Back in the day when I didn't even have a CD player and was deciding on what Hifi to buy, I chose one that had a 3CD changer tray. And the reason for this was that I had ordered the Seiken Densetsu 3 OST (mistakenly thinking it was SoM's, but still), and being a 3CD set I wanted to have it in there pretty much permanently. Now at that time I had only played SoM, and didn't even know of SD3 (dark times these were), so I was a bit befuddled when the CDs arrived, and soon clued myself up. So the first CDs I ever bought were SD3's soundtrack.
That bit of nostalgia out of the way, on to my point: the Music of Mana has always been one of the great highlights of the series for me, not only as a musician but as a gamer. I'd spend many hours hacking away at the songs on my keyboard, trying to imprint them on my brain.
So what I wanted to propose was for people to share some of their favourite musical moments in the games, or favourite pieces of music, maybe with a little review.
I'll post mine in a bit when I've finished my next silly YouTube movie.
The Music of Mana
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Dr. Sheexy
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Awesome idea for a topic.
The first CD I got was the Secret of Mana soundtrack, I remember how funny it was. That was waaaay back in the day, I wasn't very old at all, we're talking I was in fourth grade, ten to eleven years old or so. I popped the CD into my mom's CD player in the living room and forced my entire family to listen through the entire CD. Then a friend came over and I forced him to listen to it some, and I ended up spending the night at his house forcing the music upon him there. I didn't have a CD player back then, so I pulled the ol' record a CD onto a cassette and listen to it on a cassette player, hahaha. I still have that cassette somewhere, good times.
I remember I instantly fell in love with all the titles for the songs in the game.
One of my favorite memories of Secret of Mana music is the Dwarves' village music. That stuff was crazy, my friends and I even made up a little song for the dudes.
Listen to the music and you can figure out what these lyrics sync up with in the song:
Please note, I made these lyrics up when I was SIX. So don't laugh at me, I'll ban you or something I swear.
"All the little people sitting drinking AL-CO-HOL, AL-CO-HOL,
All the little people sitting drinking AL-CO-HOL, AL-CO-HOL,
Sitting there in their underwear, they don't even really care oh!
Do de do de do do de do do de do de do de do de do de do!"
REPEAT
Oddly enough, I had a friend who made up a song very similar to this to go with it. And that was before we even knew each other.
Then when I learned the track name was "Happenings on a Moonlit Night" the lyrics I made up fit even better.
Secret of Mana music has always stuck with me as one of my favorites, when I was little I'd often loop the songs in my head depending on where I was.
For a few years I wouldn't go to sleep unless I had "Pure Night" looping on my radio, man, that has to be one of my favorites.
The second CD I got was Legend of Mana, that game has some amazing music. I don't even know where to start, there isn't any music in that game that isn't amazing.
Favorites include, geez, just the entire CD, there is nothing bad there.
I especially love the Nostalgic song. I made it a point to memorize the lyrics in both Swedish and English, it's seriously such a beautiful song. It's got next to nothing to do with the game, but it is just amazing.
Third one I got was SD3. The music is great, but I got into SD3 so much later than the others that it just doesn't connect with me as much, great stuff, but I'm kinda distanced from it.
I haven't gotten the Final Fantasy Adventure CD yet, but I seriously want to get it. Sure it's 8bit Gameboy music, but Kenji Ito included some orchestrated stuff in that CD! I heard a little of it once when I was talking to Blue Genome on the phone, and it is just awesome.
The Sword of Mana soundtrack was awesome because hey, revamped FFA music!
The Sword of Mana soundtrack also came with a special disk with Piano versions of some of the more beautiful songs in the game.
Guys, if you get one CD be sure to get that one. The piano work by that dude is insane, all of it is so beautiful you can't even explain it. I love the Mana Sanctuary music the most, simply beautiful. That stuff could drive me to tears if I listened long enough.
Children of Mana has some pretty sweet music, I can't wait to get the CD when it comes out.
Personally the Jadd Desert and the Brightwood over near Wendel are my favorites.
Dang, that's a lot of writing.
Perhaps I'll go into more detail later, hahaha.
The first CD I got was the Secret of Mana soundtrack, I remember how funny it was. That was waaaay back in the day, I wasn't very old at all, we're talking I was in fourth grade, ten to eleven years old or so. I popped the CD into my mom's CD player in the living room and forced my entire family to listen through the entire CD. Then a friend came over and I forced him to listen to it some, and I ended up spending the night at his house forcing the music upon him there. I didn't have a CD player back then, so I pulled the ol' record a CD onto a cassette and listen to it on a cassette player, hahaha. I still have that cassette somewhere, good times.
I remember I instantly fell in love with all the titles for the songs in the game.
One of my favorite memories of Secret of Mana music is the Dwarves' village music. That stuff was crazy, my friends and I even made up a little song for the dudes.
Listen to the music and you can figure out what these lyrics sync up with in the song:
Please note, I made these lyrics up when I was SIX. So don't laugh at me, I'll ban you or something I swear.
