Board 8 > Rank the Tracks 152: Yoko Kanno - Ragnarok Online II OST

(+) Yeah! (+)

Fluttershy_Pony's week:
The Weeknd - Dawn FM
vs.
Bring Me the Horizon - amo
vs.
The Protomen - Act II: The Father of Death

Previous results can be seen here:
https://board8.fandom.com/wiki/Rank_the_Tracks
https://board8.fandom.com/wiki/Rank_the_Tracks_Set_2
https://board8.fandom.com/wiki/Rank_the_Tracks_Set_3

The rules:
1. Listen to the album in full
2. Rank every track on the album
3. For the results, there will be a curve at the top of each list; two additional points between #1 and #2, and one additional point for the next two ranks. This way, the songs that really stick out to someone get an edge that is not immediately negated by someone else putting it lower. In the case of Demon Days, someone's 15th track will get 1 point, 14th 2 points, 4th 12 points, 3rd 14 points, 2nd 16 points, and 1st 19 points. For albums with greater than 15 tracks, everything ranked below #15 will be given 0 points and the scale for the top 15 will be the same as a 15-track album. For albums with more than 20 tracks, you only have to list your top 15 (with 16-20, I still like having the average rank listed)
4. If you want to include comments for individual songs, I will compile them in the results
5. The results will be posted at the beginning of the next topic
6. The deadline to vote is Sunday, February 18th at 4:00 PM Central Time; the future week poll will close earlier, when I am putting up the next topic. If you do get in a vote after the deadline but before I post the results, I will probably include it.
7. You can sign up to be added to the user cycle (a new user will be added to the end of the current cycle as long as there are four weeks remaining) - the next person on the list will choose 3 albums which the other users will vote on for the next topic.
7a. To ensure people are being given an actual choice, the three nominated albums must be by different artists. You can otherwise stick to a similar sound or era.
7b. The tiebreaker for these polls will be whichever is listed first in the poll options - make sure to deliver the results in order of your own preference (which will hopefully have the added benefit of influencing people toward your first choice if they can't decide).
7c. I have added a tiered vote structure - the least popular album will be removed and its backup votes distributed to the other two entrants.
8. Starting with the next cycle, every four weeks will be a competitive week where those listed choose a single album to face off against others.
9. Skits and tracks under 40 seconds will be excluded from the rankings unless argued otherwise

Yoko Kanno - Yoko Kanno - Ragnarok Online II O.riginal S.ound T.rack track list:
1. Intro Theme
2. Din Don Dan Dan
3. Hodo
4. Beginners
5. Clap & Walk
6. Yoru
7. Sailing
8. The Force Midgarts
9. Kings Joy
10. 5 Year War
11. Red Wolf
12. Church
13. Prontera Field
14. Swamper
15. Poem
16. Sara
17. Pub
18. Hold Your Life
19. Everland
20. Play Chess in the Air

Current cycle:
2/18: HBJDubs' bonus (Antimatter - Saviour)
2/25: Sheep007 (Mitski - Be the Cowboy)

Future Cycle:
3/3: HBJDubs
3/10: Fluttershy_Pony
3/17: Steiner
3/24: competitive week
3/31: Snake5555555555
4/7: ZaziGuado
4/14: firefdr
4/21: competitive week
4/28: Johnbobb
5/5: FoolFantastic
5/12: Seanchan
5/19: competitive week
5/26: Giggsalot
6/2: RyoCaliente
6/9: darkx
6/16: competitive week
6/23: neonreaper
6/30: Great_Paul
7/7: jcgamer107
7/14: competitive week
7/21: ChichiriMuyo
7/28: BlueCrystalTear
8/4: rwlh
8/11: competitive week
8/18: NFUN
8/25: StifledSilence
9/1: MaxGalactica

Fluttershy on this week:

"It's concept album week! Featuring three different levels of concept intensity:

amo is *allegedly* a concept album about love, but there's no story & several songs that don't appear to be about love at all, so my personal reaction is "no, it isn't". A concept album in name only, for those who don't want a concept album.

