OUS-005 The OneUps Volume 2

[Mustin]

Please post your thoughts on the album here.

NOW AVAILABLE ON ITUNES.

NOW AVAILABLE ON AMAZONMP3 (http://www.amazon.com/Volume-2/dp/B001ISSLP4/ref=dm_ap_alb1?ie=UTF8&qid=1224551967&sr=8-6).

RPGFan Review: http://www.rpgfan.com/soundtracks/oneups2/index.html

[joe_cam]

This album was fucking amazing. I'm obviously not a good reviewer, but I'll throw some thoughts out for each song.

DISC ONE
Starts off with some classic Mario Paint. Simple yet soothing intro that relaxes the mind and gets you prepared for the journey to come.
And then Track 2 kicks you in the fucking face. Some hard rockin Punch Out!! love. Awesome guitar work, good to hear some good hard rock stuff from the band. I keep wanting to hear the Game Over lryics though. "Let's keep it cleeeeeeeeeeeeeeean! PUNCH OUT!"
Track 3. Green Hill Zone. I want to comment on the track, but the only thing I can hear is "Sonic the rapist hedgehog." Thank you Shael Riley for fucking this song up forever.
The bridal dance comes next! Tetris finally on CD! It'll never be the same as hearing it live, but the game characters are a suitable replacement for the live "HEY!" vocals. I know there's 3 distinct voices, but the world will always near Navi. HEY! LISTEN! HEY! HEY! And I will always hear this as the song my wife danced to with 70 other people to get us some cash. And I will fondly remember Mahoney holding me tightly as we danced to this as well.
Secret of Mana comes up next. Some sweet tunes here with some funky bongos! And of course, more sexy sax from Tony!
Air Man. Always a live favorite. Sounds even better on the album. You know what I hated in Air Man's stage? Those sons a bitchin floaty heads with the spikes that appeared and you had to time it just right so you could make the jump without the spikes hitting you and knocking you into the abyss below. Fuckers.
Up next with a newer tune in The OneUps catalogue. Mii Channel! It's fun to watch the PAX DVD and hear Dale come in early and pretty much fuck up the surprise. Good job Dale. Solid rendition and it's perfect music to stroll aimlessly to!
BOOMER FUCKING KUWANGER! Jesus I've waited so long to have a studio version of this and it did not disappoint. I love this song so much.
Brinstar comes next and it's another solid entry from the old Funk Set. I've always liked Tim's guitar parts in this song. And the hard guitar mixed with Greg's violin is awesome. Hot stuff here. Remember when Tim had longer hair and was all sexy and shit?
Funky Goblin King from King Arthur's World is next and this is all new as far as I know. I'm not too familiar with the original, but this is something I'd love to see you guys play live. All for you, Aaron!
Time of the Falling Rain is next and I've always enjoyed this song when you guys played it. Somehow it never clicked in my head that it was from Zelda and I feel embarassed to admit it, but oh well. I can't know EVERYTHING. Tony and Jared are awesome here.
VEGA. I didn't think you guys would be able to capture the experience of playing the song live, and while it'll never have that live performance magic, it was still a damn fine performance. I noticed a few slip ups from Greg, but I'm sure this isn't the easiest song to play once you're really getting into it, no matter how good you are on the violin. Great job overall and much better than I could have imagined! Harmonizing violins for the win.
Disc 1 ends with Castlevania III's Prelude. Guitar only. Beautifully haunting performance. This is something for Halloween. Gorgeous stuff.

