OUS-002 The Very Best of SEGA [Archive]

Nekobo

04-07-2004, 08:56 PM

First of all, I have to comment how amazing it is to have many of the original composers give their consent to this album.

Without further ado, here is my amateur review of the The Very Best of Sega

1. Mustin - Go Straight : A relatively straight forward arrangement of the bad ass first level theme in SoR2...one of my personal favs. Sounds like this could be used in a next generation update of the game. I didn't care too much for the use of samples from the game, though. It just doesn't seem necessary to me, perhaps a bit juvenile for an arrangement cd. It also reminds me of some of Mustin's earlier remixes where he used samples.

2. Tim Sheehy feat. Ailsean - After Burner Woo hoo, Kajin and Ailsean working together. Great arrangement...it perfectly conveys the feeling of flying a super sonic jet. Makes me think of Top Gun. If I were to think of a word to describe this track, it would "solid." Initially I thought I wouldn't care too much for this track, but I was proven wrong. Thanks guys.

3. Mustin - Lava Reef - Seems like every OUS album needs a sexy smooth piece; first Wings of Time, Dream of Another Time, and now this. Might this possibly be a hint of how the future OneUp Mushrooms might sound in the future? Another pleasant surprise. I only wish that I could remember how the original sounded; I can imagine Knuckles chilling with Sonic sipping mai tais. Silky smooth.

4. Dale North feat. Miss Esther Stillwell - DREAM DREAM - Some nice singing by Miss Stillwell. Nice background music, too. Fits perfectly. I prefer this more to the original...it has a nicer, softer vibe to it. It sounds better as a love song, too...the duet in the first one didn't appeal to me. If only Dale got involved and did a duet with Miss Stillwell. Perhaps this track is an indication of how Dale's original album might sound?

5. Dale North - Super Hang On - Wow, I didn't quite expect the song to be arranged in a such a soft, jazzy way. I don't remember the original version too well, having only played it in Shenmue (I think). I just remember it being fast paced...mmm...nonetheless, a nice complement to the previous track.

6. Dale North - Panzer Dragoon - A cinematic take on one of the more kick ass games for the Saturn. It has this nice, slow build up that works its way into a solemn, powerful rendition (with the pianaa) of the game's theme. Then Dale whips out the strings and nostalgia suddenly strikes in at 2:25. My favorite part - the majestic main theme. Beautiful. Then the track slowly fades out in the same way it arrived in the beginning.

7. Tim Sheehy & Dale North - Slow Moon - Hells yes, another one of the classic tracks from SoR2. Just like Mustin's take on Go Straight, this would fit in perfectly with a next generation update of SoR2. I can imagine Axel and his crew kicking some generic thug ass in the park at night. A fine arrangement that doesn't deviate from the original tune.

8. Mustin & William Reyes - Sonic Boom Not too familar with the original, so can't comment on how this arrangement compares to that. I can say that this has this soft, R&B kinda feel to it. The music reminds me of the the Team Gato mix, where that "girl" is talking to Gato. Not too bad...it'll probably take a while for this one to grow on me.

9. Ailsean - Phantasy Star III - Starts of a nice, synthy intro that reminds me a the old Sega game sounded. Then Ailsean's signature guitar work pops in around 1:20. While it doesn't take the song to the soaring heights as I had hoped, it keeps true to the classic feel of the theme. It is nice to hear another individual arrangement from Ailsean...hopefully more forthcoming.

10. Dale North - Phantasy Star IV - A rather weird, electronica type track. Never played the original, so no idea how it sounded on the Genesis. I just know that it is a big contrast from the gentle PSIII theme. This one has a more ominous, sci fi theme...which works really well for the PS universe. Nice beats.

11. Mustin & the Extra Men - ToeJam & Earl - Straight from planet Funkatron, Mustin & the Extra Men bring you this appropriately funky take on the theme. This time around I didn't mind the use of samples; they blend in well, as opposed to punctuating the notes in Go Straight.

12. Mustin feat. Broderick Daniels - Sonic R - Sadly, Sonic R was the only true 3D sonic game for the Saturn...and it had to be a racing game. Anyways, this track is rather unique sounding. Some funky synths and a nice beat. I didn't like the vocalist too much, though. The voice just doesn't seem to fit in with the lyrics...especially when he says "Super Sonic Racing." Also, considering the lyrics, this song seems more appropriate for a faster pace arrangement. The whole style of the arrangement just doesn't appeal to me.

13. Dale North feat. Ailsean - Skies of Arcadia Movement I - Wow. The first 90 seconds is how I would imagine an arranged album of of the Skies of Arcadia might sound. After that Ailsean's guitar makes a nice appearance, adding a bit of extra flavor and oomph, though the track would have still sounded great without the guitar.

14. Dale North feat. Ailsean - Skies of Arcadia Movement II - Didn't like the original piece too much...just seemed a bit too corny for my taste. It has this vibrant, galvanting attitude. This arrangement is pretty good, nonetheless. If only it were a bit longer; I was really starting to enjoy Ailsean's guitar work. My favorite segment is after the :40 mark.

15. Dale North - Skies of Arcadia Movement III - I'm really glad you guys chose to do this one. It is one beautifully woven lullaby. Dale shows off his nifty piano skills. Touching stuff...

Overall, a very good album. I hope it starts a new trend with the vocals. At the moment, I still prefer Time & Space more, since I'm more familar with Mitsuda than with these Sega themes ( I'm probably biased towards the more memorable Chrono/Xeno themes, anyways). Although most of the tracks stay true to the themes, pleasant surprises are abound in this album. As a whole, there is more variety of music on this one than T&S. If only the last two tracks were a bit longer, then I'd be even more satisfied. The only track I didn't like was the Sonic R track. My favorites are Movement III, Lava Reef, DREAM DREAM, and Slow Moon.

Sega Heads rejoice, Sega Newbies prepare yourself for some kick ass tunes and arrangements: The VBoS is definitely worth every penny spent.

Anonymous

04-07-2004, 09:12 PM

Hmm, just downloaded the demos again. I dunno if I'll buy it; it sucks that it didn't sell a lot, but I just don't like the style of music on a lot of the tracks. (Like the vocal ones.)

Marcel

04-07-2004, 09:15 PM

Pre-ordered mine shortly after Christmas...but it hasn't arrived yet. *tear* I'll be posting my review once I've had a listen through. And yeah, it sucks that no one's buying it, so I'll have to advertise it to all my friends.

--Marcel

demalavor

04-07-2004, 09:15 PM

Anonymous

04-07-2004, 10:21 PM

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Facade

04-08-2004, 12:19 AM

Seems quite a few people have gotten the album already, but they must live pretty close to Mustin or something. This does give me hope, i might get the album tommorow all the way up here in Canada (haha, yeah right :p). Friday is good friday so I won't get it then. Most likely it will be early next week, I'll give the CD a few whirls and then get up a good track by track review, hopefully I can make it really long, most of my reviews on vgmix are like a page long, so I might be able to do a pretty long review for this cd :)

Hey give me some credit. I live in Michigan...not by Mustin AND I pre-ordered the album a long time ago. Feels like we should get extra stuff like movies of them making the cd or something for pre-ordering it... ;) j/k

Honestly I can't wait for it to come here. :)

Roggah

04-08-2004, 01:09 AM

Nice album. I'd recommend it. Even though I am a little biased, being a "Staff" member.

Seriously, though, it has a nice assortment here. It is a litttle less varied than Time and Space, which might turn you off if you're not into modern R&B. I'm kind of on the fence on the R&B parts, since they're not completely conventional and use some groovy instrument choices, but overall they don't have the meat I'm looking for in a track.

Aside from my R&B bias, each track has a distinct personality and delivery. The first Streets of Rage track was cool but a little repetitive, with the second one being very groovy. I enjoyed all of the Ailsean tracks (I'm more rock than R&B, obviously). I even enjoyed the cover of the cheesy Sonic CD track "Sonic Boom", despite it having been mentioned sometimes as a notorious example of Sega's cheesy song legacy (DAYTOOONAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA). It used more a bit more restraint and worked better than the original, which is a good thing.

Special mention needs to go to the Toe Jam & Earl track, which is a favorite of mine (ie I love virt's arrangement). It goes in a direction that surprised me - I expected a meatier funk jam - but the quirkiness that comes out is fitting in a George Cllinton-esque madhouse setting. I was bopping my head along to it.

It's interesting to hear the Skies of Arcadia trilogy. I'm typing as I'm listening to them right now. The first part serve as a nice penultimate moment to the CD, with a grand flourish that works as a good counterpoint to the CD's otherwise more modern sounding arrangement. That's not to say the second part is classical baroque or something, but it still has a grander feel. The trilogy is finished with a sincere romantic touch that again works well, and has that distinct Dale North Sound (tm) to it. No cumshots are present, however.

Continuing in the Project Majestic Mix and One Up Studios general tradition of variety, this disc does not disappoint. You'll hear a bit of everything, and will hopefully as a result find something to your liking. Again, I more preferred the rock and funk tracks, but that's my bias and not the fault of the tracks. If you like VGM, you should get this album.

Anonymous

04-08-2004, 02:49 AM

Love it! Thoroughly enjoyed the CD, as I've enjoyed every other arrangement coming out of here. :D I'm not one to comment on specific details or anything.. And I've never even heard the origninals of any of these songs, I don't think (or too far back to remember).. but I like 'em all, and that's enough for me! Should be enough for ya'll as well. :wink: :lol: But seriously, definitely recommend TVBoS to any who has yet to order it.

Totto

04-08-2004, 08:39 AM

ARgh, I live in Europe so I will have to wait for like 7 days to recieve my copy.

Question:
Any special bonuses or easter eggs found on the cd?

Roggah

04-08-2004, 12:53 PM

ARgh, I live in Europe so I will have to wait for like 7 days to recieve my copy.

Question:
Any special bonuses or easter eggs found on the cd?

Not that I know of, no. No bonus tracks or anything. I haven't checked the liner notes yet, though. Could be a hidden URL somewhere like PMM1.

EDIT - Variable Rush put a gun to my head and forced me to mention his liner notes. They took me by surprise, since I first didn't see any wacky randomness and figured he got cut. Then he pointed out the phrase "Variable rush" in the first paragraph. Hah. Well written and informative - Sega doesn't have its story as established as the story of Nintendo (ala "Game Over").

Variable Rush

04-08-2004, 01:35 PM

Is there going to be any liners notes posted online?

I don't know about posted online, but there is a kickass liner note IN THE BOX THE CD CAME IN that talks about The History of SEGA, I read them notes while listening to the CD and it kicked ass. The guy that wrote them rocks. According to the "Thank You's" page, it says some guy named "Brad Hall" wrote them. Whoever he is, YOU ROCK!!!!

The music rocks too, and any day now my review will be on www.chudahs-corner.com

Rock On!

Totto

04-08-2004, 02:12 PM

Will animenation / gamemusic or any other big site sell the cd?

Variable Rush

04-08-2004, 02:47 PM

Who cares about Animenation or Gamemusic? If you buy directly from OUS you can rest comfortably in the knowledge that Mustin has caressed and lovingly sealed your CD in the box he ships it in.

Anonymous

04-08-2004, 03:17 PM

...

Totto

04-08-2004, 03:53 PM

Variable Rush:

I just thought it would be a good deal for OneUp to sell TVBoS on Gamemusic and Animenation. Animenation has alot mot visitors then OneUp, and I remeber that when Animenation sold "time & space" that album was on the top 10 soundtracks sold.

Variable Rush

04-08-2004, 04:04 PM

Yes, but I meant that "Those who are here should buy theirs here" also, the ones here have 10% more Mustinage than the ones sold elsewhere.

Totto

04-08-2004, 04:11 PM

Ofcourse, all who are here should buy the album directly from Mustin hemself. It is really strange that like 1/3 of all 639 who subscribe to the newsletter have ordered the soundtrack.

stevekarpeal

04-08-2004, 04:58 PM

I just got the album and listened to it twice. I loved it. My favorite songs were Lava Reef, Phantasy Star III Main Theme & Outside A Crisis. There isn't 1 bad song on the entire CD.

The only thing I didnt like was the booklet. The Brief History Of SEGA was good, but I was expecting more than that. Some pictures/screenshots of the games, or why the songs that were chosen for the album were chosen would have made the booklet better, in my opinion.

Definitly worth the money.

Henry Jones

04-08-2004, 05:08 PM

Had time for a quick listen when I got it today. I'll review it later when I have time to absorb it, but just one quick nitpick. Phantasy Star didn't start out on the Mega Drive. The original PS was on the Master System. PS II, III, and IV were on Genesis. Sorry, I'm too big of a Phantasy Star fan to let it go. But one word about PS IV "End of the Millennium" arrangement: AWESOME!!!!

Variable Rush

04-08-2004, 05:34 PM

The only thing I didn't like was the booklet.

You... have just single handedly destroyed my will to live. Thanks.

Phantasy Star didn't start out on the Mega Drive. The original PS was on the Master System.

Yes, but as you said yourself Phantasy Star III and IV were on the Genesis, the book didn't say it started on the Mega Drive.

Henry Jones

04-08-2004, 05:49 PM

Yes, but as you said yourself Phantasy Star III and IV were on the Genesis, the book didn't say it started on the Mega Drive.

Fair enough.

demalavor

04-08-2004, 06:57 PM

Damn, I got a CD in the mail today, hoping it would be Very Best of Sega, but it was just Bjorn Lynne's latest CD, Statement (great cd btw). Now theres no mail again until tuesday due to Good Friday and Easter Monday :(

I want this cd :(

joe_cam

04-08-2004, 07:51 PM

Got my CDs
Love them
Great booklet
Awesome job

dilbert627

04-08-2004, 11:26 PM

Just finished listening to it, and it's great. The quality has definitely been "OneUp"-ped, it sounds awesome.
Track Mentions:
1. Go Straight - Totally sweet, one of my favorites, probably because the original was one of the few songs I was familiar with. Really fun song. I think the sound effects fit fine, except the crowd noise in the background I wasn't crazy about but it's OK.
2. Final Take Off - Rocks hard. One of the better rock tracks IMO.
3. Lava Reef - I love the smooth jazz. The electronic background/beat thing reminds me of po!'s Forest mix on SQUAREDANCE, which was a great song as well.
4. DREAMS DREAMS - Esther sings very beautifully, and Dale's arrangement is top notch.
5. Outride a Crisis - Sounds like a typical Dale North remix ;) which is a good thing...
6. Panzer Dragoon Main Theme - Starts off a bit slow, but I guess that's how the original was. I like the arrangement though, starts off kind of quiet and lonely then gets louder.
7. Slow Moon - More SoR goodness. I like the organ.
8. Sonic Boom - Interesting... I agree that the singing is a bit high. I'm not a big fan of pop-ish vocals anyway. Good mix, it's well produced, just not my style.
9. PS3 Main Theme - Ailsean continues to rock.
10. PS4 - End of the Millennium - Dale does trance? Interesting... I like it.
11. TJ & E - ToeJam Jammin - OK, this IS the best song on the CD, hands down. Funkalicious. Live horns = WIN. Nice use of samples here as well.
12. Sonic R - Super Sonic Racing - It's a cool song, but I'm still not crazy about the vocalist on some parts. But, like I said, I don't like vocals, so feel free to disregard my opinion.
13 - 15. Skies of Arcadia - The three skies pieces are great. 1 & 3 are beautiful, 3 especially. And Ailsean still continues to rock on 1 & 2.

