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The nice thing about having soundtracks in the year’s project roster is it gives me a chance to take a bit of a break. Think of them as sort of like a “bottle episode” of a TV show.

What is it?

It’s the soundtrack to Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, released in 1984.

How does it sound?

Like music used to soothe gigantic bugs.

Why this pick?

Part of the successful immersion into the weird post-apocalyptic future of this particular Miyazaki film is the compelling, slightly off-kilter score. Listening to one or another of the pieces on this soundtrack album is enough to put me in that world, if only for a few minutes. And so, I’m sharing that opportunity with you, here.

Which songs are the highlights?

This soundtrack album does something a bit odd: Most tracks are made up of two or three bits of the soundtrack score proper, so while half of one track might be something you find relaxing or whatever, the other half might be from a fight sequence. The lead track contains the opening theme, sure, but it’s bookended by two unrelated bits of background music.

This being the case, it’s hard to point to a specific track and say, “This, this one stands out.”

Other than “Nausicaä Requiem,” that is.

Which songs don’t work so well?

See above…

I guess if this soundtrack has a weakness, it’s that the occasional 80s-style synths leave it feeling rather dated in places.

Which album did you almost pick in favor of this one?

I almost went with the soundtrack to Iria: Zeiram the Animation. They’re of a similar vintage and there are some bits on that album that I really love.

Any final thoughts?

I’d prefer them to have made more individual tracks to separate out the themes instead of sticking two or three per track, but that’s the way the Giant God-Warrior crumbles, I suppose. (Does the Giant God-Warrior count as a giant robot for “giant robot warning” purposes? Nah, let’s say it doesn’t. Ha.)

I made some mistakes while selecting the album list. That’s fine, mistakes happen. Two of the mistakes boil down to, “but I’ve already written about this one!” Ha ha, too late, I made a big sampler mix late last year and everything. I’m committed.

Here’s the first of those mistakes. I’m standing by the selection because first time around, I was unkind to a perfectly cromulent record. This time, maybe, I can do justice to the thing.

What is it?

Astronaut is the late-2004 studio record released by Duran Duran, who were busy trying not to fall off the pop-culture radar entirely.

How does it sound?

Mix up for the sampler:

Why this pick?

It’s the last album by the band that I actually like. Duran Duran are very, very hit-or-miss for me, which is weird because their sound didn’t change much over the first couple decades. Rio and Notorious? Great! Seven and the Ragged Tiger and The Wedding Album (yes that’s not its real name but whatever, everyone calls it that)? Meh. Liberty and Red Carpet Massacre? No thank you. I couldn’t tell you why one record works and another doesn’t, not in this instance.

Astronaut is almost on the “meh” part of the spectrum, and upon first listen that was my overall impression. Now, though, I really love a half dozen of the songs and am okay with most of the rest. Only a couple of the tracks still put me off.

So here we are. It’s a good record. Don’t trust what 2004’s version of Karel had to say about it! (I’m not linking that post. You can search for it if you want.) He was kind of a self-absorbed jerk with delusions that his opinions mattered!

…Hmm. Maybe things haven’t changed terribly much, eh?

Which songs are the highlights?

“(Reach Up For The) Sunrise,” the lead single and first track on the album, is a fully competent radio-friendly piece of work and holds up just fine, fourteen years later.

The real standouts, though, show up once the first couple of songs are out of the way. “What Happens Tomorrow” is marvelous in the same way that “Come Undone” was on The Wedding Album, “Nice” may not be terribly deep but it is outstandingly upbeat, “Taste The Summer” is almost good enough to make me think fondly upon my least-favorite of the seasons, and “Finest Hour” is surprisingly uplifting.

Along the way we also get “Want You More” and the title track “Astronaut,” both solid bits of pop songcraft.

Which songs don’t work so well?

I still don’t like “Bedroom Toys” or “Still Breathing” very much. Some things didn’t change from 2004 to now, I suppose.

“One Of Those Days” needed an overhaul; there’s a germ of a good song in there somewhere that should’ve had the chance to come to fruition.

Which album did you almost pick in favor of this one?

Had I been thinking clearly enough I’d have remembered I’d written about Astronaut already. Twice. Okay, the second time it was only a couple of paragraphs, but the point stands. I goofed up.

My obvious choice should’ve been Notorious. I love that record to bits. There’s not a song on there that I can’t enjoy on some level. I will play it through and not skip a thing. It contains several of my all-time favorite DD tunes, such as “Skin Trade,” “Winter Marches On,” and “Proposition.”

Maybe, if I revisit this album-write-up idea later, I’ll rectify this egregious oversight.

Any final thoughts?

I received this album from the radio station outfit I used to work for. It was the big promotional package and everything. I gave it away to a friend (after ripping it to my library) because my first impression was so underwhelming.

I… kind of wish I hadn’t done that. D’oh.

The version of “(Reach Up For The) Sunrise” they released as a promo is a better mix than what’s on the album. So of course I don’t have a copy of that either! Go, me!

Oh, hey! We’re past the halfway mark on this year’s project. I haven’t missed a deadline in a year and a half so far. Let’s hear it for six more months of reliable content production!