The first three Touhou albums were all fantastic, but 4-6 are a bit more uneven, ranging from my absolute favorite album to probably my least favorite.
Retrospective 53 Minutes: Retrospective 53 Minutes is my least favorite out of the first five albums, as it goes for a more ambient vibe with its original tracks. However, with a great lineup of remixes and some pretty impressive theming (the whole album is actually 53 minutes!), this is still a pretty sweet album.
Hiroshige No 36 - Neo Super-Express
At the very least, R53M has my favorite first track out of any of the albums. It's the definitive train theme, with rhythmic percussion, train sound effects, a distinct synth that sounds like a steam whistle, an upbeat main melody, and a generally comfy feel. It's also pretty complex too, with the second half pretty much devolving into piano and guitar solos. It's a phenomenal track and a truly underrated album gem.
5/5 Stars
Blue Sea Of 53 Minutes
Blue Sea Of 53 Minutes is the ultimate love-it-or-hate-it Touhou track. It's slow, atmospheric, ambient, melancholy, and pretty lacking in any melodies. Personally, I'm split in the middle. It does manage to have a great sense of melancholy, the one melody it does have is pretty haunting, and the background riff is super hypnotizing. However, ZUN throwing in a drum fill every once in a while is an odd choice that feels like it blue-balls me into thinking the song is gonna pick up in tempo. If anything, this track needed to be even more ambient and cut out the percussion entirely. At least the Concealed The Conclusion version committed to a direction.
3/5 Stars
Flight Of The Bamboo Cutter - Lunatic Princess
This remix of Lunatic Princess adds in a lovely new flute intro that may not be as iconic as the original theme's opening but is still solid on its own, but otherwise it's not too different aside from softening the synth a bit. It's less for a fierce final boss theme and focuses more on accentuating Kaguya's beauty, and while I still probably prefer the original, this version is still pretty great too.
5/5 Stars
Higan Retour - Riverside View
Higan Retour was always one of my favorite tracks in the series and while this version isn't too different, I think the changes it does have make it even better. The trumpets sound crisper, the background instruments are slightly more powerful, and we get a godly new final chorus to cap it all off. It feels like the complete version of an already phenomenal theme.
5/5 Stars
Legend Of Aokigahara
Befitting a song based off of Japan's infamous suicide forest, Legend Of Aokigahara is really muted and downbeat. It's a bit short, but I do really like the main flute melody and how dour it sounds.
4/5 Stars
White Flag Of Usa Shrine
This is probably the most identical remake to the original version, it's literally the exact same song. Not that it's a bad thing, I love this track.
5/5 Stars
Reach For The Moon, Immortal Smoke
Reach For The Moon Immortal Smoke's remix isn't too different aside from the crisper instruments, but it's still an amazing track anyway so whatever.
5/5 Stars
Retrospective Kyoto
Yet another one of my favorite tracks in the series! Aside from some minor instrument volume tweaks, it's pretty much identical but who cares? It's essentially the centerpiece of the entire album, and I couldn't imagine a better theme do the job.
5/5 Stars
Locked Girl - The Girl's Sealed Room
Being an EoSD theme, Locked Girl is the only track to get a really transformative remix, and holy crap is it good. The instruments are so crisp and expertly picked here, from the wailing ZUNpets, to the bouncy percussion, to the dissonant piano chords. It just sounds so much richer and more melodic than the original track, while still keeping that hopeless and melancholic feel. Easily one of the best remixes in an album.
5/5 Stars
Gensokyo Millennium - History Of The Moon
Yet another very similar remix aside from some instrument changes, but they're pretty noticeable changes this time around. The addition of a marimba really gives the track some extra depth and heightens the historical feel of the track.
5/5 Stars
The Purest Sky And Sea
Solid if slightly unremarkable ending theme. It's pretty subdued and sparse but the main piano and flute melodies are super pleasing and comfy to listen to.
3/5 Stars
Magical Astronomy: Alongside Ghostly Field Club, Magical Astronomy has the most original tracks out of any album, with a miniscule three remixes. Thankfully, Magical Astronomy has what is quite possibly the best lineup of original tracks out of any of the albums, and it uses that to its advantage. Changeability Of Strange Dream may be more of an emotional tour de force, but Magical Astronomy is the most cohesive and tonally broad album, with all of its tracks having a strong space theming and combining together to fit its story perfectly. Magical Astronomy is a truly standout album that easily rivals Changeability as ZUN's best work, I go back and forth on this constantly.
Welcome To The Moon Tour
It's a testament to how good most of the albums' starting tracks are that Welcome To The Moon Tour is only around the middle of the pack, because it really is a great track. It starts off with a super ominous opening before erupting into a far more uplifting and energetic main melody, with a breezy piano riff, fun ZUNpets, and some nice background synths to keep the whole track feeling spacey.
5/5 Stars
Greenwich In The Sky
I adore Greenwich In The Sky. It might just be the best original album track. For starters, it's just a banging piece of music, with a brisk tempo, fun off-kilter time signature, unique synth sound, and addicting melody. It seems like it would be such a great dance number, it's just so joyful and fun. But most of all, where Girls Sealing Club feels like the main theme of the Hifuu Club, Greenwich In The Sky feels like the main theme of Maribel and Renko themselves. It's blend of innocent fun and slight intrigue captures their friendship perfectly. Also, if you like this theme, listen to the +TEK version, it goes so hard.
