久石譲* – 天空の城ラピュタ サウンドトラック ―飛行石の謎―

Sounds nice on the whole after wet cleaning. Had to wet clean the record as it was very staticky straight out the packaging. I’ve typically found this with the Ghibli vinyl releases.

Side B with slightly more surface noise than side A on my copy, but nothing frustrating :)

This sounds great and the gatefold jacket is really well made and unique too, my only gripe is the same as with all from this line of records: the included inner sleeve is useless, you really need to get a proper replacement, it's just a flimsy thin piece of plastic.

Thoughts About The Music Itself: Great
This is the movie who started it all at Studio Ghibli. I actually think that the soundtrack is really catchy. I would even say it likes to experiment at times adding in synths or electronic sounds. Rather unusual for Joe Hisaishi, especially considering the time.

Noise: Low

Brickwalling & Clipping: None

Clicking, Crackling & Other Audio Stream Errors: Few

Mastering In General: Good
I mean considering this score was made in 1986, and it is also Ghibli's first work, I got to say that I am astonished how good it actually sounds. Sure, there is some low noise and a few click and cracks but nothing major that would distract from the music itself aside of the fact that, in my opinion, it gives the score a slight fitting vintage sound. Definitely noteworthy considering its age. Not sure if this was remastered or if it was that good to begin with. My reviews are all based on the Ghibli CD Box set from 2014!

Final Verdict Audiophidelity: 7.5/10
How Enjoyable The Music Is In General: 9/10