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Final Fantasy V Original Sound Version :: Review by Dave
OverviewFour crystals held the entire cycle of life, and each of these crystals provided their own source of power to mankind. Nonetheless, as magical and as beautiful as they were, they imprisoned a much darker force away from the world. When a sudden meteor strike shattered these crystals, the very vile, evil force that the crystals restrained was released. Therefore, to save the world from ultimate destruction, an unlikely group of warriors, ranging from a princess to a wise old man, set off on the journey, a journey which is known as Final Fantasy V. The game was only recently released outside of Japan as part of the Final Fantasy Anthology, so it may come as a surprise to you that it has been hailed as one of the best in the series. Why Square hid this RPG in Japan, we will never know, but at least the Original Sound Version was universal. Once again, Nobuo Uematsu returns to compose the music for the game, and as always, there are a number of catchy, emotive, and dark themes all over the album. This album boasts a total of sixty-seven tracks, and the majority of them are well composed, too. Obviously, the limitations of the Super Nintendo's sound capacity come into effect, but with Minoru Akao taming this, it is an impressive musical work from Uematsu, who has made an impression in recent years. BodyThe first track that we hear on the album is the delightful "Ahead on our Way." The majority of the Final Fantasy fans will remember this track from the Final Fantasy V Piano Collections, Final Fantasy V Dear Friends, or even the "Tour de Japon - Music from Final Fantasy" concert, for those who were lucky enough to be at the event. Nonetheless, the original theme sounds just as magical untouched. Although the sound quality is poor, Uematsu does his best to make sure that no part is disguised in a frenzied pit of blips and bleeps. The main melody repeats a number of times through the theme, and it is all too easy to notice Uematsu's love for arpeggios and broken chords. This is no worry, however, since it creates a wholesome atmosphere that graces your ears. The next track on the album is amongst my favourite ambient themes, and this is down to a few simple reasons. This is one of the few earlier ambient themes on the albums that create a vivid image of the setting. First of all, the tender build up places the listener in a holy place filled with light and dream-like substances. A flute comes in with a short melody that is then carried by a clarinet, only to be passed onto even more instruments, and, quite surprisingly, an organ comes in after this. The organ holds the main part of the melody, which is inspirational, emotive, and extremely powerful in nature. Arranged versions of this track bring this emotion to even greater heights, but this is not to say that the Original Sound Version's theme isn't as good. The section around the 2:00 mark is my least favourite part of the track since it just seems to be too dissonant in my eyes. Nonetheless, it is great to see that this resolves in a pit of deathly vibes and climactic chords that announce the presence of an evil being. This theme is one of the best on the album, so it is quite a pleasure to hear it so early on. The next theme is a march orientated arrangement of "Ahead on our Way" that has something else added to it, too. Admittedly, "Four Valiant Hearts" is short, but quite a lot goes on during the time that it plays. The theme is far from the sophisticated styles offered to us nowadays, but it is respectable nonetheless, though it is hardly one of the album's hailed themes. There are much better march themes on the album. "The Fire Powered Ship" is one of these, but in all honesty, it is a lot more militaristic than expected. The theme is captivating and it fits the scene very well, and although some may say that it lacks a decent melody, themes with great atmospheres really don't need one. "The Four Warriors of Dawn" is perhaps the best marching theme, though. It holds an impressive amount of power within its trumpets, timpani, and graceful strings. It just goes to show what a simple accompaniment and a powerful melody can do, but the sad thing is that it doesn't develop to the heights that it should have. "Victory Fanfare" is another track that could have done with a bit of development, and since this fanfare has stayed pretty much through the whole of the Final Fantasy series, I hope that you can agree that although it is catchy, it isn't a theme that you want to hear every time you defeat a monster. The regular battle theme, however, is one of the most enjoyable themes on the first disc. "The Battle" goes one step further than Final Fantasy IV's theme, as this time, it has a much better melody and a great replay value, too. Personally, I would have liked to have seen this theme in later games from the series, too, but since other great themes have developed in its place, this is no great loss. "Lenna's Theme" is the next track on the album, and strangely enough, this is the only character theme that we get to hear. The theme is ambient and delicate in nature, but it is also powerful and fearless. Reina's (also known as Lenna) character is portrayed perfectly here, so Uematsu has done a great job. The contrast between the xylophone and the flute creates an interesting atmosphere that none of the other tracks take, and with the theme being based upon "Ahead on our Way," too, we can directly link her as the protagonist of the story. Another arrangement of "Ahead on our Way" is "Deception," which is a eerie track that gives off vibes of uneasiness and fear. This theme is relatively simple, and it doesn't compare to the original at all. "Tenderness in the Air" takes on the same type of atmosphere through its flowing melodies and simple accompaniment, and in many ways, it is a much more emotive and memorable theme. The length of the track is down to the amount of development that Uematsu gives the melody, and although it doesn't seem to go a long way, after