[SotW] Song of the Week: WEEK 119 Voting/WEEK 120 Nominating

beatmania IIDX 14 GOLD ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK - in the Sky

Has certain beautiful moments, yet the frenzied eurodance/trance parts spoil the song for me. Not that I can't get into these genres at all, but the headache is simply coming too soon when the beat and synth lines are repetitive and fast as in the current fashion. Must admit I have a certain bias against pop HAPPY-HAPPY bemani music. In this case, I can actually see why some people can enjoy this tune, but alas, I'm not with that gang.

Gran Chaser - KNIGHT GEAR

To quote a Robbie Robertson song:
"I like it, I like it, it's good."
She said "You like it now
But you'll learn to love is later."

Yeah, I like this song, but I don't know if I could ever love it. After several listens, it worked its way to the pleasure sites in my brain, but haven't been able to reach my heart though.

Grim Grimoire Soundtrack CD - BOOK OF DAYS

Left me desiring more as I haven't felt anything spectacular while listening. To me, it would work well in-game as background music, but on a standalone basis, it's harder to appreciate. Not bad however.

Hook (SNES Game Rip) - Neverland Tundra

There are interesting aspects, especially the fact of not being a straight orchestral take for a film-derived game. Still, I didn't feel the urge to get off my chair and start to dance nor become enthralled by a profound beauty. It is not the majority of music that has these strong effects on me however, but this week, other songs came closer to generating special reactions than this one.

R - Racing Evolution (Game Rip) - Mars Landing

Killer beat! Very solid and sharp sound. Being over 5 min. in length, I consider the track to be slightly too long for what it brings forth; not enough variations or melodic elements. Still neat, but a little extra would have sold it for me.

Space Quest III - The Pirates of Pestulon (PC Game Rip) - Closing Medley

Ah, Space Quest III! This is a quite memorable theme. The medley format is harder to get into since there is no soft transitions between the segments and it actually distracts from the meat that is the main theme. It's a classic in the PC gaming sphere, and while it's interesting as it is, I would have wished for a little more elaboration on the drum lines (with a solo somewhere ), with this score having been written by the former drummer from Supertramp.

Twisted Metal 2 (PlayStation Game Rip) - Holland [Field of Screams]

One of my favorite track from the whole series! It even had the honor of having been inducted to my "VGM Hall of Fame" (a.k.a. being allowed to reside on my portable MP3 player, which is a very selective process). Right from the start, it explodes in your ears and the dynamism never stops until the 3:04 mark. I love how so many instruments contribute to the melody and how lively this one is. Crash's concern is understandable because it is indeed not a tune which characterize the basis of classic VGM and for that matter, it will not appeal so much to those who are conservative about musical genres that should be respected for a game use or people who are not into blues rock. Good thing you've been able to get over this little matter and give the chance to at least a few people to discover and appreciate this excellent track.

Wiz 'n' Liz: The Frantic Wabbit Wescue (Sega Genesis Game Rip) - Name Entry

Matt Furniss quickly became one of my favorite Genesis composers. He created interesting music and, with the help of the audio driver programmer, Shaun Hollingworth, the sound is magnificent for FM synthesis. This particular track is heartwarming and quirky. While more or less childish in nature at times, the varied and relatively elaborated (for a chiptune) elements and sections, especially the succulent rise starting at 0:57, make it possible to get over this less attractive point. I've fallen under the spell...

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(2 points) Twisted Metal 2 (PlayStation Game Rip) - Holland [Field of Screams]
(2 points) Wiz 'n' Liz: The Frantic Wabbit Wescue (Sega Genesis Game Rip) - Name Entry
(1 point) Gran Chaser - KNIGHT GEAR
(1 point) Space Quest III - The Pirates of Pestulon (PC Game Rip) - Closing Medley

Jam it back in, in the dark.