Overall, great work by the OneUp team. As usual, I preferred the jazz/techno tracks to the rock/vocal tracks, but that's my taste in music, your mileage may vary.

Anyway, this DEFINITELY needs to go on Gamemusic.com and Animenation to get EXPOSURE. While VGM is still a niche market, the more advertising/exposure you get, the more you will sell.

Oh yeah, the packaging/booklet was very nice as well. The history of SEGA was a nice touch, and informative.

Miller

04-09-2004, 10:12 AM

Ok this isn't a review, but just a comment. I'm in love with 3 of the songs on the album and just can stop listening to them back to back to back to back to back to back .................

Those songs would be the following:

Streets of Rage 2 - Go Straight - Just an awesome techno (put me in a major techno mode again)

Sonic R - Super Sonic Racing - Just love the way that it was kinda changed into a semi gospel song. And a very good on the road song.

Phantasy Star III - Main Theme ~ A New Journey - Puts and end to all hate in the world. :) Very beautiful song.

Radhil

04-09-2004, 10:38 AM

Despite having a Genesis, I was never really a Sega-head, so a large portion of the music I'm not nearly as familiar with as with Time&Space. There, disclaimer made.

My quickie impressions of all the tracks -

1) Go Straight - Great. Awesome. Fast and good.

2) Final Take Off - Should've been in Top Gun.

3) Lava Reef - Just a plain good jive.

4) Dreams Dreams - Good tune, good vocals.

5) Outride a Crisis - Lighter than I expect to hear from OUS (does that make any sense?), but it works rather well.

6) Panzer Dragoon Theme - Good. Tense and mysterious.

7) Slow Moon - Good. Fills the ears after the quieter tracks.

8) Sonic Boom - I don't know why, having a hard time enjoying this. More later.

9) A New Journey - Excellent. Makes me want to dig out the PS Collection Cart I never played.

10) End of the Millenium - Pretty much the same. Reminds me of PSO, they might have reused this. Great.

11) ToeJam Jammin' - PLAIN F#!$ING AWESOME. Best track.

12) Super Sonic Racing - Decent. Maybe I was expecting something different from the Sonic tracks, being the only series I regularly played here.

13) The whole Arcadia Movement - I want to dig out the game again, infinite encounters and all. Awesome.

joe_cam

04-09-2004, 09:16 PM

Alright, now that I've chilled a bit...just want to mention something...

I am not a fan of the two new male vocal tracks.

Sonic Boom is decent but I just dont like it overall...wish it was a more "rockin" tune that was more faithful to the original...
Sonic Racing is decent, but I do not like the singer. And the lisp on "Super Sonic Racing" drives me nuts.

Those are the two low points on the album for me...

Afterburner was fucking AWESOME and while I wish the older version of "ToeJam Jammin" was in, the new one is still great. Hillary's additions to PSIV were haunting....loved em...you go girl...

No thank you to the great joe_cam? OMGWTFBBQ?

Anonymous

04-09-2004, 11:33 PM

...

Anonymous

04-10-2004, 12:02 AM

THAT was the most disappointing CD I've EVER had the displeasure to have inflicted upon my ears. The composition of every track was haphazard and sorely lacking any respect of the originals. I sincerely hope that within you, you realise this could have been something very good and not what it actually is - a waste of good money and a slap in the face of the composers who's genius you attempted to ride the crest of a wave on, failing miserably.

demalavor

04-10-2004, 12:16 AM

You are entitled to your own opinion, but please elaborate on the reasons why you didn't like the CD. Saying things like "omg this sux and its a disgrace to the original composers" just make you look like a child. If you actually say why you don't like the CD, more people would take your opinion seriously.

Flik

04-10-2004, 12:20 AM

I sincerely doubt he bought the CD, considering the demos were up for download, and if he had listened to them and thought they sucked, he would never have bought it.

Anonymous

04-10-2004, 12:23 AM

Facade

04-10-2004, 02:47 AM

I haven’t listened to the whole CD yet, but I listened to all three songs that have lyrics and I will have to say I was expecting a little more from Sonic Boom. The demo of the chorus was one of the things that made me get the CD. Then once I got it, the rest of the song sounds only decent. It doesn't, to me, have the addicting quality of the chorus. I've listened but a glimpse of the other tunes and they seem to be good, but I only listened to sections and not the whole thing.

Vaeran

04-10-2004, 03:51 AM

Hmm!

Flik

04-10-2004, 04:27 AM

I don't get it. People are so wierd. So much hate, so much immaturity, so much confusion. I look at topics and threads like this, and I can't help but just not care. The guests that are obviously here to cause trouble are obviously jealous of someone being more successful than them and need to be immature about it.

The hate for many people is just dumb. If some OCR people hate this place and hate Mustin, then maybe they should just not care and not come here. Even if they do decide to keep causing unneeded trouble, the least that could be done is thread deletions. Can we just stop with the gayness?

I typed all this on some dumb ergonomic keyboard and punched so many wrong keys. These things are horrible.

Wiley Otis

04-10-2004, 05:09 AM

Ugliness aside (talking about stuff said, not the album), I'd like to say that ToeJam Jammin' is perhaps my favorite VG rearrangement ever. And it won't be changing. People throw "the best blah blah ever" around a lot, but this is sincere. Maybe it comes from my fond memories of the game, or maybe it's because you can tell they're having a blast playing it. I can't listen to this song and not be happy. I could be in a deep, angry, death metal state of mind, this song finds its way on my playlist and I'm all grins. And nothing can match the "BRIDGE!"

Whatever anyone has to say about the album, one thing cannot be denied: ToeJam Jammin' is an amazing, wide-reaching song. I can't imagine anyone disliking it.

And back to lurking I go!

Edit: For what it's worth, I also really like Super Sonic Racing and Sonic Boom, even though I wasn't expecting to.

Mustin

04-10-2004, 12:17 PM

I'd like to point out a review at Gamingredients.com. It's definitely one of the most constructive things I've ever read.

http://gamingredients.com/features/other/theverybestofoneup/

My greatest gratitude to Rahul at www.gamingredients.com for arranging the interview and review.

I know everyone has opinions. That's great. I'm all for individuality. But do learn how to express your opinions constructively. As you'll read here, the album isn't mind blowing - I think it's good, but it's not Grammy™ material here or anything. But being constructive with criticism is the most productive thing one can do.

Thank you, Rahul, for setting a good example. All of your points are warranted, and you know exactly what message you're trying to convey.

Thanks.

Anonymous

04-10-2004, 06:56 PM

...

demalavor

04-10-2004, 09:08 PM

oooh, I hadn't listened to that, heh, now it all makes sense ;p

Kaijin

04-11-2004, 12:28 AM

Rahul can suck my dick. last time I checked there was 4 of us.

joe_cam

04-11-2004, 10:48 AM

Tim, I've said it since I first got the demo, Slow Moon fucking rocks my socks, my boxers and my face. I still think it's one of the best songs on the album.

And no matter how much I listen, I do not like the male vocals on the CD. I've warmed up to them as much as possible to the point where I dont have to skip the tracks, but I just dont like them. And Broderick's lisp is so hard to listen to...

Ybrik Metaknight

04-11-2004, 08:20 PM

*Waits anxiously for CD*

Moguta

04-12-2004, 12:33 AM

I need to get around to writing my review. Mixed on this one, really.

*chants to self* Constructive! Constructive! Constructive!

orkybash

04-13-2004, 01:56 AM

I got the album a few days ago, and though I don't have the energy to write an uber-long review right now, I will share some of my thoughts about it. I have to say that it is a very strong album overall, even though it doesn't excite me as much as Time and Space did since I know virtually none of the source material (I'm a firm beleiver that game music, while enjoyable no matter what, is SO much better when you've heard it in context first). The Streets of Rage tracks were superb, as were the Skies of Arcadia tracks. Hell, all of the tracks were great except, IMHO, for the vocal ones. Unfortunately, the three vocal tracks really bring the rest of the album down. The vocals seem a little out of place on all of them - maybe it's the choice of vocalist, or maybe it's the way the vocals were mixed in (I though the vocal track on DREAMS DREAMS seemed a little dry compared to the instrumentation behind it). Also, though this isn't OneUp's fault, the tracks suffer from the fact that the lyrics are just... so... corny. Especially in Super Sonic Racing, which just sounded too much like a commercial jingle from the game. Maybe I'm just missing the nostalgia factor - but then again, if OneUp's releases rely on nostalgia, how is that going to earn respect and recognition for video game music in America?

Regardless, I still think that the CD was well worth the price, and had more than its fair share of good material. I would have liked it even better if I were a SEGA fan, but hey, that's my problem, not you guys's. I look forward to more music!

animefreak

04-13-2004, 03:28 AM

hm. i'm sort of mixed on my feelings about this. i've listened to the CD several times since i've gotten it. i share the sentiment of orkybash, i just wasn't as excited about this one as i was about time and space. It's still a decent CD though, worth checking out, at the very very least. i doubt anyone who buys it will be disappointed.

1) go straight - streets of rage 2 : i like it. it's not really super captivating or outstanding, but it's still a nice track to sit back and listen to.

2) final take off - after burner : this is a good track. i like the guitar work quite a bit. i want to say it sounds 80's-ish, and in my book, 80's equals good stuff.

3) lava reef - sonic & knuckles : chilly. this is probably just me, and it's not a bad thing, but i just noticed that 'lava' reef has a frostier sound than one would expect from the name. it's very, very well done. you would hardly even be able to tell this was game music if you didn't know.

4) dreams dreams - NiGHTS : ah, nights. I love this game so, so much. this track is awesome. it reminds me of the very enjoyable track on christmas nights with an r&b trio (or so. sounds like three guys.) doing acappella. I think this would have kicked ten tons of ass with a duet style, like has been mentioned, but i still enjoy it as it is. Esther has an amazing voice.

5) outride a crisis - super hang-on : i like this track. it brings to mind, stunning as it may seem, driving. specifically, cruising at about 20-30 mph down a neon and streetlamp studded main road. maybe you're by yourself, or maybe you're with your woman. it's really nice and mellow. seems like it ends too quick, though. that'd be my only complaint. I guess it seems that way because i get into the song so much.

6) main theme - panzer dragoon : well... it's very light. minimalist by accident if not by design. If that was the goal, then you did superbly. i'm usually a big fan of ambient-ish stuff, but this track almost seems to me like it's wanting to go somewhere that it never gets to.

7) slow moon - streets of rage 2 : this, i think, would make pretty excellent cruising music too. it's fast enough paced that it would suffice, and sounds pretty good as just a little bonus. i enjoy this track. good prize. (*ding!*)

8) sonic boom - sonic CD : am i the only person that likes this song? i hope not, because it's cool. ok, it's sort of goofy, but so what? the original was pretty goofy too. the explanation of the electronic glitchy part is cool too, robotnik in his lab putting bunnies and stuff in the robots. I think it would have been interesting to have some quiet synth lyrics in there, though. like, microsoft agent or something.

9) main theme - phantasy star III : again, ailsean with the guitar skills. i could totally picture this being an 80's rock ballad. and maybe it would have been awesome as one. but it's pretty cool how it is.

10) end of the millenium - phantasy star IV : i love the transition. A lot. And hillary's voice is super creepy, which makes the song feel that much more like what i imagine was the point. i still think the track could use a little 'more'. more of what, i'm not sure.

11) toejam jammin' - toejam & earl : like the name suggests, it sounds like a bunch of guys just sitting around and playing. for the feel it's going for, it's awesome. i really like it. the clips from the game are used pretty well.

12) super sonic racing - sonic R : ah, the sonic R track. OK, his lisp is sort of distracting, but every time i hear this song, i enjoy it. it's a little fruity, but that's not that detrimental. I love the style. The contrast between the sort of lispy main vocals, and the deeper parts in the background are good stuff. I think this could pretty easily be mistaken for a non-vgm song, as well.

13) movement 1 - skies of arcadia : KEEP ON BELIEVIN, MAN. i love sean, with his cheesy guitar. A little short, but still pretty nice. sounds like movie soundtrack stuff.

14) movement 2 - skies of arcadia : dude, the board ate my comments on this and the next track, the first time through. sucks. Like i had down the first time, i can't really think of a whole lot to say about this track. it's alright, it just doesn't jump out at me with anything.

15) movement 3 - skies of arcadia : see, i'm a little irritated about losing this one, because i made a really funny comment about skies of arcadia as a hallmark special. like one of those cheesy dramas they'd show on lifetime. Anyways, the track is nice. too short. it would have been better, longer, in my opinion.

so yeah. it's a good CD. i think i still like time and space better, even if just by a little. like i said, i doubt anyone will be disappointed with a purchase

Moose

04-13-2004, 03:32 AM

That's one thing I'm not understanding - the people who've been part of the VG remix community for a while are not digging the vocal tracks so much. I absolutely love them. I'm listening to the entire thing "out of context" - never played a single game that's on the album. But I think they are all great pieces of music and were done well - and that's why I enjoy them.

Any opinions on why the older members of the VG community don't seem to enjoy the vocal tracks? Is it because you've listened to so much VGM without it?

Just trying to understand here.....

Moose

Mustin

04-13-2004, 03:39 AM

I understand pretty well.

We made a video game remix CD for people who don't like video game music.

That was the overall goal, but alas, it kinda backfired on us.

I think the vocal tracks are the strongest points on the album. Not only are the vocals great, the backing tracks are excellent.

All in all, I have a feeling that people who know nothing of game music are going to enjoy this quite a bit, as opposed to Time & Space which is geared more towards hard-core gamers and fans of Mitsuda's music.

So we'll see. I hope this CD does well and allow for future releases.

Speaking of which, I'll be focusing on a future release in the next few months. If I'm not around, don't forget how to get a hold of me.

Just send an eMail.

Thank you, everyone, for your comments. I sure hope you enjoy The Very Best of SEGA.

My best,

-Mustin

animefreak

04-13-2004, 03:40 AM

i haven't played a lot of the games on here, S&k and nights is probably it. i enjoy the vocal tracks quite a bit. i think maybe knowing how they're 'supposed' to sound influences people's view on them. People that haven't ever heard the originals don't have that to refer back to though.. that might be a big part.

Totto

04-13-2004, 08:46 AM

I have recived the cd today. Overall is the album great - both street of rage songs rock and toe & jam is fantastic.

The vocal songs are not that bad people say they are. But I think the orignal songs are better.

