From the perspective of someone who doesn't have an 'ear' for music (but has other creative talents), it's somewhat niave to assume an artistic work is somehow enriched when only one person's hands are on it. That's not to say that there aren't brilliant people out there capable of creative masterpieces without any external input. Rather, comments, criticisms, and advise from others oftentimes can become a stimulating source of inspiration, allowing you to get from point A to point B when you would otherwise be stuck at point A.

And believe me, when you can't get from A to B no matter what you try, it's a very stressful, head-banging experience. And I don't mean :rock: , I mean :aargh:

Mitsuda is one of the best game composers of all time. Chrono Trigger, Xenogears and Radical Dreamers have the best game music I've ever heard - Radical Dreamers in particular. Just listen to this.

I can honestly say that I know nothing about the backgrounds of these people, and I'm probably just another raging fanboy, but for once something popular is something good.

That's pretty much what I was talking about when I complained about people looking down on composers who use specialized helpers. Add to that the implicit assumption that "classical training = good composer."

For the record, I don't think Shimomura's compositions are any "simpler" than Mitsuda's, except perhaps in the realm of synth programming.

To say that Shimomura's compositions are simple and her talents are limited is not discrediting or looking down on her, from my perspective, as she does what she does extremely well, in my view, and has produced a number of really interesting soundtracks. I agree that classical training isn't everything; I find Hitoshi Sakimoto's works far more appealing than Koichi Sugiyama's, for example, and often feel it can limit expression of interesting, albeit potentially musically unsound, ideas.

Anyway, I'm not sure if you're supporting me or reading something negative into my post, so I jsut thought I'd add that. ;)

Before you clariefied, I was being negative. Now, it's all positive :D

I am rarely dissapointed with mitsuda's stuff.

I was slightly dissapointed with his arrangement in Rogue Galaxy Premium Arrange, but his Kirite Album is utter MAGIC!!

People are just born talented - they don't nessisarily need the most fine tuned education to be brillient.

Right on, that might be a fact and it might confirm everything else that you might've meant. But the thing is that Mitsuda-san as actually studied with the help of Uematsu-san. Which explains alot of the ressemblances in their styles.

He's okay.

well like others mentionned his work on Creid was just great, I mean the songs were in my own taste medium on the OST but the remastered songs were much higher in my taste than the originals. Might just be me though but I think thats what it needed to be closer to perfect ^^

Kirite is awesome high quality stuff minus Eri Kawai.

Eri Kawai has a wonderful voice and her songs on Kirite are absolutely awesome. By the way, I think this album is one of Mitsuda's best... I'd like to read the story now, but it's all in Japanese...

You guys ever got the work of Mitsuda-san on Tobal no. 1? I know most people would say wtf is tobal no. 1, but I played the game and its fine but not great, and I ended up learning on the way that he made the OST on this game.
So if any of you got anything either post it here or PM me please

he is the pwnzor... what tef uck zor does school have to do with shit. HAVE U HERD HIS MUSIC?!? hes leet sause. peace out.

And I thought I could read English perfectly.