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 Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi Music From The Series
as Puffy AmiYumi
Original Animation Soundtrack (U.S.) / Stereo
Epic EK 93517
Released November 16, 2004
Tracks 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 11, 13, 14 produced by Andy Sturmer
Tracks 8, 9, 10, 12 produced by Tamio Okuda
Track 6 produced by Tetsutaro Sakurai
Though released in conjunction with the cartoon of the same name, Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi seems less like a soundtrack CD than a companion piece to An Illustrated History, with this CD concentrating a bit more on stuff from Spike and beyond, and 59 in particular. In addition, there's one new song ("Hi Hi," the theme from the Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi cartoon), and one song previously only available on a movie soundtrack ("Friends Forever").
Beyond that, the packaging of the disc is a little cheesy - lots of bright pink and a heavy emphasis on Ami and Yumi's cartoon alter-egos (though there are several tiny photos of the actual Ami and Yumi throughout). Then again, Puffy haven't always had the best of album art in America to begin with (see the cover of the U.S. version of Spike for an even bigger eyesore).
Putting aside my issues with the album cover art, this is actually quite a varied collection. Since An Illustrated History covered most of Puffy's hit singles, that left a bit more space on this disc for other tracks - though there are three tracks copied from An Illustrated History: "Love So Pure," "True Asia/Asia no Junshin" (though the version here is the original Japanese version, as opposed to the English version on An Illustrated History), and "That's the Way It Is/Kore ga Watashi no Ikirumichi." Beyond that, there are some surprises: the appearance of "V-A-C-A-T-I-O-N" - from solosolo - for one, and the fact that half of 59 is featured. Nothing from Fever*Fever made the album, while amiyumi and Jet CD each get one track apiece - all in all, only 3 songs from before 2000 made the cut.
As a somewhat humorous side note, I actually watched Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi for a few months after it debuted, and hardly any of these songs were used on the show (from what I remember, anyway).
Track Listing
- Hi Hi (words: Puffy AmiYumi & Andy Sturmer/music: Andy Sturmer) (2:55)
- Friends Forever (words & music: Andy Sturmer) (4:00)
- Planet Tokyo (words & music: Andy Sturmer) (3:50)
- Joining A Fan Club (words & music: Andy Sturmer & Roger Manning) (4:00)
- Forever (words: Andy Sturmer & Puffy/music: Andy Sturmer) (2:29)
- V-A-C-A-T-I-O-N (words & music: Konishi Yasuharu) (3:30)
- Love So Pure (words & music: Andy Sturmer) (3:57)
- True Asia ("Asia no Junshin") (words: Yosui Inoue/music: Tamio Okuda) (4:39)
- Boogie-Woogie No. 5 (words & music: Tamio Okuda) (4:10)
- That's The Way It Is ("Kore ga Watashi no Ikirumichi") (words & music: Tamio Okuda) (3:19)
- Sunrise (words: Puffy AmiYumi/music: Andy Sturmer) (3:55)
- Into The Beach ("Umi eto") (words & music: Tamio Okuda) (3:12)
- December (words: Puffy AmiYumi/music: Andy Sturmer) (4:22)
- Teen Titans Theme (words & music: Andy Sturmer) (3:06)
Track 1 previously unreleased
Track 8 from amiyumi
Track 6 from solosolo
Track 10 from Jet CD
Tracks 9, 12, 13 from Spike
Track 7 from Atarashii Hibi CD single and Spike (U.S. Version)
Track 3 from Akai Buranko CD single and Nice. (U.S. Version)
Track 14 from Nice. (U.S. Version) and 59
Tracks 4, 5, 11 from 59
Track 2 from Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed original soundtrack
Notes:
- Ami plays the guitar solo on "Friends Forever".
- The CD is enhanced with bonus content.
- Several tracks on this album - including "Joining A Fan Club" and "Love So Pure" - have been remixed. This is very evident when listening to "Love So Pure," especially at the beginning of the second verse. In the original version, the drums dropped out for several seconds before resuming playing. That does not happen in the version on this album (i.e. the drums don't drop out of the mix).
- "Friends Forever" is the same song as both "Invisible Tomorrow" and "So Long Zero," though edited slightly and with different lyrics.
- "Friends Forever" was originally released on the soundtrack to the movie Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed.
- "Joining A Fan Club" is a cover of a song originally done by Jellyfish, Andy Sturmer's old band (available on their second album, Spilt Milk).
- "V-A-C-A-T-I-O-N" marks the first time a track from solosolo has been released in America.
- This CD contains the initial U.S. release of the original version of "Asia no Junshin" ("True Asia") on a Puffy album. Previously, this version had only been available on the Japan For Sale Vol. 1 compilation (now out of print).
- The musical backing of “Asia no Junshin” (the descending guitar line in particular) is similar to the old ELO hit “Don't Bring Me Down.”
- "Teen Titans Theme" is reminiscent of the theme song to the TV series "Secret Agent Man."
Other
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