One more thing, cant you write how long each song are in the booklet on the next album? In both Time and Space, and TVBoS you dont know how long each song are.

hillarygayle

04-13-2004, 11:51 AM

Afterburner was fucking AWESOME and while I wish the older version of "ToeJam Jammin" was in, the new one is still great. Hillary's additions to PSIV were haunting....loved em...you go girl...

No thank you to the great joe_cam? OMGWTFBBQ?

*blushing furiously* Thanks Joe! I'd have said it earlier, but I am woefully without internet at home, due to dumb ISP.

By the way, I am SO USING "OMGWTFBBQ?" Throwing BBQ in there made me laugh out loud.

hillarygayle

04-13-2004, 12:03 PM

8) sonic boom - sonic CD : am i the only person that likes this song? i hope not, because it's cool. ok, it's sort of goofy, but so what? the original was pretty goofy too. the explanation of the electronic glitchy part is cool too, robotnik in his lab putting bunnies and stuff in the robots. I think it would have been interesting to have some quiet synth lyrics in there, though. like, microsoft agent or something.

...

10) end of the millenium - phantasy star IV : i love the transition. A lot. And hillary's voice is super creepy, which makes the song feel that much more like what i imagine was the point. i still think the track could use a little 'more'. more of what, i'm not sure.

You are NOT the only one who likes Sonic Boom. I heard that one previously, when I was there to record End of the Millenium. IT'S BEEN IN MY HEAD EVER SINCE.

Also, I thought you might find Mustin's "vocal direction" interesting on EoM: he told me I was a dead woman, singing a lullaby to a crowd of zombies. I knew EXACTLY what it was supposed to sound like then. ^_______^ He's quite the vocal director.

Ybrik Metaknight

04-13-2004, 12:19 PM

he told me I was a dead woman, singing a lullaby to a crowd of zombies.

O.o Creepy...

Shonen Samurai

04-13-2004, 01:23 PM

Hillary, my personal favorite is OMGWTFHORSE, because it makes NO SENSE WHATSOEVER. It's wonderful.

hillarygayle

04-13-2004, 01:27 PM

Hillary, my personal favorite is OMGWTFHORSE, because it makes NO SENSE WHATSOEVER. It's wonderful.

Bryan puts the names of various government agencies in his. FBI, NSA, FAA, FCC, etc. ^____^ Half the kiddies on the 'net have NO CLUE what those mean.

Ybrik Metaknight

04-13-2004, 01:28 PM

Variable Rush

04-13-2004, 01:37 PM

Zombie Lullaby? OMGUNFDOA

King Bahamut

04-13-2004, 04:40 PM

Hey, I just registered to say damn, I'm loving this CD! I just got it in the mail today, so I will post comments sometime in the next few days.

DCT

04-13-2004, 04:46 PM

I voiced my thoughts on the album on VG Frequency...hopefully people were listening. I'll try to edit my interview and post it here.

demalavor

04-13-2004, 04:49 PM

hillarygayle

04-13-2004, 04:51 PM

What the? Someone in Sweden got it before me? I thought Canada post office sucked, but not this much :(

*hopes for tommorow*

*snort* I'm IN ARKANSAS, and someone in Sweden got theirs before me. *weeps bitterly*

Variable Rush

04-13-2004, 05:52 PM

So? I live in BFE (ask for the meaning) and I don't have the final copy, so I don't know if the liner notes are just the way the were last I saw them.

hillarygayle

04-13-2004, 07:56 PM

I'm game. What's BFE?

Vanion

04-13-2004, 07:56 PM

I'm in Oklahoma, just a couple of hours away from Mustin and Fayetteville and I don't have it yet either. I guess ours just weren't in the first shipment he sent out.

hillarygayle

04-13-2004, 07:59 PM

I was thinking that since I was in Arkansas, mine should actually get here relatively quickly. What IS BFE, by the way, Variable?

Marcel

04-13-2004, 08:07 PM

Well, dema, Canada Post is good if you live in the important parts of Canada...hehe.. </end stereotype>

Anyway, here's my review. for those unfamiliar with my reviewing scheme: I always break things up into sections for fun and the numerical values are purely arbitrary. I don't give out a lot of 10.0s, though. My last Time and Space review can be found on this board somewhere deep in the history or on Chudah's Corner. I think I also reviewed Squaredance there too. Have fun.

Premise

Following upon the success of their Time and Space album, The Very Best of SEGA is OneUp Studios’ second album. This time, the focus is much broader than a single composer, spanning generations (in terms of game systems, anyway) of games. If you are too lazy to read this track by track review, my thoughts are essentially this: The Very Best of SEGA oozes production value and quality. Those who are fans of SEGA should not hesitate to pick this album up. Those who have never heard a SEGA album should still look into this album, albeit, with a more reserved outlook; perhaps you should download the demos before you buy this album. It is an excellent CD, however, and I can give it wholehearted recommendation with a clear conscience.

The Very Best of...What?!

To be honest, I’ve never played a SEGA game in my entire life. Like all the cool kids (heh) during the early-mid 90's, I had a Super Nintendo. Admittedly, I missed a great deal of supposedly excellent games and even with the magic of emulation, I find myself more willing to go back and replay my old favourites than delve into a new old game. Having said that, this review will naturally be from the point of view of someone who has never heard this music in context. Really, I’m sure a lot of people who have purchased this album are in the same position that I am. Besides, those who have heard the music will probably enjoy this album more than those that have not.

Track By Track

1. Go Straight: 10.0

This album opens with quite a bang. Fans of techno will instantly adore this track for its quality. The old school synth that drives the melody as well as the added in-game sound effects gives one an instant feeling of nostalgia even if I haven’t played it. To be honest, I don’t even know what type of game Streets of Rage is, but this song definitely reminds me of one of those side-scroller beat-em-up games like Double Dragon. This is a high powered, energetic techno remix with incredible bass. Anyone with a decent sound setup should instantly recognize the quality and clarity of the sound from this track and, indeed, from all the tracks on this album. This review was delayed for an hour because the first time I heard this track (ie the first time I played the CD) I listened to it for about an hour on repeat. It’s that good.

2. Final Take Off: 8.3

This song is a solid guitar driven piece. Uplifting in mood, it gets its purpose across quite nicely. The score is a little low because I’m not a big fan of the melody itself. This may be because not only have I not heard the original version before, I’ve never actually heard of the game After Burner. In any case, this is definitely a solid arrangement that I wouldn’t skip past, but I wouldn’t skip to it either. Fans of Sean Stone’s guitar work will be quite pleased with this track.

3. Lava Reef: 8.6

This song is quite an excellent funk-jazz arrangement of Lava Reef from Sonic and Knuckles. As a private confession, this is the kind of music that I love to listen to while strutting around downtown. It has two key requirements for this kind of piece and it has them in spades: an excellent sax and a marvellous backbeat driven by a heavy bass. There isn’t much one can criticize about this song. Piano work is well done as well.

4. Dreams Dreams: 8.2

Ah, the first of the contentious vocal songs. To be honest, I’ve always had a soft spot in my heart for these types of cheesy romantic songs that pop culture is full of. This is, to be honest, another one of those. The song is good and the vocals are well done. Esther Stilwell has a great voice and is definitely skillfull with her vocals. It gets points for trying to appeal to the mainstream because it does the pop-ballad thing perfectly. It, however, doesn’t distinguish itself, in my opinion, at least, from the kind of things thrown up on Muchmusic (Or MTV if you’re American).

5. Outride A Crisis: 8.6

Like so much of Dale North’s work, this is a rather melancholic piece driven solely by the power of its synth. Like so much of Dale North’s work, it succeeds brilliantly at conveying its message. If you like his other works like Venus Lullaby (available at VGMix, if I recall correctly) and Wave Sound in the Morning Haze, then you will definitely like this. It features higher production values and higher synth quality than either of those two mixes and is an all around good song.

6. Panzer Dragoon Main Theme: 8.3

It starts out very quietly and surreally. What I think could have enhanced the opening is to have the main synth (the really odd sounding one) melody last long and blend into itself, creating a nice effect of mysteriousness. In any case, once the cello comes in, this piece becomes an interesting soft piece. The song, overall, is very low key. Not too bad at all.

7. Slow Moon: 8.4

Another excellent song by Dale North; the guitar and piano really work well together in this song. As its title implies, this is another low key song, though, unlike the last piece, it’s not quiet. It’s melody is just kind of there to be enjoyed; it has no real point to deliver; a sort of exploring theme much like Noriyuki Iwadare’s ‘exploring’ themes in Grandia.

8. Sonic Boom: 8.1

I’m sort of ambivalent to this piece. I enjoy the lyrics and the mood set by the lyrics, but I’m not sure if I like or dislike the vocals for this song. The male voices have not quite gotten a feel for this piece. Their voices are not rich and yet they are not quite bad either. The arrangement itself is pretty good as well. The bass is quite powerful as I moved the floor upstairs by playing this song too loud. Again, like so much of this album, an ordinarily mediocre song has been transformed into something more by incredibly high production values.

9. Main Theme ~ A New Journey: 8.4

A change of pace comes from Sean Stone, of course. This piece is definitely a winner with its upbeat tempo and its excellent guitar work. The melody of this song almost makes it sound like a song that should have either began or ended the CD, though. A solid arrangement to be sure. It ends quite suddenly, however, and whether this was done on purpose or not is not quite clear to me at this time.

10: The End of the Millennium: 8.7

Regardless of whether it was, the last track blends into this track which really juxtaposes the mood and, in my opinion, that’s not a good thing. Others may disagree. After the short choral part, this song really gets going with a strong techno beat. He melody is there but the drum synth is, to be honest sub-par in comparison with other dance and trance works, the arrangements of bLiNd as an example.

11: ToeJam Jammin’: 8.9

This high quality funk arrangement is a spirited adventure in musical fun. This track seems to be all about having fun and fun is exactly what this track exudes. Excellent sax work combined with funk original sound effects and a driving bass makes this one of the better tracks on the album.

12. Super Sonic Racing: 7.8

The third and last of the vocal tracks on this album. I don’t like this song. The vocals and the music don’t seem to line up in terms of mood. The music moves a lot faster and has a certain drive to it that the vocals don’t seem to keep up with. Instead, they seem laid back and out of place. Moreover, I don’t like the singer for this song. It still gets points for production value because while the music is not in harmony with the vocals, it is still well done.

13. Movement 1: Emotional: 9.2

It reminds me a lot of Gentle Wind from Time and Space (the reprint). This is definitely a good thing. It’s a good rock ballad, though, I think the electric guitar should have kicked in earlier because the synth does not quite cut it in this one and sounds a *little* tinny. It’s not very noticeable, but I am very picky about these things. I much prefer real instruments, but that’s my preference. The song really picks up once Sean Stones comes into the picture. His guitar is very well done, though, I would have preferred a ‘rawer’ sound similar to that which was used on the original Gentle Wind published on the first print of Time and Space. It would have made the guitar sound less synth which, in my opinion, is a good thing. Finally, this song is too short. It ends too suddenly when it should have done another round of the main theme.

14. Movement 2: Vyse’s Theme: 9.4

Sean Stone’s powerful electric guitar drives this piece to the heavens. Unlike the previous song, I think this is the perfect sound for his guitar work. My only real gripe with this piece is that it’s too short. Yes it’s part of a whole, musically, but it’s still too short.

15. Movement 3: Main Theme:

This piece ends the CD quite fittingly: it is quiet and low-key for the most part. The piano and synth orchestra work well together. The synth quality is high here; at certain points it actually sounds like a real orchestra. Kudos to Dale North for this excellent ending piece. But, once again, it is too short. In fact, all of these movements are too short.

The Final Verdict: Overall: 8.6

This is a real contrast with Time and Space. Whereas Time and Space was the big Hollywood movie with tons of explosions and a satisfying conclusion, this is more like a low key (there’s that term I keep using again!) Art film which satisfies you if you know what you’re looking for. There aren’t many epic piece and a lot of the album focusses on pseudo-funk which can be good, but only if you’re into that type of thing. There are a number of reasons why you should buy this album: firstly, it’s good music. It’s better than a lot of crap that’s put out there even by Japanese arrangers. With OneUp, you always know that the musicians and producers and arrangers threw their damnest into the album. This is the second reason: support of OneUp. Come on, isn’t it cool to be able to ask for certain songs to be arranged professionally? I remember mentioning that Frog’s Theme should have been arranged in my review of the original Time and Space. Lo and behold, an excellent arrangement of Frog’s Theme was put on the reprint. Whether it had anything to do with my comment or not is debatable, but that the potential is there is definitely cool. So, what are you waiting for?

DarknessTear

04-13-2004, 08:11 PM

Wow, you have low standards.

animefreak

04-13-2004, 08:56 PM

please say something constructive, or refrain from posting. thanks.

DarknessTear

04-13-2004, 09:04 PM

Constructive.. hmm.. the only song he rated 10 was so repetitive that it was annoying?

Variable Rush

04-13-2004, 09:54 PM

Hilary: BFE is Bum Fuck Egypt. It means you live way the hell in the middle of nowhere.

Anonymous

04-14-2004, 12:26 AM

Wow, you have low standards.

Confucius says, "Happiness is low standards, own fluffy pillow, and own bag of chips."

Expect less, and grab yourself your own fluffy pillow and bag of chips.

I am the kind of person who can find good in everything. I know I'll be able to find something good about this album when it comes out. BTW, looks like your sig disappeared, Darkness Tear! LoL.

People who bitch about these things usually just want them for free...my older brother once tried to bum free ski-lift passes from Boyne Mountain by sending them a letter telling them they sucked. And what do you know? They mailed him a two free passes...

...but that strategy isn't going to work here, bucko.

DarknessTear

04-14-2004, 12:52 AM

I got it for free anyway, I ended up getting the trash with my FFX-2 Piano soundtrack (on BT :P), decided since I wasted my bandwidth I might as well try it and well, after one listen it went to the recycle bin immediately.

Anonymous

04-14-2004, 01:08 AM

...

DarknessTear

04-14-2004, 01:15 AM

Maybe you keep listening to the music until the pretty little voices in your head say "..this music is gooood.. goooood~!".

I don't do that.

As far as the rest of your post goes, what is the name of this thread? Read it until you understand.

Flik

04-14-2004, 01:27 AM

Could you have a little more constructive criticism and at least explain what you thought was bad about the album? Why didn't you like the tracks? What elements do you HONESTLY feel could be better? What would you have done differently to improve the quality? Honest opinions are welcome, but flat out saying it sucks without reason makes you look like an ass.

DarknessTear

04-14-2004, 09:46 AM

demalavor

04-14-2004, 10:12 AM

An Opinion or Review is nothing without the proof to back it up.

Nodame

04-14-2004, 11:14 AM

Constructive.. hmm.. the only song he rated 10 was so repetitive that it was annoying?

shows how much you know about music :lol:

Henry Jones

04-14-2004, 11:38 AM

Hey, look, kids, there's Big Ben again!

Nodame

04-14-2004, 12:56 PM

Hey, look, kids, there's Big Ben again!

OMG OMG OMG OMG!!! WHERE?

