"[3] Chen Shi-Zheng, the man responsible for creating and conceiving the stage adaptation of Monkey: Journey to the West, explained that he "was looking for someone young and smart to work with.

"[5] 18 months after starting work on the project, Albarn produced his first piece called "Heavenly Peach Banquet" which was a take on the style of music performed by female C-pop acts.

"[4] In order to compose the music, Albarn made a habit of strictly using the Chinese pentatonic scale with the aid of a system he used consisting of five- and seven-pointed stars which he stuck to his soundboard and that he would rotate (supposedly at random) to produce unexpected combinations of notes.

The Japanese edition of the album features two bonus tracks, one of which is titled "Journey to Beijing" which was used by the BBC alongside Hewlett's animation as a promotional link for its Olympics coverage.

The "Art" box set contains six exclusive tracks ("5 Point Star", "Living Sea Introduction", "The Dragon Queen", "Buddha's Palm", "Monk's Funeral" and "Volcano").

Additionally the first 500 orders also received a special Monkey Om Box which plays pieces of music composed by Damon Albarn.

"[20] The Times writer Robert Sandall awarded the album 5 stars out of 5, claiming that, "Albarn has really gone the distance in trying to master the indigenous pentatonic scale without abandoning the playful spirit he brought to Gorillaz."

while viewing the album as sitting "roughly equidistant between East/West fusion pop and a contemporary classical work such as Adams's Nixon in China.

"[22] URB echoed these thoughts, stating that "Monkey: Journey to the West is a testament to Albarn's versatility as a musician and his melodies' ability to avoid becoming losing their power in translation.

"[13] However, Keith McDonnell of MusicOMH, gave a rather mixed review of the record itself, rewarding it 2 stars out of 5 and viewing the release as "disappointing on every conceivable level" and states the album pales in comparison to the stage musical itself "I'd totally succumbed to its charm in the theatre, but I'd advise anyone approaching this CD to do so with caution, especially if you've not seen it in its glory in the theatre where it belongs.

"[18] Online music and film webzine Tiny Mix Tapes questioned the album's appeal, commenting that, "Albarn's thirst for musical adventure is commendable, but unless you're obsessed with his every move or have been dreaming of the day a former Brit pop king fuses the sensibilities of Eastern opera and Western pop, Monkey just doesn't warrant your full attention.

Price was slightly more positive, rewarding a 5/10 rating, while writing that "Other pop fans are more likely to see through the emperor's new clothes and call this for what it is: mostly weak but with a couple of monkey magic moments.