comparing the end of the track with the start, there is quite a significant difference in style and power. Inspirational themes are abundant throughout this album, and to me, that represents the mind of a composer who can create a perfect melody and top it up with a powerful bass. "The Dragon Spreads its Wings" is amongst the most inspirational, but to me, "My Home, Sweet Home" is the most meaningful and melodically impressive. As with earlier tracks, this theme takes a while to develop, but when it does, the listener is thankful. Arrangements of this theme generally take it to the heights that the Super Nintendo never allowed it to reach, but for the time that this theme was created, it is very well structured, indeed. Nonetheless, this brings me nicely onto the livelier themes on the album. The rather repetitive "Harvest" is the first of these. I felt that the arrangement on the Final Fantasy V Piano Collections took a lot out of this theme, but I have to say that I prefer the piano to the synth violin that plays the melody here. As well as this, the original theme lacks the jazzy section that was the height of the Piano Collections version, and to me, that is slightly disappointing. Still, it becomes a tradition on this album for the upbeat themes to be annoyingly catchy and underdeveloped. The infamous "Mambo de Chocobo" is a classic example of this, and it makes you wonder how the theme stayed in the series. The theme is inventive and fun to listen to, but when you look at later arrangements of the theme, it is all so easy to rip it apart and note all of the mistakes. Uematsu was evidently pleased with this track since the theme received an album release, Final Fantasy V Mambo de Chocobo, too, but I hardly consider it as one of the best themes on the album. "Music Box" is another theme that lacks development, and although it has its fair selection of meaningful vibes, it is tedious and really quite unimpressive. The Piano Collections version of this track was certainly an improvement, but the slow tempo and lack of harmony is the death of this track. "Waltz Clavier" and "Go Go Boco!" are two more fun tracks to listen to, but there was only one track that could rule the light-hearted side of this album; "Cripper Tripper Fritter!?" has the best motifs out of the lot of them, and it is only down to the hilarity of the melody that it is a winner. Although there are relatively few of them on this album, the hurry themes that Uematsu yields are pretty tantalising. "Hurry! Hurry!" is based around a fast paced chromatic rhythm, whereas "Run!" is based upon a short melody, some nice chromatic motifs, and suspense enhancing percussion. Nonetheless, the best of these themes has to be "Danger!" which links perfectly into the battle track that follows. Each of these are unique in the way that they create an electrifying atmosphere, and "Danger!" just happens to be a mixture of the ideas used in "Run!" and "Hurry! Hurry!" Amongst the best themes on the album are the mystical and eerie tracks, and not to mention the totally tragic ones. "Fate in Haze" is an impressive theme that brings out the best of the poor synth that it is left to contend with. The melody is magical, and there is a certain note in the high breaches of the instrument that just gives off a sense of longing. The accompaniment is pretty bare, but acceptable nonetheless, especially in light of other tragic themes which have none at all. Nonetheless, it is the eerie ones that really shine, and generally, they link into the boss themes, too. "Sealed Away!" is a classic example of a dark theme, and Uematsu creates it in the most clichéd style possible, too. The theme consists of a dark timpani line and a fear heightening melody. Next up is "Cursed Earth," a track built upon a melody in a minor key, an intriguing rhythm, and some well timed switches to a new section. This is much the same with "Walking the Snowy Mountains," and the two work well together. "Walking the Snowy Mountains" is a more of an inspirational theme than a dark one though, so once again, we can see Uematsu's melodic skills. As we near the end of the main part of the album, we are faced with a large amount of deathly tracks that lead into main battles where you fight for the good of mankind. In "Reminiscence" the sci-fi elements blend agreeably and have an unusual, perhaps enigmatic quality about them that contributes to establishing an uneasy tone amongst other parts of the track. The automated "Musica Machina" is the next track to be heard, and diehard Final Fantasy fans should know this theme off by heart. The sound programming from Minoru Akao is near perfect here, and indeed, a machinelike atmosphere is created. This is one of the most tension enhancing themes on the album, so it is very timely for it to appear just before the character's first encounter with Exdeath. "The Evil Lord Exdeath" ends the first disc in style; with a dangerous opening and a threatening main body, this theme is perfect for one of the main foes. His castle theme, "Exdeath's Castle," is just as impressive. A pumping bass beat remains throughout the track as a deathly brass line plays out the melody. The next theme is the mighty "Battle with Gilgamesh," a track that most of you will know as "Clash on the Big Bridge" from The Black Mages album. The fast, invigorating pace of this theme makes it one of the best early battle tracks of its time, and although it isn't developed to any great extent, its catchy melody gives it a great replay value. The tracks following this, namely "Unknown Lands" and "The Land Unknown" are both as atmospheric as each other. Originally, I was confused by the names of the tracks, and at first you begin to wonder whether they are the same theme, too. Nonetheless, despite the similar name and timbre, each theme has its own unique and meaningful melody. They seem out of place amongst a sea of battle themes, but I can assure you that they add to the build up into the next themes. Excluding the filler tracks at the end of the album, there are ten tracks left for the listener to enjoy. "Intentions of