Board 8 > Haste2 ranks all 180 VGMC Retirees.

(+) Yeah! (+)

the best BD song never retired

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LeonhartFour posted...

the best BD song never retired

that's clearly false since he just ranked it

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wow serpent below wicked flight

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PIayer_0 posted...

wow serpent below wicked flight

That's the common opinion isn't it?
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NFUN posted...

that's clearly false since he just ranked it

The best BD theme never retired, though.
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th3l3fty posted...

Serpent is not good

Your opinion is not good.

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NFUN posted...

that's clearly false since he just ranked it

nope.jpg

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I've realized I've been stressing a lot in getting everything ranked just the way I want to. It all has to do with my OCD and does NOT have to do what other users think of my ranking. I've finally developed a scoring method that satisfies me, though! All I do is rate the music three times on three separate days.... weight of 17% on day 1, weight of 33% on day 2, and weight of 50% on day 3. Finally, I don't have to stress out so much anymore!

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Actually, since I'm already familiar with the music, it makes sense to do it more like 28%, 33%, 39% weight.

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less stress more rank
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th3l3fty posted...

less stress more rank

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I'm so happy you guys want more disagreeable rankings! (kekeke)

The stress is definitely less because I'm on vacation. But I've still found some time for listening and scoring with that method, and it's actually a LOT of fun with no stress now. Only about 2.5 hours more listening and I'll have a big batch of tracks to unload in this topic.

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Here's that doozy I was talking about!

98) Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty - Main Theme
Series rank: 2 of 2
https://youtu.be/rNVCD1dsnJI
Composer: TAPPY, arr. by Harry Gregson-Williams
Score: 8.1/10 (Excellent)
VGMC History: VGMC 1 (Lost R2), VGMC 2 (CHAMPION)
Favorite Part: 2:41 - the end

Totally epic. Its made in Japan, but it sounds very western. Nice and cinematic, with an orchestral/electonic rock combination typical of an espionage action movie. I enjoy the pitched computer beeps at the start, very soft and subdued, a nice calm buildup. Then the computer beeps get replaced with computerized snares and other drums! They add a ton of intensity. The music makes it obvious you have some dangerous missions ahead. Those rhythmic chords the string do are cool and exciting! Then comes one of the most iconic melodies in all of gaming. Whats interesting about the theme, though, are the key changes. It starts in A minor, then it ends up in D major, then it takes advantage of common tones to move into B minor (how convenient that its a whole step above A minor now), then it ends up E major. The harmonies between all that are nice, too. We are back to the rhythmic stuff that I love at 1:41 (love those slow triplets).. The horns play a bit of the theme at 1:53, too, cool. Then the iconic melody again at 2:41! Love the way it builds up at the end at the end. Soft brass, then the Strings/woodwinds join in (LOVE the 16ths @ 3:22-3:24!), then the choir! Epic. Im already feeling like this one is ranked too low, but Ive got to stick with my new scoring method. But yeah, I prefer MGS3s theme.

97) Tales of Zestiria - Flaming Bonds are Being Tested
Series rank: 1 of 3
ELIMINATED: Tales
https://youtu.be/_nsDUPGU5Nw
Composer: Go Shiina
Score: 8.1/10 (Excellent)
VGMC History: VGMC 9 (Lost R5 to system 0)
Favorite Part: https://youtu.be/_nsDUPGU5Nw?t=305

The use of symphony orchestra here is interesting. It sounds like it would be a theme for a TV show a few decades ago. The Spanish guitar is pretty nice here, the way it sets the mood and style for the rest of the track. The violins complement the guitar nicely. Im liking the harmon-muted trumpets! The trombone not so much. It feels out of place. (also, bad trombone player) I prefer when the synth takes over the trombones line later. When the guitar takes the melody with a crescendoing-orchestra backup, its pretty exciting! Then the synth comes in, aw, yeah...especially those slides. WOW! (reminds me of electronic jazz from the 60s/70s) Then the guitar takes the center stage for considerable time, which I dont mind this time! I really like it here, because, unlike some other retirees with Spanish guitar, its integrated into the overall piece very nicely instead of trying to be a thing on its own. It improvs over the standard harmonic changes, goes to melody, and then back to cool improv again. The background stuff changes throughout there, too, so thats a plus. Around the 3:30 mark it gets a bit weird, and then you suddenly get a clip where the violins sound like they were taken off an old phonograph record or something. Ah, yeah, that squeaky synth at the end is way cool! (5:13 - 5:15 is da BOMB! zOMG I just realize it messes with QUARTER TONES there.)


