A Love Letter to the Music of "Cowboy Bebop"
Yoko Kanno and the Seatbelts created an amazing body of work. Today's Mike's Music Morning is dedicated to them.
First off… I’m talking about the anime, not the live-action travesty that Netflix pawned off on us.
Specifically, the music of Yoko Kanno and the Seatbelts.
This should also be filed under “Great Women in Music” this month. Henceforth and forevermore.
Across 26 episodes, or “Sessions”, and a full length motion picture, the artist/animator/storyteller in me is dazzled by the slick blend of two- and three-dimensional animation, the wildly varying personal stories of the individual members of the ship “Bebop” (an assortment of solar system hopping bounty hunters, a super-hacker, and a dog), you are also treated to an amazing array of music, spanning pretty much every genre.
This is one of more difficult entries that I’ve written. There were at least 108 separate tracks composed for the anime and movie. Some of it was diegetic (occurring within the context of the story and able to be heard by the characters), like music in casinos and restaurants, the theme park (don’t ask), etc. There’s a bunch of saxophone stuff that comes directly from a very specific character in a single episode.
Oh, and Heavy Metal Queen LMAO
Most wasn’t. I’m starting out as the show starts.
Tank! (They earned the exclamation point for this one. #Deadpool)
Goodnight Julia/Space Lion (these two must be listened back to back. Also, my favorite song(s) out of 108 tracks)
March for Koala - Xylophone madness
Felt Tip Pen - Really twangy country instrumental (don’t even talk to me about Cowboy Andy).
NY Rush - Up tempo chase song
Digging My Potato - Slinky harmonica badassery
Give And Take - This one really reminds me of the 90’s
Ask DNA (Movie Opening Credits)
Words That We Couldn’t Say - Great love song
Rain (almost feels like a hymnal being performed in a gothic church)
Real Folk Blues (series end theme [Vitaminless Version])
Good morning/afternoon from Western Wishes, Space Cowboy…
Kilgore
Editor’s Note: Check out the ongoing discussions about music at GOTD and associate editor Mike Kilgore’s daily music series:
Who Is Generation X's Greatest Black Musician? Here's My Vote
Generation X's Greatest Black Musician? Rihanna, In My Humble Opinion.
Why Rap & Country Are So Challenging and Why I Much Prefer Tupac Shakur to Will Smith
These 2 Hypnotic Sitar Albums Saved Me Last Night as the PTSD Demons Struck Back
Check out “Mike’s Music Morning,” born from these debates:
How Many Licks Does it Take to Get to the Center of My Music Collection?
What music evokes an emotional response for you? What song really twangs your heartstrangs?
What Reminds You of Mardi Gras? For Me, it's Always Music and Food
Who Is Your Favorite Film Composer? Here are 6 of My Favorites
How Could I Have Forgotten Ennio Morricone's Greatness? My 7 Favorites from the Italian Master
What Are Your Favorite Covers? Here Are a Few Great Ones From Unexpected Places
How Do We Deserve People Like Dave Grohl??? Today, on a Very Special Episode of MMM...