DISC TWO
The all new funk set starts off with some Metroid Magic. Great start to the new funk set.
Followed up by one of the most unique Terra arrangements I've ever heard. Unless you heard the demo on the myspace page, you'd never imagine hearing Terra like this. Easily one of my favorite Terra performances out there. (OMG TERRA IN BLACK) And Terra leads directly into
Alien Break Down! Some funk ToeJam & Ear musics. In my opinion, I thought the TJ&E song from the first funk set was a better song overall, but to be fair it's hard to follow something that good anyways. Still a damn fine song and a worthy replacement in the funk set. Love the key solo too.
Next up is Luigi's Mansion and I dont' give a fuck what you call it on the CD, this is E. Gadd's Laboratory. I'm not Dhsu, so I'm not going to call it the japanese name. Oyama?... More like YO mama, motherfucker. This is easily the second best Luigi's Mansion song out there. Sorry Mustin, but nobody can ever beat zyko's song in my heart. This may be better techncially, but his is drunker so he wins.
Fortuna from Starfox is next and I LOVE this song. That one part... I dont' know what to call it, but you know it when you hear it. That part is awesome. the duh DUH duh DUH duh DUH part. Sounds like an alarm or something. Anyways, I got so into this song that when it ended I was surprised to find out that over 6 minutes had passed. Longest OneUps song to date? Good thing it's an awesome fucking song!
The Silence of the Daylight from Castlevania II is next and while the first Castlevania song on the first disc was beautifully eerie, this one is more funky than creepy. Love that funky organ! This is some good dance music. And that breakdown mid song? YES.
Some more Zelda comes up and we've got a Dungeon Medley. This follows with TJ&E in me saying that as of now I still love that Zelda Dungeon from the first funk set just a little more. I guess it's because I'm so used to it. I'll say this though, this song is making me want to play some Link to the Past...
And now into the Undergound BGM from Mario 2. Not a slight to the band or the performance, but I've never been a fan of this song. I didnt' like that The Minibosses had it on their CD (as part of their Mario 2 medley) and again I'm still not a fan of the song. So many other good Mario songs out there. Just a personal perference... maybe it's because I had to listen to the goddamned song so much in the game, but I've never liked it. Good performance though. Best version of the song by far and a HELL of a lot better than what the Minibosses did in their medley.
THIS. THIS is the song. Some sexy ass Chrono Trigger, or as I like to call it, Porno Trigger. This song is either something you'd hear while getting your Locals on the 8s or it's something you'd have playing while you're doing some sensual fucking. This and Boomer are my two favorite tracks on the entire Volume 2 package. This is up there with Volume 1's Schala track that's how much I love it.
From porno to the circus. Mysic Cave Zone from Sonic 2 and I've always thought this song sounded like something you'd hear at a carnival or something. Nice funky performance with some top notch guitar work and bass lines that are beyond funky as hell.
THAI GUY REVENGE! Sagat is up next! All I can think of when I hear Sagat's theme is him walking on the beach with a woman and giving up fighting to be a ballroom dancer after a drug trip.
Some more Mega Man! Shadow Man from Mega Man 3 and while I would've preferred to hear some Magnet Man, Shadow Man is just as good. Great song with some more superb sax work from Tony.
The CD ends with some Ducktales. The African Mines and while sadly it's not the theme from The Moon, it's still a great song and a great way to end the CD. I've always loved Ducktales. The show, the games and now this song. Great way to end Volume 2 and it makes me want Volume 3 to come even faster. Man after hearing Ducktales, it makes me just ache for just ONE MORE SONG.......................... *ahem*


All in all, Volume 2 is everything I could have wanted and so much more. While I'll always be a fan of the first funk set, the new funk set is damn fine on it's own and the songs are so good I know it'll grown on me the more I listen to it. In total there are 2 discs jammed with over 100 minutes of sexy, sexy, sexy OneUps musics. From the slow jazz to the hard rock to the funky goblins, this disc has everything and I'm happy to say there are no Bowser's Castles on here. And by that I mean there's no songs that just don't fit like Bowser's Castle did on Volume 1. Everything flows and works and this is something I plan on listening to for a long time to come. Makes me sad to know some of the stuff planned for the album but couldn't make it on for reasons beyond the control of the band, but there's always Volume 3, right?
Fantastic job! Five stars right up Dhsu's ass.

[Ybrik Metaknight]

I think Joe means Koopa's Theme, not Bowser's Castle. Koopa's Theme is what's on TOU Vol. 1.

Really hoping I get my copy in the mail by tomorrow or Friday at the latest.

[jaems-kun]

international mail. I'm expecting to get a cool cd next month.

[SaveSuperJoe]

Really hoping I get my copy in the mail by tomorrow or Friday at the latest.

[joe_cam]

I think Joe means Koopa's Theme, not Bowser's Castle. Koopa's Theme is what's on TOU Vol. 1.

Man whatever, homo. You know what I meant.
I'll fucking cut you.

[Ybrik Metaknight]

Man whatever, homo. You know what I meant.
I'll fucking cut you.

me rove u rong time

Just got my copies in the mail today, but it was just before I had to go to work, so I've only listened to a few tracks in full thus far, just on my way in. Frickin' love Tim's Mario Paint track (easily a new fave), the studio recording of Into the Thick of It is truly awesome, as is the studio recording of Time of the Falling Rain. I'd almost forgotten that was a track y'all played until it showed up on the tracklist, and it's one of my favorite tracks from Link to the Past (which is saying something, since it's such a phenomenal soundtrack).

Will listen to the entire album after work tonight, and probably post a full review sometime tomorrow.

[SaveSuperJoe]

This was shipped USPS, right? My roommate has the damn mailbox key.

[Hemophiliac]

ignore this, ordering now :D

[Henry Jones]

Had a few listens after my end of the workweek coma. Very awesome stuff!
Add Funky Goblin and Fortuna to Boomer Kuwanger as songs that seem like odd choices, but are absolutely perfect when listened to.