Variable Rush

04-14-2004, 02:28 PM

Hey, look, kids, there's Big Ben again!

OMG OMG OMG OMG!!! WHERE?

London, England.

hillarygayle

04-14-2004, 02:34 PM

Gah! My copies of VBoS went out today; I'm psyched!

STUPID POSTAL SYSTEM! MUST GO FASTER!

demalavor

04-14-2004, 04:56 PM

Got mine today, I'll review it tonight or tommorow. Don't have much time today, have Tae-Kwon-Do.

Metacod

04-14-2004, 06:45 PM

I'm very, very sorry, and I know this probably permanantly excludes me from being a true OUS fan, but I don't think I'm going to buy this album.

I loved Time and Space, I believe in the OUS creed, and I want to support what OUS is doing, but after hearing the demos, I just don't want to spend $23 for this album. While I want OUS to survive as much as the next guy, I don't think a company should live on the sympathy of its fans alone. In other words, there is a reason why it isn't selling. It probably has something to do with what Mustin commented on earlier: this album was an attempt to make music that appeals to a somewhat different audience, and it's turning out that most of the people who actually know about OUS aren't part of that audience (I certainly am not). Maybe it's the choice of SEGA subject matter, which fewer game music fans have nostalgic feelings about. Whatever the issue is, it is something that OUS should take into account. This apparently isn't the direction people want, and it isn't the direction I want either – so I'm not going to fork over the money for an album I won't like and in doing so make the statement "Yes, I love it, give me more like this!"

On the other hand, from what I can determine without having heard demos, Xenogears – Shake the Ivories (or whatever it has been dubbed now that it's no longer piano-only) is pretty much exactly the direction I want. I'd probably be happy buying two copies of that to make up for the VBoS copy I didn't buy, really.

Flik

04-14-2004, 08:09 PM

Don't feel bad about not buying the album. I'm just glad you aren't outright slamming the album just because. Some music just doesn't appeal to certain people, and I suppose it's possible that the SEGA crowd isn't all that big. Hopefully in the near future OneUp Studios will have enough diverse albums that can appeal to all audiences.

erindancer

04-14-2004, 09:18 PM

I was just talking about this tonight with my mom who bought a copy. She loves the new CD way more than Time and Space. First thing she said about it was that the general public would really like it - she thought perhaps the fans of Time and Space were looking for something just like the last thing - (she said "a little more geeky") I happen to really love this - I think it's worth a try for even the most serious fan.

demalavor

04-14-2004, 10:46 PM

I know it's not the best review in the world, but here it is, hopefully someone will like it.

demalavor's review of The Very Best of SEGA

Packaging & Liner Notes

The packaging is very professional looking. The artwork is great, it looks just like a CD you would buy in a store. Time & Space had great packaging as well, but this seems to have the professional edge that Time & Space lacked. The liner notes are very well written, thanks to Variable Rush. They include a brief history of Sega, which I found very interesting, I didn't know that Sega was founded by Americans, it was a very interesting read. The only thing I felt the liner notes were missing were little write-ups by the musicians for their songs. I really liked how in SQUAREDANCE, almost every song in the liner notes had a little blurb by the song's respective artist. While it is not as important as the actual music, it would be a nice touch to have. Other then that, the liner notes are excellent.

The Music

01 Streets of Rage 2 – Go Straight

To be honest, I thought I was going to enjoy this track more then I did. Don't get me wrong, it's still a great arrangement, but I was hoping for a little more. It is very similar to the original, and I think the reason I don't enjoy it as much as I thought I would is because I've listened to the original so much I'm kind of burnt out on it. This is pretty much an updated version of the original song, the strings in the background are a really nice touch, and it's fast paced throughout the whole thing. The sound effects give the song a little pizazz, and help it flow along. Clocking in at 4:04, it does get a little repetitive, because it is the same melody throughout the entire song. I think this song would be a lot more enjoyable to someone who has not heard the original or has not listened to the original as much as I have.

73/100

02 After Burner – Final Take Off

I have never actually played nor heard any music from After Burner. After hearing this song I think I might go back and give the music a listen. This song is awesome, honestly, one of my favorites on the CD, it is so damn good. If any of you have ever played any of the Sonic Adventure games, or at least heard the music, you will most definitely be familiar with the style of this song. Honestly, this song could play in a stage in Sonic Adventure 2 and it would fit in perfectly, it sounds exactly like something Jun Senoue would make. The guitar tone, the bass, the melody style, everything, sounds a lot like Jun Senoue, I love it. For people who haven't heard Jun Senou's music, it's rock guitar, a little on the cheesy side, but still awesome. This doesn't get repetitive at all, and has some awesome guitar work thanks to Ailsean.

92/100

03 Sonic & Knuckles – Lava Reef

Ah, yes, this is most definitely chill, and what good chill it is. This is a type of song I can never get bored of, I can put it repeat for hours and just sit back and chill, never getting bored, I love this style of music. This song is composed mainly of Saxophone, chillin' drums and chilled guitar. The only thing I didn't like about this song was this synth noise that is present in the song. It's not present for the entire piece, but when it is there, I found it a little distracting, not that bad though. This song doesn't get repetitive at all, even though it is chill. This is definitely one of the song's that makes this album stand out.

90/100

04 NiGHTS – DREAMS DREAMS

I was never a huge fan of the original, too sappy for my tastes. This is a great arrangement, and Miss Esther Stilwell has a great voice. While not one of my favorite tracks on this album, it is still very enjoyable, and if people like this style of music, I'm sure they will like it a lot more then I do. I have a few problems with this song, the main one is that while Miss Stilwell has a beautiful sounding voice, it lacks power in my opinion. There are some parts that I felt would sound a lot better if she had more oomph in her voice. Also, in some parts of the song, it almost sounded like she was off key. I'm not big on vocals, or really know much about them, but that's what it sounded like to me. The final problem I had with this was some parts of the vocal arrangement just didn't agree with me, it sounded really weird, mainly in the middle portion of the song (2:40 – wtf?). The background music to this piece is very well composed, as is expected of Mr. North. I guess my only problems with this arrangement were in the vocals, but that may come from my preference of instrumental music.

76/100

05 Super Hang-On – Outride A Crisis

Ah, Dale North, a legend among arrangers. Anyone who has heard Mr. North's work before can instantly tell this song is by him without having first looked at the liner notes. Classic North style, which means, a very well done song. It has the twinkly feel that most of his songs have, everything flows well, sounds very professional. Also, this wasn't what I was expecting for this song, but I still love it. When I think of Super Hang-On, I don't think of this emotional, Northy style of music, I think of something fast past and something that you would want to race too. However, even though it's not what I expected in terms of style, it is still an outstanding arrangement. While not one of the best on the CD, it is still a good listen.

82/100

06 Panzer Dragoon – Panzer Dragoon Main Theme

Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes! This is, if not the best, almost the best song on the entire CD. I know many will disagree with me, because it's rather slow, ambient, it builds but doesn't really get to a big bang. I'm not sure why I like this piece so much, this isn't normally a style of music I listen to often. There is just something about this, it's so powerful, so emotional, I can't get enough of it, I will remember this piece for years to come. The instrumentation is very high quality, it just all sounds so damn good. If every other track on this CD sucked balls, and this one was as is, I would still love this CD, just because of this song.

98/100

07 Streets of Rage 2 – Slow Moon

Ah, Mr. Joe Cam's favorite song ever, and for good reason. While not an amazing tracks in term of stepping out of the box, or doing something new, it is still very well arranged, produced, and just very well everything. This is one of those songs that you don't need to listen to a few times to know you like it, you just like it the first time you hear it. The only problem I can see with this song is, it seems like the type that at first you want to listen to over and over again, but then after a while, you almost never want to hear it again. Then in like 4 months you listen to it again and are like “hell yeah, I remember this, this song rules”. Good stuff.

83/100

08 Sonic CD – Sonic Boom

I was very disappointed with this piece. From the demo, I was expecting something totally different. The vocals in the chorus sound very different, very R&Bish, while the vocals in the song sound, to put it bluntly, very bad. It almost sounds like he's trying to sing bad (no offense to the vocalist). I would have really liked this if the vocalist would have sung in the same style voice as the chorus, it sounded a lot smoother, and real. In the rest of the song his voice sounds way too high, and it just doesn't feel like it fits. The music in the background is sort of disappointing too. I understand it's a vocal, but the background music sounded a little sparse and generic. Overall, this is probably the worst track on this CD, I had high expectations for it, and the song didn't live up to them at all.

60/100

09 Phantasy Star III – Main Theme ~ A New Journey

This song is a lot different from what I was expecting, it is a lot more synthy then I would expect from something by Ailsean. While it is a great arrangement, I probably would have liked it more if it was a little more varied from the original piece, and if there was less synth in it. The guitar doesn't kick in until 1:20, and it's at that time that it feels like the song actually starts. Great guitar work and production, which is expected of Ailsean. Nothing else to say about this, good, but not outstanding.

75/100

10 Phantasy Star IV – The end of the millennium

I wonder why only “The” is capitalized in the title, guess the original song is like that, weird. This song was definitely a surprise. Dale North, doing something dark electronic, never heard something like this from him before. One thing I must say first, is that the vocal samples from Hillary Creech are amazing, without them, I don't think I would like this song as much. Even though they are not present through the entire song, they give this song a dark, foreboding feeling that really tops the song off. While the song is a bit repetitive, it still sounds very good, it even has the Dale North sound and is techno at the same time, very good work. I'm not hugely familiar with the original for this, but I vaguely remember it, and this is stirring up a little nostalgia from Phantasy Star IV, good stuff.

86/100

11 ToeJam & Earl – ToeJam Jammin'

WOAH, this is awesome! Holy crap man, I love this, it is so damn funky. As I said before, the Panzer Dragoon Main Theme is one of my favorites, this is just about as good as that song. I can't get enough of this, I've been listening to it almost all day, it's just so damn funky and different, I love it. I can't remember what the ToeJam & Earl music sounds like at all, I played the game when I was in grade 2 or 3, so it's been a long time. Everything about this song is awesome, its funkalishis, anyone looking for something funky, different, fun, and awesome, definitely check this song out, it ROCKS.

95/100

12 Sonic R – Super Sonic Racing

Ah, the dreaded Super Sonic Racing, the song everyone seems to be having a problem with. To be honest, I did not like this song at all, when I first heard it. After about my third listen I started liking it a little more. Now I think it's a very good piece, while not the best on the album, it is definitely better then I originally thought. To anyone who does not like this song, don't dismiss it so quickly, give it time, it is definitely one of those pieces that grows on you. I still think Mr. Daniels lisp is a little annoying, but it's not very strong, so it's not that big of a problem. I would also like to say that Broderick Daniels has a very good range, throughout the song he uses many different ranges of voice, and I think thats what makes this song as enjoyable as it is. The background music, while couldn't stand on it's own, compliments Mr. Daniels voice as well as the flow of the song very nicely. Overall, this is an enjoyable piece, and I'm ashamed to say that at first I dismissed it as “crap” without really giving it a chance.

80/100

13 Skies of Arcadia – Movement 1 – Emotional

Ah, all three of these movements are beautiful. They do not deviate much from the original theme, they are more like an updated version of the original piece, but also arranged at the same time. This is probably my favorite movement out of the three, probably because the other two are a little short, while this one is a decent length. The quality of the instruments is very high quality, it almost sounds like it's recorded live at times. Dale North's classic sound is present in all three movements, and is what makes these three pieces so good. I think Mr. North's style is the perfect style for arranging Skies of Arcadia music, it just fits so perfectly.

87/100

14 Skies of Arcadia – Movement 2 – Vyse's Theme

This is a great, fast paced track, and has the least of the Dale North sound out of the three movements, it almost sounds like Ailsean did this one solo. The guitar work is great, while not very different from the original theme, it is still very well done. I wish it was a little longer, even just looping it over again to make it longer would be nice. It seems a little too short at only 1:30.

80/100

15 Skies of Arcadia – Movement 3 – Main Theme

Ah, one of the best Main Theme's in video game music history. Skies of Arcadia had an amazing score, and I'm really glad you managed to fit three songs from the game on this compilation. I feel this is a very good ending piece to a great CD. It feels like something you would hear at the end of something, very emotional, sad, orchestral. The arrangement is great, and this definitely has the strongest of the North sound out of the three movements. One thing I wish would have happened was that each of the movements flow into each other. Since they're all movements, I was kind of expecting something like that, but it's no big deal.

86/100

Final Verdict

Overall, this was a very enjoyable CD. The Very Best of Sega is a mishmash of many different genre's, which can be both a good and bad thing. Some people may like CD's that are all the same genre, while others like it when each song is something new, that way the whole CD sounds fresh. In my opinion, this CD is better then Time & Space. On my first listen through, I thought that I liked Time & Space better, but as I listened to each song more and more, and got to know them better, I realized that everything about this CD was of higher quality then Time & Space. I highly recommend this CD to any fan of Sega Music, Game Music, and music in general, you will not be disappointed.

Overall Score (not an average): 84/100

Dmx

04-15-2004, 07:27 AM

SUCKY REVIEW, J/K :lol: ,anyway i live in minnesota and i still havent gotten mine, when i order stuff from japan via ems it only takes 2-3 days u still mailing orders out?btw i orderd mine early/mid march

Moguta

04-15-2004, 01:32 PM

animefreak

04-15-2004, 01:57 PM

i can agree with that. Mustin's, that is. I enjoy the vocal tracks quite a bit.

Flik

04-15-2004, 04:05 PM

i live in minnesota and i still havent gotten mine

Are you one of the orders from Minneapolis? If Mustin would have had the order list with him when we were both there, we could have delivered some orders by hand :wink:

You'll should get yours soon for sure.

Variable Rush

04-15-2004, 05:15 PM

The liner notes are very well written, thanks to Variable Rush.

Thanks, that made my day.

DragonNyght

04-15-2004, 05:42 PM

I think the vocal tracks are the strongest points on the album. Not only are the vocals great, the backing tracks are excellent.
I'm sorry, but I can't really agree with that. The vocals themselves are the main point of dislike for me. (Except for Hillary's... most excellent.) No one gets notes wrong or anything that bad! But the texture of the voices sounds too raw... especially when you & William try to sing in high voices on Sonic Boom; really sounds like you guys are straining. And the Super Sonic Racing lisp I just can't ignore.

More later. Plus my opinions of GOOD. =p

I'm with Moguta on this one. The vocals don't really impress me (and I HAVE tried listening to them several times with an open ear & mind). Of the 3, the one I can tolerate the most is Super Sonic Racing, but someone else previously pointed out the thing about the song I couldn't quite place that was bothering me - during the verses, the tempo of the music and the lyrics don't match up so well. :? But I won't skip this song when it comes on...