Dawn FM is a concept album about a radio station that plays while your soul is in purgatory, but that story is mostly used as a vehicle for some of his best work and it features some big singles. It's the perfect middle ground, able to appeal to those who want an album focused on hits & those who prefer albums with a theme.

The Father of Death is an epic Rock Opera which is *extremely* theatrical, complete with written narration to set the stage of each song. Unlike the other two albums, this one goes all-in on the story; one of my favorite albums ever and an option for those who want their concept albums to tell a complete story with actual defined characters.

Full description of albums with example songs will be posted in the topic when the nominations go up; I've typed up way too much to fit into a PM."

Reposting from the last topic...

Is this week another Youtube only album?

I see Max has got a Youtube playlist here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GFmJIKrD-o8&list=PLgBAXaMeVtypplCB5e9bOngS0plQw0c9s

but maybe someone knows if it's on Spotify?

Yeah, its not on streaming unfortunately. khinsider has it as well if you wanna download it as local files, which is preferable since YT doesnt support gapless playback.

Nekomata Master - Follow Slowly results

The participants sorted by deviation from final results:
HBJDubs (50)
MaxGalactica (52)
NFUN (52 or 54)
Johnbobb (58)
Seanchan (60)
Sheep007 (66)
Fluttershy_Pony (102)

General Album Comments

Seanchan: Only on the 4th song but this is some bangin' ass shit so far! It's too bad it being on YouTube and being 75 minutes long means I'll probably only do two listens.

Is this the soundtrack from a game or something? I feel like I need some more info on what I'm listening to.

NFUN: The songs are just full-length, from a bunch of different bemani games

Seanchan: Very enjoyable overall. It's not quite as fast and frenetic in the last third but that's probably a good thing as fatigue started to set in with the length of the album.

Johnbobb: Fun fact when you google "Nekomata Master - Follow Slowly" this topic is the 8th result

Johnbobb: Can't imagine this is going to get as many listens as usual given the format, but I really dug it. It's a shame it's NOT on Spotify because a few tracks would've gone on my liked songs playlist

HBJDubs: I love rhythm games so this is right up my alley. Lots of great stuff here, with the former VGMC champion taking the top spot here.

MaxGalactica: Good, well-produced album. I particularly enjoyed the top 7 in my ranking. The second half was definitely stronger than the first half, which I feel isn't all too common in albums. And Despair of ELFERIA has grown on me quite a bit since I first listened to it a little over a year ago. The guitars, synths, and occasional flutes were all really well-done. Nice album pick.

Fluttershy_Pony: Good album, though rather difficult to rank. I like everything roughly the same amount, which leads to my ranking feeling a tad arbitrary... but after four listens, this is where things have wound up.

Seanchan: Very, very good album overall. Tough to rank the middle of the list. I do wish it was a little shorter, both on song length and overall album length. And I wish there was an easier way to listen than just Youtube, but at least the album was worth the extra bit of effort!

Follow Slowly track ranking*

*as NFUN did not rank beyond #15, I handled the data as I do with the 20+ song albums - as such, there is no detractor or average rank as I lack a full data set (since both #16 and #17 receive 0 points, the actual score is still correct)

17. Regression (Track #17)
Score: 15
Biggest Fan(s): Johnbobb (#11)

16. Boundary Line (Track #1)
Score: 17
Biggest Fan(s): Fluttershy_Pony (#6)

15. Flying Soda (Track #5)
Score: 25
Biggest Fan(s): Johnbobb (#7)

14. Slowly (Track #7)
Score: 29
Biggest Fan(s): HBJDubs (#8)

13. (Track #8)
Score: 46
Biggest Fan(s): Johnbobb (#3)