[Boco]

Got my copy yesterday and it sounds wonderful! I seem to be stuck on Disc 1 at the moment, but Disc 2 will get its turn shortly. Great work guys!

[Nólaquen]

Holy crap, I was called out in the credits for Funky Goblin. *embarrassed* Hahahahaha. Anyway, I <3 you guys, and yes, I'm really diggin' FG. You guys nailed it. And geeze, Anthony, I seriously envy your keyboarding (because keyboard is the closest thing to what I'm learning how to play).

[po]

GHOSTBUSTERS!

[Ybrik Metaknight]

Here's my full review. Took me a little longer to get around to it, but that just gave me a chance to listen to it more. And I've been listening to the album almost nonstop except when I'm asleep (after the playlist has finished, that is), when I'm at work, and when I was watching football on Saturday. Anyway, here's my review.

Disc 1:

1. Mario Paint Title Screen — This is one of my new favorites. The feel of this song keeps with the feel of messing around on that fun title screen for hours. Just a fun little piece. Only complaint is that it's so short. Could easily listen to this for three or four minutes.
2. Punch Out!! — I've never been as big a fan of the rock stuff as I am of the jazz and funk charts, but this one's pretty good. At the very least, it doesn't stick out from everything else the way Koopa's Theme did, maybe because this album's more funk than jazz and the rock seems to fit better with more of the album. Regardless of anything else, this is a good tune.
3. Green Hill Zone — I'm just like Joe: I can't hear any rendition of this tune without thinking the words "Sonic, the Rapist Hedgehog." Thank you VERY much, Shael Riley. Despite that, I really really enjoy this one. This has always been one of my favorite VGM pieces, and this recording does not disappoint at all. I especially like the harmony guitar stuff at about 3:17. That's hot shit.
4. Tetris Music A/Korobeiniki — Good recording, though this is really one of those that is best live. Still, it doesn't disappoint. The Navi voice (along with some others that I can't identify) was a VERY nice touch.
5. Into the Thick of It — Love this one. I've always had a soft spot for Secret of Mana's music, and there's really nothing about this one that isn't perfect. I'm a huge fan of arrangements that use live instruments to really capture the feel of the original song, and this accomplishes that perfectly.
6. Air Man — I would've preferred to see Crash Man get here instead of this one, but I love this rendition of Air Man too. So much so that I'd probably be almost as disappointed had it not gotten in. Tim's guitar playing is at the highest level here. Can't listen to this enough.
7. Mii Channel — Not one of my favorites, but it's nice and relaxing. This chart sounds a lot like some of the Mario Paint stuff, particularly like the band's rendition of Monkeys. Was it written by the same composer? Anyway, not one that I have a lot of personal attachment to, but still very, very nice.
8. Boomer Kuwanger — This, like Air Man, is another of those old funk set standards that has been screaming for a studio recording for a very long time. And it delivers in a big way. No complaints.
9. Brinstar — Always loved The OneUps' version of this tune. I love the parts where the musical lines trade off among Greg, Anthony and the guitars. There are also some really cool guitar and bass chord things going on in this one.
10. Funky Goblin — Not familiar with this source material at all, but the song's really fun to listen to. Me likey, though as with Mii Channel, my lack of much reference to the source material probably keeps it from being a personal favorite.
11. Time of the Falling Rain — THIS one, I totally love. Always loved the original, and I recall loving this the one time I heard it, back at The OneUps Live!, but then I almost forgot it was in the repertoire. Really glad it made it onto the album. Link to the Past music is always welcome.
12. Vega — Another track that's probably better live, but I love it so much that I don't care about that. I think the PAX'07 performance might actually be a touch better, but that's being really nitpicky. Still a really great piece. I'd love to hear more flamenco stuff (Vamo' Alla Flamenco or Gerudo Valley, maybe?) from the band.
13. Castlevania III Prelude — This one's nice and relaxing, and a bit haunting. Definitely delivers. Also, I like putting that old recording of Clockwork from that ages-ago Dwelling of Duels after this track.

Disc 2:

1. Metroid Title BGM — I don't have a lot of attachment to the source material, but this track's enjoyable.
2. Terra — This is easily one of the top five songs in the album, maybe my favorite. I've always loved Terra's theme. I love almost every rendition of it that I have, and this is probably in the top three or four (I love the Dear Friends version, the piano version and Terra in Black). I especially love the Prelude arpeggios around 3:16; that has always been my favorite portion of the theme, and here it's just beautiful, with the violin and guitar on the melody and the piano arpeggios on top of that.
3. Alien Break Down — One of these days, I need to track down a copy of ToeJam and Earl, because this and ToeJam Jammin' are so good that I need to hear the rest of the soundtrack. Another one where I'm not too attached to the source material, but the arrangement really carries the chart.
4. Professor Oyama's Laboratory — I keep wanting to hear Luigi calling for Mario, but that aside...this one is nice and funky. I love it. Really conveys that feeling of mystery that the game played on.
5. Fortuna — There's some fun stuff in this song. Like that one...bouncy figure, for lack of a better description, that repeats several times throughout the song. Another win for the funk set.
6. The Silence of the Daylight — This is another really, really great one. I know this isn't the first OneUps rendition of this tune, but it's probably the best. Very funky, very cool. Love the guitar stuff throughout the song.
7. LttP Dungeon Medley — This is just plain awesome. Again, any music from LttP is pure win, and this is no exception. Unlike Joe, I actually like this a good deal better than the other Zelda Dungeon chart (though I'd still love to have a studio recording of that one too), probably because I've always liked this game a lot better than the first Zelda, and I have a lot of memories of both of these tunes. I can visualize crawling through a dungeon with this chart playing. The bass stuff is really awesome. Good call on putting the melody on that.
8. SMB2 Underground BGM — Love this one too, even though it's not one of my favorite Mario tunes, or even my favorite SMB2 tune (always loved the main overworld theme from that game). But the arrangement on this one, like so many others, captures the feel of the source material so damn well. I really want to go beat up some Shy Guys when I hear this one.
9. Chrono Trigger — Another of my favorites from the album. I think I concur with Joe's Porno Trigger assessment, and that's definitely not a bad thing. Great stuff all around, from the entire band, in this chart. I love the Tim/Greg question-and-answer stuff in the latter portion. All around another great tune.
10. Mystic Cave Zone — Another really funky sounding one. I like the guitar/piano, circus-sounding line that repeats a lot of times. Really fun chart.
11. Sagat — I actually don't have a whole lot of thoughts on this one. It's great to listen to, but I honestly have to say that nothing in particular really jumps out at me. Still a great tune, though. I think I also might be tired of writing at this point.
12. Shadow Man — This one's great. Lot of good sax stuff throughout the song. Has that classic, OneUps funk sound that I love so much.
13. African Mines — Still more great sax stuff, and having Greg's violin layered in unison on top of Anthony's sax is a great call. I'm not very familiar with most of the DuckTales soundtrack, so the fact that this made it on the album rather than the Moon theme doesn't really bother me at all. I really like this one.

BONUS TRACK — Won't spoil what it is for anyone who hasn't yet heard it, but I think everyone was expecting a bonus track after African Mines, so I think it's OK to say that there is one. This is another of my favorite tracks on the whole album. Very nice and relaxing, and fitting for the final track. i'm lovin' it™.

Overall thoughts: Disc 1 has a lot of variety, all of it good. A lot of studio recordings of great stuff the band's been playing for years now, and a few great new tracks that I really love. Disc 2 has a lot less variety, being that it's just a recording of the new funk set, but seeing as how I think the band's best tunes are the funk tracks, that's not necessarily a bad thing. Disc 2 is a bit better to listen to as an album, whereas I can pick and choose favorites out of Disc 1 a little more easily. I do wish there was more separation between more of the tracks on Disc 2 so I could take my favorites a little more easily, but that's a very minor complaint.

My only other complaint is that, as I mentioned above, it didn't have Crash Man, and probably a few others that I'd really like to hear a studio recording of. But hey, I think the mark of having done something right is that your audience wants more. And I want more. And I think that's the strongest recommendation I could give.

This is the best OUS work yet, by far. And the standard was already quite high. I simply can't stop listening to the album.

[sempaimiles]

My paycheck can't get here fast enough... :(

-Miles

[Mars Hock]

INCREDIBLE album, all of you. WOW. I enjoyed Volume 1, but this one just steps all over it, and not just because it's two discs :) I love so many of the source songs, I can't help but like this one better. Plus, I have to agree that I like the faster, funk direction a lot of these songs go in.

I'll leave the in-depth reviews for people who actually write and perform music. But as a man who has been enjoying video game arrangements for over 7 years now, I'm loving this album.

Boomer Kuwanger might have to be my favorite. Such an unlikely song to work in a Jazz setting, but HOLY CRAP do you guys ever nail it. the LttP Dungeon Medley is a very close, perhaps even second as a favorite. Always loved the Light Dungeon BGM, and hearing it in sax is awesome. Nice improv near the end, too. Even though this is jazz, it still seems like it would fit perfectly in the game. Same goes with Kuwanger!

There is not a single track on here that I dislike. I skip nothing. Never heard the original for African Mines, but I can see from the arrangement how popular that game's soundtrack must be. Very catchy.

So, I have to thank you all for autographing my copy of the album at PAX 08 :) Thank you. Truth be told, conventions kind of stress me out. I consider the $40 badge a ticket price to catch you guys live, it was a great concert. If you show up next year, I may end up going only to catch another live performance. lolz fanboy warning.