5/5 Stars
Sleepless Night Of The Eastern Country
One of the few remixes and it's pretty much identical to the original. Still an amazing theme though.
5/5 Stars
The Wheelchair's Future In Space
ZUN's ode to Steven Hawking. No seriously, this is a song about Steven Hawking, and it's absolutely transcendant. From its uplifting main melody, lovely background synths, and banging chorus, everything about this song makes you wanna keep pushing the boundaries of science and cross new frontiers. It's a perfect piece for one of the greatest minds of all time, and definitely one of the better original tracks.
5/5 Stars
Demystify Feast
Demystify Feast is one of the better fighting game tracks ZUN made, and always felt way too good for being a pre-battle theme. It's tense, gripping, and ends with an absolutely bonkers chorus. And this version is even better, with clearer instruments, more impactful percussion, and the addition of some great piano in the background.
5/5 Stars
Satellite Cafe Terrace
Befitting its name, Satellite Cafe Terrace is a nice breather track in the album. It's comfy and chill, with a cute main riff and some bouncy piano. It's just a fun time throughout, and a perfect track right before Magical Astronomy's huge shift in tone.
4/5 Stars
G Free
G Free is one of the most out-of-left-field original tracks and I absolutely love that about it. It's basically a final boss theme that ZUN just threw into the middle of the album, with a dramatic main melody, frenetic piano, and a generally climactic. It's easily one of the most badass tracks ZUN has ever made and another high point in Magical Astronomy.
5/5 Stars
Celestial Wizardly - Magical Astronomy
Magical Astronomy is yet another surprisingly intense and dramatic track. Considering the story scene that it's paired up with, it feels like it's trying to capture the more tragic aspects of Renko and Maribel and the looming threat of their separation. The first half is especially gripping, sounding almost like one of the better PC-98 tracks with how dark it is.
5/5 Stars
Necrofantasia
This is the definitive version of Necrofantasia and Necro-Fantasy. It takes all the best qualities of both. It has the intensity and dramatic flair of Necrofantasia, but adds a lot more of a build-up, softens up the synths a bit, and makes the climax of the track far more powerful. This is the best remix out of all of the albums, it takes one of Touhou's most iconic tracks and perfects it.
5/5 Stars
The Far Side Of The Moon
This is a really great final track, and would probably be the good ending theme of a Touhou game too, with a nice blend of upbeatness and melancholy. The main melody is super catchy, the background synths are lovely, and that piano solo at the end is fantastic.
5/5 Stars
Trojan Green Asteroid: After Magical Astronomy, ZUN took a long break from album-making until after Ten Desires (Four games since the last!). Personally, I think the post-MA albums are generally a bit weaker than the first five especially when it comes to the original tracks, with Trojan Green Asteroid being the weakest in general, but even it's still a pretty great package on its own merits.
Satellite TORIFUNE
At the very least, Trojan Green Asteroid gets off to a fantastic start with one of the better opening tracks in an album. The heavy bass, spacey synths, and light piano choruses gives a similar space theming to Magical Astronomy's tracks, but with a bit of an edge that helps it stand out.
5/5 Stars
Trojan Asteroid Jungle
This is another pretty strong original track. I love the opening with its blend of tense synths, fun percussion, and ominous choirs, but the catchy sax melody is pretty solid too.
4/5 Stars
Desire Drive
This version of Desire Drive doesn't change too much beyond slightly tweaking some of the instruments and changing the key. It's not any better or worse than the original, they're both fantastic.
5/5 Stars
The Fairies' Adventurous Tale
This track is pretty unremarkable, honestly. The acoustic opening is nice and the melody is reasonably pleasant, but it's a bit too slow and basic for my tastes.
3/5 Stars
Ame-No-Torifune Shrine
Ame-No-Torifune Shrine's most noteworthy attribute is its usage of those iconic LoLK synths years before that game would come out. However, the actual melody is once again not too memorable outside of a slower chorus that works surprisingly effectively.
3/5 Stars
UFO Romance In The Night Sky
Yet another remix that doesn't change too much beyond improving the instruments, but UFO Romance In The Night Sky was already a great track.
5/5 Stars
Hartmann's Youkai Girl
Okay, now this is an interesting remix. Unlike the other TGA remixes which only feel like marginal upgrades, Hartmann's Youkai Girl is a completely remake of the original... but with Ten Desires instruments. I adore this remix, it takes one of my favorite tracks in the series and improves it with one of my favorite soundfonts in the series.
5/5 Stars
The Barrier Of Ame-No-Torifune Shrine
Noticing a trend with the TGA original tracks where they hook me with a really strong intro, only to kinda lose me by the end. The tense central riff and heavy guitars are cool, but that's pretty much it, it's just that same riff being repeated throughout the track.
3/5 Stars
Emotional Skyscraper - Cosmic Mind
Another pretty basic remix, but it's still a stellar track.
5/5 Stars
The Gensokyo That Floats In Outer Space
This is a great ending track, with the opening once again being the best part. The melancholy central melody is really soothing and haunting, and the choirs and percussion that were used throughout the album feel especially impactful here.
4/5 Stars
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