Honestly, I enjoy the music background of Dreams Dreams (Dale North always rules my speakers!), but I cannot get into the singer. When this piece comes on, I can get as far as 0:40 - but the lyrics "In my dreams / I can hear you calling me" and thereafter sound off-key to me. I've tried listening to this at least 10 times at least, and it always hits my ears the same way... I'm sad about it though, trust me - I really WANTED to like this song. :(

As for Sonic Boom... I never liked this song to begin with anyway, so maybe that's part of it, but the high-notes, although not off-key, just come off as too weak. I used to listen to the Sonic CD soundtrack all the time, but I would always skip this song because I thought it was cheesy. Background music = OK, lyrics = you lost me.

Aside from the vocal tracks, I still think the album as a whole is very enjoyable. Stand-out favorites include:

SoR 2 - Go Straight (awesome; the included sound effects don't bother me, and the applause in the background makes this sound like a dance contest where everyone is just jammin' out to the music)
SoR 2 -Slow Moon (which is just an awesome track to chill out to);
Lava Reef (one of Mustin's best, IMHO);
Outrun (another great Dale chill out track);
After Burner (never played the game, but a very cool song nonetheless).

I'm still absorbing a lot of the other tracks; those listed above are the ones I will actually skip to in order to hear them.

Overall so far I'm happy with the album. Definitely worth the purchase, both to support OUS and, more importantly, for my own enjoyment (that is the point of buying it after all). Thanks for bringing back some great nostalgia (mainly from the SoR and Phantasy Star tracks).

Oh, and Variable Rush, I also thought the liner notes were nicely done. The history was short, sweet and to the point - thanks for that. Great job!

Kassi

04-15-2004, 07:25 PM

I thought the lyrics for Super Sonic Racing were pretty corny too, but understand that Mustin didn't have a lot to work with. He was only able to use the original lyrics - it is illegal to add any lyrics to a remix - which were originally written in a very short amount of time (I can't remember exactly, but it was something like 2 days). So, the singer has a lisp. I can understand that being annoying too, but really, it's sung with soul and I feel the production couldn't have been better. I understand there have been vocals on other albums, but I feel the vocal tracks on this CD were done with an unusual amount of quality in production which is exactly what Mustin does.

My first system was the SEGA master system. That said, my favorite track is Afterburner. I have only nostalgia to back that up, with, though. :)

As a whole, I feel this CD actualizes the highest quality production I've heard on a CD of game music. The tracks are crisp and smooth and maintain that quality of sound no matter what kind of audio system it is played on. You can even run it through a CD boombox with out losing that quality - that's what I really appreciate the second most about it.

The first thing I appreciate? I appreciate the risk OneUp Studios took to release an album of SEGA music when clearly, it is the Square music and classic Nintendo game music that gets most of the attention. I'm glad they didn't discriminate against SEGA just because maybe it was less heard of.

Big thumbs up to you guys. You worked hard and it shows.

Kassi :)

Dmx

04-15-2004, 08:49 PM

I am in bloomington, wich is like 10-15 min from minneapolis DAMN :cry: ,still waiting, hopefully tomorow hehehe.

erindancer

04-15-2004, 09:53 PM

You're in Bloomington? Cool.

What are you doing there? Working somewhere? School perhaps?

joe_cam

04-15-2004, 09:56 PM

Slow Moon isn't my favoritest happy super track ever, Retentions of Conflict is...duh...

Plus the Panzer Dragoon track was freakin awesome. A few months ago, I was gushing about how awesome that song was and now someone else understands...

Dmx

04-15-2004, 10:03 PM

Heheh just got my GED and working, gonna go to minnesota school of buissness later this year maybe, probally for computer gfx stuff :D .

Moguta

04-15-2004, 10:08 PM

As a whole, I feel this CD actualizes the highest quality production I've heard on a CD of game music. The tracks are crisp and smooth and maintain that quality of sound no matter what kind of audio system it is played on. You can even run it through a CD boombox with out losing that quality - that's what I really appreciate the second most about it.

The first thing I appreciate? I appreciate the risk OneUp Studios took to release an album of SEGA music when clearly, it is the Square music and classic Nintendo game music that gets most of the attention. I'm glad they didn't discriminate against SEGA just because maybe it was less heard of.

Big thumbs up to you guys. You worked hard and it shows.
AMEN SISTER! :!:

I noticed that about the mastering quality as well... the CD sounds surprisingly nice on low-fi systems. 'course, that's no reason not to go hi-fi & get that extra detail too. ;)

Also, I fear that part of the less-than-expected sales is caused partially by the departure from Squaresoft tunage. Hope I'm wrong. (Or maybe I should hope I'm right with "Shake the Ivories" coming up?)

As far as the vocals, if it were up to me they shouldn't have been attempted until Mustin had the resources to get them just right. But that's his call, not mine. Not everything was bad, though. The chorus of "sonic boom" is catchy & appealing, the non-lispy portions of Super Sonic Racing are alright, and DREAMS DREAMS is nice as a whole.

Roggah

04-16-2004, 12:26 AM

Vuffster

04-16-2004, 01:28 AM

Xella

04-16-2004, 05:00 AM

My console of choice is N64, and a LOT of people who are more into VGM than I am say that it had a grand total of five good arrangements in its history. So, you know, I'm sort of screwed in the console wars. Add to that my gaming history (slim to none, even on newer consoles) and I'm in it purely for the music.

Console should play no part in what music you listen to. Well... okay, maybe it would for me. Just a little. I wouldn't ever buy "The Very Best of X-Box" JUST because X-Box is a Microsoft product and... well, negative connotations abound there (and no, that's not JUST because I'm a Mac user so hush XP)

Meanwhile, I ordered mine HELLA late, so I'm not expecting to get the CD itself for another couple months ^^; Hopefully it won't come in while I'm in Oregon (in August XD;;) coz' that would... suck. No OUS driving music T__T;

Zeiram

04-16-2004, 02:17 PM

I'm saddened to see that some people buy video game music not because of how good it is, but by what company/console they're allied to. I have a strong feeling it would have done better if this was Square music. People seem to actually oppose the idea of listening to music just because they haven't played the games. Is the music really that unworthy of attention, that it takes a game to hold it up?

(slightly derailed train of thought follows...)

I don't think it is brand loyalty that causes this so much as the familiarity of the music that goes along with it. Nostalgic feelings do color our opinion of the music from video games that we have played, and it is very difficult to strip that out.

Personally, if a friend came up to me with a CD and says, "Hey, you should check out this soundtrack to [Game I've Never Played]. It's really good," I would give it a try even if it was a game that I'd never imagine myself wanting to play. I hadn't heard the original versions of almost all of the music (that made it to the final CD) on this album, but I gave the demos a shot. I wasn't blown away across the board; a few tracks I really liked, but most just were not my cup of tea. If I had played Sonic CD or Super Hang-On growing up would I have somehow "liked" those songs more? I honestly don't know. It might cut the other way too; something I didn't like about Final Zone was the genre switch, and that was because I knew how the original version was used in the game. Note that I did buy the album, both on the merits of the demos and in the hopes that the 20 second clips of songs were not doing the full versions justice.

I'm just rambling all over the place at this point, so I'll leave things at this for now: There were things I liked on the album and things I didn't like, and almost all of both have been covered by other folks here.

Ybrik Metaknight

04-16-2004, 02:30 PM

Just got the CD today, and I'm listening to it for the first time right now. I'll put a full review up later.

Anonymous

04-16-2004, 05:03 PM

...

Dmx

04-16-2004, 05:32 PM

Woooo it came today along with my Final Fantasy 4-6 First Prints :lol: .Anyway the packaging is alot better then time and space very cool looking.I love all the songs except the vocals, just cause im not a fan of vocal remixed songs but overall its a great album cant wait for more!

Gendo Ikari

04-16-2004, 05:49 PM

If OUS has any trouble marketing this album, it is that so many people still see it as just game music. It does not have a main-stream title, and there is no single style unifying the work. At the very least, there is no single idea or concept that the entire album shares in common.

Project Majestic Mix is trying to go with more mainstream names for their upcoming Trance and Acoustic albums. When they release them, I can ALREADY see them selling to an audience outside the Video-Game and VGM community.

Personally, I was inspired to get The Very Best of SEGA simply because of the out-standing track record that OUS set with their debut album, Time & Space. And the title of THAT album sounds more mainstream than "The Very Best of [Insert Game Company Name Here]." But, not very many people are familar with OUS.

If I was part of OUS, I would push to get my work onto public radio...then Joe Smoh can hear "The Boy Forgotten by Time," when he's flipping stations in his pick-up, and hear someone say, "You just heard 'The Boy Forgotten by Time' performed by OUS, on their debut album, 'Time & Space,'" and then Joe Smoh would say, tha's some purty damn good music, I should get a copy for myself!

Ye dig?!

...I should have listened to the parents and become a marketing major.

Azar

04-16-2004, 11:03 PM

okay, I want to buy it so bad right now...one more day, prom is tomorrow night. If I'm not broke when I get home, I'll order it Sunday. (or Monday). :)

stevekarpeal

04-16-2004, 11:36 PM

OneUp Studios > Prom

Ybrik Metaknight

04-16-2004, 11:44 PM

OneUp Studios > Prom

I feel I really must agree with that.

Moguta

04-17-2004, 01:16 AM

If I was part of OUS, I would push to get my work onto public radio...
Yeah, that would be quite nice... but do you have any idea what hurdles are involved? Firstly, most radio stations play music because they are paid to. It's not cheap to buy airtime. And even if you were to convince a station to play it for a bit just out of the kindness of their hearts (meaning you didn't get laughed out or stared at for asking them to play redone game music), there are licensing issues. OneUp Studios has permission for the recordings of the songs, but the compositions are owned by either the original composers, or the game company, or a copyright manager or label that the game company uses. So the radio station would have to go through negotiations with said copyright owners of the compositions to obtain a license for public performance. That's just too much effort on their part. Especially to play a song as a "charity".

Azar

04-17-2004, 10:07 AM

OneUp Studios > Prom

I feel I really must agree with that.

Cd wasnt ready until after I had already blown all my money away...I still have $60 left.

Now tell me, does OneUp studios come before what some of us young people call "getting some"?(not to say that I am, cuz I'm not, thank you. I'm just asking out of curiosity)

Oh yeah, and at least I'm BUYING it...just have to wait another day.(or two :( )

Shonen Samurai

04-17-2004, 02:01 PM

If done correctly, OUS actually comes at the same time as "getting some".

You know how T&S is porn music, after all.

Ybrik Metaknight

04-17-2004, 02:26 PM

If done correctly, OUS actually comes at the same time as "getting some".

You know how T&S is porn music, after all.

:lol:

And Azar, don't worry, we're just messing with you. I know you'll be buying it, and really, that's good enough for me.

Azar

04-17-2004, 02:37 PM

If done correctly, OUS actually comes at the same time as "getting some".

You know how T&S is porn music, after all.

Man I hope so. :D

:lol:

And Azar, don't worry, we're just messing with you. I know you'll be buying it, and really, that's good enough for me.

I thought so...but I've been nervous all day, in about an hour and a half I have to get ready and then go pick my date up, and then introduce her to my parents...

Still, I cant wait to buy the cd...

Nekobo

04-17-2004, 03:06 PM

I thought so...but I've been nervous all day, in about an hour and a half I have to get ready and then go pick my date up, and then introduce her to my parents...

Still, I cant wait to buy the cd...

Have fun at your prom. Right after I went to my 2nd prom (too bad I didn't know anybody there aside from my lady friend) I went home and ordered the 2nd incarnation of Time & Space. The details are fuzzy, but I remembered the demos were sweet.

Azar

04-17-2004, 03:11 PM

Have fun at your prom. Right after I went to my 2nd prom (too bad I didn't know anybody there aside from my lady friend) I went home and ordered the 2nd incarnation of Time & Space. The details are fuzzy, but I remembered the demos were sweet.

Thanks. This is actually my 2nd prom as well. I went to one my sophmore year,but I didnt really know anybody because mostly everyone was seniors. I'll probably end up doing the same with the album thing too, except it will be the sega album. The prom theme is "arabian nights". I'm gonna wear a turban! :D (I'm half Syrian, I have the right! :D )

Ybrik Metaknight

04-18-2004, 03:57 AM

OK, not a full review yet, that'll come sometime tomorrow, probably tomorrow evening.

Initial thoughts:

I've only listened to the album a few times so far, but right now, I can tell it's somewhere in between SquareDance and Time&Space stylistically. I can see myself listening to it along with SquareDance, so it's probably closer to that. Nice easy listening.

So far, the only tracks I'm not terribly fond of are Dreams, Dreams, Toejam Jammin' and Super Sonic Racing. Don't really care for most of the tracks with vocals, except Sonic Boom because I love the original track and End of the Millennium because Hillary doesn't actually sing any words. As for Toejam, I can't help wondering if the Mushrooms couldn't have done better.

But otherwise, I'm very satisfied with the easy listening-ness of the album. I give it about an 85/100 or so overall, maybe higher once I listen to it a few more times.

Azar

04-18-2004, 12:21 PM

Well, prom is over :( But I have my money order ready to be mailed tomorrow. Damn I want hear this cd!

Hthe8th

04-18-2004, 02:23 PM

Let me just say right off that not being a SEGA fan, I hadn't really been too interested in this album from the start but I ordered it just the same because I believe in the cause touted here and at KFSS. So when I initially recieved and listened to it, I wasn't too impressed. I just couldn't get into it. But after a few more listens its grown on me A LOT. I can safely say the only track on the album I don't like is Super Sonic Racing. I think its just that guys voice but blah. Skip skip skip. The Skies of Arcadia section is wonderful but so short it hurts. Other than that I don't really have anything to say other than great job and definitely worth the money.

joe_cam

04-18-2004, 06:23 PM

As for Toejam, I can't help wondering if the Mushrooms couldn't have done better.

I personally preferred the Mushroom's rendition, but I still felt the album version was good...a bit too synthesized for my tasted, but still good.
The Mushroom's full on live performance was great and I wish I could have heard a fully polished version of it...hmm...oh well...maybe on the 'Shroom's album...

erindancer

04-18-2004, 10:43 PM

As for Toejam, I can't help wondering if the Mushrooms couldn't have done better.

You do know that wasn't considered a Mushrooms track right? It didn't have the full group, therefore missing a lot of instruments that could have been used. Glad to see it grows on people like it did for me. I've watched it evolve and grow and become something awesome. Glad to hear it.

Ybrik Metaknight

04-18-2004, 11:13 PM

Xella

04-19-2004, 04:40 AM

I can safely say that, coming from a household where my MOTHER is the biggest gamer (how pathetic is THAT?), my family of three enjoyed the album quite a bit. Unfortunately, my father got turned off when he heard what the album was called, but he'll come around. I have him listing Tatu as one of his favourites, and he's got all of the silver-edition PMM stuff on his iPod (the gold is mine. Miiine >3~)

There were tracks I could do without -- reiterating what quite a few people have said, Super Sonic Racing being one of them -- and there's a weird pause in the very first track that makes me sit up and go "wait, is my disc skipping?" But I really enjoyed it nevertheless.

