A Review: The Music of Secret of Mana 2

               by Frank Buckley (navaash@aol.com)

                            Version 1.3




     OVERVIEW: The Secret of Mana series has had many varied tracks in

its evolution. This compilation of the music on CD is no different.




--------------

- What's New -

--------------

(No, I do not feel like adding a disclaimer right now. All I will say

in this area is that this file is NOT to be uploaded to CompuServe,

for reasons detailed in Nick Zitzmann's a.g.f-f FAQ.)




1.3 - The long-delayed revision, mostly because of academia and such

        things. :) Posted to Usenet in two parts and uploaded to Andy

        Vestal's page.

      Changed "use" lines of all songs to their correct ones.

      Cut out preferred names.

      Added credits section.

      Redid one or two reviews. The rest will be redone later.

      E-mail address changed to navaash@aol.com due to constant

      mistaken-identity problems.

1.2 - No 1.2, this was a contemplative time :)

1.1 - Clipped meaningless stuff. This was the first copy on

        Andrew Vestal's UOSSHP.

1.0 - The first copy! Originally posted to Usenet.




-----------------------

- Part 1: The Reviews -

-----------------------




     Here, I will examine each track of the SoM2 CDs in my own original

style. Each entry will contain the name of the track, the approximate

track length in M:SS format, the suspected use for each track (I have

not played SoM2, so I can't generally associate the music to an event

in the game - if anybody could help me out on this, it would be greatly

appreciated), my general commentary for each theme, and a numerical

rating; 0 means the piece is atrocious, and should be avoided at all

costs, while a 10 means that the composition is splendid, and rightful-

ly deserves a place on a Square music compilation. Generally, a 9 or

higher is not to be missed.

     Two things before I begin: 1) This review is better read while

listening to the music itself. Yes, I know that's stupid. But I haven't

familiarized myself with the instruments it uses and how they are

arranged, so my descriptive powers on music are shallow, at best. :) If

at all possible, try to listen to a particular song before/while read-

ing the review. 2) Get a stereo system with a good 5-band graphic

equalizer. (This is a device with five sliders, usually built into the

stereo itself, that allow the levels of treble and bass to be control-

led.) Square of Japan themselves have recommended that a good bass sys-

tem be used on this game (I saw this advisory on one of their web pages

but I don't remember the URL), and this advice should be taken. A mono

system _will not_ do the music justice, nor will a stereo system with-

out a 5-band graphic equalizer. For example, mine is set up like this:




            +10 =     =     =     =     =     =

                =     =     =     =     =     =

                =     =     =     =     =     =

                =     =     =     =     =     =

                =     =     =     =     =     =

              0 = -X- =     =     =     = -X- =

                =  |  =     =     =     =  |  =

                =  |  =     =     =     =  |  =

                =  |  = -X- =     =     =  |  =

                =  |  =  |  =     = -X- =  |  =

            -10 =  |  =  |  = -X- =  |  =  |  =

                 100Hz 300Hz 1kHz  4kHz  10kHz




     (Ah, the joys of lame ASCII art.) This setup gives me the ablilty

to get a reasonably good amount of bass while listening to the music at

high volume through my headphones. Of course, your tastes may vary. It

is just a matter of fiddling with the equalizer.

     Onto the reviews...




-----




     Disc 1

     ------

     1 - "Not Awaken" - 0:08 - non-repeating

     Use - when you turn on the SNES/SF and "Square" appears onscreen

     As this one is a sort of a filler piece, I really can't rate it.

However, it does suggest good things are on the way.

     Rating - n/a




     2 - "Where Angels Fear to Tread" - 2:44 - non-repeating

     Use - title screen story/credits

     One of the basic unwritten rules of videogame design is that a

person must not become ticked off with the music at the very beginning;

this applies more to 16-bit than to 8-bit machines. (A prime offender

of this rule is The 7th Saga.) This theme gets SoM2 off to an excellent

start, opening with a piano/flute-type section that works well with the

background support bass. Then, when the song begins to get rolling in

its final fourth, the sttentive listener will recognize the SoM1 title

theme worked into the rhythm. It comes off very well for an opener. Of

course, once you establish a musical standard, the general expectation

is that you have to hold it...

     Rating - 9




     3 - "Ordinary People" - 2:27

     Use - town music for dwarf/elf/midget colonies

     This theme has a rather bouncy tone, something typical of quite a

few tracks from SoM1. In fact, this track may be a little too cute for

its own good. As moods go, this piece has a rather light one. (Admitt-

edly, I was expecting more of the same style of music used in SoM1 the

very first time I listened to these tracks -- a preconception broken

apart with this song.) Yes, this track would never appear on a movie

soundtrack; then again, most videogame music woudn't, either. Taken by

itself, it's a good diversion.

