Think of the music behind the Sonic the Hedgehog computer games and the first name you think of is undoubtedly Jun Senoue, the rock guitarist that has lent his talents to many SEGA games since the early 1990s. Outside of Sonic the Hedgehog, Senoue is best known for creating the themes to classic racing games SEGA Rally, Daytona USA, EA Sports’ NASCAR Arcade and OutRun 2 – it seems fitting that his apparent love for furious fretwork and the speed of driving would lead him to create many iconic tracks in SEGA’s mascot franchise.

For many Sonic fans who love Senoue’s work, the blue hedgehog is the extent of their knowledge of the musician. The Works is a compilation album that introduces (or re-introduces) SEGA-heads with tracks and themes created for other games and projects. From the aforementioned Daytona USA and Sega Rally to Space Channel 5 and the Managing Baseball and Football games, a lot of base is covered – and with many of these being updated re-recordings, there’s enough sound production quality to interest the most ardent follower of Senoue’s creations.

The tracklist is full of rock themes and collaborations with past friends including Eric Martin (with whom Senoue worked with on Daytona Champion Circuit Edition) and Ted Poley of DANGER DANGER, who Sonic fans will recognise as a singer on Sonic Adventure soundtracks. Despite the focus on non-Sonic material, a few surprises still remain – a track from Space Channel 5 Part 2 Remix fuses Ulala’s funky themes with Sonic Adventure riffs, while ‘After The Adventure’ is a mellow remix of Sonic Adventure’s Station Square theme.

It is easy to see why Jun Senoue commands such a strong following when you listen to these tracks back to back. A great look back at some of the musician’s best work, and a sure sign of Senoue’s pedigree in computer game rock music.

Support the artists and purchase this album if you like what you hear! The following stores sell this item:

• CDJapan – 2500 Yen (check website for currency conversions)
• Play Asia – $24.21 (check website for GBP and shipping)
• HMV.co.jp – 2500 Yen

The Sonic Stadium will not offer downloadable versions of the following tracks. Please use the links above to purchase the album – many online shops offer ‘preview’ tracks to sample this record before you make your order.

1. The Star Spangled Banner (1:22)
2. The American Dream* (5:13)
   feat. Eric Martin
3. Sons of Angels* (4:30)
   feat. Eric Martin
4. Lift You Up! (Short Edited ver.) (4:08)
5. Batter Up!* (4:01)
   feat. Eric Martin
6. Mr. Baseball* (0:58)
   feat. Eric Martin
7. Baseball Anthem -Fight The Fight-* (3:18)
   feat. Terry Ilous
8. Road To Win* (5:13)
   feat. Ted Poley
9. Moon Shot!* (0:33)
10. Afternoon Tea* (1:33)
11. Dusk Of The Stadium* (2:38)
12. After The Adventure* (3:52)
13. Dreams of an Absolution -LB vs JS Remix- (5:11)
14. Westopolis (2:48)
15. Cheerleaders A-Go-Go -Rock Guitar Mix- (3:04)
16. Where I Want To Be* (3:07)
    feat. Skye Sweetnam
17. Takoyaki Rock* (2:20)
    feat. Ted Poley
18. Ignition ’98 …in the groove* (3:45)
19. Soul On Desert (3:46)
20. Sega Rally Championship -J.S.Kickstart Remix ’99- (4:23)
21. Burnout Running* (1:23)
22. British Rain* (0:59)
23. Chase The Wind* (1:42)
24. My Own Destiny* (4:04)

* Denotes previously unreleased material, or re-recordings