One suggestion in the future, though: right before the three minute mark in Sonic Boom (right before the vocals come in again after the instrumental interlude), there's a scratching noise. I don't know what it's supposed to be, but the first time I heard it, I yelled at my cat. My mom did the same thing the first time SHE heard it (poor thing was very confused at the end of the day ^^;). It sounds EXACTLY like Belle when he's coughing up a hairball a room away, and it's quite disconcerting, so... can we stay away from that particular sound feature? ^^;;

I haven't heard T&S yet (Xella! Shame on you!) so this is my first OUS album. I think it really would sell to people who aren't into video game music, and I like it.

But I'm making no sense anymore, so I'm shutting up ^^;

chrono26

04-21-2004, 09:08 PM

The album is awsome. I love all the different styles. My favorites are Lava Reef and The End of the Millenium and like everyone else has said im not too fond of the vocal tracks. The quality is terrific. it kinda makes me disipointed that i havnt played half of the games that have music featured on the album. Though im a die hard nintendo fan, its good to know that there's great music in games that i havnt even heard of. keep up the good work one-up :D . and one more thing. AILSEAN IS F***IN' AWSOME ON THIS ALBUM!!

Almasy Marquis

04-22-2004, 01:53 AM

Got mine. Like everything except Sonic Racing.

DragonNyght

04-22-2004, 04:22 PM

AILSEAN IS F***IN' AWSOME ON THIS ALBUM!!

I'll second that! :D

sabin1001

04-24-2004, 04:16 AM

Okay, some thoughts on this album, that won't be as long as they should be, but It's late and I just feel the need to get my thoughts out there. :)

Overall oddities:
A bit surprised with the vocals/R&B thing. Didn't expect (no, I don't listen to samples on OUS and KFSS stuff due to me considering it "spoilers," as I'm gonna buy the album regardless as I trust the creators and want to support any US efforts to expand Video Game music). Especially since the title "The Very Best of Sega" doesn't really invoke thoughts of R&B...
Which brings up the whole "a video game remix album for people who don't like video game music." Not sure why this assertion is being made by its creators when they 1) make a traditional remix track the leadoff track and 2) name it "The Very Best of Sega." But that's probably just me not getting the whole marketing/vision thing, I'm a geek not a salesman. :)

Complaints:
Lisping lisping lisping. Make it stop please. Maybe it's cause I'm a vocalist? It just hurts the song so much, as it's really good if not for the lisping. But hey, I still like to listen to it, so not too much harm done. :)

Skies of Arcadia stuff. Haven't played the game yet so I didn't recognize the tracks when they came on, and they were over so fast I was like..."where's movement two?" After going back and relistening I can say that Ailsean rocks, and that Vyse's theme is pretty good, just needs more length :) Main theme...not much going on and it ends the album on a very low key and again very quickly. But I guess that's okay when you take into consideration my next point.

Good things:
A lot of solid stuff here. And....oh forget it I LOVE TRACK ONE! MORE MORE MORE MORE MORE MORE MORE MORE MORE. Seriously, this thing is why I listened to it 3 times continuosly in my car. See my car automatically repeats a CD, so when the album finished..track 1 came on again..and I couldn't stop it...it's just too good.
Yeah yeah, maybe it'd be possible to do a bit more with the song and go somewhere else, but hey, if you've got a good pattern, that you can listen to for a few hours, there's no reason not to. :) (Stop looking at me...I know I listened to the Kazham theme for 8 hours one day...but come on...it's not that weird.... ;.; ).

As you can tell I'm into more instrumentals/techno remixes. So Go Straight is my fave, and Take Off/Slow Moon/Main Theme/End of../Toe Jam2 are all up there in that same vein and are the kind of stuff that keep me coming to OUS.

The Vocals/R&B's...not exactly what I expected, but good stuff. I didn't expect to like them as much as I'm coming to. May not be in the mood for them all them time, but they're quite solid, and pleasing to hear when I'm in the mood.

Except Sonic Boom, that song rocks...all the time. :D Need a DDR styled remix, maybe with that weird synthy 200bpm high pitched instrument that they always throw into JPOP songs.

Overall, good job. Nice to see you trying things. I still feel SquareDance is the strongest remix album, and hope you will do more in that vein of remixing. Don't want you guys trying to get so far away from mainstream remixing that you end up getting stuck in pop/R&B crap land. :)

Which brings up a good point...we need Hip/Hop (not crap-hop, I mean real Hip/Hop ala Deltron 3030 or Handsome Boy Modeling School) style remixes. That's the category to shoot for. You got vocals, untapped remixing area, and electronically based sound. Here's to hoping for it. :)

*Sabin1001 starts thinking about Miho Hattori and video game music...interesting...

Moguta

04-25-2004, 02:31 AM

I think it's time for a semi-formal mogu-view.
It should be noted that I've never heard the originals of these songs. I have heard a few OCR/VGMix versions, though.

LAVA REEF
I must start with this song, simply because it is my uncontested favorite. Everything about this piece is so perfect... from the introductory bass notes (and the articulation, you can hear the snap!) to the slick saxage, the catchy percussion & complimentary electronic "squeaks", William's guitar, the sweet piano riffs. I think this is the best "Jinn & Juice"-style track Mustin has yet to produce. It all fits together with no seams, no abruptness, and a single enveloping sonic atmosphere. I think he's turning into po!stin, and I love it. ;p

Final Take-Off
Dude, the slap bass & percussion aren't that complicated, but they're good. Add Ailsean's chops, and the organ, and it does take off. One of my favorite portions of the song begins at 1:30 when the synth horns start their short pulsing notes; just a small touch but very neat & an attractive additive. Also, the variation in Sean's guitar makes it the more interesting & how the background at times totally shifts to bring out a new feel. The quick fingerwork at 3:05 is sure to win our wookie all the sexy geekettes he's ever wanted.

Outride A Crisis
Cool & calming, polished. The softer percussion-work is undoubtedly a neat highlight... very cool rhythm patterns. The instruments chosen are all very smoothly synthetic. This all works together nicely, for a ... nice ... song. I can't really think of more to say.

Slow Moon
I've already been spoiled with GeckoYamori's groove-laden rendition of this same tune. I'm not sure... I think I might enjoy Yamori's more if only it had the same quality instruments. But I do like Kai & Dale's own rendition too. The intro piano lines are a nice addition, for example. Didn't appreciate the rhythm guitar too much at first, but I've become accustomed to it. Yay organ.

PS III Main Theme ~ A New Journey
Starts out a bit piercingly for those who have sustained-hi-freq-synth-sensitive ears, but really the introduction itself is not bad. The part where it jumps from synth lead-cover to the guitar plus delayed guitar is a sweet PowerUp feeling. Wants to make me get head-nodding. Cool Ailsean countermelody part against the hi-freq synth before it breaks out into a cock-rock tangent... which isn't bad.

Emotional
The melody is a very strong, "emotional" one. I love the way it starts out with the orchestral playing. Switching strings, and woodwinds, with rich horn backing. Unfortunately, as soon as Ailsean takes the lead, he never switches out. And I'm not sure why, but Sean's guitar sounds a bit thin & synthy-like doing this lead. The flute flutters are a sweet touch when they appear.

Vyse's Theme
Unfortunately, I too thought movement meant there would be some sort of transition, or an immediate pickup after a measure rest or something. I really like Vyse's Theme as long as it lasts, but it doesn't. Oh, and Sean's guitar is sounding all thin-synthy again starting at 0:40.

SoA Main Theme
This song never seems to climax when I listen to it.

fnish later

Azar

04-27-2004, 03:12 PM

YES!! It came today!!! A week and a day after I sent out, pretty quick! I have to go to work in an hour so I'll post my comments sometime tomorrow..I'm listing to Go Straight right now...man I wish they'd let me listen to it at work, but that wont happen. :D

chrono26

04-27-2004, 08:45 PM

wow. i changed my mind about the vocal tracks. I stopped being a jackass and actually listened to them seriously. they're great. I thought that they were all right before, but now i think that they fit in well with the rest of the album. i like Dreams Dreams especially. great work guys!

Azar

04-28-2004, 03:59 PM

Now it's time for my review...I promise it WILL be weird, it WONT be professional, and hopefully it WONT be anythign Protricity would say, because if it is then I'll have to run for judge on OCR :)

Go Straight: One of the few songs I actually recognize. I wasnt not a big sega fan, but damn did I love streets of Rage 2, great multi player game, I'm upset there havent been upgrades. Onto the music. I liked this one alot, even more than Gecko Yamori's "Go Back". It's motivating, upbeat, and has a cool symphonicish feel with some technoish stuff...coolness!!

Final Take Off: Never Heard of this game, anyways, Once again a motivating song, it got me motivated at work yesterday cuz I had it stuck on my head, after only hearing it once...the rock parts really dominates any synth, which is tubular.

Lava Reef: Now this is a funky song. A good hibbity dibbity song (if you do that kinda thing, but I dont, cuz I'm not married, and if your not you shouldnt either, naughty people!). This one probably stuck with me the most after listing to it today in 1st period, I think the beats and the sax blend really well. It's also a good song for when your alone with your girl, to bust out a really classy line. "Girl, you know I've got some metal joints"(and of course get looked at funny and/or slapped)

Dreams Dreams: Sounds like something they should have played at prom, cooler than some of the vocal mixs OCR gets, this woman singing has a unique voice, and I mean that in a really good way.

Outride a Crisis: This one started off kinda sad, threw my whole mood off. It's one of those "Dude stuff is really bad dude, but it's alright dude, it will get better". I like the string work up in this one.

Main Theme: This didnt stand out to much to me at first, and it was creeping me out for about a minute or so...it started that build into something pretty cool, but this one didnt hit like the first few did, but man will I remember this one.

Slow Moon: This was mad cool arranging, I always remember this one for what it was, slow. This version was not, it was anything but "slow" moon. It's something I would probably break dance to, a very tubular song.

Sonic Boom: *gasp!* GOOFY SINGING!!!(okay, not really) Sounds oddly firmilar, the lyrics and all, but I cant figure out where, I never played Sonic CD...I think it would have been cooler if the music was more dramatic to emphasise the lyrics, but what do I know...NOTHING! I will find myself singing this in public and being looked at funny in the near future.

Main Theme ~ A New Journey: One of those truimphant sounding songs, when good stuff is happening and stuff...anyway it gets intresting when the drums bust in, but gets seriously freaking cool when the guitar comes in. Had it come heavy I might of done a stage dive off my desk...but that might have been bad.

The end of the millennium: For a minute I thought it was still track 9. The vocals gave this a seriously eiree feel, cool stuff. With the rhythm and beats and all it sounded like something Blue Man Group would do...tubular.

Toejam Jammin': Man did this one stick on my head today, its one of those songs where you and your friends are chillin outside one day and some chick walks by, and your all like "DUDE!! She's got a big booty!!"..either that or a song that gets you thinking you can strut dance, and then you knee yourself right in the nose, either way a cool song.

Super Sonic Racing: I thought the vocals were pretty cool, until the guy started lisping. Overall it was all good, but man that lisiping...(ever see that one see from the movie "In and Out" where he was listing to that tape telling not to dance when "I will survive" was playing? Thats how I felt when I enjoyed this)

Movement 1 ~ Emotional: Cool symphonic stuff, has a very impactful feel, and the guitar just tops it all off. More coolness.

Movement 2 ~ Vyse's theme:A symphonicish rock kinda deal, even cooler than the last one, sort of. This one really had me tempted to do a stage dive from my desk.

Movement 3 ~ Main theme: I liked it, but it was sad. A sad way to close the cd, stupid license people, they just had to stop the other music!!!

Overall: After my very unprofessional review, in my opinion, this is right up their with time and space, just shorter and minus a major nostalgia factor on my part. OCR peeps can say what they will, this album was for the people, and the people got what they want! (I think)

joe_cam

04-29-2004, 05:25 PM

Main Theme ~ A New Journey: Cum Shot

CAN YOU FIND IT?

Flik

04-29-2004, 08:02 PM

No. I wasn't listening for jokes. If it is there, fun.

Azar

04-29-2004, 09:38 PM

Main Theme ~ A New Journey: Cum Shot

CAN YOU FIND IT?

so that's why it was so truiumphant and good stuff sounding...that explains everything, I think.

animefreak

04-29-2004, 10:02 PM

i'm not sure there's actually one there. there are quite a few places that sound really close. And anyways, mustin pointed them out to me on the way back from picking the CD's up.

....What? I get to brag a few times, screw you guys. :D

Azar

04-30-2004, 01:35 PM

What exactly is a "Cum Shot", I mean how do you find that in a song, exactly...

juju

05-03-2004, 11:11 AM

Is the skip in Go Straight at 0:56 intentional? I'm not complaining, mind you. It sort of reminds me of a badly looped video game song.

Incidentally, when I first listened to this cd, I didn't tell my wife what it was. After hearing it for a few minutes, she sat down and started playing on our Gamecube (which she never does). I guess the music inspires people to play video games!

orkybash

05-03-2004, 11:49 AM

What... you mean you DIDN'T know about the subliminal messages Mustin sneaked in?

hooh boy, I can't wait to see what happens next time OUS releases a CD...

Greg Kennedy

05-03-2004, 02:56 PM

Of course the stop is intentional. In fact, it's cool as hell.

Moguta

05-05-2004, 01:23 PM

What exactly is a "Cum Shot", I mean how do you find that in a song, exactly...
It's a progression made infamous by Ailsean's submission of the same name to VGMix 1 before it was open to the general public. The piece ended simply with a guy announcing "cumm - shot!" Nothing actually sexual. :lol:

For all I know, it may have been around before that too.

Dale North

05-06-2004, 09:20 AM

The original CS story:

Way back in the day (we're talking early vgmix1), a lot of us vgmixers (prozax, ailsean, virt, dale, etc...) would go into video chat - we'd play our instruments live and just generally be stupid for hours on end.

Well, one day we were chatting and playing our respective instruments - and prozax, in very prozax fashion, kept blurting out random things in the middle of discussions for fun. one of the things he'd blurt out was 'cumshot'.

so, naturally, in the process of playing little melodies and him saying things like this - I put two and two together.I went silent for a minute or two in the chat and came back with this:

http://www.dalenorth.com/sketches/cumshot.mp3

...and now its a part of the remix community history. It would take all day to list all the songs that have been 'shot', but now you know, and can listen for them.

funtimes

Azar

05-06-2004, 01:52 PM

Quite disturbing, I'll be re listing to everyone of your songs looking for that, or I'll be paranoid listing to everyone elses songs...

Interesting story though...I'll tell it to my kids one day...

joe_cam

05-06-2004, 08:34 PM

I bet most of you never even knew you heard it in Super Mario Sleigh Ride...the bass at the beginning...
And now I bet you'll NEVER look at christmas music in the same light...

hey Dale, you need to do a CumShot remix of The Joe Cam Song...