     Rating - 7




     4 - "Whiz Kid" - 4:15

     Use - Duran's theme, Castle of Forcena

     This track definitely has an adventurous tone to it. It is not

quite as deep as some of the other pieces (the most instruments I coun-

ted in use at once was 4 or 5 for a brief snippet). I consider it to be

a 'hero introduction' theme because it doesn't sound like an enemy

would use it -- of course, in most Square games, it's easy to tell if a

particular piece belongs to a good or bad guy, if for that purpose.

This is listenable, but doesn't have the mass appeal of, say, "Nuclear

Fusion".

     Rating - 6.7




     5 - "Walls and Steels" - 3:01

     Use - Castle of Jado

     This song is might tempered with caution, as most of the piece has

heavy bass, but there is a little sequence at the end (when I say 'the

end', I mean 'right before it repeats' if the track is not explicitly

marked as non-repeating) with a xylophonic melody being played over

light bass (or is that a pseudo-violin?). I label this a castle theme

as there is an undercurrent of national pride in the way the song

sounds. It's all in the music...

     Rating - 7.1




     6 - "Axe Bring Storm" - 3:29

     Use - Amazonness Hideout

     In this piece, there is a slightly oppressive overtone, but the

use of the piano indicates that the enemy is only on its way, and has

not yet become a major problem. The tolling bell does denote the impen-

dingness of the situation, but there is an upbeat aspect to the song

that seems to indicate that the target of the attack is confident that

they will stand their ground. Not too shabby, this one.

     Rating - 7.3




     7 - "Little Sweet Cafe" - 3:09

     Use - town music

     The tone of the song isn't threatening (as the name implies), em-

ploying a 'bouncy' instrument or two. This song is definitely a calmer,

as it does not have any aspects of oppression, tension, etc. Sort of a

diversion; it's not bad by any means, but it just doesn't have the

aspects needed to qualify in the upper echelon of the SoM2 themes.

     Rating - 6.7




     8 - "Witchmakers" - 2:38

     Use - Angela's theme, Castle of Artena

     This's one of a handful of SoM2 songs that has a distinct Oriental

feel. However, like the other Oriental-themed songs in SoM2, it doesn't

work all that well. Like "Little Sweet Cafe", there is no sense of ur-

gency or hostility; however, LSC sort of worked for me; this one didn't

much work. I don't know. I just have a hard time liking this one.

     Rating - 5.6




     9 - "Another Winter" - 3:37

     Use - Sub-Zero Snowfields, ice wall maze

     Another unwritten rule of videogame music: "Every song has a pur-

pose." However, when trying to determine that purpose when 1) you've

never played the game and 2) you're using conjecture and track names

which are sometimes off-center (more on that later), it's hard. This

simply is music a person would instantly associate with cold winter,

which the title suggests. Of course, it is better than the music in

Evermore (yeah, cheap shot; I was referring to the ambient-noise-as-

music tactic, which did not sit well with me). But when you put it up

against SoM2's heavy hitters, guess who'll win...

     Rating - 6




     10 - "Ancient Dolphin" - 3:55

     Use - Mirage Temple

     Another calm piece, this one makes use of some instruments in a

good fashion. This is one of those songe that can lull you to sleep if

you 1) let it; 2) aren't keeping your insomnia stirred. :) It's that

fitting. Like many of the tracks on the first disc, this track is not a

track that's played during a battle, but in a story situation or when

riding Bukasukaboo (I suspect) when it has the most effect. All of the

instruments used sound very much like they would be used for a sea mel-

ody, which is precisely what this aims to be. Very good.

     Rating - 7.9




     11 - "Hope Isolation Pray" - 3:22

     Use - sad theme (not keyed to location)

     The section of this piece with the piano and the light guitar

sound (the non-piano sound is definitely acoustic) is the highlight of

the track. The beginning of the theme just comes on _too_ strong --

it's the loudest one of the bunch -- plus the flute-sounding instrument

trying to couple with the piano is average, at best. An ambitious

failure.

     Rating - 5.7




     12 - "Raven" - 3:42

     Use - Hawkeye's theme, Fortress of Nab'aal

     The drums get you right back up on your feet for this one. The

tone suggests some sort of moderate activity -- hence, my choices for

suspected uses listed above -- and it is mostly upbeat in its tone. Un-

like the previous couple of compositions, you cannot sit back and rest

to this one. You feel like you have to act. And that action will most

likely be a battle. Good pacing, but not very stirring from an emotion-

based standpoint.