12. TWINKLING Other Side Edition (Track #6)
Score: 49
Biggest Fan(s): Fluttershy_Pony (#2)

11. Time Again (Track #16)
Score: 50
Biggest Fan(s): HBJDubs, NFUN (#4)

10. Chrono Diver - Fragment- (Track #2)
Score: 52
Biggest Fan(s): Fluttershy_Pony (#3)

9. Esperanza (Track #10)
Score: 55
Biggest Fan(s): Sheep007 (#2)

8. Element of Spada (Track #14)
Score: 55
Biggest Fan(s): NFUN (#2)

7. Envidia (Track #9)
Score: 59
Biggest Fan(s): MaxGalactica (#2)

6. (Track #11)
Score: 60
Biggest Fan(s): Sheep007, MaxGalactica (#3)

5. Following Flow (Track #3)
Score: 61
Biggest Fan(s): Sheep007, Fluttershy_Pony (#1)

4. Scars of Fauna (Track #15)
Score: 64
Biggest Fan(s): NFUN (#3)

3. Symmetry (Track #12)
Score: 67
Biggest Fan(s): Seanchan (#2)

2. Fallen Leaves (Track #4)
Score: 81
Biggest Fan(s): Johnbobb, Seanchan (#1)

1. Despair of Elferia (Track #13)
Score: 104
Biggest Fan(s): HBJDubs, MaxGalactica, NFUN (#1)

Is this the first time I had the least deviation?

The Protomen > Bring Me The Horizon > The Weeknd

Act II is one of my favorite albums ever, easy choice here

Gin Blossoms - New Miserable Experience results

The participants sorted by deviation from final results:
StifledSilence (14)
ZeroSignal (26)
HBJDubs (28)
MaxGalactica (28)
Seanchan (28)
Sheep007 (28)
Fluttershy_Pony (32)
Johnbobb (36)

General Album Comments

StifledSilence: When I imagine the 90s as a sound, it is the Gin Blossoms. They are the quintessential 90s band for me. I have flashbacks to when I was a kid when I hear these songs. Whether it be heading to school, or to the store, or wherever, songs like Hey Jealousy and Found Out About You were all over the radio at the time. This was especially true in my moms car, as she usually had on Mix 106.5, a station that played a lot of current stuff, mixed with select hits from other decades. If I had to make a soundtrack to my childhood, Gin Blossoms would have multiple entries. As time goes on, I become more and more nostalgic for those days. I miss them. And while Im making new, precious memories with my own kids, these songs take me back to a time where my mom and grandparents were making those memories with me.

Looking at these songs from a present-day lens, I appreciate them in new ways. As a kid, I thought the song Hey Jealousy was called Hey Josie for some reason. I meanhes singing to a girl. It kind of fits. But anyways, the title of New Miserable Experience definitely fits here. Akin to my own nostalgia, the members of the band seem nostalgic to the past. They long for old relationships ended, old places left behind, and even old time periods. Id drink enough of anything to make this world look new again, a line from Lost Horizons, paints that picture extremely well. The radio-friendly alt grunge has a signature upbeat despair, with the singer sounding like he has hit rock bottom while the band jumps ahead. Its beautiful in a way, the sadness on display.

Not a bad song here, although Ill admit the random country jam, Cheatin was a bit strange blended in with the others. The singles are very strong, with two of them being easy choices to go 1 and 2. It was hard to place the others, however. They are all quite good.

Fluttershy_Pony: I quite like this album

Sheep007: Didn't really do it for me. A few toe tappers but not super memorable nor a particularly unique sound. It taped off a little at the end for sure.

Johnbobb: Ranking this album was difficult because I kept forgetting the song I'd been listening to seconds after it ended. That sounds like an insult, and I guess it is, but it's not untrue. Normally I'm a big 90s alternative guy, but this album just kinda felt really samey. Hey Jealousy is still a bop though.

MaxGalactica: Not sure how I feel about this one. Lost Horizons is the only track that stood out to me, and the rest of it was fine and palatable, but it's not really anything that I'd ever want to go back to on my own. Just kind of an album that exists to me.

Seanchan: Sometimes there's the perfect word to encapsulate your feelings on an album. That word, for me, is anodyne. This is the quintessential 106.7 Lite FM of an album. It is acceptable, fang-less, decent in the moment, and forgettable minutes later.