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96) Grandia II - FIGHT!! Ver. 4 ~ The Final Battle
https://youtu.be/p29MCpipZTI
Composer: Noriyuki Iwadare
Score: 8.1/10 (Excellent)
VGMC History: VGMC 3 (Lost R1), VGMC 4 (Lost R5 to Johanthan Taylor Thomas)
Favorite Part: https://youtu.be/p29MCpipZTI?t=106

Sounds like the Iwadare we all know and love. Tries pretty hard to be epic and fun, but it comes off kind of cheesy. Ill be the first to admit Iwadare isnt a top tier composer. Yet I still manage to enjoy this one a lot... everything kinda clicks with this one. It's intense, but not too dark. The beginning is not particularly original, but those synths REALLY drive the energy as it moves into the main material...simply great! Piano gliss is cheesy! They keep used throughout the piece, yay. Sometimes they get used rhythmically, other times as melody. I like the fragmented use of so many different instruments, it moves from piano to timpani to bells to those synths. It keeps things fresh. I love that exchange between the synth/violins and the off-beat orchestral hits at 0:56, even if its a bit cheesy! (But in a fun way.) 1:09 provides some cool contrasting material. 1:34 is SO much like battle themes in the Lunar games (I like the way the synth line gets finished by the percussion). 1:46 wraps it up nicely the bass there is GROOVY.


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sure

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95) Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana - Sunshine Coastline
Series rank: 2 of 4
https://youtu.be/dNgph1g422Q
Composer: Takahiro Unisuga
Score: 8.1/10 (Excellent)
VGMC History: VGMC 11 (Lost R4), VGMC 12 (CHAMPION)
Favorite Part: All of it, really

This was a bit difficult to rate, as my feelings toward it vary greatly from day to day. (my first rating was 8.5, then 7.6, then 8.3) It starts with an overused new age piano/atmospheric chord progression, but with metal, I actually dont mind it too much! I actually enjoy the bass guitars duet around that hearing them descend from the tonic the fourth is for some reason very SATISFYING to my ear. The rhythmic pulse works really well for some unknown reason. The piano patterns are nice (I like the particular notes that get outlined, kinda 4ths-based). Nice atmospheric synths make a HUGE difference. All of these combine for a VERY impressive overall sound. Nice melody played by a great sounding synth at 0:17! Phrase ending rhythms are yeah! In the next section, the V/VI at 0:43 is very nice! (it happens in other places, too!) At 0:46 the new countermelody is so much FUN. At 1:19 all the offbeats in the rhythm section make the music come alive! (especially the two consective offbeats at 1:33) 1:33 - 1:41 - moves in an unexpected harmonic direction there! Finally, we hit the climax at 1:44! What weird dissonances in the background are we sure the composer didnt mess up at 1:53, wth? But yeah, this whole section makes me feel so LIVELY inside. I enjoy the elongated resolve to the tonic at 2:12! Next section has cool echoey offbeat stuff in the background LOVE IT! Makes a huge difference.

94) VVVVVV - Piercing the Sky
Series rank: 3 of 4
https://youtu.be/qq9CD5kdI5I
Composer: Magnus "SoulEye" Plsson
Score: 8.1/10 (Excellent)
VGMC History: VGMC 6 (Lost R6 to Dorchadas)
Favorite Part: https://youtu.be/qq9CD5kdI5I?t=137

So groovy, but with a touch of emotion added. Mmmm, those full string chords at the start! The way they play the theme underneath the louder chiptune patterns is cool! That kind of thing is what VVVVVV likes to do. Then the chiptune (bad terminology, I know! Im talking about the NES-like sounds) takes it from there with continued help from the strings. The melody is really stylish at 0:49 nice glissandos in there. It goes into straight chiptune for a while before the strings come back again. It then repeats some similar ideas, but this time with countermelodies added to it! I just love this music every detail is so tasteful. The blending of sounds is just fantastic, and the way instruments or melodies weave in and out of focus is really neat. I cant believe this ended up in the bottom half.