     Rating - 7.4




     13 - "Damn Damn Drum" - 2:50

     Use - tropical island

     As the title suggests, the main feature of the tune is the drum.

It is always there, in a steady, moving-along rhythm... oddly, though,

at one point in the song the drum doesn't play! Who made this decision

to cut the drum near the end? Not good. As it stands, it's fluff, but

it's entertaining fluff.

     Rating - 6.5




     14 - "Innocent Sea" - 2:45

     Use - sad theme

     For some reason, I can't help but write 'Mexican feel' all over

this one. (That's not a bad thing.) I can't say why. However, to get an

idea of what effect this song can have, imagine yourself on a beach,

lying reclined on a beach chair, taking in the sunlight as the sun be-

gins its descent beyond the horizon. Make sure all of the ambient noise

is there, including waves and birds and a light wind. Then play this

song. Wonderful emotional effect. Well done.

     Rating - 8.6




     15 - "Swivel" - 1:53

     Use - Golden Road, Forcena Highlands

     I finally figured out where the missing drum section from "Damn

Damn Drum" ended up - here! ;) Hack the two songs together and you can

get something good going. On its own, though, this song is weak. At one

point in the piece, one instrument is playing alone. It happens to be

the most irritating aspect of the piece. Yes, the tone is upbeat, but 

for whatever reason I can't stand that one instrument taken alone. And

it does hurt.

     Rating - 4.6




     16 - "Oh I'm a Flamelet" - 3:13

     Use - some cute/happy situation

     Every so often, I will take time to moan about what I'm missing,

since I've never played the game to match the music with. Like right

now.

     (rant mode on)

     I'm sure that, with the right plot development to back it up, this

piece could make sense. Same deal if you substitute 'plot' for 'char-

acter' and the reasons are justifiable. But _noooo_, I have to listen

to the music without a visual picture of what is occurring! So I have

to take it as is. Like this one... "I've already had enough cutesy pie-

ces for one disc, thank you." Now, let's lay off!

     (rant mode off)

     Rating - 5




     17 - "Evening Star" - 3:40

     Use - Holy City of Wendel

     This track strikes me in a funny way. For some reason, I can stand

its use of 'loudest instrument syndrome'. (On the other hand, I had to

use a pair of headphones that slightly buzzed in the left ear and could

blank out in the right ear at any time while writing this review.) I

can stand the fact that it's a somewhat shallow piece. Why? Because it

is a perfect romantic situational musical composition. I always feel a

tingle down my spine at least once each time I hear it. I have the per-

fect mental picture for this: two lovers, lying in the grass on a star-

lit night, talking to each other in whisper and the male pointing out

the various constellations to his girlfriend. Nice.

     Rating - 7.7




     18 - "Don't Hunt the Fairy" - 2:40

     Use - Lamp Flower maze

     Cute and tolerable.

     Rating - 7.6




     19 - "Legend" - 3:43

     Use - Another sad music

     I'm not sure about this one. With SoM1, the 'story' songs were

often slower and more drwan out, but they got the attention of the lis-

tener. This doesn't. It goes a little too fast for itself and doesn't

have a dramatic aspect. It is listenable, though.

     Rating - 6.3




-----




     So, for 18 tracks on Disc 1 ("Not Awaken" doesn't count), we have

an average rating of around 7. Of course, the average is mostly mean-

ingless, but there really is a lot of just decent stuff on this disc.

My favorite tracks are "Where Angels Fear to Tread", "Innocent Sea",

and "Evening Star". My not-so-favorites were "Witchmakers", "Hope Iso-

lation Pray", and "Oh I'm A Flamelet". These last three are nowhere

near as _bad_ as some of the later tracks, though.

     Onto the next disc....




-----




     Disc 2

     ------

     1 - "Lefthanded Wolf"  - 2:57

     Use - Kevin's theme, the Beast Kingdom

     This sone does have some deep-sounding parts, to its credit. And

it bucks the trend of cutesiness of the first disc. However, after the

first few bars, an Oriental-sounding piece is mixed into the track.

_This does not work!_ Sometimes, a composer has to draw the line on how

far they can go with their creative juices; it is evident that Kikuta-

san went over the line here.

     Additionally, this music reminds me of the Devil's Lab theme from

FF3/6j. Devil's Lab wins, hands down. It's more lively, more techno, and

more appropriate, further enhancing the low rating of this track.