Variable Rush

05-06-2004, 09:35 PM

Okay, I never knew about Cum Shot in A New Journey, but here are some other inside things you may not know about The Very Best of SEGA:

1. If you play the song The End of the Millenium in reverse, Hillary's voice actually tells you the ingredients and how to make the chili that Mustin made in the OUS BBQ video last year.

2. On most CD players, if you press the "Forward Next Track" button while listening to Skies of Arcadia Main Theme, you'll hear Go Straight.

3. If your aunt had testicles, she'd be your uncle.

4. Hidden in the liner notes is words about the Brief History of SEGA.

5. Even though this is the fourth OUS CD, it's catalog number is OUS-002.

6. If you can read the text on the back of the CD case you probably don't need glasses.

That's all I can think of at the moment. I'm sure Dale, Mustin, and people who had a much bigger role in the production of the CD can tell you more.

erindancer

05-06-2004, 11:44 PM

edit to #1 -- that wasn't chili. I know - I was making breadsticks or something at the time. That was world famous mustin spaghetti.

Dale North

05-06-2004, 11:48 PM

yes, spagetti. mustin's 'world famous' with some fucked up (but good tasting regardless) ingredients

animefreak

05-07-2004, 12:13 AM

and a can opener to melt down and pierce certain sensitive parts with.

erindancer

05-07-2004, 11:17 AM

It's strange isn't it?! Milk? Sugar? sounds like breakfast, not spaghetti. But it's bad ass. And full of parmesan cheese.

Mustin

05-07-2004, 11:25 AM

Don't be givin' away my damned recipies!

Also,

GET BACK ON TOPIC, OKAY?

http://www.mjsite.com/ok.jpg

missinglink

05-07-2004, 11:34 AM

Ok I'm finally getting paid for my services to the world. Now I'm gonna buy this cd. Sorry it took so long.

Almasy Marquis

05-07-2004, 07:48 PM

Pretty vulgar.

Anyway.

Panzer Dragoon - Main Theme is my favorite track.

Azar

05-07-2004, 08:58 PM

You know, I really wish Green Hill Zone and that Morning Haze song were on this CD, sure I have them on another CD, but it's just not the same...

Oh yeah, and what's everyone's deal saying they dont like Final Hour? I thought it was pretty good...good music to drive to when it's raining. :D

Anonymous

06-02-2004, 05:43 PM

...

Ace!

06-04-2004, 06:35 PM

Well, I finally got me a copy. And while I won't say this is the best thing I've ever heard, do think it has a lot of merit in its own right.

Before I begin, do keep in mind that all I know about music is what I like and what I don't like. I can't always put into words what I liked or didn't like about a piece, and that frustrates me to no end. So please, go easy on me. I'll try to lay everything out as best I can.

Overall I'm not disappointed, but at the same time I don't think it's up to the standards that OUS has set over the years.

First off, the good:

The production, as we have come to expect, is excellent. Everything just sounds good. The music is clear and the variety in styles and instruments used is refreshing. The arrangements range from decent to great, each with a steady progression of theme. I really enjoyed the cases where the piece itself seems to subtley reference the source material, seen nowhere better than in Afterburner - Final Take Off. The piece sounds almost as though it was ripped directly from the Top Gun or Miami Vice soundtracks, which is fitting seeing as the game itself revolves around flying a Tomcat F14 (or something or other. The other thing I know nothing about is the military's rational behind naming something with letters and numbers as opposed to "Totally Rad Brown Person Decimator" or something to that effect).

The variety of styles presented is interesting, as the genres vary far more than we have seen since Project Majestic Mix. Every genere is presented competently and is handled very, very well, leaving me to wonder what genres these guys won't be able to handle. Try a polka next time, throw us for a loop.

Finally, the love for the source material shines through. As I have said in the past, many times I care not how well refined music is (for the most part) if the listener can feel the love and fun the band is having playing it. Which is why I still love the Minibosses so much. It may not always sound great, but the fun is infectious.

That said, these guys are having fun. And I get the impression that they don't really care what we think because, well, who put out an album? Us or them? And who had fun putting out an album (copywrite rigamarole aside)? Us or them?

Them - 2
Us - 0

Personal favorites? So far (I'm on my third listen) The End of the Millienium and Toe Jam Jammin' are at the top of the list. I love the One Up Mushrooms' rendition of the latter, but I feel that this one tops it, truly capturing the amazingly laid back and ridiculous nature of the game.

As to the former, the mix of the ethereal and the eerie just makes me happy. Smiles with the shivers, I suppose. And the vocal chanting is beautiful.

Now I'm afraid I have to get to the negative. Before I begin, let it be known that I have found something to dislike about every fan made game music album so far, and each time it's been relatively trivial.

Let's start small and work our way up to the less small.

First of all, while every piece is technically proficient and I can tell you had a good time producing this album, some pieces still seem... empty? The pieces are all there but never seem to truly live up to their potential. This was a problem I noticed with some pieces on Time and Space as well. Like a handful of tracks from T&S, pieces like Outride a Crisis just stop with no resolution or finale. They just... end. After a great setup the song seems to stagnate before a sharp cut off. And I'm disappointed because I know there was more potential than a simple reinterpretation of a theme within a drastically different genre.

The Skies of Arcadia arrangements are the perfect examples of this. I hate to make a comparison, but I fear there is no way around it. When I first saw that three major themes were to be used in quick succession and labeled as Movements, I immediately became excited, hoping for something as moving and powerful as the Xenogears Shake the Heavens arrangement from Time and Space.

What I ended up hearing seemed unfinished. I just recently played through Skies for the first time, so perhaps that could be behind some of my disappointment. The themes are all still fresh in my mind, as was the beautiful epic scope, but little of that seemed to shine through in the arrangement.

And, as has been mentioned before, Ailsean seems to take control of the First Movement and then not let go. Adding his guitar to the arrangement was an interesting decision and it worked to a point. But he seemed to take the forefront and then never step back down, which is something I am beginning to recognize in many of Ailsean's collaborations. I like what the guy can do, but sometimes he needs to either take a step back or work on his variations. Standing in the spotlight so long is great if there is some justification for it. Sorry sir.

Finally, I have to say that I personally can't stand Dreams Dreams. I have never heard the original piece before, and the technical proficiency shines through in both the arrangement and the vocalist (who's voice is incredible), but the style of music here drives me mad. Super cheesy and sappy, it sounded to me like something off a Bette Midler or Celine Dion album. And I hear enough of that at work. Sorry, guys.

I did enjoy the rest of the vocal tracks, including Super Sonic Racing (the much lamented lisp gave me a chuckle), but in the end I think I have to say that I prefer the idea of vocal tracks to the actual execution. Again, it could just be a personal genre issue, as I have heard a few vocal VG remix tracks that have succeeded. The VBoS tracks were still welcome simply because there are so few of them out there to begin with.

But then again, that's the kind of guy I am. I prefer instrumental pieces to vocals in general, as I usually listen to music while I'm in the middle of something else, and vocals tend to distract.

What I admire the most about this album is that it depicts a risk, and one well taken. At this point in time it ranks at the bottom of the stack of fan produced albums, but I do not feel as though my money was wasted. It's a fun listen and I will get a lot out of this CD. Just not as much as I have with past releases.

At the same time I want to support this idea. Like I've said in the past, I'll buy any album from OUS and KFSS (and any other that may pop up in the future) simply to support the cause. I'll buy an album of Flatulent Interpretations of Colecovision if it means that you guys will succeed. Just don't push it to Vol. III featuring a cover of Mustin and Dale wiping eachother's asses with money that says "This was Ramon's dollar! What a fucking fool!" on it. Because that would be pushing it.

Shonen Samurai

06-05-2004, 12:21 AM

As usual, Ace! says what I've been trying to figure out how to say first.

Words out of my mouth.

Almasy Marquis

06-05-2004, 12:31 AM

I too agree with everything that Ace! has said, having not the patience to write my own review.

Anonymous

06-07-2004, 09:51 PM

...

Mustin

06-07-2004, 11:07 PM

Neat.

Almasy Marquis

06-08-2004, 01:10 AM

If style is a primary issue for you, then you should probably give the album demos a listen before you buy the album.

Edit: Baroquiel, that is. Not Mustin. Mustin should not have given the demos a listen before he bought The Very Best of SEGA.

Ybrik Metaknight

06-08-2004, 03:54 AM

Mustin should not have given the demos a listen before he bought The Very Best of SEGA.

Sez who?

Almasy Marquis

06-08-2004, 12:52 PM

Says someone that knows he shouldn't be buying his own album from himself.

FaithisHot

06-08-2004, 03:15 PM

The album just sounded cheap. "Go Straight!," and "ToeJam Jammin'" sounded like they came from an NES game soundtrack, and not even a particularly good NES game soundtrack...

Ouch.

Don't get me wrong, I am a huge proponent of honest criticism. But still, it is hard not to cringe when I read something that sounds so... well, insulting. Maybe you could have made your words a little less harsh and still gotten your point across? Just my opinion, no offense intended.

Anonymous

06-08-2004, 04:17 PM

...

Greg Kennedy

07-01-2004, 10:47 PM

My take: "Super Sonic Racing" is the best track on the album. "Sonic Boom" is a close second. "Dreams, Dreams" is well-done.

EDIT: Also, I routinely skip over the Ailsean stuff. I heard enough orchestra-and-guitar on T&S, thank you.

God Rugal

07-27-2004, 04:53 PM

I'm sure these opions have been stated over and over (12 times over, even), but I'd like to throw in that I didn't really think the album was very special, especially when compared to master-frigging-works like T&S and SEGA ROCK.

I'm glad that OneUp is making videogame music the RIGHT WAY, and that after two albums there's still talk of future projects. GO you!

and...Super Sonic Racing is my favorite pump-up song! I was sad to hear it and Sonic Boom played so mellow. boo.

Nancie in a Can

08-12-2004, 09:41 PM

I think "Sonic CD" and "Toe Jam Jammin'" are my faves, but I really dig most of the tracks. What impressed me most of all is the fact that Mustin and co. decided to branch out and try different styles of music. Pretty ballsy in this realm, considering most VG "remixes" seem to consist solely of boring trance/techno shite or bland rock tunes.

As for it sounding "cheap"...I'm actually floored that someone would say that so callously. I mean, was anyone under the impression that Mustin has a multi-million dollar studio at his disposal? Do you think musicians/producers who are "owned" by record labels have the freedom to experiment and innovate? Hardly. Maybe a handful do.

This is an up-and-coming genre of music, which means that there aren't many people who have the resources to make slick-sounding recordings like pop musicians do. Think about the early days of rap and hip-hop - those records were literally tracked in ghetto apartments and musty basements.

Oh, well. Enough of that. Each to their own opinion. 8)

Kassi

08-25-2004, 05:55 AM

I certainly don't think it sounds cheap. In comparing the production qualities to that of the contemporaries (pop music, new rock, etc...), I think its production shines brighter than most.

Culgan the Duck

08-26-2004, 09:31 AM

I don't think the music itself sounded cheap. My problem came in with the vocals. Not only the sound of them, but the lyrics as well. It sounded too much like some hack singer doing TV jingles for a vacuum cleaner or something. I really can't stand the vocals at all. That being said, I think the music is pretty good, although I don't enjoy this album nearly as much as Squaredance or T&S. Going straight is perhaps the most infectious song I've ever heard.

Mustin

08-26-2004, 10:34 AM

We didn't write the vocals.

hillarygayle

08-26-2004, 11:39 AM

I think I understand what's been said about "Toe Jam Jammin'". The song sounds as though it were recorded kinda at the drop of a hat, and the sound quality sounds different from the other songs on the album. HOWEVER, I rather liked it, because it gave the song a "live" sound that appeals to me. Jammin' is one of my favorite songs on the album.

KWarp

08-28-2004, 01:42 AM

I spent a bit of my time at camp listening to it. Frankly I'm not excited to show this to my friends at all.

None of the songs I had heard beforehand were any good. These aren't remixes. They are simply too much alike. Many of the songs were watered down and lacked creativity, which is understandable when such a mass of songs are all made in such a short time, but the level at which the musical creativity lacks is appauling. Take Sonic Boom for example. The lyrics were rearranged and there was a minute+ drumloop halfway through the song. No new lyrics!? <(0_o)> No change in tempo? It's just a slow, empty song with no solid feel of anything. :cry:

However, the tracks of games I never played before sounded fantastic. You may not have done the "remixes" correctly, but you beefed up the sound to the point where it would be acceptable to the general teenage audience. You get a thumbs up for that. :)

This is not the kind of music one can sit down and exclusively listen to, but it makes a fine BGD music in the presence of guests... or at the supermarket.. *shot* Basically, you guys have done better work. Try harder on the Nintendo Album. :wink:

Ybrik Metaknight

08-28-2004, 01:49 AM

One thing Kwarp: I believe they couldn't add new lyrics to any of the songs for legal reasons.

captainwraith

10-10-2004, 03:50 AM

I was not a Sega kid. That doesn't mean I can't, won't or don't enjoy this cd. Excellent production and mixing all the way through. I personally prefer when the mix doesn't stray far from the original and I'm glad these songs don't. Even though I was not a Sega kid, through the magic of emulation I am fairly familiar with most of the games featured. Actually the only game I haven't played from this cd is Nights. My favorite tracks are Toejam Jammin (except for that snare drum - ow my freakin ears), The End of the Millenium, and Sonic Boom. I love playng this at work and having people tell me they recognize a song but aren't sure where its from (I work in the electronics department of a store btw). All in all, great cd imho.

Shael Riley

10-11-2004, 02:01 AM

So I finally got my copy of The Very Best of SEGA. I was down to my last $10 at MAGfest and was standing right in front of Dale North at the X-strike booth--Flik was there too! He looked so happy!--and I was faced with a decision: The Silent Horror OST or The Very Best of SEGA.

I was torn, heartbroken and confused; I wanted to own some OUS SEGA Lovin', but how could I not support the man who slips cumshots into a brilliantly chilling Survival Horror inspired film score, not to mention the film's producers--also my friends--were standing not two feet in front of my face. What was I to do.

In the end, though, only one album had Ailsean.

So I rocked out to Afterburner for 13 hours on the way home, and it was good.

Sorry, Dale. I still love you.

World of Ruin

01-15-2005, 12:18 AM

Mattimeo

01-15-2005, 10:07 PM

Moguta

01-16-2005, 09:57 PM

10 dollars damn wtf that's dirt cheap *buys immediately...after months and months of it already been released and just randomly seeing the price and being like wtf ORDER'D then is like oh 5 dollars shipping that kinda sucks (cause it's like whoa that's half the cd price lolz) but oh well I'm already halfway through this purchase so I might as well give into their ploy of giving the shipping price later like some kinda smart company playing with human emotions*
Every place I've seen gives the shipping cost seperate from the retail price. It's not like this is some unexpectedly sneaky tactic. $5 is a pretty standard price for shipping too. And it's silly to complain that it's more percentagewise compared to a very low priced item. Shipping is weight-based, not price-based. Additionally, the full total is revealed to you before you even have to enter any of your payment information... it's only two clicks ("Add to Cart", "Secure Checkout") from the Best of SEGA album page.