Also, I was the guy who was curious about the fate of your Dr.Mario arrangement. You really gonna put it on Volume 3 for me? ;P I just want a studio recording some day, really. an EP download would be just fine. Certainly won't complain about a Vol 3 appearance though.

You guys rock! Keep it going :D

[Liontamer]

Found a good review over here: http://www.acidforblood.net/2008/09/music-review-th.html

[Jumpman]

Hello,

I'm sorry but I don't really understand. Has the volume 2 been delayed? The shop still displays “Will ship on 09.02.2008”. I'd like to buy the mp3 version, because I don't need a CD and I don't want to pay delivery charges for my country. What can I do for this?

Thanks.

[Mustin]

"Will ship on 09.02.2008" means it shipped from our warehouse to those that ordered the CD.

.MP3 version for iTunes, Amazon and other eTailers is coming later.

Delivery charges for your country are the same as our country. We charge the same amount for shipping all over the world (sometimes maybe a dollar more).

http://www.oneupstudios.com/ous_005.php

[Jumpman]

OK I see.
Many thanks.


.MP3 version for iTunes, Amazon and other eTailers is coming later.
Any idea of what "later" means? A week? A month?

[Mustin]

Months.

[Artemis]

ordered.

[Baron von Bloop]

Just have to say, as a whole, its a very well edited album. Lots of polish. But, on the Tetris track, did you, um, sample Navi? :lol: That's all I can hear now. I can't finish playing Majora's Mask without constantly thinking about falling blocks.

[joe_cam]

There's navi and two other voices. Can you spot them?

[Baron von Bloop]

Too obscure to even be close, but Doumeki Kai from Ouendan? I'm grabbing straws here.

[Lunar Moog]

Found it in the mail today!

Glad to have some music to listen to while I'm evacuated, ha~

[Dhsu]

You spelled Kenji Yamamoto's name wrong. :/

Seriously though, love how the album just flows together, like in the live shows...listen to this on a real CD player guys, because WinAmp messes up the transitions. I listened to this on an actual player and I didn't even notice when the songs changed. Good stuff.


Fantastic job! Five stars right up Dhsu's ass.
That doesn't even make sense!

Edit: I actually didn't expect the bonus track...I left it in the CD player while I was surfing and suddenly I heard more music. Glad I didn't read this thread first, very nice surprise.

Edit2: Just noticed the "1^" on the drums. Very cute. :)

[Gonk]

So apparently mine arrived and no one told me. Listening now and thoroughly enjoying. School has arrived and this is going to be my commute music for quite a while. Really loving Brinstar (which is playing right now). I think its really hard to find arrangements that still retain the spirit of the original, but this one definitely does and yet sets itself apart. Currently looking forward to Mystic Cave Zone!

Updated: Mystic Cave Zone I love you! Almost done listening to the funk set. Honestly I don't know enough of the technicalities to give any sort of critiquing, but I do know this is fucking sweet. Great job, great album!

[PatMan33]

Just got mine in today. Wow, you guys did a bang up job on this thing!

Hope you'll stay tuned for my review! :wink:


**EDIT**
What the heck is that sound in the Tetris track? It's really cool but I can't figure it out. Sounds like a record being scratched almost or a whole lot of voices doing the "hey!" thing, just really really really fast.

[Mustin]

There's navi and two other voices. Can you spot them?

[Nekobo]

I just got my copy today. Thanks for the little note you wrote on the booklet, Mustin. I'll have to go to PAX next year to get the rest of band to sign it. :)

Haven't listened to the entire album yet, but I'm really digging Brinstar so far. I'm a little sad Dire Dire Docks didn't make the cut, but I guess that means I have something to look forward to in Volume 3.

[Dhsu]

Hey, I didn't get a note on my booklet!

Am I gonna have to put some of my special sauce in your food too, Mustin?

[Hthe8th]

Why the hell does disc 2 have MC Frontalot track information? At least when its in my Xbox. I haven't popped it into my computer yet.

[Mustin]

hahaha weird

[joe_cam]

I think that's an obvious answer.

[Hthe8th]

On iTunes the track info comes up correctly. Its only when its played on my 360.

Weird.

[PatMan33]

Hey, just wanted to let you know that my review is up. You can read it here! (http://ladympire.com/wordpress/?p=601)

Anyway I hope you enjoy it (Digg it (http://digg.com/gaming_news/Video_Games_In_MY_Music) if you do!) and I just want to congratulate everyone on The OneUps team for a job well done. You guys are amazing.


