Poke Press Digest Podcast: Episode 28-The Music of "Pokemon: Detective Pikachu"

In this episode, Anne from Pikapi Podcast helps me discuss the music of Pokemon: Detective Pikachu. There’s a variety of tunes to cover, with multiple ending themes, a score, and promotional material. Be sure to listen after the outro to get all of it, including our opinions on the movie itself:



Links:
Pikapi Podcast
"Carry On" music video
Detective Pikachu Score

Why it (Kinda) Works: Don't Say You Love Me

Admittedly, M2M’s contribution to the Pokemon: The First Movie soundtrack doesn’t have the most obvious connection to the film. When viewed from a certain perspective, however, there are some things about “Don't Say You Love Me” that make sense:

Transcript:

Admittedly, “Don’t Say You Love Me” doesn’t have much relation to the plot of Pokémon: The First Movie. At best, you could relate it to Brock, but perhaps that’s better left unexplored. Anyway, this debut single from M2M was likely intended to serve as more of a bridge that would raise awareness about the band for the movie audience, and the movie for the music audience. If nothing else, it probably generated buzz for the movie in M2M’s native Norway. As for the song itself, the assertive tone does wind up being a good fit for the franchise, representing the “stand up for yourself” theme of the series without sounding excessively angry. This tone carries into the music video, whose drive-in theater setting gives it a more casual feel, and of course provides a convenient opportunity to work in scenes from the movie. Speaking of the movie, have you ever noticed that the names of the two featured Pokémon line up neatly with the name of the band? Nice bonus, I suppose, but it’s obviously not the only reason they were selected. Anyway, do you have any thoughts about this song? Be sure to let us know. Thanks.

Poke Press Digest Podcast: Episode 27-Live Pokemon Music Discussion

In the latest episode, I team up with Anne from Pikapi Podcast to talk about live versions of six Pokemon songs. Our selections include performances from an Australian TV show, New York City, and a hockey arena. If you have any suggestions for a future live music discussion, be sure to let us know.



Links:
Pikapi Podcast
Don't Say You Love Me (Acoustic)
Flying Without Wings (Live)
Brother My Brother (Live)

Unboxing the Detective Pikachu "Carry On" Single

Wish you could get a physical copy of the ending theme song to Pokemon: Detective Pikachu? Well, there is a way, but perhaps owing to how much the music industry has changed, you'll have to pick up a promotional CD. Is it worth it? Check out this unboxing to find out:

Poke Press Digest Podcast: Episode 26-The Music of "Genesect and the Legend Awakened"

Anne from Pikapi Podcast joins me to analyze the music of the 16th Pokemon movie, "Genesect and the Legend Awakened", in which the Japanese song "Smiling Face" goes up against the English version’s "We’re Coming Home". These songs are different in both tone and approach, making for an interesting comparison. If you want our take on the movie itself, be sure to listen after the outro.



Links:
Pikapi Podcast
Jess Domain Interview
Jess Domain "Draw My Life" Video
Neal Coomer Interview

Why It Works: Flying Without Wings

At first, "Flying Without Wings" seems like an odd fit for Pokemon 2000, but if you look at it from the right perspective, it actually works quite well:

Need more Westlife? We discussed a live version of Flying Without Wings during a recent livestream:

Poke Press Digest Podcast: Episode 25-"The Power of Us" music

In this single-segment episode, Anne from Pikapi Podcast helps me discuss the music of the 21st Pokemon movie, "The Power of Us". We compare the Japanese song "Breath" to the English version's "The Power Of Us", and wind up talking about some of the musical paths not taken with this film. If you want to know what we thought of the movie itself, be sure to listen to the bonus segment after the outro:



Links:
Pikapi Podcast
Charity Goodin Interview
Twitter Moment
INXS Discussion

A Pokemon Perspective on "The Boy Band Con"

The new YouTube original "The Boy Band Con" doesn't mention Pokemon once, but it turns out Lou Pearlman has connections to each of the first three movies via his acts. Was I able to learn anything of interest?

Why it Works? "This Time" By INXS

Happy April Fools' Day! Today we'll be discussing a song that has absolutely no relationship to Pokemon whatsoever. This 1985 release still manages to have some relevancy to the franchise. If only there had been a Pokemon movie in '85/'86:

Transcript:

“This Time” by Australian rock group INXS has zilch to do with Pokémon, though I suppose you never know what they’ll do next with Detective Pikachu. In any case, the song was originally released in 1985 on the “Listen Like Thieves” album, and would eventually become a single and music video for the band. While the lyrics seem to be referencing a bickering couple, there are some elements that parallel the dynamics of the original traveling group of the Pokémon anime. Ash, Misty, and Brock often have differences that seem irreconcilable, leading to a lot of arguing. As far as wasting time…they’re good at that too, repeatedly getting lost, taking unplanned detours, and being easily distracted in general. Anyway, if you’d like to explore this April Fools’ Day joke further, believe it or not, I had a discussion with Anne from Pikapi Podcast about this very song, and she had some thoughts of her own, so look for a card for that video. Thanks.

Why it Works: Makin' My Way

"Makin' My Way (Any Way That I Can)" had an interesting journey to become a Pokémon song. This Dianne Warren-penned song actually appeared in several places before winding up on the Pokémon: The First Movie soundtrack in 1999. While I don't know exactly how it got there, it does have some interesting parallels to the games:

Transcript:

"Makin' My Way (Any Way That I Can)" has a longer history than you might be aware of. It doesn't go super-far back, but the earliest version I've found is by Wynonna Judd, on the soundtrack to the 1996 Whoopi Goldberg business comedy "The Associate". The song would then show up on a Marcia Hines album in 1999, which was soon followed by the Billie Piper version you're probably familiar with. Each of these features a different arrangement, but the more electronic instrumentation in Piper's rendition is probably what made it the choice for the Pokémon soundtrack. As for the lyrical content of the song, the theme of strength overcoming adversity results in an experience that I think would have fit in very well on 2.B.A. Master. What’s most interesting, however, is the way phrases that were originally intended as metaphors become literal when applied to Pokémon. The source material is a game, in which you cross rivers and climb mountains. If you really want to stretch it, there’s also a reference to "strength"-not bad for a song that was probably written before the games were even out in Japan. In any event, feel free to check out those other versions (there's at least one more that I didn't mention), and let us know what you think. Thanks.