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TopicHaste2 ranks all 180 VGMC Retirees.
Haste_2
11/17/20 11:26:13 PM
#452:


48) Romancing SaGa: Minstrel Song - Battle With Saruin
https://youtu.be/V5wJMKmtbkU
Composer: Kenji Ito
Score: 8.9/10 (Excellent)
VGMC History: VGMC 9 (Lost R6 to Seize the Truth)
Favorite Part: https://youtu.be/V5wJMKmtbkU?t=112

You might be surprised I would like this one so much, but let me explain. I havent played much of the SaGa series, but years ago one of my friends got SaGa Frontier on the PS1 back in '98. I would watch him play it, and I thought it was the coolest game ever! The spell animations are jaw-dropping, too. And, of course, the music would have to leave an impression on me, right? But yeah, I think its cool that a Kenji Ito battle theme got retired (not saying its the best one, though).

The opening introduces a ferocious syncopated pattern at 0:07 (a kind that sounds very much like Ito) from which much of the track relies on. You could almost say they're the backbone of this track. The ascending scales in the strings also boosts that energy around those patterns!! Love when the synth comes in at 0:30...powerful. The first part of the melody is nice enough.. but it gets a lot better in the second half at 1:27 with the strings along with the responses with that syncopated pattern, what a BANGER!! Normally I dont pay much attention to guitar harmonics, but the one at 1:40 is WAY TOO COOL! :) :) Then immediately after that is my FAVORITE part of the theme you got some cool chromatic melodic things combined with unexpected secondary dominants, a very Kenji Ito-like sound here!!! Then at Guitar solo only increases the excitement. The 2:08 is a switch to a relaxed triplet feel, but the way he groups the patterns sounds SO ridiculously awesome there!!! Then at the very end where you got that clash on the second note of the scale. (actually, the clash happens in a few other places, too) That synth solo at 2:25, too! Bluesy repetitions, cool licks and chromatic stuff (2:41 - 2:43) typical of pro jazzers, a nice sync with the rhythm in the middle, and then cram as many notes in as possible toward the end, too! (again, you got that nat-II against Phrygian at parts) Low jazz organ crazy bit just before the loop ends is fun. But yeah, this is what a battle theme is all about!!

I'm curious about the original. Hm, I had a hard time finding the music on its own, here's a video of the final battle in RS3.

Romancing SaGa 3 SPOILERS:
https://youtu.be/MMukiBJwXFw?t=383

Oh WOW, these improv solos were in the original?! Totally didn't expect that! Makes me appreciate the original more and this one less. >_> Granted, the solos were adjusted in Minstrel Song (some of which I mentioned in the write-up) that make it better.

47) Gran Turismo 2 - Moon over the Castle
https://youtu.be/kQMlzcbfz0I
Composer: Masahiro Andoh
Score: 8.9/10 (Excellent)
VGMC History: VGMC 4 (Lost R7 to Trombe!)
Favorite Part: https://youtu.be/kQMlzcbfz0I?t=118

I dont know anybody else, but when it comes to music while driving I prefer classical music! Thus, the relaxed piano opening kind of speaks to me (not saying its classical music, though)! Gotta love use of major IV (melodic minor!). Its got some nice harmonies, such as bVII7 to help lead to the switch to its relative minor. Theme gets presented quietly at 0:35, yay. Very nice final synth pad chord at 0:59 it plays every possible note in the chord through the 11th! Pretty standard 90s metal comes in, but 90s generally means a style I like! Standard jazz organ is standard, but I love the way it revs as it comes in! Just like a race car. Then it hangs over (with a little fall) with such style as everything else is reverberating at 1:21! Rarely do I not think that jazz organ helps things! Oh, yeah, and I gotta add that the organ complements the beat very nicely. Standard electric guitar, standard melody, so its not TOO exciting at first. But things heat up at 1:59. Guitar goes up to the high register with such intensity especially when its that high D at 2:04, and then the harmonies hang around the #6 and dominant chordsahhh, the way the melody outlines that is SO AWESOME!! Oh, yeah, and that whole section has those harp arpeggios that are very nice! 2:11 I like the way the drummer does those triplets in the little break, the way they get split up. Finally, we get the climax at 2:13! More nice harmonies and altered scale notes and that shake in the middle make this so much fun =D! Jazz organ gets the spotlight for a moment nice outlines, particularly the diminished one at 2:43. Fun guitar solo. More of that revving I love at 5:00. Finally, nice way to wind down, similar to how it starts.


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"Ah, a party! We haven't had one of those. It could be fun! So... what is a party?"
"You drink punch and eat CAKE! ...I think."
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