As others have said, it all gloms together, which makes doing a ranking difficult. And then there's that one completely out of place country song; no idea what to make of that one.

HBJDubs: Good ole contemporary rock. Not a memorable album outside of Hey Jealousy, but it's an easy listen.

New Miserable Experience track ranking

12. Cheatin' (Track #12)
Score: 14 (Average Rank: 11.25/12)
Biggest Fan(s): Fluttershy_Pony, MaxGalactica, Seanchan (#10)
Biggest Detractor(s): StifledSilence, Sheep007, Johnbobb, ZeroSignal, HBJDubs (#12)

11. 29 (Track #10)
Score: 35 (Average Rank: 8.63/12)
Biggest Fan(s): Johnbobb, HBJDubs (#5)
Biggest Detractor(s): Fluttershy_Pony (#12)

10. Cajun Song (Track #6)
Score: 46 (Average Rank: 7.5/12)
Biggest Fan(s): Johnbobb, Seanchan (#3)
Biggest Detractor(s): StifledSilence, MaxGalactica, HBJDubs (#11)

9. Until I Fall Away (Track #4)
Score: 48 (Average Rank: 7.25/12)
Biggest Fan(s): Sheep007 (#2)
Biggest Detractor(s): MaxGalactica (#12)

8. Mrs. Rita (Track #3)
Score: 50 (Average Rank: 6.75/12)
Biggest Fan(s): StifledSilence, MaxGalactica (#4)
Biggest Detractor(s): ZeroSignal (#11)

7. Pieces of the Night (Track #11)
Score: 51 (Average Rank: 6.88/12)
Biggest Fan(s): HBJDubs (#2)
Biggest Detractor(s): Sheep007, Johnbobb (#11)

6. Hands Are Tied (Track #7)
Score: 54 (Average Rank: 6.75/12)
Biggest Fan(s): Johnbobb (#1)
Biggest Detractor(s): Sheep007, MaxGalactica, HBJDubs (#9)

5. Hold Me Down (Track #5)
Score: 54 (Average Rank: 6.5/12)
Biggest Fan(s): ZeroSignal (#2)
Biggest Detractor(s): Fluttershy_Pony (#11)

4. Lost Horizons (Track #1)
Score: 57 (Average Rank: 6.63/12)
Biggest Fan(s): MaxGalactica (#1)
Biggest Detractor(s): Seanchan (#12)

3. Allison Road (Track #9)
Score: 59 (Average Rank: 5.75/12)
Biggest Fan(s): StifledSilence (#3)
Biggest Detractor(s): Fluttershy_Pony, HBJDubs (#8)

2. Found Out About You (Track #8)
Score: 105 (Average Rank: 2.13/12)
Biggest Fan(s): StifledSilence, Fluttershy_Pony, Sheep007 (#1)
Biggest Detractor(s): Johnbobb (#4)

1. Hey Jealousy (Track #2)
Score: 107 (Average Rank: 2/12)
Biggest Fan(s): ZeroSignal, Seanchan, HBJDubs (#1)
Biggest Detractor(s): Fluttershy_Pony, Sheep007, MaxGalactica (#3)

The Weeknd > Bring Me The Horizon > The Protomen

THE WEEKND - DAWN FM

Year: 2022
Genre: Synthpop, Dance Pop
Rate Your Music Score: 3.45/5 [17,619 Ratings]
Length: 16 Tracks, 51:49

Wikipedia Quotes:

"The Weeknd described the album's concept as a state of purgatorya journey towards the "light at the end of a tunnel" [...] Dawn FM is an upbeat record containing dance-pop and synth-pop songs that are heavily inspired by the 1980s new wave, funk and electronic dance music styles. The album received widespread acclaim from music critics, who complimented its production and melodies.

Dawn FM reached number one in over 10 countries, including the singer-songwriter's native Canada, Australia, Ireland, the Netherlands, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom; meanwhile, it debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200 chart."

