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Falcom Ending Collection :: Review by Charles
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Album Title: | Falcom Ending Collection |
| Record Label: | King Records | |
| Catalog No.: | KICA-1132/3 | |
| Release Date: | October 21, 1993 | |
| Purchase: | Buy at eBay |
Overview
Falcom Ending Collection is a rather strange addition to Falcom's near-endless line of albums. It is a compilation of all their ending themes from 1987 to 1992, spanning music from Ys and Sorcerian all the way to Brandish and Lord Monarch. The Falcom Sound Team J.D.K. offer both an original version and a low quality arranged disc. Is this a worthwhile album overall?
Body
The ending themes from Ys give a hint of the styles to expect elsewhere on the album. The epilogue theme "The Morning Grow" is a soft yet expansive theme featuring beautiful melodies and emotional contrasts. It seems to wrap up all the loose ends at the conclusion of the journey and is almost cinematic in inclination. However, "See You Again" takes a much more ecstatic and upbeat approach for the game's credits. It's pure pop, plain and simple, with its hyperactive melody and formulaic structure. Yet it's still melodically engaging and a fun accompaniment to the credits screen.
Other ending themes tend to be based on one of these two themes. Sedate themes like Sorcerian's "Ending I", Ys III's "Departures at Sunrise", and Brandish's "Ending I" all expand upon the format established on "The Morning Grow". However, there are plenty of more upbeat tracks too like "Star Trader", Ys III's "Believe in my Heart", or The Legend of Heroes' "Ending II". That's not to say that all the compositions are formulaic. Most have their individualities and some, such as Dinosaur's edgy "Crest of the Wind" or the expansive ending themes for the Lord Monarch series, stand out.
The second disc is dedicated to arrangements of the ending themes. This is quite a nice bonus, since the arrangements aren't available elsewhere. However, the arrangements are more resynthings of the original than anything particularly extravagant. They're pretty close in approach and synthesis to Music from Ys Renewal overall.
Summary
Overall, Falcom Ending Collection is a decent compilation of ending music. There is a good range of themes and some wonderful melodies, although the concept is quite a weird one overall. It'll depend very much on the listener whether they prefer the original or arranged versions, but there is little point in listening to them both. Most can safely do without this album.