Oh also, many of you seem to know a lot more about the band and their music than I do. If you happen to come across an error in my review please tell me and I'll fix it as soon as I can. I remember when I reviewed Volume 1 and Mustin came a calling with some corrections. :oops:

[joe_cam]

Just starting, one thing I notice is that you call these remixes. These aren't remixes, they're just arrangements performed by a live band. I'd wager that nearly every single instance of "remix" in your article should be replaced by "arrangement".

Fun Fact: You said "It is a mash up between a high energy wedding dance (You know, the ones where they carry people around on chairs) and a bunch of people having a hell of a time doing what they love." This song was actually the bridal dance at my wedding. You know, the dance where people pay to dance with the bride and then get their cake. I'm sure it's the longest performance of this song The OneUps ever did... :D

Secret of Mana is one of the "best games nobody played"??? One of the best games people have played, sure. Game nobody played? Gotta disagree with that one...

You're lucky you gave Boomer Kuwanger a 10/10 or you might have been lynched by me.

Highly disagree with your thoughts on Vega. Then again, I guess you need to see them perform the song live first, but it's nowhere near being this album's Koopa's Theme. I was corrected that William Reyes was the sexy son of a bitch who played the castanets. Tim served me.

Lastly, Chrono Trigger is a solid 10/10 unless you're drunk. :D


Good review, except for the whole "remix" thing.

[TYarbreaux]

Castanets were William.

[Dhsu]

I just got a mental image of William recording the castanets in a flamenco outfit. I need a picture of that for my desktop.

[moxiegallant]

when will the mp3s be available to buy through the website? I noticed the price says 12 dollars but I see nowhere to purchase. Im currently living in Japan and am not interested in international shipping.

[joe_cam]

Delivery charges for your country are the same as our country. We charge the same amount for shipping all over the world (sometimes maybe a dollar more).

He also mentioned previously that mp3 downloads are still months away.
Looks like the best bet would be to order the CD, honestly.



And I stand corrected on the castanets. See if I paid more attention to the liner notes than my name in the Thank Yous, I'd have remembered that.

[moxiegallant]

thanks!

[Almasy Marquis]

Fantastic album. I plan on buying more.

[DiggiDis]

It's fantastic guys .. Great stuff ..

[PatMan33]

Protips

Hey, thanks so much for your input. I can definitely dig where you're coming from with the whole remix vs. arrangement thing and made the appropriate changes. That was a really good call.

As for the thing with Secret of Mana, I went about it from a sales perspective. I mean, yeah many people I know have played it... but then again the people I know don't usually constitute the feelings of the majority. :wink: Sales data suggests that the game did well in Japan but did not do so hot anywhere else. My wager is that people reading my review are a part of "anywhere else" so it'd work. If I get more complaints about that though I'll consider changing it.

I actually hadn't expected to give Boomer Kuwanger a ten. The first few times I heard it I was set on an eight. When I was writing the blurb about it I had it playing and something just clicked and it went from an eight to my favorite song on the entire album. Go figure!

Sorry about Vega, but it didn't work well with me. Different strokes for different folks.

As for Chrono Trigger, I would appreciate it if my sobriety were not a factor in this discussion! 8)

Anyway, thanks again for your comments and suggestions. Here's hoping that Volume 3 comes out soon!

[Mazedude]

Ah, I am diggin' it! I'm not gonna take the time to review every track, but I'll throw out some feedback and comments in a stream-of-consciousness manner:

I have an alarm clock that allows me to wake up to audio CDs if I choose to. Now, I'm waking up to Mario Paint - Title Screen.

Listening to this brings back memories of The OneUps Live from a couple years back. I remember a lot of these from the concert, although there's plenty of new ones too. I was a trifle disappointed that the OneUps' Silent Hill arrangement didn't make the cut for the discs, but then again there's always Vol. 3.

I recognize at least one of the other "hey" samples, cause I helped hunt it down, but I won't spoil the surprise. C'mon, guess! The only hint I'll give is "think Konami"...

Favorite tracks:

Airman - kudos for tackling the tricky rhythms
Vega - such a sweet mix to accompany such a vicious opponent
Metroid Title BGM - A classic theme, great interpretation. are those harmonics I hear? Lovely.
Shadow Man - awesome arrangement, great solos
SMB2 Underground BGM - always loved this groove
Bonus track - my favorite bonus track so far!

Not an incredibly detailed review by any means, but in general yes I'm digging this album, and have already listened to it quite a few times since receiving it in the mail last week.

Mazedude

[Ybrik Metaknight]

The only hint I'll give is "think Konami"...

Something from MGS?

[Baron von Bloop]

Konami... Komani.... SOTN or Parodius?

[TRIFORCE89]

I noticed the MP3s are up on SnoCap. I'm thinking of checking the album out that way (Volume 1 too). Just wondering...what's the bit rate and sample rate on the MP3s?