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Are you going to be patching in the new retirees as they retire?
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Good question. I might as well, since I will already be patching in other stuff.

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well there goes the best VVVVVV song

and the best Ys track

:(

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Haste_2 posted...

But yeah, I prefer MGS3s theme.

*checks link*

you prefer MGS3's theme to... MGS3's theme?
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Whoops, I guess the autoplay moved to the MGS3 Theme by the time I copied the URL. Here's what I was actually writing about!

https://youtu.be/QiPon8lr48U

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write about more songs

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should have a big batch incoming tbqh

because if this year's retirees are being patched in like 70% of them should be eliminated by now anyway!

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I have now added the sixteen VGMC XIV retirees to the list! Just give me a little time to do those. Some of them will have to be added to the list retroactively. Also, I found new Youtube recordings for a bunch of tracks that were deleted... RIP SupraDarky.

93) Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII - The Price of Freedom
https://youtu.be/ptoXaf-6tLs
Series rank: 7 of 7
https://youtu.be/MOJ91H4mraU
Composer: Takeharu Ishimoto
Score: 8.2/10 (Excellent)
VGMC History: VGMC 2 (Lost R2), VGMC 3 (Lost R3), VGMC 4 (Lost R6 to Hope)
Favorite Part: The acoustic guitar melody

Finally we get our first Final Fantasy track! (What can I say, I love all of the FF retirees!) Great use of acoustic guitar! Simple ideas,simple drumming, but it comes together nicely. This one is packed with emotion, without which it would have gotten a much lower rating. Its very repetitive. But thats not such a big negative here.. , and I love how it ends on the 7th at the end! Still, the acoustic guitar melody (idea #1) is absolute GOLD. Also, the guitar chords there are lovely. Its got a catchy rhythmic pulse, most notably the accent on the 4th beat! Very nice. Its so laid back and chill. But you can definitely sense sadness in there, as well. Ive never played Crisis Core, but Im guessing this is connected to a certain scene involving Zack, a scene also used in FFVII. (not a particularly bold guess, though, considering the title of the track!) At 0:49 I really like those squeaking glisses going on in the electric bass. Then you got idea #2, a nice contrast played by the electric a cool repetitive idea supported by changing harmonies. I also need to mention the reverberating at 1:36 great effect used and works great as a climax! LOVE IT! At 2:56 a cool countermelody gets added (I keep forgetting it exists)!!!

92) Shikkoku no Sharnoth - Dorchadas
https://youtu.be/ptoXaf-6tLs
Composer: Blueberry&Yogurt (apparently)
Score: 8.2/10 (Great)
VGMC History: VGMC 4 (Lost R1), VGMC 5 (Lost R3), VGMC 6 (Lost R8 to Zero (Ace Combat))
Favorite Part: https://youtu.be/ptoXaf-6tLs?t=30

Great style it sounds like Celtic folk dance music, but a little more modern due to the electric orchestration being added. Violin and concertina carry that style nicely. The alternating 2/2/2 and 3/3 meter is typical for this kind of music, but its a big plus, regardless! The guitar and fretless bass fit in perfectly, too. 0:31 has those synth pad-like sounds. YUMMY! The entire instrumentation feels so good! Its a good mix of acoustic/eletric (more emphasis on the acoustic) The bass in the second section is yummy I dig the change in style and meter, too. At 0:48 into more upbeat stuff, and the added drums in the transition is so charming and makes me want to dance around! Now the folksy singer has pop-style vocal layers beneath...hey, it works. The little intermediary section at 1:42 comes out of the blue, but boy, those harmonies! It definitely adds some depth, despite how short it is. Only minor complaint is that the upbeat section is a bit repetitive...and then it repeats it over and over towards the end as if the melody is THAT AMAZING, but its not really! All and all, it's a classic, but there's better folk dance vgm out there!