     Rating - 4




     2 - "Person's Die" - 3:17

     Use - Carl's (the baby wolf's) theme

     Using two instruments, "Person's Die" (which is awfully translated

BTW, it sounds like it should have said "Person's Death") creates an

echo effect on the listener. You hear it, and then it resonates within.

It conveys the emotion of sadness particularly well, and is one of the

better tracks on the disc.

     Rating - 7.0




     3 - "Harvest November" - 4:20

     Use - desert theme

     This song has a definite 'light' feeling to it, and that's a good

thing, because after the last two (awful) selections we needed a #3 to

break out of the funk. The portion where the pseudo-guitar is taken out

for a strumming is one of the things that remings you of something good

and pleasant. The rest of the song is standard fare, but a situation

association works wonders here. Again, enjoy the acoustic strumming.

     Of course, the song is used out in the desert. Hard to get much

of a crop harvest from there ;)

     Rating - 7.2




     4 - "Few Paths Forbidden" - 3:14

     Use - cave theme

     On this, my fifth or so listening of this piece, one of the inst-

ruments really sticks out for me. It's easy to recognize. As one may

recall, said instrument was used in a few tracks of SoM1. This is sig-

nificant to me because it sort of bridges the gap between the two sim-

ilar, but different, worlds. The rest of the song? Bass reinforced by

some sort of wind instrument and a steady beat. This one works from a

nostalgic standpoint.

     Rating - 6.5




     5 - "Female Turbulence" - 4:11

     Use - Riesz's theme, Castle of Rolante

     This track wins the award for 'Best Title' :) The music ain't half

bad, either. It combines seriousness, lightheartedness, and bass so

well that it's worth several listens. The way the high-pitched fore-

ground instrument (yes, I know... vague) is fiddled with is quite a

treat. I could rave about this one forever... just listen to it yourself

and you'll see what I mean ;)

     This theme suits Riesz well. As the most 'warrior' pf the female

leads, Riesz deserves some background music that presents her strength,

and this trakc does it in spades.

     Rating - 9.5




     6 - "Intolerance" - 3:34

     Use - a scene concerning imminent war; strife in a kingdom

     (Note: Don't have your bass system up too loud on this one - one

slack-off during a heavy drum hit and you're dogmeat =)

     This song is dark. Nice and dark, primarily due to the military

overtones. It's also bleak - the non-drum portions of the track don't

seem to indicate victory looming on the horizon soon. As for the drums,

they fit very well -- 'boom burum-b-b-b-boom boom' -- very military,

very competent. Good stuff.

     Rating - 7.9




     7 - "Different Road" - 3:11

     Use - the road that runs through the sky (name?)

     My younger brother hated this one. Badly. I can't say the same

words he did, though I have his sentiments. :) The point of this one is

lost on me; the instruments are as coherent as a 15-car pileup on an LA

freeway, the drums are a little heavy, 1/3 of the percussion instruments

suck... yada yada yada. And don't try to be cute on the piano, either.

(g)

     Rating - 4.9




     8 - "Powell" - 4:17

     Use - Rabite Forest

     Hmm.

     Well, the first time I reviewed this, I hated it. The track remin-

ded me too much of the worst music from 8-bit Nintendo games.

     Now that I know it's of the Rabite Forest, though, it's rather

droll. Rabites are simple, and simple music fits them as such. If only

I knew about this the first time around :)

     Rating - 7




     9 - "Political Pressure" - 4:33

     Use - dark dungeons

     The opening music to SoM1 (after you've chosen a new name for Ran-

di) rings in my head when I play this track. Both have bleak overtones.

Both have despairing-type instruments. Both clash strongly with the rest

of the game's music, it ins own little way. I like, I like. Hell, you

could replace one with the other -- shot of Pureland, shot of Mana Fort-

ress platform, shot from camera moving around world map, etc. Nicely

done cross-continuity.

     Rating - 8.1




     10 - "Nuclear Fusion" - 3:19

     Use - one boss fight, battles in occupied castles

     This is one of the "marquee tracks" of SoM2 - a track which is

worth the price of admission by itself. Fast-paces, well-orcheestrated,

and a track which has shades of SoM1's "Prayer of the Arctic Circle"

("Meridian Dance" on the U.S. disc), it is in the top ranks of the SoM2

music. Just to be sure to balance the treble and the bass right for

full effect -- something I could do if I had a real copy of SoM2...

     Rating - 9.4




     11 - "Positive" - 0:55 - non-repeating

     Use - immediately after battles

     It's a perker-upper -- but too short to rate, IMO.

     Rating - n/a




     12 - "Meridian Child" - 3:14 - non-repeating in a way

     Use - plays when your main character muses about his troubles,

           then takes a ship to Jado.

