Best BGM CD Release?

[Gyt Kaliba]

I'm looking into finally getting some DB music actually on CD, as a majority of my listening to songs I have to admit has been via Youtube and the like, outside of actually hearing it in the show proper. I'm planning to start with stuff that's BGM-centric though, as it would probably be more fun to casually listen to than a majority of the vocal songs.

Looking through the Music Database on the site proper, the one I'm most struck by is the 'Dragon Ball Z BGM Collection', a three-disc set that was released on Feb. 22, 2006. It says it's more expansive than a previous BGM CD release, but is it still the best one to get for those songs even today? Are there other BGM releases that have other tracks not featured on it that I should also look into? Any help is greatly appreciated.

[SSGSS Goku]

I don't have a lot of knowledge on CDs, but I'd have to say it is unless you want all of the songs for DBZ. In that case, you should get the "Dragon Ball Z Complete Song Collection Box". However, that is a very expensive set. If you want the BGM collection, you can buy it here (on back-order): http://www.bestbuy.com/site/dragon-ball ... d=19959042
There's also the Legend of Dragonworld set which has full versions of some of these songs, but does not contain all of them: http://www.bestbuy.com/site/dragon-ball ... d=23149881

[MagicBox]

We're only talking about Shunsuke Kikuchi's music, right? In that case, I would definitely start with the three-disc BGM Collection. It's the most comprehensive Dragon Ball Z BGM set to date. This doesn't include everything (far from it!), but you're getting some of the most popular compositions. There's a lot of material here. It also includes TV-size and movie-size versions of all the theme songs (which is annoying for certain collectors who would have preferred getting more BGM instead). This is currently the best "first purchase" you could make.

If you're hankerin' for more BGM after you digest the three-disc set, you've got a few more options.

The Dragon Ball Music Collection
A collection of BGM from the first 13 episodes of the Dragon Ball TV series. There's is absolutely NO overlap between this disc and the three-disc BGM Collection, so if you can find a copy, congrats! You now have a four-disc BGM Collection with no duplicate songs. This only recently became hard to find, so don't give up! If you do start looking for it on the secondhand market, keep in mind that the suggested retail price for this disc was 1200 yen ($10, roughly). So don't let anybody overcharge you.

The Five-Disc Dragon Ball & Dragon Ball Z "Daizenshuu" Set
Out of print. Hard to find. Very expensive on the secondhand market. A lot of the music here was recycled onto the three-disc BGM Collection, thankfully, but this set still contains almost an entire disc's worth of BGM from the original Dragon Ball TV series that has never been released anywhere else. It's a real shame.

The First Dragon Ball Z Music Collection
Contains BGM from DBZ movies 01-07. Retails for 1200 yen. Nearly everything here was recycled onto the three-disc BGM Collection, but there are eight fan-favorite pieces of music that can ONLY be found on this disc. It's annoying, and those eight tracks (approx 4-5 minutes, in total) might not be worth the extra purchase to you, but it's an option.

The Second Dragon Ball Z Music Collection
Contains (almost!) every piece of BGM from DBZ movie 08. Retails for 1200 yen. A ton of this stuff never made it onto the three-disc BGM Collection, so it might be worth tracking down if you love the first Broli film.

The Dragon Ball Z Movie 10 Music Collection
Contains (almost!) every piece of BGM from DBZ movie 10. I couldn't find an Amazon Japan link for this one, so I just linked the "Movie Soundtracks" page from the main site for info. Out of print. Hard to find. Contains a ton of GREAT stuff that never made it onto the three-disc BGM Collection.

The Dragon Ball Z Movie 11 Music Collection
Contains every single piece of BGM from DBZ movie 11. Out of print. Hard to find. A ton of this stuff never made it onto the three-disc BGM Collection. I was lucky enough to find legit copies of this CD and the movie 10 CD for about $20 each on eBay, but your mileage may vary. It's sad that only the Broli "trilogy" received soundtrack CDs, whereas the other movies didn't.

The Dr. Slump Movie 02 Music Collection
Okay, this is kind of a cheat, but this CD contains a ton of delightful, DB-esque Shunsuke Kikuchi music. It fits right in with Dragon Ball! To my knowledge, this is the only BGM disc that the 1980s Dr. Slump series ever received. Originally retailed for 1200 yen, but it's getting harder to find.

Beware of bootleg copies of everything listed above if you shop the secondhand market. Happy hunting, man!

[DB1984]

The first DBZ Hits Collection. Every single song is a winner. Also includes a few songs that weren't in the series or even in the films.

[Gyt Kaliba]

Thanks for the advice guys! A pity that most of the other BGM CD's are out of print and harder to find, but hopefully that three disc one will suffice for the time being!