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Price of Freedom is fantastic

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that dorchadas vgmc4 r1 matchup was an all-timer in "oh my god bracket"

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I can't verify it on bracketmaker anymore since it's gone, so who did Dorchadas face in R1 of that contest?

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Ragnarok Online II - Din Don Dan Dan Fo.

which would go on to retire later that same contest

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91) Chrono Cross - Dream of the Shore Bordering Another World
Series rank: 4 of 4
https://youtu.be/MV-FvxoR1PQ
Composer: Yasunori Mitsuda
Score: 8.2/10 (Excellent)
VGMC History: VGMC 1 (Lost R7 to Scars of Time)
Favorite Part: All of it.

Well, SOMETHING has to be ranked last among Mitsudas list of fantastic works! Simply amazing what Mitsuda put together.. We got that rich fretless bass, the choir synth, the PERFECT acoustic guitar, and the delightfully warm violin, all combining into a rare musical experience. What a relaxing, beautiful, subtly magical atmosphere. Slightly forlorn, too, but not depressing. This is the PERFECT music for meditation! I especially love that guitar rhythmic pattern from 0:07 - 0:12. Then theres the stylish bass at 0:43 - 0:45! The melody is simple and stays in its low register to maintain the atmosphere. Too bad the loop is only about a minute long.not that I would penalize it for that, but it would have been cool if it added a few more ideas. I guess the only negative is that...well, its kind of boring. Its best for when I want to relax, not so much for when Im in a music-listening mood these days. Thats probably why its the bottom of the Mitsudas. But I still LOVE it! Yeah, when I encountered this many years ago playing Chrono Cross, I would just sit there soaking it in for several minutes.

90) jubeat knit - Shining Wizard
https://youtu.be/ZLlFv47lwGk
Composer: 96 (Daisuke Kurosawa)
Score: 8.2/10 (Excellent)
VGMC History: VGMC 7 (Lost R2), VGMC 8 (Lost R5 to Zero-Two)
Favorite Part: https://youtu.be/ZLlFv47lwGk?t=93

Turns out this is one of the very first rhythm game tracks to retire. What a shame Board 8 didnt like this kind of stuff in the past! It gots some somber classical piano at the start, yay. Then from nothing comes a growth of a simple run up-and-down a half scale on piano from which most of the music is based on. It sounds like something some random middle school student would devise, but it works better than I thought it could! In fact, the unusual meter (3/8+5/8+3/8+4/8 ) that came from that idea is compelling! FRANTIC MADNESS! This would be ridiculously fun to play! Reminds me of prog music. At 1:33 we get some new stuff, but yay, the fun meter continues for a while longer! It continues some of the same half-scale idea, but a lot of new things addedI love how the bass and drums support it. Especially how they tastefully emphasize certain off-beats, so GROOVY. :):);) Yes, especially the emphasis Nice call-and-response between guitar and piano at 1:45.! Piano and guitar then double the melody for a while. At 2:07 it goes into 4/4. Boo. This is a bit boring. 2:44 takes us back to the start again, but this time guitars carry the same forlorn feeling. I enjoy the echoey acoustics there. Then the idea gets used at half-time for a while (sort of), and we hear more of the good stuff once again.


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(Late saying this) I didn't realize ded and wed were so highly regarded. The reason they didn't end up higher wasn't an issue with how they were made--it was a style issue. I'm simply not into trance edm music. I suppose an 8 rating is really good considering that!

89) Chrono Trigger - Time Circuits (Enhasa)
Series rank: 3 of 4
https://youtu.be/uzjvqzDaK0c
Composer: Yasunori Mitsuda
Score: 8.2/10 (Excellent)
VGMC History: VGMC 1 (Lost R3), VGMC 2 (Lost R1), VGMC 3 (Lost R6 to Diving)
Favorite Part: The bell-like arpeggios

Its a truly enchanting piece of music. Sometimes I forget this was on SNES. I don't know what to call any of the instruments used, but they were carefully selected, thats for sure. The melodic patterns played by the bell/xylophone-like instrument is simply MAGICAL. Mitsuda loves that fourth interval in his patterns, doesnt he? (Boss Battle 1 does something similar) Then the sitar-like instrument evokes an exotic/slightly primitive aura, perfect for a magical society. Seriously, this theme is a big reason why 12000 B.C. is my favorite part of the game. Then the choir takes over with gorgeous chords MORE magic! Mitsuda always has that knack of being able to create very natural melodies that emphasize the 7th/9th/tritone of the harmonies underneath. Sound quality-wise its among the best SNES music there is.