     When a friend of mine was listening to this track, one of his first

reactions to it was, "You know, there's a Final Fantasy undercurrent to

this song!" or something to that effect.

     I'd never thought of that before.

     And the more I listen to this, the more he's right.

     The piece begins with a beauty of a snippet that'll tingle even the

most jaded Square fan's spine. Then the song breaks into a stride, and

before you know it it's pure bliss. That's all I can say; listen to it

for yourself. :) :)

     Rating - 9.7




     13 - "Closed Garden" 0:52

     Use - Save game screen, new game screen

     Can you say "dorky"? I knew you could. :) This one is just a little

too overripe for my tastes. Enough said. I prefer the little theme from

SoM for this purpose (in fact, they shouldn't have changed it).

     Rating - 4.8




     14 - "Splash Hop" - 2:29

     Use - a comical occurrence

     Ooh, Jamaican! :) Seriously, this song is influenced by the rhythm

of the Jamaicas. Just listen to the first few bars. The song is pretty

competent by itself, but gets a few points for the coolness factor.

     Rating - 7.2




     15 - "Innocent Water" - 3:33

     Use - sad theme

     This is one of those definite emotional pieces -- the soft version

of "Innocent Sea". There are two instruments used -- high piano and low

piano -- and they are used very effectively. This is the sort of poig-

nant piece that can get a person going if they have the correct frame

of mind to accompany it. (One reason why _not_ having the lights on when

listening to music helps, IMO.) It holds its own well with the complex

stuff.

     Rating - 8.4




     16 - "Delicate Affection" - 2:14 - non-repeating

     Use - when your character acquires the Mana Sword

     Excellent, excellent, excellent. It begins as a piece with feeling,

then it adds heart, and hear the end the tragic element is thrown in,

and it ends on a very open-ended note - literally. Stellar stuff. One

of my personal favorites.

     Rating - 9.6




     17 - "Three of Darkside" - 3:14

     Use - very evil presence; perhaps the 'boss''s henchmen, akin to

           Sheex, Fahna, and Geshtar in SoM1

     Dark overtones and a menacing drum make this yet another one of the

good songs on the disc. The part where they actually use non-drum inst-

ruments :) serves to provide an undercurrent of the motives of the rep-

resented character(s).

     Rating - 8.3




     18 - "Last Audience" - 3:03

     Use - Black Market theme, Pedan town theme

     Obvious Oriental overtones/sounds in this one. No, this one isn't

as bad as "Witchmakers"; at best it's mediocre. But if the producers

needed an Oriental theme, couldn't they do one with _only_ Oriental

instruments? It would certainly give us a taste of Japan; when you mix

too many instruments, the end result is invariably confused.

     On second thought, it fits the infamous Black Market. I like the

shady undertones.

     Rating - 7.1




     19 - "Obsession" - 3:42

     Use - boss music

     Oh boy, into the dregs...

     The big thing about this theme is what I call the pseudo-electric

guitar. Why oh why was thia instrument used instead of a sound that act-

ually _sounded_ close to a real electrical guitar?? This one would be

much better with it. (From here on in, I will refer to this trend as

PEG syndrome.) The frame of the composition is good, though. I just

can't help but think how much a better-sounding electric guitar would

have benefitted this one...

     Rating - 4




     20 - "Strange Medicine" - 2:45

     Use - boss music

     This string strikes me clearly as 'fair'. (On my rating scale, a 6

-- fair -- is defined as "Competent on its own but pales in comparison"

(paraphrased). And thie is such a sone. That's the way it strikes me as, but I'm not sure I can pinpoint a cause. It's just 'fair'. Period.

     Rating - 6




     21 - "Frenzy" - 3:08

     Use - volcano theme, boss music

     The first few bars are competent, but then the dreaded PEG syndrome

strikes. Besides, it doesn't sound right for a volcano - volcano music

either has to be dramatic or subtle, and this is neither.

     Rating - 5.5




-----




     So for Disc 2, we have an average rating of 7.25 for 20 tracks. As

was the case with the first disc, the average is meaningless, because

this time we had quite a bit of scatter in the individual ratings. On

this disc, my favorites include "Female Turbulence", "Nuclear Fusion",

"Meridian Child", "Innocent Water", and "Delicate Affection". I really

only detested "Obsession", due to its fake-sounding electric guitar.

     To the finale...




