases to obtain the complete BGC song catalog can be replaced with this new 3 CD set.
So what is there to say about this CD? Well, if you're a die-hard BGC fan, or have been collecting the soundtracks over the years, you may find that this purchase is rather, well, unnecessary. After all, I've had the complete vocal collection for years, albeit not in one handy package. Still, completists and new fans will certainly find this a welcome addition to their library.
The first thing fans will notice about this set is that the tracks have been rearranged into a semi-random order. The first disc contains mostly openings, but then Mr. Dandy, TWILIGHT, Never the End, and Chase the Dream—all ending songs—are included. But this is mostly a minor grievance. In fact, Disc 1 seems to be mostly Priss songs and songs done by other (non-Knight Sabers) singers such as Vision (Hashimoto Maiko) and Tsubokura Yuiko, who never voiced a character but gave use some great songs in "Rock Me" and "Crisis ~ Ikari o Komete Hashire." Disc 2 is a collection of songs by the other three Knight Sabers, and Disc 3 contains the remaing Priss vocals and all the songs done by the Knight Sabers as a group.
A lot of songs, while being necessary for a "complete" vocal collection, would not have made it into a "best" vocal collection, if you get my drift. Songs such as "Q ~ Anata wa Watashi no Taiyo" and "Yes, Do it!" are songs best forgotten unless you're a fan of sugary pop music with inane lyrics and borderline singing. This isn't to say that the voice actresses cannot sing, since they do well on other tracks. For example, "Route California" is an example of an insert/image song that, while perhaps not as great as "Rock Me" or the quintessential "Konya wa Hurricane," certainly won't make you reach for the remote.
Really, there are three types of songs that are on this album: the classic BGC tunes that everyone knows, the ones people ought to know—good songs that are overshadowed by other tracks on the disc, and tracks that should be buried forever. Fortunately, though, the quantity of the first two certainly outnumber the last category. Still, be prepared to skip over a lot of songs on Disc 2.
Each Knight Saber gets their chance to shine, with their solo tracks being included in this compilation. Of course, Ohmori "Priss" Kinuko (whatever happened to her anyway?) gets a lot of tracks, since her character is a singer, but Hiramatsu "Nene" Akiko, Tomizawa "Linna" Michie, and even Sakakibara "Sylia" Yoshiko all get their turns at the mic. What you make of each of their performances is up to you, but some are definitely better than others. I personally like Sakakibara Yoshiko's singing voice, so I like her songs, but other fans will no doubt think that I've been hit in the head one too many times.
In short, this is a good—nay, great—CD if you don't have any BUBBLE GUM CRISIS and you're looking to get it all in one fell swoop. Especially since the older discs are now much harder to find (legitimately, anyway) these days. However, if you're a BGC fan from the "Old Days" (Pre-1992), you probably already have all these songs. If not, though, then you really have to get this disc to fill in the gaps in your collection.