88) Umineko no Naku Koro ni 1 - goldenslaughterer
Series rank: 4 of 15
https://youtu.be/xAupQUUglkU
Composer: zts
Score: 8.3/10 (Excellent)
VGMC History: VGMC 4 (Lost R3), VGMC 9 (Lost R4), VGMC 10 (Lost R3), VGMC 11 (Lost R6 to Emil Karma)
Favorite Part: The first minute, as well as https://youtu.be/xAupQUUglkU?t=100

Great initial sound effects sounds like a black hole. Classic Umineko wind chimes leitmotif cant go wrong with that. I dislike certain loud beats, true, but I LOVE the main beat in this one (0:14). It doesnt have the heavy dosage of edm trance compared to some other zts tracks, so this track ended up higher. The chime at 0:43, the way it reverberates. gives me the chills! More wind chimes, and then the music goes in double time! Things are getting serious now! At 1:41, we get a major shift: the juxtaposing of the harpsichord vs. organ (cool open chords) is awesome. Add the GREAT piano patterns and we have an all-star keyboard affair! Harpsichord and synth combine with the bass from the start, and you got a unique sound going. Extra beat at 2:38 is cool, to help transition into something different! 2:40s chorus is haunting, especially the lower parts of it, whoa. =O And then comes that same squashy beat again that I love. But yeah, maybe its not too impressive as a composition, but the atmosphere is really something special!


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what the fuck is "Time Circuits"?

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NFUN posted...

what the fuck is "Time Circuits"?

Corridors of the Shore of the Scars of the Memories of the Secrets of the Delightful Spekkio featuring Magus from the Reach for the Best Yet to Come series
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oh no I HATE THIS POST

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I hate all posts

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we are six months into this now

this is the very antithesis of Haste2

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the stats are recorded out of 10

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Will Haste ever find forever?

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Well, at least this is going fast compared to Mycro's ranking topic. >_> But it's reassuring that someone is still following this.

I only have write-ups through VGMC XIII completed right now. I'm at the point where I have to listen-to/rate music (three times at least) and do write-ups for the sixteen VGMC XIV retirees, my top ten VGMC XIII non-retirees, at least five Pokemon write-ups and at least three Ace Attorney write-ups. But once that gets all done, things will go much faster. More specific progress is that listening for the purpose of rating is like 1/2 of the way done, and I've done seven VGMC XIV retiree write-ups.

But yeah, I have this OCD thing where I have to do write-ups before actually rating the music.... the reason is that I often learn more about the music when writing about it. Edit: Actually, that's not really true. It's only true if I know which music I'm going to do write-ups for beforehand. Like, with VGMC XIII music I'm not really sure what my top ten is going to be right now, so of course I have to go through and rate my preliminary top 20 before determining which 10 write-ups to do.

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87) Super Smash Bros. Brawl - Bramble Blast
Series ranking: 3 of 5 (DKC)
Series ranking: 3 of 4 (Smash Bros.)
https://youtu.be/G3rnyqI7dFc
Composer: David Wise, arr. By Michiko Naruke
Score: 8.3/10 (Excellent)
VGMC History: VGMC 2 (Lost R2), VGMC 6 (Lost R5 to Sburban Jungle)
Favorite Part: 1:00 through the end

Apparently "ranking" is the correct term, not "rank". Language is not my forte. Brawl may be considered the worst Smash, but it had Solid Snake, and BOY did the game have some good remixes. Yeah, I prefer the original Stickerbrush Symphony, but this is still worth your time. It starts off familiar enough (ambient cluster chords), but then you got acoustic guitar stuff...very different. It quickly turns into a Blue-grassy feel. But it takes off during the added guitar solo whoa, what a melody fancy, I like its rhythmic patterns! And the violin comes in and plays something a bit more melodic pretty. I like it because of how simple it is. The string pizzs then introduce the real melody at 0:59. Then it goes back between violins and cello (melodic vs. percussive contrast) lovely. I actually like this even more than the first half. Bass is quite adventurous at times...I like that! Cool new secondary dominant at 1:22-1:24 (a cool ambient synth comes in at this time as well) Fun percussive stuff at 1:25! The music adds a GREAT major 7th chord at 1:40 before it heads to the last bit of the theme before it loops. This music uses the melodies a lot more continuously compared to the original, which Id say is a necessary thing in this new style. Overall, its cool to hear an acoustic version of Stickerbrush, avoiding stuff like electric guitars.