-----




     Disc 3

     ------

     1 - "Can You Fly, Sister?" - 3:42

     Use - flight on Flammie

     Nice. Upbeat, good rhythm, and maintains an air of seriousness

(however slight). Appropriate theme for Flammie. "Trust me, I can fly

this thing!" ;)

     (Any of you who have played "Lunar: The Silver Star" can easily

attribute this quote to a certain airship-crashing girl... :)

     Rating - 9




     2 - "Decision Bell" - 3:24

     Use - Mana Holyland

     Personally, I prefered the original Pure Land music better. Its

'new-agey' flutes, strigns, and soft voices gave the impression of a

sacred place, which this does not capture. But it's adequate. 

     Rating - 7.3




     3 - "Secret of Mana" - 3:33

     Use - boss music

     All I'm going to say about this one is to avoid it. It's inco-

herent and uses the fake electric guitar to extremes. Bleah.

     Rating - 3.8




     4 - "Faith Total Machine" - 2:55

     Use - boss music

     The first few seconds are weak. Then we are stricken with PEG syn-

drome again. (What, four songs now? This trend had better not continue

or else...) But if you can wait through the appaling sounds, you get a good drum/bass portion at the end which almost makes up for the "oh-

please-use-a-better-sounding-electric-guitar" problem.

     Rating - 5




     5 - "Weird Counterpoint" - 3:47

     Use - Dragon Hole

     The background bass makes this song. It really reminds me of the

Bright Crucible music from Hexen (a well-done stretching of the DOOM

engine by Raven Software (plug :) ) when the bass is present. Especial-

ly when the bass is alone, with just a little drum... oooooh. This one

holds up well.

     (Of course, now there's Quake, but I won't get into that...)

     Rating - 7.1




     6 - "Rolling Cradle" - 3:46

     Use - boss music

     I don't know which boss this fits with, but I like it. Especially

because it perfectly captures the feeling of desperation, like that

scene in the Chunnel in the "Mission: Impossible" movie (even though

the scene itself was physically impossible and very contrived).

     Rating - 8.4




     7 - "Black Soup" 3:37

     Use - boss music

     Starts out good, then whoops! PEG syndrome. (Count is now 5 tracks

with the problem.) So much potential in this piece, hurt by two really

badly-chosen instruments: PEG, and an obvious one. The title befits it;

it plunges into a black soup quickly.

     Rating - 6.1 for the effort




     8 - "Hightension Wire" - 3:21

     Use - boss music (last 'normal' boss music)

     Upbeat. Really sounds like a track that could've been culled dir-

ectly from SoM1 -- it doesn't sound much like the mostly orchestral

tracks in SoM2. (More on this later.) But it works.

     Rating - 8




     9 - "And Other" - 0:32

     Use - when you get an elemental/special item

     Can't really rate this one; if you rated a song based on the first

_two_ seconds, though, this one's easily a 2. However, I will not give

it that because:

     1) Length is too short, and

     2) There's better things beyond those two seconds.

     Rating - n/a




     10 - "Electric Talk" - 4:03

     Use - Darkness Castle

     Drums, piano, and a high-pitched instrument at first, then some

intermediate bass. Repeat after initial once-through. Then follow up

with a fast-moving, entertaining piece that makes up the last third of

the track (and they should've used this sequence as the song's core

instead of the first/second thirds), and you have a surprisingly good

tune. Of course, this isn't what you'd expect from a castle where the

enemy is holed up, but...

     Rating - 8.2




     11 - "Religion Thunder" - 3:11

     Use - plays during the character endings

     Take some serious overtones, combine with a marching-type drumbeat,

add in strings and occasional bass (OK, I'll cut the recipemaking AND

the silliness off right here), and you get a stirring effort (OK, one

last bad pun :). Fitting way to present the epilogues.

     Rating - 8.2




     12 - "Angel's Fear" - 4:17

     Use - ancient legends, anything involving Mana Sword/Stone/Tree

     Remember the title theme for SoM1? (called "Fear of the Heavens" on

the U.S. SoM soundtrack) Here it is again.

     Three instruments are used -- a double piano + soft guitar at once,

then a SoM1-style wind instrument for the back third, and you get an

instant reminder of why you're playing SoM1/2 in the first place. (Of

course, the theme was slightly modified to repeat, but I'll take it any

time.) If you haven't yet been moved by any of the SoM2 music - not even

"Meridian Child" - this one will do that. And since we're about to

descend into the finale trio (if you're listening to the tracks right

from the CD), this works even better if you listen to this one first.

     Rating - 9.4




     13 - "Sacrifice, Part One" - 3:37

     Use - before fighting last boss, first part of last boss

     With a start, this theme begins dark with tiny bells of caution.