Example Tracks:

Gasoline:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0T4UykXuJnI

Out of Time:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kxgj5af8zg4

[A concept album that represents a radio station that plays in purgatory, this is possibly the concept album best suited for this type of ranking as it's relatively light on "concept", featuring several pop hits that work great even without the context of the other songs on the album. I've had a hard time narrowing it down to two example tracks, but I think these two tracks should do a good job. Gasoline is being used as the theme for the next Wrestlemania, making it an oddly topical choice; Out of Time is a catchy, 80s style song that samples a Japanese city pop classic & has a brief outro that leans into the album's concept to show how that's handled.

You should pick this album if you want a popular, mainstream choice.]

-

BRING ME THE HORIZON - AMO

Year: 2019
Genre: Pop Rock, Alternative Rock, Alternative Metal
RYM Score: 2.83/5 [4,084 Ratings]
Length: 13 Songs, 51:59

Wikipedia Quotes:

"Sykes stated about the album: "amo is a love album that explores every aspect of that most powerful emotion. [...] It deals with the good the bad and the ugly, and as a result we've created an album that's more experimental, more varied, weird, and wonderful than anything we've done before." He later commented that Amo is a concept album about love, as "Everything boils down to love in the end". Sykes also said that some of the lyrical content concerns his divorce. The genres of the album has been described as pop rock, electronic rock, electropop, synth-pop, EDM, alternative rock, electronica, hard rock, pop metal, and pop. The album also contains elements of hip hop and trap.

AllMusic gave the album a positive review saying, "Amo is a genre-bending thrill ride that marks a brave new era for the band." The Independent called the album "catchy and eclectic" but also said that "amo won't satisfy all of BMTH's fans...[but will] bring in some new ones."

Example Tracks:

mother tongue:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-aC_TSkGvPw

MANTRA:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hvZxPWmnqeo

[Having listened to this album dozens of times, I would not describe it as a concept album at all--but it has coincidentally let me nominate three things described as concept albums, so hey, let's run with that. Either way, this album is a bit of a beautiful mess; as you can tell from the Wikipedia quotes, this album takes inspiration from basically every genre to exist except for the metalcore that brought the band fame in the first place. Or as I described it when I was hyping it up to a friend:

""amo" is an interesting album. While the band got their start as a heavy metalcore band, they transitioned to a more Linkin Park-esque sound with "That's the Spirit" (their biggest album by far), and largely moved away from metal entirely with this album. You can feel the band going through a lot of growing pains on this album and it's a rather mixed bag, lacking any type of cohesion. Some songs, like "wonderful life", could easily fit onto their earlier albums with its depression chorus that repeats "no one cares if I'm dead or alive" ; but then they spend two different songs attacking fans of their earlier work, one complaining that no one likes him now that he's not doing suicidal depression (but.. you just... did a depression song...) and one attacking fans who want them to go back to being a metal band & honestly TWO SONGS attacking your fans is a weird choice? But then you have MANTRA, which is catchy as hell, and "mother tongue" is the sappiest ballad the band has ever made and... it's all over the place. Sad songs, songs about how they're not doing sad songs, songs that could be on their old albums, but also fuck you if you like the old albums, but occasionally catchy, occasionally bizarre, and completely all over the place tonally. Objectively, it is not their best album, but it is fascinating and has quite a few songs that I love."

This may be my current favorite album, largely because I've binged other BMtH albums so often that this one's different sound is now more appealing. You should pick this album if you dislike concept albums ("love" is, at best, a theme & not a concept) or if you want a less metal introduction to my favorite band.]

*continued*

*continued*

THE PROTOMEN - ACT II: THE FATHER OF DEATH

Year: 2009
Genre: Rock Opera that transitions from Spaghetti Western to Synthpop
RYM Score: 3.69/5 [1,132 Ratings]
Length: 12 Songs, 57:19

No helpful quotes on Wikipedia, so take some bits from Rate Your Music reviews:

"This album is probably one of the best Rock Operas that Ive heard in a good while and while this album centers around the Mega Man franchise, it feels more than just that. [...] This album has two major thematic parts separated by its genre. The past and exposition is portrayed in a Spaghetti Western sound, then is later transitioned from this western theme to a synth-heavy sound that portrays the dystopian future."

