#FINAL FANTASY 10 SOUNDTRACK ZIP SERIES#

Unfortunately the same thing can't be said for the series main theme, that has been given nearly identical arrangement compared to FFVIII's version with just slightly beefed up orchestration. And, wonder of wonders, the good old FF prelude is back, this time in genuine orchestral glory, which really counts for something this time around. One of the extra added enjoyments is that some tracks from earlier scores have been re-mixed and placed back in the fold, such as the 'Gulug Volcano' track from the original Final Fantasy. Fortunately the excellent music masks these flaws very well. Sound programmer Minoru Akao, who has programmed all previous entries, was also involved with the incredible synth of Chrono Cross, so what gives? I wish I had an answer. Final Fantasy IX, however, is a different story, it may have samples that surpass its predecessors but in most cases it sounds like the same system that we heard in part VIII. No one doubts that Final Fantasy VIII's sound system was a vast improvement over part VII.

The weakest point in the chain of FFIX overall is again, sadly, the poor quality of the sound system.

Some of my favorite tracks include 'You're not alone' (because it's my favorite scene in the game), 'Airship ~ Hilde Guard' (it's the best airship theme in the series, and is sadly only heard for a short while), and of course 'Melodies of Life.' I thought that FFVIII's 'Ami' theme was overused but sheesh! This problem is even more apparent in the game itself than on the CD, and because of the great length of the score (160 songs in all, 110 are which represented on the soundtrack), many tracks degrade into pointless, meandering background garble, though there are also quite a few standouts. Though to be honest, this soundtrack has one major compositional pitfall: the main theme is severely overused. The latest FF offers us a new look at the old light-hearted greats of the series' earlier years on the SNES combined with the new found mature sensibilities of the composer. One that I place it slightly ahead of my previous second favorite Final Fantasy VII, and light years ahead of the previous round in the series, Final Fantasy VIII. Uematsu has created a new thematic score. For those who prefer to stay within the series though, measuring up to other sound compositions in the rest, part 9, while still not nearly approaching the incredible mastery of mature themes we've witnessed in Final Fantasy VI, Mr. I own them all and I still haven seen their excessive charm apart from their nostalgia factor. This doesn't mean that I don't like most FF music, but I simply don't feel that most are too insanely great. I place Final Fantasy VI in my top ten best musical works of the 20th century, while the others probably don't even make the top 100. While most people judge separate Final Fantasy soundtracks by others in the series, I judge them by all musical soundtrack work. It doesn't demand much intelligence to enjoy, but that's okay because it really doesn't have to. Bottom line: this is just a great bunch of music to listen to. FFIX is, if nothing else, a simple and fun-to-play game, and the music that accompanies it is not necessarily geared towards enhancing emotions or even trying to overpower the listener, it simply functions as a fun and enjoyable backdrop to the amusing antics and exploits happening on screen. It may be hard to believe but Final Fantasy IX may have just proven to be the true need for the series: to get back to its roots. Not just fundamentally, but musically as well. With the recent ups and downs in the series as of late, fans such as myself have been wondering if the Final Fantasy series would be able to get back on the right track. Reviews Great, but still a distant second.

Detailed release notes and credits at VGMdb.

Lyric-less reprise on track 2.4 includes vocals by Emiko Shiratori.

'Melodies of Life' (disc 4 tracks 22 & 26) composed by Nobuo Uematsu and arranged by Shiro Hamaguchi, with lyrics by Ciomi and vocals by Emiko Shiratori.

Melodies of Life (The Layers of Harmony).

Conde Petie, Village Where The Mountains Blow.Decisive Action ~ Search For The Princess ~.

Final fantasy 10 soundtrack zip