|
|||||||||||||||
Soundtrack collectors know just how hard it is to get a hold of Final Fantasy CDs, let alone keeping track of the variant versions that are released. Aside from the original game music, these tunes get translated into just about any form that you can come up with. It doesn’t just end with the New Japanese Philharmonic Orchestra performing live concert versions that are recorded and sold. It goes far beyond that. Add in piano collections, vocal collection, and even Celtic arrangements and you’ve got yourself a massive collection of alternate song versions. Then of course, there’s the fact that sometimes the official versions end up going out of print. Let’s face the facts here; it’s easier to catch a chocobo than it is to keep up on all the CDs that have been released. The thing is, fans of the series can’t help but praise the work of Nobuo Uematsu. Not only has him music added tremendously to the game series, but in many ways, it becomes the heart and soul of the game. Everyone who has played the games has at least one song that has stuck in their minds and brings fond memories of the game. They may even catch themselves humming it at some point. Fortunately, TOKYOPOP has released some of the best tracks so you don’t have to hunt down those expensive and hard to come by imports. Titled N Generation, this collection features some of the best songs to ever lend themselves to the Final Fantasy series. Although many of these tracks may be unfamiliar to those that came in around Final Fantasy VII, to those of us that came in right at the start, many of these are a major part of why we fell in love with the series to begin with. However, don’t expect to find the actual game music anywhere on this disc. N Generation features some of the greatest song versions from piano collections, arranged versions, and the like. Only so much can be done with a keyboard, and presenting the songs in this fashion brings new life to the songs. More interesting, it’s great to here the songs redone in various fashions. Some of the best tracks on this disc have to be those that were taken from Final Fantasy Celtic Moon. The presentation of Welcome to Our Town, Trojan Beauty, and Theme of Love in this way creates an interesting take on the original music. The transition works amazingly well, and one would think that these are the actual versions. Another outstanding highlight of the disc is Roaming Sheep. Although it is a short track, there is a sheer amount of beauty and passion that can be found within it. The added vocals of Ohaka Shizuru are haunting, and yet they contain a mesmerizing quality. Of course, what Final Fantasy music collection wouldn’t be complete without Aria Di Mezzo Carattere? Originally appearing on Final Fantasy VI Grand Finale, this is probably one of the single most memorable songs and events for long time FF fans. With added Italian vocals to set the mood, this song will definitely spark some memories with fans. There are some unfortunate downsides to the CD however. Sadly, the Overworld theme from Final Fantasy VI is absent. Those who may have heard the arranged version of Grand Finale know how beautiful this song really is, especially with the added flutes and violins. Also, Songo de Chocobo and Moogles’ Theme are in all honesty poor representations and are more annoying than anything else. Having heard much of the arranged FF music, I can honestly say that there are in fact better versions of these songs that could have been used. N Generation has something to offer to everyone. It’s the perfect music to set a mood or to unwind with at the end of the day. While gamers will appreciate most of the versions of the songs presented on this disc, non-gamers will in fact marvel at how beautiful each track is and how well thought out each of the tracks are. Hopefully, fanfare will lead to more releases of these versions of the songs, perhaps even reprints of those CDs that are unfortunately out of print. FF N Generation is definitely a must have for just about any music lover. -mike-
|
|||||||||||||||