"A massive (if objectively bizarre) achievement in spattering genres across the canvas like a punk rock Pollock. One of the Most albums ever made, sweeping and impassioned and filled with detail even across its many progressive soundscapes. About as theatrical as it gets but without ever acknowledging it, there's no musical theater-esque wink at the audience. It's all just grandiose, pulpy excitement and dramatic highs."

"As a musical experience this record is incredible. There's only one thing holding this back from being perfect, and that it all feels a massive stage production and less like a band playing music together. [...] I love it, but sometimes it feels too Broadway for me."

Example Tracks:

The Good Doctor:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=toeh0-0B4mE

Breaking Out:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4X1ZXokS_s

[I am aware that "Light Up the Night" is the big single which appeared as Rock Band DLC, however as this is a story heavy album, I feel it best to show how each half of the story begins.

Act II is a massive indie rock opera concept album that is very loosely inspired by the Classic Mega Man franchise--by which I mean there are characters named Albert Wily & Thomas Light and robots, which is pretty much it. This is an epic tale of how the city fell into a 1984-style dystopia, broken into stories of how the world fell under darkness & picking up years later as someone finally rebels against Wily's society. The skillful way the album slowly transitions from a heavily Western inspired sound to the synth-heavy rock the band is known for is truly masterful and helps keeps things fresh throughout the album's runtime.

-BUT- this is an extremely story heavy concept album. While there are some songs that could be hit singles--particularly on the second half--there are definitely several tracks that exist more to move the story along than be something you'd likely listen to on their own. The album also included extensive liner notes with full narration to help set the scenes---those are included in the links posted above, so if you're interested in the story, I highly suggest using those & reading along for the full experience. And yes, I am aware there are people who are going to HATE this nomination as a result, -but- it is one of my favorite albums of all time. Also there are, you know, two other less story heavy albums to pick from.

You should pick this album if you want an extravagant theatrical production that tells a complete story.

{EDITOR'S NOTE: Act II is a prequel to their original album, so don't be concerned by the II in the title.}]

The Weeknd > Bring Me The Horizon > The Protomen

bump

Thanks, guys, didn't know about this OST. Loves me some Yoko.

I guess something got eaten somewhere. sorry

...it's really not doing this album any favors when it's inevitable that I'm going to compare it to the other "YouTube only video game" album we listened to not 2 weeks ago. While Follow Slowly is fun, energetic, and interesting, this is the exact opposite. Slow, plodding, and ultimately very boring for me.

I'll probably do another listen but I'm having a hard time seeing myself wanting to do a track ranking.

1: Yoru
2: Sara
3: Poem
4: Church
5: Everland
6: Intro Theme
7: Sailing
8: Clap & Walk
9: Hold Your Life
10: Swamper
11: Prontera Field
12: Din Don Dan Dan
13: The Force Midgarts
14: Red Wolf
15: Beginners
16: Play Chess in the Air
17: Hodo
18: 5 Year War
19: Kings Joy
20: Pub

I... think I like this album? It's just really long... I like half the songs, which means there's a lot here I enjoy! Also a lot that's... less good... it's just a lot in general. Still, I'd say I like this.

Dawn FM > Act II: The Father of Death > amo

Would love to see all of these represented at some point.

