[Album] Motoi Sakuraba Live Concert Star Ocean and Valkyrie Profile

Going into this album, I had extremely high expectations. "The Black Mages" had shown that there was a place for rockish/synth arrangements, and the fact that this was a live performance promised a certain quality.

What happened?

Simply put, nearly all the track actually sound much weaker than they did in their original albums when they were entirely synthesized. Somehow, the live performance has made them seem even *more* synthesized, not less, making the experience akin to a downgrade. Compare this to "The Black Mages," which was much closer in quality to a live, arranged album.

Another pratfall of the performance is that, being live, the various parts occasionally fail to synch up. I noticed this the most in the first two tracks, and it's an awful effect compared to the originals.

Add to that the poor selection of tracks--The Dawn of Wisdom, in particular, is poorly suited to a rock/synth arrangement--and the end result is near-total disaster. While it's clear what Sakuraba had in mind--a "Black Mages" like album, played live--the result is poor. There's nothing progressive about the arrangements here; they're almost all regressive in quality from the originals, even the battle tunes that seemed ripe for such an interpretation. Overall, a disappointing album, to say the least.

2/5

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I figured that you would disagree, based on your own lengthy review. I should clarify, though, that I didn't mean that Sakuraba was imitating "The Black Mages." I meant that "The Black Mages" had broken ground as far as live rock arrangements of VGM were concerned, and that Sakuraba's efforts here have precedent. And, since both albums feature rock/synth arrangements of VGM, I consider them to be comparable. They both strive to adapt VGM in live rock/synth; one I feel to be successful, the other I feel is not. The comparison was also meant to show that my own personal tastes don't preclude liking such rock/synth arrangements.

Regardless of Sakuraba's qualifications, and the fact that he is an extremely talented composer, the man can make mistakes. This, I feel, is one of them.

There's nowhere I can't reach.