Copyright © Sunrise, Inc.

29 tracks, 45:18

1.		Stoning	1:42
2.		Big O! [TV edit]	1:11
		Vocal: Nagai Rui
3.		Stand a Chance	2:09
4.		Name of God	1:46
5.		The Storm	1:20
6.		Spirit	1:42
7.		Servant	1:20
8.		Apologize	2:03
9.		Apparel	1:13
10.		The Great	1:46
11.		Apostle	2:26
12.		False	1:26
13.		Sleep My Dear	2:15
14.		Sure Promise	1:58
15.		Touch	1:17
16.		Weep For	1:25
17.		Nature	1:41
18.		The Words	1:32
19.		Run Down	0:32
20.		Tears	1:15
21.		The Process	1:09
22.		Sin	1:32
23.		A Vision	1:17
24.		Procrastination	1:02
25.		Freedom	1:40
26.		The Holy	2:08
27.		Evolution	1:23
28.		Eternal Live	0:45
29.		And Forever... [TV edit]	1:27
		Vocal: Robbie Danzie with Takao Naoki

Every couple of years, it seems like there's an anime score that comes along and makes people sit up and take notice of how music can really help make a difference in a show. MACROSS PLUS. ESCAFLOWNE. GIANT ROBO. These are some of the series that have really stellar musical scores that sound more in line with something you would expect out of a Hollywood studio than an animation program.
THE BIG O ORIGINAL SOUND SCORE is one of those soundtracks. Clearly going for style, Sunrise opted to create a score that would match the look and feel of this show, which has been described as "GIANT ROBO meets BATMAN THE ANIMATED SERIES." And how does one create a big-sounding score? Why, with a full orchestra of course.
The first track sounds like something from a Mozart symphony, complete with angry horns and stirring strings. Even right down to its very classical ending. It's a good start to the CD, and the pace continues unabated throughout the disc. Some of the tracks become a little bit more free however, and echo the blues and jazz pieces of another musical period. "Servant" is a bluesy piece with a bit of funk thrown in, courtesy of the electric guitar. Then there's the track called "Apologize," a slow piano blues that evokes a feeling of long-lost memories and drowning one's sorrows.
Many of these pieces are great unto themselves. Much like the works of Kanno Yoko, they can be listened to over and over again. I do get a little tired of the extensive use of low brass for tension, but that's just me. The tracks are individual and distinct enough to have their own identities, yet they do sometimes seem to hint at themes from other tracks. There's also a great jazz piano piece (track 17) that sounds like an old piano bar rag.
There are a couple of tracks that make use of electronic instruments, but not many. One is "Touch," which uses synthesizers to create a completely different sound from the other tracks. They even have a "theramin" setting to make it sound like those old 1950's science fiction movies. Track 25, "Freedom," is probably the most "modern" of all the pieces on this CD. It starts off as a rollicking saxophone jazz piece, and soon turns into a very energetic, electric guitar infused high-energy composition punctuated by a big brass sound.
THE BIG O ORIGINAL SOUND SCORE succeeds in mixing a variety of musical genres, including classical, jazz, blues, and "sci-fi movie music" in such a way to create an entertaining musical setting for the series. The differences in the styles highlight the complexity of the show and the different moods and situations it encompasses.
The only vocals on this CD are the TV-size (read "short") versions of the opening and ending themes. Since they were reviewed earlier, I won't say anything else about them other than that they're here and they're shorter than on the CD single.
The score makes excellent use of the range of a full orchestra. As a result, the music seems much more expressive than other anime scores of late. It doesn't just complement the show. It becomes an active, vital part of it. The tension is more palpable, the sadness more touching, and the action more rousing because the score adds to the atmosphere.
If you like good soundtracks, buy this CD. It deserves to be listened to.

Victor Entertainment
VICL-60493
¥2900
Available Now in Japan
Where to buy