And then you get into the heavy bass and breaking glass sounds that

associate this one with a robotic nemesis. It's very sinister, very

brooding, and very serious -- not to mention very good. There's also a

hint of desperation. Of course, to really feel the effect of this music,

one needs to set it to a sinister enemy such as (seriously) the Borg...

     ..though after seeing First Contact, it probably doesn't fit very

well with the Borg. C'est la vie.

     Rating - 9.3




     14 - "Sacrifice, Part Two" - 4:11

     Use - last boss before powerup

     This one sounds a lot like a remixed version of the infamous Dark

Lich battle theme from SoM1. Only this time, there are no deep gongs or

unearthly-sounding barrages of voices that made the orignal sound eerie.

By comparison, this version doesn't hold a candle to the original, as it

lacks the frenetic energy of the parent. Taken on its own, though, it

can provide quite a ride.

     Rating - 8.5




     15 - "Sacrifice, Part Three" ((remove comma)) - 8:06

     Use - last boss in hardest form

     And at the climax of the frenzy, we have this, the final showdown

in SoM2.

     This track is so well done that you can set it up to any of the

previous Square end bosses (except maybe Zeromus, whose music fit him

beautifully), and it would still come off like a charm. This is a dra-

matic, emotional, and even-paced work which can stoke the fires of 

heroism in most who hear it -- of course, allowing room for those who

will inevitably disagree. Even more so than "Angel's Fear", this one

reminds you that you're fighting for everyone backing you, locked in a

struggle for the ultimate prize. Get ready for the ride of your life;

this one's a keeper.

     Rating - 10




     16 - "Reincarnation" - 3:10

     Use - Mana Goddess theme

     Anything coming off of "Sacrifice Part Three" will probably pale in

comparison, IMO. But I'll try to remain objective. ;) This track has a

mystical wuality to it, probably because the piano and and bass are all

SoM2, while the foreground instrument instrument is SoM1 all the way.

Another instance of 'the best of both worlds'.

     Rating - 8.6




     17 - "Farewell Song" - 2:41

     Use - fairy tells you goodbye

     Remember the Sprite Popoi's farewall at the very end of SoM1? (I

couldn't shut off the screen with Popoi up in the trees for days; it was

that powerful.) And the music that went with it? (Nor could I bring my-

self to turn down the volume.) If you haven't guessed, it had a profound

emotional effect on me, and this winner does the exact same thing. It

has the same basic theme of the Sprite's farewell, and can be whistled

to as well (even us non-highpitched whistlers can do it, too - a big

plus!), which makes the effect even better.

     Rating - 9.5




     18 - "Breezin" - 5:12

     Use - final wrap-up of main stories and sendoff

     With another rendition of the basic SoM theme contained within the

tones of this winner, you know you've got something good going. Even

without it, you just know that all parties are about to break off and

invariably lead you to one of them, depending on your sympathies. Of

course, the theme stands up well on its own even without this factor;

that sense of an impending 'farewell' merely enhances its quality.

     Rating - 9




     19 - "Return to Forever" - 8:40 - non-repeating

     Use - final sendoff; neat visuals :); closing credits

     Like many other Square games, the musical end of the line is on a

(mostly) happy note. For example, who wasn't happy to see the wedding of

Cecil and Rosa, with nearly all of their friends? Who wasn't giddy when

the snow began to fall after the destruction of the Mana Fortress? Who

wasn't fearful for Tina/Terra's life near the dramatic conclusion of the

escape from Kefka's tower? (I was as scared as hell; I really thought

she was going to die. And seeing Setzer's response just sent me _soar-

ing_.) Almost nobody (except, of course, the jaded Square fans :). Same

thing here - the last song gets your emotions raised to the highest they

can go. In fact, as a tip of the hat to SoM1, halfway through the song

the theme from Sage Joch's mountain (I can't remember the US name, darn

it!) is worked into the song so naturally you almost don't notice that's

what it is. And then, as the song begins to drift to wherever, a new

rendition of "Farewell Song" comes on, and just like that, your emotions

have been thrown all over the place... just as they should be. That, my

friends, is the perfect way to go out. Brilliant.

     Rating - 9.9




     20 - "Long Goodbye" - forgot to record time - half-repeating

     Use - party has perished

     It starts out similar to the sleep/dead theme of SoM1, but it gets

a mystical quality all its own near the end, akin to the SoM1 Pureland

theme. Very touching and a great way to end the disc.

