Sometimes I pick what I’m going to post for the week based on if I can come up with a clever post title. Once I climb over that hurdle, it’s all smooth sailing. So I’d meant to post another Final Fantasy Character Assessment, because I’m on vacation this week and next, but *loading excuse* I ran some errands that got me home by six, and I have a loooooong list of items still on my to-do list, so this is what you get. Also consider I spent eight hours yesterday working on an essay for the FFVII 20th anniversary so shaddup will ya :p
What’s your favorite Final Fantasy album?
The Advent Children OST.
Years ago, AOL Radio used to have a Final Fantasy channel that I’d list to all day long, and nearly every day they’d play a song entitled “End Credits,” which claimed to be from Final Fantasy VII. Now I know what the end credits to FFVII sound like, and I have the FFVII OST, so I was quite confused to hear this beautiful, ethereal song claiming that title. Not to say the original end credit music isn’t par excellence, but the song in question would bring tears to my eyes (especially starting around 3:38 until the end). Eventually, I discovered it was the end credits to Advent, and I immediately bought the album.
This is probably one of the most beautiful songs I’ve ever heard. The way the music flows is like a leaf or (more likely) a feather on the wind.
I also love “Aerith’s (grumble…hate having to use that spelling, but that’s what the title of the song is) Theme,” “Tifa’s Theme,” and of course Advent’s version of “One Winged Angel,” which I’ll end up speeding to if I’m driving. “Across the Wasteland” is so desolate and dark; “Water” is bittersweet and haunting, “Black Water” shows off a heavy metal aesthetic that fits perfectly with the cyberpunk dystopian nature of the game/film; “Sign” is so eerie; “The Promised Land” is one of those songs I learned the words to immediately so I could sing along in Latin; and “Tenrai~Divinity I” is a song I attempted to learn the words to, but could never find a proper source. The only song I really don’t like is the album’s version of “J-E-N-O-V-A,,” though I do love other versions of that wildly complicated melody such as the original OST’s and The Black Mages’ rendition.
What’s your favorite Final Fantasy album, or, if not FF, what’s your favorite video game album? What makes it your favorite? Is it one or two particular songs or the whole package? Let’s talk more VG music in the comments!
The Shameful Narcissist Speaks 
I have to admit while I have a rather extensive music collection, the only video game soundtrack album I have is Peace Walker’s. I can totally get behind a Final Fantasy soundtrack though, as the series has no shortage of great music courtesy of Mr. Uematsu.
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Haven’t heard of Peace Walkers! Uematsu pretty much raised the bar on video game music, and I’m glad he did, because now it’s getting much more respect.
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Growing up, I loved all the music in Mega Man 2, and I’d go to different levels and just sit there grooving along to the 8-bit goodness 🙂 Otherwise, the game music I like has more nostalgic elements to it, like Legend of Zelda: Any of Them or Dragon Age: All of Them, or Mass Effect Original Trilogy (haha).
Ooo I know one song that I really love (well, two). Red Metal reminded me how much I love the music from Metal Gear, and Can’t Say Goodbye to Yesterday (MGS2) is one of my favorites, with The Best is Yet to Come (MGS) a close second!! Not only are they beautiful (especially Best is Yet to Come), but I really like the sentiments in the lyrics, as well. But again, both of those songs have serious nostalgia for me, too. The Best is Yet to Come is from the first Metal Gear game I played a million years ago, and I played the opening a lot of times so I heard it a lot of times… but it was always exciting because MGS was the most “serious” game I had and it was the first time I really figured out that it was the stories in games that really drew me in. And MGS2… well that has a special place in my heart, and like I said, the lyrics are pretty deep for a video game!!
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Legend of Zelda is right up there with Final Fantasy for me. I actually can’t choose between them, and FF just edges out because it’s the franchise I love the best, but in terms of music quality, they’re equal. I would die happy if Koji Kondo and Nobuo Uematsu ever did a collaboration.
Looks like I”ll have to check out the Metal Gear soundtrack!
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The second CD I ever owned was the Hollywood Symphony Orchestra playing music from Final Fantasies VI, VII, VIII, and IX. They don’t have all the best songs on there, but even then, I was a sucker for orchestral music, and I’ve always really loved it. I’d have to say that’s my favorite video game album.
Of course, outside of a Smash Bros. orchestral CD and a bunch of Shin Megami Tensei preorder bonuses, I don’t own any other OST CDs, so maybe not the most competitive arena.
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Have you listened to Final Symphony at all? Only the first one is out on CD or for download for some reason even though the second took place a few years ago, but the music is fantastic. It’s a lot more interpretive and extensive, and I think there were only two songs on the entire album I didn’t like. I’m a sucker for orchestral music myself and of course piano since I used to play.
I’ve heard the Smash Bros. soundtrack was excellent! I need to check that out.
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No, I didn’t know that was even a thing! Now that I do, methinks I need to look it up.
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In case you didn’t find it, voila!
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I actively listen to FF soundtracks almost daily and am a HUGE Uematsu fan. I find it odd that my favourite FF soundtrack is non-Uematsu in FF 13-2 and most specifically, the song called Eclipse is my personal top track.
I find the songs that go from the regular version to the “aggressive” remix such an original and awesome thing to experience! While listening to the soundtrack, the songs transitions seamlessly and it’s a fantastic treat! It’s also a huge soundtrack so there are some songs I dislike but most I think are very good.
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Oh I like that! I love how it incorporates the Prelude melody into it. I think Uematsu is one of the greatest composers of this era. I feel the same way about all of the FF OSTs. I may not like all of the songs, but I like/love the majority.
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My favourite is the Lightning Returns OST. I have never heard such a diverse soundtrack in any game before! There are songs with bagpipes, electronic rifts, theme mashups from the whole series, and orchestral stuff. Love it 😀
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I think my favorite might be Piano Collections: Final Fantasy VII.
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That’s an excellent choice. So many of FFVII’s songs lend themselves well to that instrument! And I have a biased fondness for the Piano Collections albums as well since I took lessons.
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