Favorite Final Fantasy Piano Collection
 

Well at the risk of starting a warmed over Final Fantasy music thread here it is.

Was just listening to the Final Fantasy XIII piano collection, and perhaps it will take some time to grow on me but I was a bit underwhelmed by it. Probably doesn't help that I haven't played FFXIII either. Still got me thinking about my favorite FF piano collection album.

At this point I'd probably have to go with X-2 a game I also haven't played, but the arranges certainly made me take notice. Particularly 1000 Words and Eternity (Memories of Light and Waves), which for me stand head and shoulders above their original arrangements found on the OSTs. The album really overcame any biases I had against the FF dress-up game direct sequel to probably my least favorite game in the FF line, which of course makes me even more bitter that it got the direct sequel.

Second would probably be FFIV just out of nostalgia and an overall love of the game and its music. The arrangements feel a bit spartan these days but I still love the compositions.

I have basically four nominees for this: VII, VIII, X, X-2. VII was the reform, the catharsis that finally came and was less than a positive surprise, but all that I could wish from Hamaguchi. VIII is just a standard to which I compare the rest. It just flows so well and the songs work really well as piano pieces. Silence and Motion is the best pianified FF track there is. X featured the brilliant arranger pen of Hamauzu, and he gave life to the uninspired melodies Uematsu conjured for the game. X-2 was just... completely different, and good in its own way.

I have to hand it to X this time, though. The reason being: it's a good piano album. With mediocre originals Hamauzu creates something magical, which is something he was unable to perform in XIII while transmogrifying his own tracks only. It didn't feel that special anymore.

The first three are just pure crap as arrange albums, even the player manages to underachieve. Though the original music was especially top of the crop in V and VI, so therefore this message gives both roses and a lump of coal to Hamaguchi.

Still can't believe they skipped XII, grumble. I prefer the earlier piano collections, IV, V, VI, because the originals used lower-quality synths and the PC's can function as a sort of arranged album. X is also quite good, demonstrating (as I've always said) that Hamauzu is a far better arranger than composer.

Final Fantasy IX was excellent. I prefer Shiro Hamaguchi's arrangements over Hamauzu's and IX was outstanding. I didn't even notice filler tracks like Eternal Harvest until hearing them in the piano collection.
The arrangements may have been a little uninspired by other standards but I like them close to the original, emphasizing on Uematsu's melodies rather than trying to come up with something creative that makes their origin barely recognizable.