the Earth" is a strange theme that does relatively little, yet has a certain amount of power and passion contained within its melody. The opening to the theme is surprisingly my favourite part since it seems to perfectly announce an oncoming danger. "The Prelude of Empty Skies" may not be as impressive melodically, but it is a theme that many fans should respect atmospherically. The movement of the track is slow, but Uematsu hardly ever falters by introducing something new at every turn. Following this theme, "Searching the Line" is a militaristic track that flawlessly represents a hunt. Timpani willingly bash throughout the track as some brass instruments sound out a rather pronounced melody. This theme puts the listener in the perfect mood for the next track, which is one of the best on the album. "The Decisive Battle" is a theme that develops in excellent ways. The first section acts an introduction to a fear filled melody that comes in after the 1:05 mark, and with the instrumentation increasing throughout this section, the listener can easily prepare for a powerful theme that will end in an impressive fashion. "The Last Battle" builds upon the atmosphere that "The Decisive Battle" offers in the best possible way. To me, this is another of the best themes on the album, and this is all because of the power that it holds. I was disappointed to see that it was never blessed with an arrangement on the Piano Collections album, as after all, it does have some great motifs. With such envy, destruction, and vibes of evil making up the main body of the second disc, it is now time for the listener to be introduced to a selection of ending themes. The first of these is the mystical and somewhat spectral "The Silent Beyond," which boasts as one of the longest tracks on the album at just under six minutes of playing time. The first two minutes of the track is solely introductory and acts as a musical setting for the theme. Some quaint melodies follow in a beautiful surge of wonder and awe, and after this has been built up, Uematsu adds a trademark broken chord alongside a new, heartfelt melody that leads to the end. He offers a unique experience here, but to be truthful, the next theme is even better. "Dear Friends" is a theme that most of you will have heard from Final Fantasy V Dear Friends, the Final Fantasy V Piano Collections, or even the Dear Friends - Music from Final Fantasy concert. The sound quality is pretty poor, but the melody shines nonetheless. The accompaniment is also bare, but when you piece the theme together with the likes of "Final Fantasy," the experience just becomes all the more wholesome. "Final Fantasy" is the theme that follows, and it is very much an ode to the game's creator, the fans, the people who play the games, and ultimately the journey of the characters in the game. An arrangement of this theme was used to end both the Tour de Japon - Music from Final Fantasy and 20020220 Music From Final Fantasy concerts a few years ago, so it is indeed, a theme that has a lot of sentimental value. Nonetheless, the theme that stands out the most on the album is in fact the second to last non-filler track. "The New Origin" is an impressive theme that is used in the end credits sequence of the game and the last bit of action that leads up to this. I can only describe this piece as one which creates a feeling of awe, and it is something that you really wouldn't expect after listening to the quality of the themes beforehand. After you think that nothing could be better, this theme just hits you with its perfectly developed sections and miraculous melodies. It was saddening to see that this theme was slaughtered on the Final Fantasy V Piano Collections as it contains some of the most inspiring themes on the album. The last main theme on the album is nothing special, but it is meaningful and important to the Final Fantasy series nonetheless. "The Prelude" is a fan's favourite that remains the heart and soul of the music in the Final Fantasy series, despite the fact that it is one of the more basic themes that Uematsu offers. The following tracks entitled "Piano Lesson..." are a bunch of filler tracks that are worthless and really shouldn't be there. In all honesty, the experience of the album is spoiled by these themes, so if you ever do purchase the album, just make sure that you stop the last disc after hearing "The Prelude." SummaryThe Final Fantasy V Original Sound Version is a fascinating album that has its highs and its lows. Admittedly, there aren't many lows, but the bad thing is that they are a main factor as to why some themes couldn't even develop. Sound quality has always been a limiting factor when early consoles are concerned. Indeed, Minoru Akao battles the sound capacity of the Super Nintendo with all of his might, and although he manages to return the power to most of the tracks, some just fall apart and fail to retain their original emotions. Uematsu really surprised me with this album, as it really is impressive when development is considered. He has never failed to produce a great, long lasting melody, either, so believe me when I say that this album is full of them. You'll definitely like what you hear if you are a fan of old school music, and although you may think that the arranged albums are all that you need to hear, you think wrong. Out of the limited themes that the Final Fantasy V Piano Collections holds, there is only about one or two tracks that are improved. The rest are just an improvement upon sound quality, or in "The New Origin"'s case, a total insult to the original theme. Fair enough, the Final Fantasy V Dear Friends album is a pretty good representation of the emotions yielded throughout this score, but, in my eyes, nothing can ever beat the original. Very few pre-Hamaguchi arrangements in the Final Fantasy series actually do any good for the original theme, so bear that in mind when you listen to them. Uematsu has done a great job here, and I hope that you will consider purchasing the album. Percentage Overall Score: 87% |
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