[po]

Something from MGS?

i'm pretty sure one of them is from TMNT3

[Mustin]

TRIFORCE89 - I think they're all 160.

po WINS! PERFECT!!! lblbllblblblblblblblblbldddblll <-- score tally sound from SFII

[kiyo-chan]

This album just proves that we play too many of the same pieces and must either collaborate immediately or fight to the death.

But seriously, congratulations.

[Ybrik Metaknight]

This album just proves that we play too many of the same pieces and must either collaborate immediately or fight to the death.

Either would be entertaining. Why not both? Just make sure you collaborate before the death match.

[joe_cam]

that would be the best live show ever...

[CPacaud]

Can't wait to get mine!

[Gwa ha ha!!]

You guys are awesome! I got my cds!! :mrgreen: :grin: :mrgreen:

[Piano]

It arrived in the post today. I'm listening to disc 1 at the mo and Boomer Kuwanger is frickin awesome!

[arit]

Got it today. Best bubble wrap I've popped in years :D but CD case feels a bit cheapish. Btw. one of the best Vega covers out there. My hope for a Landstalker track still remains...

[ktriton]

Goddamn. Can't stop muthafuckin' listing to these muthafuckin' tracks!

Top picks: "Into the Thick of It", "Brinstar", "Funky Goblin", "Prelude", "Alien Break Down", "Fortuna", "Dungeon Medley", "Chrono Trigger", and (probably my favorite) the SMB track!

Great job guys!

[MacDaddy Mike]

Is it just me, or is the Ghostbusters theme tucked into one of the solos in Mystic Cave Zone?

Oh yeah, and the album is the purest of sex.

[Artemis]

still waiting . . .

[joe_cam]

Yes. that is definitely Ghostbusters and I laughed my ass off the first time I heard it.

[Artemis]

1) Title BGM - Wow... did not expect something like this to start off the album! But I love it.. it has so much personality, and Tim's playing here is amazing! Great track!
2) Punch-Out! - This one took some time to grow on me. It's a really rocking track though. The guitar is amazing, and Mustin and Jared back it up with some pretty crazy bass and drum lines.
3) Green Hill Zone - Classic track. One of my favourite arrangements and the solos are great.
4) Tetris - this sounds like the kind of song that'd be better live, (unfortunately I won't likely get that oppurtunity) HOWEVER the recording still has plenty of life and spunk, and will definetely suffice.
5) Into The Thick - I love that guitar riff. It's super catchy! The rest of the song is amazing too, and I LOVE the djembe.
6) Air Man - I've seen / heard some life performances of this before, but this recording is amazing. It's such a great tune.
7) Wii Channel - sweet..
8 ) Boomer - This song rocks harder than anything, ever.
9) Brinstar - Total gets you right into it immediately, and doesn't dissapoint throughout the rest. I like the violin and sax trading off melodies..
10) Funky Goblin - Definetely funky. Great track.
11) Time of The Falling Rain - Reminds me initally of some kind of Coltrane bebop tune or something, but I love the sort of shuffle it goes into.
12) Vega - An amazing and beautiful track, I love flamenco, and the castanets are super hot!
13) Prelude - William is an amazing guitarist, and this song is haunting in both its beauty and strength.

[Artemis]

Disc Two:
1) Title BGM - the intro is beautiful, and the rest of the song rocks. I love whatever the fuck Anthony and Greg are doing on keys and violin..
2) Terra - I might get flamed for saying this.. but I don't think this arrangement does the song justice. (I do love the piano though) The OneUps are amazing on this track, I just don't think the track is done the way it should be.
3) Alien Break Down - Great tune, and totally funky. And the clavinet is super awesome!
4) Oyama's Laboratory - Super funky. I love the violin and sax harmony.
5) Fortuna - Another sweet funky track. I haven't heard the original, but it probably comes nowhere close to this arrangement.
6) Silence of the Daylight - Great track. Great arrangement. Great performance. The organ is just the icing on the cake.
7) Dungeon Medley - really funky, but at the same time, really dark. Definetely captures the 'dungeon' mood.
8 ) Underground BGM - this is a great song, and I love that bassline. The arrangement is really great too.
9) Chrono Trigger - This is another great arrangement. I love this song. Jared's drumming really seems to stand out on this song as amazing. Everyone's definetely at least twice the musician they were since Volume One. I also really like the double time guitar solo.
10) Mystic Cave Zone - i've always loved how funky this tune is, and the OneUps do it justice. (I still can't find the ghostbusters theme in there anywhere..)
11) Sagat - Loved this one the Bad Dudes project, and love it here. Really funky **I definetely can't figure out the time signature. What is it?!?**
12) Shadow Man - love this song.. took awhile, but it grew on me.
13) African Mines - Never heard this one before, but this arrangement is great! I love the triple unison melody. sets us up for a rocking end to the album.

