Vision of Escaflowne - Lovers Only

Credits: Yoko Kanno.

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Track Listing:

1. Yakusoku wa Iranai (I Don't Need Promises) TV Edit
2. The Vision of Escaflowne (Take 2)
3. Memory of Fanelia
4. Dance of Curse
5. Zaibach
6. Flying Dragon
7. Cradle Song
8. Tomodachi (Friends)
9. Bird Cage
10. Chain
11. Epistle
12. Perfect World
13. Blaze (Take 2)
14. Hitomi Theme
15. Angel
16. Neko no Kimochi (Cat's Feelings)
17. Arcadia
18. Kaze ga Fuku Hi (The Days the Wind Blows)
19. Mystic Eyes (TV Edit)
20. The Story of Escaflowne ~ End Title

Choruses + Maaya Sakamoto >>> by firesenshi

Tenkuu no Escaflowne's Lovers Only OST starts with a TV edit of the opening theme Yakusoku wa Iranai. What you will remarkably hear here is the soft intro where Maaya Sakamoto sings the chorus slowly, softly, dramatically with only the soft piano doing the background. Escaflowne OST 1 - Over the Sky has the full version. However, given this more memorable rendition of the opening theme including the TV edit of Mystic Eyes ending theme, the instrumentals and vocals here are much more enjoyable than the first. (That is NOT to say Escaflowne OST 1 is not good because it is!)

There are a lot of Latin choruses here somewhat inspired by the somber renditions of Gregorian chants as in the second track The Vision of Escaflowne which was done by Members of the Theatro Dell 'Opera Di Roma. Add to that the symphonies done by the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra with music composed by musical genius Yoko Kanno herself makes each Escaflowne soundtrack a must-buy. Of course Dance of the Curse, the phenomenal battle music is here also which will make you listen to the heart pounding chorus that defines drama like no other. Another favorite is Arcadia, where hearing it first sounds like a Latin or German rendition of a melancholy song but later I find out it is really in Japanese. The melancholy melody with an opera style soprano is actually a song of reflection and sad wonder. There is a part where she sings, "Naze, chi wo konomi, arasoi wo konomu no darou " (Why... I wonder is it that they like blood, they like conflict?) The styles of such things is actually reminiscent of Wagner's operas. Normally, I sleep through hearing those things, but this one being used as background for the scenes in Escaflowne heighten the intensity in them that makes them unforgettable.

The vocals are pretty impressive as well! Maaya Sakamoto sings a feel-good ballad called Tomodachi. The melody is wholesome and the lyrics where she talks of longing and friendship does sound rather mushy but trust me, nothing seems to go wrong where Maaya Sakamoto is concerned. But my favorite is Kaze ga Fuku Hi which is sung by Maaya Sakamoto as well. The melody is like the wind -- soft, breezy, soothing, and it feels good. More and more so as you listen Maaya Sakamoto sing, "Doushitara jibun no koto wo daisuki ni nareru n darou nante. Motto motto jibun no koto wo daisuki ni nareru nara" ("How could you fall in love with me? More and more, doing something as falling inlove with me?") Nah... that didn't sound mushy at all! You will like this kind of sentimentality because the vocals along with the intrumentals make it totally romantic!

All in all, let me just sum it up: Yoko Kanno + Theatro Dell 'Opera Di Roma + Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra + Maaya Sakamoto = sugoi! Nothing else but the best to put all of these in just one CD?