1. Intro Theme - One of the most beautiful songs I've ever heard. The children's choir (called The Little Singers of Tokyo) is gorgeous and the string-writing and orchestration is so, so good. Fantastic melody too.
2. Yoru - Ilaria Graziano is one of my favorite singers period. A good chunk of my favorite Kanno songs are sung by her. There's a lot of subtle detail in the songwriting and instrumentation of Yoru that really makes this song shine. The double bass and piano both have very poignant parts (I really love the piano's usage of major chords throughout, despite being in a minor key, it adds a lot of flavor to the piece) that stand out on their own. The tin whistle is a big highlight, as is the marimba solo at 2:47.
3. Prontera Field - The looping of short samples in this intro and the way it builds into a very full sound is breathtaking. Later once the children's choir kicks in for the climax, it's really a special moment. Prontera Field is a song I'd consider pure ear candy, and I get something more out of it every time I listen to it.
4. Sara - The strongest pure Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra piece. Some absolutely gorgeous orchestration, motifs, and use of dynamics. Making the harp the centerpiece of this one was an excellent decision and really makes this piece stand out amongst the other Warsaw songs.
5. Din Don Dan Dan - Love the celtic goodness in this one. The bassline is awesome, the fiddles are great, and the drums and guitars work well with the main parts. Then this song really shines when Gabriela Robin's (Kanno's pseudonym) vocals are added in. Very smooth key change at 3:35 too. Such a fun song.
6. HODO - A slightly less-good celtic song than Din Don Dan Dan. But Gabriela Robin's vocals take a much more prominent role here. There's a lot to love in the rhythms and melodies in this one. The drum solo at 2:34 is a big highlight for me.
7. Sailing - With gapless playback, Yoru is supposed to seamlessly transition to this one, and it's one of my favorite seamless transitions in general. The ambient synths in the background add a lot of depth to Sailing. This one also has one of the stronger melodies in the soundtrack with the violin and tin whistle doubling on it. I love this one a lot.
8. Clap & Walk - The time signatures on this one are pretty cool with the focus on 7/8 and pretty regular time changes, and Kanno does a great job of making the odd time feel natural. The acoustic guitar, strings, and accordion make a fantastic combination here.
9. Poem - The tavern-like solo acoustic guitar, double bass, and Robin's vocals create a lovely combination and make this one feel very comfy. The double bass solo in the second half is a highlight.
10. Everland - Kanno uses this bubbly synth a lot in her music, and I really like it. The guitar effects and children's choir are so good too. Very saccharine piece.
11. Church - A piano-centric playful piece in a style that Kanno has become known for over the last 15 years or so. I love the runs at 1:04 and the children's choir is really sweet-sounding.
12. Kings Joy - Another Warsaw Philharmonic piece. Some strong orchestration over a short playtime. The horns, trumpets, flutes and other woodwinds, mallet percussion, and strings are all wonderful here.
13. Play chess in the air - I love when albums/soundtracks close with ambient pieces like this (Illinois did this as well) that let you close your eyes, absorb the atmosphere, and reflect on what you've experienced over the course of the album. What a great way to end one of my favorite soundtracks.
14. Swamper - Cool, muffled effect on the cello. Not a fan of the intro, but the rest is great, especially Gabriela Robin's vocals again. I love the way the twangy guitar was panned hard right too, making a neat effect in the mix.
15. Red Wolf - I like the reference to Intro Theme in the flute at 0:41. And the crescendo at 1:15 back to that theme is really well-done. The rest of the song is nice, although I wish it were more motivic.
16. Hold your Life - The slow bagpipe motif is interesting, but I like the other aspects of this song more, especially the flute and cello solos.
17. The Force Midgarts - I love me some good bagpipes. I wish it were longer though.
18. Pub - An example of Gabriela Robin's other style of singing, which is definitely not as good as her more ethereal, choir-like style, but I don't mind it too much. Still the e-guitar is the clear highlight of this piece for me.
19. Beginners - Nice song, but it's a bit short-lived.
20. 5 Years War - Brooding mood-setter. I like the usage of timpani, but it's a bit of a weaker piece on its own.

Yoko Kanno is far and away my favorite composer. Her compositional style really connects with me with its simplicity on the surface, yet complexity when you listen more carefully. She's produced 7 albums that I've rated 5 stars on RYM (this being one of them), which is way more than any other artist (no other artist has more than 2). Ragnarok Online II is a great showcase of her abilities in both orchestration and folk songwriting, with some hints of her synth abilities. Being the soundtrack for a canceled game, it didn't receive nearly as much recognition as it probably deserved. I'm very glad we got to cover it here and that you guys get the chance to at least be exposed to it.