Bonus track: I never realized that song could sound so beautiful..

[joe_cam]

10) Mystic Cave Zone - i've always loved how funky this tune is, and the OneUps do it justice. (I still can't find the ghostbusters theme in there anywhere..)

3:12-3:28
I ain't 'fraid a no ghost.

[mullinsmcd]

I just wanted to say this album is definitely on par or better then your initial release of T&S (which made me a fan of you guys years and years ago). It used to be a 'no contest' for me when comparing T&S to other VG remix albums inside and out of your catalog. Now I am now so sure. :)

Its really been a fun experience to see you guys mature in the presentation aspect. You guys went from producing a collection of really great songs (in T&S), grow in each subsequent release, and now reach a point where your album is a cohesively solid piece of art that pushes the envelope of this very unique music subgenre. It truly has been a journey for you guys, and I hope this is not your last release. Thanks for your hard work.

MOD EDIT: Time & Space and The OneUps are not related, other than the releases appear on the same record label and that Mustin is involved in both of them (as producer/arranger on Time & Space and bass player/manager of The OneUps).

[t-c]

Thought that volume 2 was much better overall as compared to volume 1 - and i really enjoyed most of the tracks on v1 as well. Anthony lofton is too good at playing the sax. Still i really wanted to get dire dire docks ... mustin:roll:

[joe_cam]

You want Dire Dire Docks?

http://www.retroremixrevue.com/

[Ybrik Metaknight]

You want Dire Dire Docks?

http://www.retroremixrevue.com/


I wholeheartedly second this. That whole album is hot. Stickerbrush Symphony, Dire Dire Docks and the Zelda track are pretty much perfect interpretations. The Zora's Domain section of the latter is especially good.

[Dhsu]

Listened to this again during the Arkansas roadtrip and the Mario 2 track is def one of my new favorites. Love love love the chord substitutions.

[jaems-kun]

holy crap, i have every intention of playing this cd at the rocky mountain audio fest.

[Kassi]

Without going into too much details, Volume Two was a CD that while sitting around the table with ages ranging from 80 - 16 months, two of the kiddies started dancing, the older people loved it, and the people in their 20s and 30s were appreciative of it as well.

That said, this volume is extremely accessible which I view as a success because it can be listened to and appreciated with such a wide array of age-range.

More detail oriented, Volume Two features a shining production quality and some of my favorite recordings that have come from OneUp Studios.

It's a stellar CD and I'm glad to have it. :)

[TheCuddlyDevil]

Hi. New member.

I don't have a detailed breakdown of the album, but I'd just like to go and agree with Artemis regarding Terra. It just doesn't feel like Terra anymore. I was honestly expecting a very melancholic take on an already melancholic piece. Maybe dark, maybe tense. But not funky.

In all fairness, though, this is as good as a funky arrangement of Terra can be.

[Mustin]

...what?

[B-lockdown080]

Jeez all these newbies are diggin into the old archives

[juef]

Sorry to post here, but I couldn't find a more appropriate place to ask. I would like to buy a physical copy of Volume 2, but it is apparently out of stock. Any idea if / when it will be available again?

Thanks a bunch! :)

[Mustin]

This is the right place to ask.

No idea when we'll do a physical copy again. Very expensive and not enough demand to reprint. Sorry!

[juef]

Too bad :cry: Thank you for the quick response!

[joe_cam]

How much is a pressing of V2? What if you just made a V2.5 and picked the best of the best of the two discs to put on one disc and in the liner notes or something, included a link to a download of the other half of the songs in high quality mp3 format?

People NEED to hear Boomer Kuwanger.

[Ybrik Metaknight]

People NEED to hear Boomer Kuwanger.

[Mustin]

Well over $2,000.

It's going to be hard to justify that cost when only handful of people have asked to buy CDs.

No, it doesn't get cheaper than that without the quality dropping drastically. Believe me, I've looked.

[Red Kinikacha]

People NEED to hear Boomer Kuwanger.

haha. Funny Thing is, I found this website thanks to PMM. The Megaman Website Posted all the Megaman Mixes to download in one post. I listened to Boomer Kuwanger, Airman, and Shadow Man and knew this album was my Next Purchase.

10 bucks later on iTunes and I was an extremly happy man with a new Group to follow.

[joe_cam]

And we welcome a new guy to harass and make fun of. Welcome to the family.

[Red Kinikacha]

And we welcome a new guy to harass and make fun of. Welcome to the family.

http://teenormous.com/images/t-shirts/www.teesforall.com/130/images-Spongebob_Big_Grin_Yellow_Babydoll2.jpg

but on another note, I can't wait for the recommendations topic for Volume 3. The last topic was hella long. I'm taking bets on how fast the topic gets to 500 pages.