Song of the Week - WEEK 53 Voting/WEEK 54 Nominations

You know it's a good week when I don't delete any of the tracks after listening to them all.

(3 points) Dramatic - Oriental Spirits:
The purpose of this nomination was to give some recognition to the Japanese jazz/fusion band Casiopea. They've been around since the late 70's and have had quite an influence on a number of vgm artists such as Hiroyuki Iwatsuki, Ayako Saso, S.S.T. Band, Kukeiha Club, Woodsoft and probably many others. In fact, during the 1992 Game Music Festival, S.S.T. Band played a Casiopea tune for their encore performance.

The band leader and guitarist (Issei Noro) has arranged a few tracks in one of the Sega G.S.M. albums while the keyboard player (Minoru Mukaiya) has composed for the Sangokushi and Sengoku Musou series. Since he was the only member to have composed for a game, only his compositions with the band were eligible so I went with Oriental Spirits which was one of the few decent tracks he's composed as he isn't really known for sparkling compositions - that's Noro's job. This track is an excellent example of mixing an Oriental theme with a fusion style. The melody isn't exactly the most original but the piano solo is jazzy-smooth and the guitar solo at the end is played to perfection while the main Oriental theme plays in the background. Mukaiya's game compositions are Oriental style as well due to the Oriental-themed games he composes for so it wouldn't be a stretch to imagine this as being an arrangement of one of his gaming tunes.

As usual, I've uploaded a few of my favourite Casiopea tracks for your listening pleasure featuring a good cross-section of styles. The one I really wanted to nominate was Trance Evolution which was composed by Noro. You must all be getting tired of my non-vgm nominations so I promise to sneak only one more in before going back to vgm...maybe =p

(2 points) pop'n music 12 Iroha AC CS pop'n music 10 - Beyond the Earth -Original Long Version-:
Good beat with an infectious melody which really shines at 2:47. I could have done without the chanting though. Nonetheless, this track was the only other one that stood out this week.

(1 point) Silhouette Mirage Original Sound Track - Punky Pumpkin Castle:
I really liked the rockin' start to this one which heightened my expectations right away. The ensuing melody was good and by the time it reached the 1:30 mark, I was really digging this tune. Then all of a sudden, BAM, it ends. The timing and the method of the ending really hurt this track which could have been SO much better if it kept building on the original tune and I don't just mean by looping it again. Another solo or interlude thrown in combined with a real ending would have done wonders. Though I can't deny it wasn't an enjoyable piece while it lasted.

The rest of the tracks were all pretty similar in that they were enjoyable but lacked that oomph to really make a statement:

Dragon Ball Z3 Original Soundtrack - Evil Power:
This is the definition of average rock. Generic riffs, wailing guitars and electronic effects. Not to say I didn't like it but it's not the "feature attraction" kind of track that really should be showcased here.

Klonoa of the Wind 2 ~Something Forgotten Wished by the World~ Original Soundtrack - The Sorrow Revives:
Another average track with a decent melody. Not spectacular but not bad either.

Shin Samurai Spirits Arrange Sound Trax - Smooth Talk Rock (Kuroku):
This is the style of music I'm usually drawn to with the guitar and keyboards. Heck, even the Oriental touch gave it the same elements as my own nomination. The difference was in the melody which I thought was somewhat repetitive and severely lacking in quality.

Genso Suikoden III Original Soundtrack - Vinay Del Zexay:
A pleasant little tune which sounds like a town theme. I never liked the Suikoden III soundtrack but this was probably one of the better tracks from that game.

Space Invaders Daisakusen - Game Over:
Haha! This one had me laughing and provided for some good comic relief this week. Who woulda thought you'd hear 80's euro-pop in vgm? It ends up being a bit repetitive but I'll keep this track around for it's comedic value.

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