"All the little people sitting drinking AL-CO-HOL, AL-CO-HOL,
All the little people sitting drinking AL-CO-HOL, AL-CO-HOL,
Sitting there in their underwear, they don't even really care oh!
Do de do de do do de do do de do de do de do de do de do!"
REPEAT
Oddly enough, I had a friend who made up a song very similar to this to go with it. And that was before we even knew each other.
Then when I learned the track name was "Happenings on a Moonlit Night" the lyrics I made up fit even better.
Secret of Mana music has always stuck with me as one of my favorites, when I was little I'd often loop the songs in my head depending on where I was.
For a few years I wouldn't go to sleep unless I had "Pure Night" looping on my radio, man, that has to be one of my favorites.
The second CD I got was Legend of Mana, that game has some amazing music. I don't even know where to start, there isn't any music in that game that isn't amazing.
Favorites include, geez, just the entire CD, there is nothing bad there.
I especially love the Nostalgic song. I made it a point to memorize the lyrics in both Swedish and English, it's seriously such a beautiful song. It's got next to nothing to do with the game, but it is just amazing.
Third one I got was SD3. The music is great, but I got into SD3 so much later than the others that it just doesn't connect with me as much, great stuff, but I'm kinda distanced from it.
I haven't gotten the Final Fantasy Adventure CD yet, but I seriously want to get it. Sure it's 8bit Gameboy music, but Kenji Ito included some orchestrated stuff in that CD! I heard a little of it once when I was talking to Blue Genome on the phone, and it is just awesome.
The Sword of Mana soundtrack was awesome because hey, revamped FFA music!
The Sword of Mana soundtrack also came with a special disk with Piano versions of some of the more beautiful songs in the game.
Guys, if you get one CD be sure to get that one. The piano work by that dude is insane, all of it is so beautiful you can't even explain it. I love the Mana Sanctuary music the most, simply beautiful. That stuff could drive me to tears if I listened long enough.
Children of Mana has some pretty sweet music, I can't wait to get the CD when it comes out.
Personally the Jadd Desert and the Brightwood over near Wendel are my favorites.
Dang, that's a lot of writing.
Perhaps I'll go into more detail later, hahaha.
I have the FFA soundtrack, and it was the third on the series that I purchased. The funny thing is, when I listened to the GBA tracks, there was one that I was always surprised did not get included in the orchestrated versions, and that is the Search for the Holy Sword (I think that's the title, I don't have it in front of me atm). It's a really catchy tune, and it has a lot going for it. I was impressed with the revamped version on SwoM of it too.
Strangely enough one of my favourite tracks for SoM has always been Danger! It's the one song that I have never even remotely been near being able to play on any instrument, and out of all the RPGs I've played it ranks very high when it comes to Boss Battle music. The tempo and orchestration on it are perfect to get the heart pumping. Not only that, it's not a constant or monotonous song, thanks to the incorporation of the slowdown and move into the musical taunt before hitting a really heroic high on the trumpets and plummeting back into the beat.
One things I have always wanted to do is make a guitar compilation album of some of the better SoM tracks, but I've never really had the time to do so. Maybe I'll take up that task again some day.
Another quick anecdote is about Mission of Mana, from the FFA soundtrack. I first heard it as a MIDI of the orchestrated version, and I spent a long time making my own instrumental version, as well as using the tune as a basis for writing a song for a friend who needed it for their fanfic. That song was probably the first serious song that I wrote, and still remains with me today. I have yet again to record it though, but maybe someday I will. Another song that I have written and DID record was based around SD3's Delicate Affection. Someday I'll get round to putting online, though it among the very first songs I recorded vocally, and in that respect sounds rather poo.
Out of CoM, I think my favourite song still is the theme from the Mana Tower. It just has the elements I was looking for in a Mana song.
Strangely enough one of my favourite tracks for SoM has always been Danger! It's the one song that I have never even remotely been near being able to play on any instrument, and out of all the RPGs I've played it ranks very high when it comes to Boss Battle music. The tempo and orchestration on it are perfect to get the heart pumping. Not only that, it's not a constant or monotonous song, thanks to the incorporation of the slowdown and move into the musical taunt before hitting a really heroic high on the trumpets and plummeting back into the beat.
One things I have always wanted to do is make a guitar compilation album of some of the better SoM tracks, but I've never really had the time to do so. Maybe I'll take up that task again some day.
Another quick anecdote is about Mission of Mana, from the FFA soundtrack. I first heard it as a MIDI of the orchestrated version, and I spent a long time making my own instrumental version, as well as using the tune as a basis for writing a song for a friend who needed it for their fanfic. That song was probably the first serious song that I wrote, and still remains with me today. I have yet again to record it though, but maybe someday I will. Another song that I have written and DID record was based around SD3's Delicate Affection. Someday I'll get round to putting online, though it among the very first songs I recorded vocally, and in that respect sounds rather poo.
Out of CoM, I think my favourite song still is the theme from the Mana Tower. It just has the elements I was looking for in a Mana song.
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Danny