Dawn FM > Act II: The Father of Death > amo

Hard choice, since I love all of these, but I think I'll stick with my plan to support the popular option.

This soundtrack gives me big Nier Automata vibes, pretty solid.

Although can we please go back to doing albums that are on spotify

1. Swamper
2. Prontera Field
3. Hold Your Life
4. Pub - look I don't know if this is actually a good song but at least it's memorable
5. Hodo
6. Din Don Dan Dan
7. Everland
8. Church
9. Intro Theme
10. Yoru
11. Poem
12. Clap & Walk
13. Sara
14. Play Chess in the Air
15. Sailing
16. The Force Midgarts
17. 5 Year War
18. Red Wolf
19. Beginners
20. Kings Joy

I could complain about having multiple VGM albums in quick succession, but honestly, this is fire. Gonna do one more listen tonight, instrumental tracks are always tricky to order.

I'm not going to submit a ranking this week.

I did do a 2nd listen and I'll pull back a bit on my initial negativity but there was still nothing here that I really latched onto. Given that and the combination of being long and instrumental, it's just not something I want to spend more time with. Din Don Dan Dan, Hodo, and 5 Year War were ones I was most positive on, while Yoru and especially Pub were very much the opposite.

1. Din Don Dan Dan
2. Sara
3. Intro Theme
4. HODO
5. Swamper
6. Prontera Field
7. Play Chess in the Air
8. Your
9. Poem
10. Clap and Walk
11. Sailing
12. Everland
13. Kings Joy
14. Church
15. Red Wolf
16. Hold Your Life
17. The Force Midgarts
18. 5 Years War
19. Beginners
20. Pub Not sure about this one, chief. At least it's silly in a weird way rather than silly in an awful-sounding way.

Solid VGM album. Not totally sold on the choir, but the synths are gorgeous, lots of interesting instrument choices throughout, and it's long but not boring in the slightest.

1. Yoru/Sailing
2. Din Don Dan Dan
3. Swamper
4. Prontera
5. Poem
6. HODO
7. Red Wolf
8. Sara
9. Intro
10. Everland
11. Church
12. Hold Your Life
13. Play Chess in the Air
14. Beginners
15. Clap & Walk
16. 5 Year War
17. The Force Midgarts
18. Kings Joy
19. Pub

I've known D^4 for like 8 years now, and it's one of few songs that I adored back then that I still adore. The "epic violin battle theme" is increasingly cliched, so I was genuinely surprised about how much it holds up when I got to it. So much personality, and that didgeridoo[?] sweep is something so appropriate and unique that I don't understand why it hasn't been copied a thousand places elsewhere. It's bears some resemblance to Water that Connects Life from Cladun in its mood and quality, so maybe it just takes a jazz musician to soar in this field

Clap & Walk just feels like odd time for beginners, like you're at some square dance at your elementary school and the teacher is trying to teach you what time signatures are and how they can vary. Some folksy music is great and some isn't, so perhaps I'm just imagining the condescension because it'd fit in the latter category regardless

Sorry, Yoru and Sailing are inextricably intertwined in my mind. You can blame Max for that one. It threads being soft, subtle, and moving brilliantly. Even if it weren't my favorite of the album, it shows what Yoko Kanno is capable enough. In the hands of too many other composers it'd be generic, cheesy or boring see joe hisaishi, so props for making something that stands out so brightly while being so understated.

you should nominate all 200 songs of ragnarok online 1 next time

If you want to hear Yoru and Sailing with the seamless transition, I did make a video of that here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RoOx2DHXLV4

Din Don Dan Dan
Intro Theme
Sailing
Yoru
HODO
Hold Your Life
Poem
Red Wolf
Everland
5 Years War
Prontera Field
Sara
Swamper
Church
Play Chess In The Air
The Force Midgarts
Kings Joy
Clap & Walk
Beginners
Pub

Some bangers early on, but the rest of the album is just okay

Safety bump

bumping again