If you would like to see the shipping costs displayed up front (say on the album page), take it up with Mustin. ( mustin@oneupstudios.com )

joe_cam

01-17-2005, 04:23 AM

hillarygayle

01-17-2005, 09:50 AM

To add on to Moguta's fantastic points, I know all the stuff I've recieved from Mustin was shipped priority mail, which is minimum $3.85 and delivery confirmation, which is usually another 45 or 55 cents. He also usually adds some bubble wrap or something to secure it in there. You get the best shipping for the $5. I live and die by Priority Mail with delivery confirmation and I know Mustin has always recommended that as well.

Quite right. Mustin doesn't take chances on our postal system, which is understandable, given it's track record.

World of Ruin

01-18-2005, 01:58 AM

iaintcomplainin
nomalice
justbabbling

15 is nothing. I've been getting on ebay all these newest gen console games, most sealed and new, that I've not been getting to on account of only playing one game all the time, all of them being around 20 dollars AFTER shipping. Everything awesome should be around 20 dollars.

World of Ruin

03-10-2005, 02:55 PM

For some reason the transaction didn't come through, so I ordered again and it arrived sometime later.

It definitely grows on you, and in rare cases shrinks..

(Personal Enjoyment levels based on some kind of average between the first listening and the most recent listening, which is subject to change, which people should do to their opinions for songs more often; number of plusses means whatever I feel like it meaning)

The first track I heard on an mp3 somewhere, and was like THIS IS MUSTIN? How everything blends together makes this track great. The rapid synth adds immensely. I don't care if the main part repeats too many times, because it's awesome. Unfortunately, every track that I immediately take a liking to inevitably doesn't leave such a hardcore impact on me. Take djpretzel's Revival Day Impoetus for example. Song does nothing for me anymore; listened literally over 200 times mos def. Personal enjoyment ++++++

The second track never seems to have changed on me actually. Solid rock track makes me stay the same the whole time. Personal Enjoyment +++

The next track, and even the track I just mentioned...after listening to the soundtrack several times already, I can't immediately pick out the melody. Whenever I can't do that, future listens still have room, in my eyes, to change my perspective. It makes me notice things more and more. Oh wait, there it comes in my mind. Just another solid track I guess, maybe not as much as the previousm, but that's just my non-set-in-stone guess. Personal Enjoyment ++

The first vocal track has this repetitive part in it that is embellished the first times it is heard near the beginning, but later it is present more by itself and with no embellish. Kinda irritating. Solid singing, though. Personal Enjoyment neutral, possibly leading into one negative.

All I ever really do is listen to the 16th offbeats and other rhythms on the next track, as everything else seems bland....OR IS IT BLAND I DON'T REALLY REMEMBER BECAUSE I'm paying too much attention to the rhythm. Personal Enjoyment N/A, but puts in rhythmic trance.

Ah, here we go. I only heard McVaffe's version to compare, and all I ever noticed with that, and now this, is that it's not the arrangement that goes nowhere, it's the original. The main melody is so awkward. When I first heard McVaffe's, I imagined the melody could go in so many different directions, but just goes in this incredibly...messed...up...thing. If memory serves me right the section after the first main melody was more pleasant, so I guess in future listens I should try to piece together the puzzle, though the beginning and end succeed somewhat in that already. Production is nice as usual (though sometimes not as usual [I'm talking about you, Toejam (though look at my review ahead and see that I don't care [plus my vagueness in accusation makes it sound like everything in the song is produced poorly (which makes the point that people should go back and revise their sentences [without resorting to this infinite tunnel of parens])])]) Personal Enjoyment ++

Slow Moon. I'm having a tough time once again recalling how this song even goes. Personal Enjoyment probably the same as the third track on the CD.

Sonic BOOM! I can't read this backwards and forwards as I can with Revival Day Impoetus, but I can say this one started out not that great, and then grew. People need to throw away prejudices and focus on the music. Personal Enjoyment who cares I already made my awesome point.

PSIII Main theme. This one made me think how overrated the original is. I somewhat noticed the inverted type behavior the melody turns itself into the first time through, and just thought it was just plain old enjoyable and nothing else. Then the second time I noticed how beautiful that secondary melody actually is, while making me appreciate the original more. Personal Enjoyment ++++++++++++++++++++

The next one uh I don't really like it sorry. Doesn't bring out the original in a new way much. I don't even know if future listens can save it, as I've focused on it numerous times. Personal Enjoyment --------------------------

Jammin. The original sample thingies sound a bit weird yet not too bad at first, and then the first main part comes in. Much like the first track, there is a blending that is awesome sounding. Then lots of other unique stuff happens, and then some overlaying, and some junk originality yay awesome. Personal Enjoyment ++++ 1/2+

Super Sonic Racing? More like Gay Sonic Racing, or Super Gay Racing, or Super Sonic Gay. Oh, um, sorry. It's actually not that bad after many listens. I like the ending. I find the future listens for most songs I somehow pick up this intended groove and familiarity to the song that perhaps people of each decade has picked up to its correspondent music genre . Pretty Interesting, yet not. Personal Enjoyment +

Why Vyse's theme of all songs I say to myself on the first listen. Then 3 listens later I look at the case and see that it's called Emotional. Oh, uh, duh. Anyway, this one grew on me as well. This song in the game always reminded me of everything cheesy in the game, and less on the world map which is the best thing ever. This did grow on me however, by some odd twist of fate I thought would never happen. Personal Enjoyment ++

Vyse's theme is.

Now the main theme is a little watered down for me from the original. I imagine those ever changing clouds from the title screen when I hear the original. It lush strings and instrumentation remind me of Grandia's music. This arrangement just seems like a derivation from the original's notes without the same feel. Well we all know how Dale feels about the original composer for Grandia's music (who isn't the same for this game but SHUT UP) so now these completely awesome and grandiose comments made by me will have this huge impact on Dale, who will somehow read this, by reinstating the unparallelism between the awesome of the original composer for Grandia's music and his own talents. SUFFER! Personal Enjoyment ++(++++++++++++ to make Dale feel good)

Overall, any musical cliches can definitely be noted, but do you really expect that to happen for every cd ever? Sure happens way more often in other cds than in this cd, at any rate. Funny how this thought was conjured just thinking about the little flute tremolo thing appearing like once in the Emotional theme. It actually sounds nice even if you've heard it before. Wait, I've heard all these actual SONGS before! WHAT'S GOING ON NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! VIDEO GAME MUSIC REMIXING AAGHHHHH!!

Umm, solid?

Dhsu

03-10-2005, 07:36 PM

Super Sonic Racing? More like Gay Sonic Racing, or Super Gay Racing, or Super Sonic Gay.
more liek super sonic gay-sing(ing), am i rite.

Heh, actually Broderick did a great job for such an impromptu request. I really would've liked to hear Hillary's interpretation, though. ;)

Dhsu

04-06-2005, 09:48 PM

Alright, I think this is about due.

Okay, first off I'm gonna say that I'm not familiar with the majority of the source material for these arrangements. So for a lot of these tracks, you'll be getting an opinion from a mostly "uninitiated", non-nostalgic perspective. I might also unintentionally criticize the original composition, so you don't have to pay attention to those comments. :P

On a side note, I played this album for my friends on the truck while we were driving to Norman for the medieval fair last weekend, and they had positive comments for the majority of the tracks on the CD. Then on the way back to Tulsa, I let them listen to Time & Space, and they didn't enjoy it nearly as much. They actually ended up skipping half the tracks (they did dig Ailsean's stuff, though). I guess they appreciated 90's cheese more than feel-good mush and pirate grunts. ;)

1. Streets of Rage 2 - Go Straight
A great way to start off the album...a very catchy and danceable, although slightly conservative, track. Totally something you'd hear at the end of Napolean Dynamite. :D Liked the cool panning effects. Some people might dislike it on the grounds of repetitiveness, but I think that it's acceptable and perhaps even inherent to this particular genre. I'm guessing there wasn't much to work with in the first place, but the mix manages to change things up enough throughout all four minutes as to not overstay its welcome. The sound effects might be cheesy, but will nonetheless probably bring a smile to the face of any Streets of Rage fan.

2. After Burner - Final Take Off
Ailsean's signature guitar indeed makes this mix "take off" (forgive the pun). The performance is pristine, and the part at 3:07 is just incredible. This song is practically begging for vocals, but it definitely holds its own just fine without them. Kudos to Kaijin for the excellent arrangement.

3. Sonic & Knuckles - Lava Reef
And here we hear Mustin's love of 7th chord's manifested in this very smooth and jazz...-ish remix. ;) Great solo work as usual from William and Tony, and nice work on Mustin's (or perhaps William's?) side for the bits at 0:39 and 2:25. :D

4. NiGHTS - DREAM DREAMS
Alright, what can I say about this mix? Well, let's just say that when the arrangement is actually better than the original song, it's a good sign you're doing something right. ;) Of course, this might be partly due to having a singer with English as her first language, but Esther just absolutely nailed the style. Congrats to both her and Dale for doing justice to this wonderful song.

5. Super Hang-On - Outride A Crisis
I don't remember this tune from the brief time I spent playing the game in Shenmue, but I imagine Dale must have done quite a number on it to transform a song called "Outride A Crisis" into something so laidback and relaxing. I could totally just put this on and sit back and chill for an hour or two straight. Good stuff.

6. Panzer Dragoon - Main Theme
I'm going to have to admit that Panzer Dragoon is one of my "pet" series, so I get really excited whenever I find a mix from these severely under-covered games. I was beginning to think that the lack of PD arrangements was because it simply wasn't possible to make something that was different enough from the original, and still be good. Fortunately, Dale proved me wrong with this beautiful and peaceful ethnic-sounding interpretation, reminiscent of some songs from the Shenmue soundtrack. It does take a little time to get started, but it sets up the atmosphere perfectly for when the melody actually does come in. A wonderful and transporting piece.

7. Streets of Rage 2 - Slow Moon
Another SoR2 track? Someone loves that OST. ;) Anyway, I've never heard the original song, so I can't comment on how good the arrangement is, but as a standalone piece it's pleasant enough. Maybe something I'd expect to hear while I'm standing in an elevator or waiting on the telephone. Although when my friends heard the main melody, they busted out with the Kill Bill theme. I guess they are kinda similar. :P Either way, nice track.

8. Sonic CD - Sonic Boom
I always thought the American theme song was an improvement over the Japanese version's ridiculous "Toot Toot Sonic Warrior," and I'm glad you guys picked it. You made the right choice. ;) It sounds like Mustin and William had a lot of fun with it, too...could've used a little more training in the vocal area, but how could you not love those cheesy lyrics? :D And nice vocoder work. Actually, at first I was a little hesitant to let my friends listen to this, but they ended up actually liking it, vocals and all. Good job, guys.

9. Phantasy Star III - Main Theme
This song brought back a flood of memories from when I was a kid, watching my cousin play this game because he'd never let me touch his Megadrive. The theme was pretty much on the level of Terra's Theme for me back then, and it still one of my favorites to this day. In fact, it's one of the reasons I bought the Phantasy Star Collection for GBA. But anyway...enough nostalgia. The remix starts out pretty standard...the high-pitched lead at the beginning was a bit piercing on the car's speakers, but it sounds fine on my laptop. Regardless, the lead is soon usurped by Ailsean's beautiful electric...the "echoes" were definitely a nice touch. Overall, a great arrangement, and every bit as uplifting as I remembered it. Striked me as being a little short though, despite being almost 4 minutes long. Hrm.

10. Phantasy Star IV - The End of the Millenium
Nice transition. And the vocals...my goodness, Hillary, I had no idea! Absolutely beautiful and haunting, reminded me of LotR. Just a great arrangement all around.

11. ToeJam & Earl - ToeJam Jammin'
The truck's monster bass definitely helped bring out the funky freshness of this piece. My friends especially liked the awesome use of the original game synths and samples, and dubbed it their favorite song on the album. I liked how you guys went crazy with the vocals at the beginning. :D Just so many things were done right with this arrangement. Kudos and congrats to Mustin and all The Extra Men.

12. Sonic R - Super Sonic Racing
Alright, the infamous "Thuper Thonic Rathing." Admittedly, the lisp isn't as bad as everyone makes it out to be, but I have a hard time believing that such an obvious flaw could go unnoticed. Which leads me to think that perhaps it was actually intentional, but like the Gamingredients review mentioned, while a slight lisp might be forgivable for a female singer, it's completely out of place for a male one. That aside, I really liked the song as a whole...Broderick did a perfect job with everything else. Now he just needs to learn how to pronounce S's. :P

13. Skies of Arcadia - Movement 1 - Emotional
Great orchestration work. A couple motifs reminded me of Iwadare's work, especially considering his fondness of combining orchestra and electric guitar. Excellent samples, and professionally implemented. Nice work.

14. Skies of Arcadia - Movement 2 - Vyse's Theme
I don't really remember the original theme, but I'll never get tired of Ailsean's guitar. Rock on, Silent Bob.

15. Skies of Arcadia - Movement 3 - Main Theme
Light and beautiful piano work. I remember just sitting in front of the TV staring at the title screen to listen to this song. I was gonna remix this, but Dale's already done a better job than I ever could. It reminds me so much of some other movie or game, but for the life of me I can't put my finger on it...I wanna say it sounds like Hisaishi, but it's been too long since I've heard his stuff. One thing's for sure, though...it's way too short! :P

i. Sonic the Hedgehog - Green Hill Zone
The clicking sound is slightly distracting at first, but you get used to it. Very chill version of an awesome theme, kinda reminds me of the billiards themes in the Super Monkey Ball games. Piano's a bit exposed in some parts, but it's not that big of a deal. And there are some initially weird harmonies, but they kind of grow on you. Perhaps an overusage of parallel 5th's in the solo, but again, not a big deal. And nice reference at 1:27. ;)

ii. Sonic the Hedgehog - Final Zone
This song got pretty low reviews at VGMix, but I personally liked it quite a bit. The piano intro is slightly uneven, and the cello sounds slightly fake at first, but those aren't really major issues. The rest of the piece is beautiful, and works together well as a whole. The arrangement is relatively simple, but there really isn't a need for something in this particular genre to be overly complicated in order to sound good. Although the piano is pretty prominent, so I guess some people could get tired of it by the end. Also, didn't notice any clipping, but maybe that's just because my laptop speakers suck. :P

iii. Shenmue - Wave Sound in the Morning Haze
Another of my "pet" series, if not only because of its phenomenal scores. I only vaguely remember original piece, but this arrangement stands well enough on its own. Dale's piano work is great as usual, and the Asian flute is a nice touch, although I wish it could've been brought out even more.

Overall, a very well-done and enjoyable album, pushing the envelope in several different aspects, succeeding in some more than others. But that's what growth is about, right? It doesn't matter if you make a few mistakes, as long as you learn from them afterwards.

Congratulations to Mustin and everyone else involved, and good luck with the Nintendo and The OneUps albums!