86) Super Smash Bros. Brawl - King Dededes Theme
Series ranking: 2 of 3 (Kirby)
Series ranking: 2 of 5 (Smash Bros.)
https://youtu.be/rhz2tYUGX2o
Composer: Jun Ishikawa, arr. by Yoko Shimomura
Score: 8.3/10 (Excellent)
VGMC History: VGMC 2 (Lost R5 to MM3 Title)
Favorite Part: https://youtu.be/rhz2tYUGX2o?t=26

Thats right. I keep forgetting there are two (actually, THREE now) retired Kirby tracks on the list. King Dededes is absolutely one of the best classic Kirby themes! Ive heard someone say this is a nothing remix, but I disagree I think thats not the right perspective. Its meant to be an enhanced version of the original theme, nothing more, nothing less (basically). Im not going to penalize it for that. I mean, I'm rating the music purely based on enjoyment. It starts with a cute xylophone ascent! Abouncy beat is created through the bass with its continuous eighth notes, snare, guitar, and low brass. Oh, yeah, and the guitar does a cool 5-on-2 pattern! (kind of an easter egg, not too important) Other than that, its mostly about the melody! A little two eighth note motif carries the first phrase (which repeats) including echoes of it. The following section is even better. In fact, I get so excited about 0:26 every time I listen. Its so ridiculously simple, but its seriously one of the catchiest bits of music in ANY video game! I cant get over how great it is! The second half of the theme (0:39) is off-the-wall, for sure. It outlines some non-standard notes including an unexpected leap of a major 7th to a raised sixth note on the scale, then goes back and jokingly goes back to do a few standard notes, all this with a swing feel. Yeah. And then afterwards does a little bit more of that moves up in a slow triplet to a gliss to a major tonic chord? Wait, isnt this music supposed to be minor? Then it goes and finishes it up a little bit more normally (back to minor tonic). Then it kind of repeats some of the material with a little bit different use of sounds, but Ive talked enough already. The music is so quirky, so bouncy, I LOVE IT!

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Both songs are great

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Haste_2 posted...

Stickerbrush Symphony

Drop the R and back away.

(This is a common error. It's actually Stickerbush Symphony)
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Oh, ok.

*googles Stickerbush Symphony*
DID YOU MEAN: Stickerbrush Symphony

Wow. Also, there more results for Stickerbrush Symphony than Stickerbush Symphony....

Here' something interesting:
https://twitter.com/david_wise/status/940515439649665024?lang=en

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Haste_2 posted...

Wow. Also, there more results for Stickerbrush Symphony than Stickerbush Symphony....

just means there are a lot of people getting it wrong

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Brush feels right, even if it isn't.

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I've NEVER heard of a mis-spelling get more search results than the correct spelling, though! But it is true that Stickerbrush has more of a ring to it.

Oh, yeah, and I just finished a write-up for a certain VGMC XIV retiree... I took me way too long to fully appreciate it, but I am absolutely FLABBERGASTED by how good it is now! :) :) :)

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Team Rocket Elite posted...

Drop the R and back away.

Stickebrush Symphony
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Haste_2 posted...

Oh, yeah, and I just finished a write-up for a certain VGMC XIV retiree... I took me way too long to fully appreciate it, but I am absolutely FLABBERGASTED by how good it is now! :) :) :)

Janus5k posted...

Will Haste ever find forever?

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smooth mcgroove also calls it stickerbrush symphony.

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I guess being young enough to have grown up with Brawl but not DKC2 ruined Stickerbush for me, bc it's never stood out to me much even though I love Bramble Blast...

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Bump
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