     Rating - 8.9




-----




     So, for 19 tracks, we have an average rating of 8.1 Like the other

two averages, it doesn't mean much - but it's closer to meaning some-

thing than the other two, as most of the tracks on this disc are of high

quality. My favorites: "Can You Fly Sister?", "Rolling Cradle", "Angel's

Fear", "Sacrifice Part Three" (personal best), "Farewell Song", and

"Return to Forever". In contrast, there was only one song I couldn't

stand: the injustly-named "Secret of Mana".




------------------------------

- Part 2: General Commentary -

------------------------------




     Overall, this is a disc well worth your dollar/yen/whatever. :) It,

like many Square efforts, embodies some of the best aspects of the SoM

series, just as long as you know when to dodge the occasional bomb

churned out by Kikuta-san ;) A worthy addition to any collection, and in

some cases fine competition for Nobuo Uematsu.

     One of the things that I noticed while listening to the music was

that the amount of light in the room directly affected the feel which I

got out of the tracks. I had to write the reviews in an atmosphere in

which I could see what I was writing; most of the time, though, the

lights are off, the monitor is off, I have a coat draped over my shoul-

ders, and the music adjusted to taste. Many of the SoM2 tracks felt

different in light than in darkness; in almost all cases, the effects

were enhanced in the dark. That's probably because then you can't see

anything, so you don't know what to expect... at least that's the way I

feel about it. Your mileage my vary, of course.

     On the track list, which is the same whether or not you're looking 

at Tat's/Vestal's/etc.'s web page or the list provided with the CD, one

invariably tends to notice that some of the names are downright odd.

While this can lead to some cool-sounding titles, like "Female Turbulen-

ce", it can also result in some really oddly-named stuff, especially if

the translated grammar is lousy. "Person's Die"? "Three of Darkside"?

(OK, this one wasn't too bad.) "And Other"?? That's the real reason why

I made modifications to some of the names; they just sound better. If

you disagree with that (or with anything in this document, for that

matter), feel free to post.

     One of the notable things about the music of SoM1 was that it was a

departure from the symphony-wielding Uematsu. Kikuta did a fine job of

using some unusual instruments in creative ways to make some soundtracks

which rang true to the game. SoM1 is what I consider the 'melodic' style

of music - more lighthearted than anything, easier listening than most

Final Fantasy games. On the other hand, Kikuta drops melodic and favors

an Uematsu-like symphonic soundtrack for SoM2, especially in cases such

as "Meridian Child". I tend to favor symphonic more than melodic, as

symphonic allows for a greater range of dramatic music; however, when a

game is full of well-done melodic music, who am I to complain? :) Once

again, it's your call.




-----------------------------------

- Part 3: Recommendations/Credits -

-----------------------------------




     If you liked what you see/listened to here, there's more music

that I would like to recommend.




     - Final Fantasy 5: Dear Friends. Though "As I Feel, You Feel"

       is somewhat jarring with the non-music-flowing Finnish voice

       in the background, the rest of the disc is superb, including

       a touching rendition of "My Home, Sweet Home" and the most

       powerful crescendo of music I've heard in "Musica Machina".

       If you can only buy one disc this year, make it this.

     - FF: Pray and FF: Love Will Grow. Each CD contains eleven re-

       mixed songs with vocals done by the incomparable Risa Ohki.

       Some of the greatest arranged music to be heard in ages is

       contained within these two discs.

     - FF Symphonic Suite. Listen to Scene V; pure bliss. Oh, and

       the rest of the performance is great, too ^_^

     - Tenchi Muyo! in Love. OK, it's not Square, but I couldn't

       resist :) Dramatic music is the speciality of Christopher

       Franke, former member of Tangerine Dream and now the main

       composer for Babylon 5. Being only the second anime ever to

       have had its music composed by an American, TMiL's music

       rises to the Tenchi quality, leaving an impact on the list-

       ener for a long time to come. The TMiL theme, "Alchemy of

       Love", must be experienced -- it is that cool. Oh, and watch

       the film, too. ^_^ 




     Well, that's the end of it, for now. Drop me a line at my e-mail

address if you have any comments, questions, etc. about this review. All

flames will be redirected to an unnamed alt newsgroup or my killfile.




Special thanks to:




Hawkeye for forwarding me an accurate list of track uses.

Mark Rosa for extensive feedback, and for helping me to acquire more

     Square soundtracks. ^_^

Josh Brown, Luke Drelick, and Peter Belc for input and feedback.

Everyone else who helped me out.




Seiken Densetsu 3 is (c) 1995 Square Co. Ltd.

All music arranged and composed by Hiroki Kikuta.

This review is (c) 1996, 1997 by Frank Buckley. Reprint only with

     permission.

All other trademarks are (c) their respective holders.