Sonic Music Critics Wanted!

[T-Bird]

So, you think you're well versed in the Sonic music universe then do you?

Well, to kick-start a new feature on TSS front page, I want a team of diverse music fans to help review a Sonic related album or soundtrack every month. It won't involve an incredible amount of work, but this is your opportunity to say your two cents and give a thumbs up / thumbs down / mark out of 10 on Sonic music old and new, and to get your mug on the front page! I want people who really know the in's and out's of Sonic music and who have a generally broad knowledge.

I want a crack team of three or four of you, so if you're interested and think that you're up for it...here's your challenge:

All I want you to do is write a brief report (keep it under 200 words!) on any soundtrack you want. That's it. Be as controversial as you want, but justify your points! Remember I'll be picking people who can write enthusiastically. Post it in here so everyone else can see and comment too!

...I guess there's one lass criteria, but I'll let you know that I think you're good enough! I'll start picking my team end of next week so you've got a little time to compose yourselves!

I look forward to your reviews!

T

[Rusty Spy]

Aw man, I'm not the best at being "enthusiastic", I'm not a man of words so it's quite hard for me to get my point across sometimes, but I'd love to do something like this, I love the music in Sonic games and I'd love to get my two cents about some of the soundtracks. I guess I'll give it a try.

*takes deep breath*

*phew*

*ahem*

Okay....

The Sonic Rush Soundtrack

When it comes to Sonic games, it seems to be a trend for them to get one thing or two right, but then completely screw up another part in some way. Even one of the most critically acclaimed Sonic games of recent date is no stranger to this in my very honest opinion. The Rush soundtrack is one that's borderline incoherent mesh of drums and strange voices, and sounds like the music director was having some kind of chemical when conducting this music. Metal Scratchin' would be the best way to sum up my thoughts of the Rush soundtrack.

Though when I take a listen to some songs, it seems that I can't place the blame on the song itself, it just has all the wrong instruments and tempo. It tries to be as upbeat and fast paced as the game, but in the end, I honestly can not recall a single track from the soundtrack (besides Wrapped in Black which I excuse as the only GOOD song in the game) since it all just sounds the same and is just bland and tasteless.

.......Hooray, I did something constructive!!!

Edited November 24, 2009 by Black Spy

[Serperior]

The 200 word limit was a bit hard to work with but I managed to get a few points across with it, I hope its up to par with your standards.

Sonic Unleashed soundtrack

When people think about soundtracks for Sonic games the first thing that comes to mind would be rock music. However Sonic Unleashed goes for 2 new practically new genres for the series, an orchestral and jazzy soundtrack.

The daytime themes go for an upbeat, quick paced orchestral soundtrack. The daytime themes all match thier intended themes using a wide array of different instruments in order to make the music seem more true to thier themes. The tunes for some levels such as Spagonia are easily memorable and catchy as well, meaning you'll be coming back to listen to these songs again and again.

The night time levels soundtrack is where it goes wrong. The problem isn't that the actual songs are bad, it's just that they lack the livelyness of the daytime tracks as well as not having very memorable tunes. It also doesn't help that if you're listening to the music while playing the game that you'll hear the werehog battle theme frequently which gets annoying after a while.

Overall the soundtrack is a very mixed bag and I'd recommend listening to the daytime tracks but I'd only bother with the night tracks if you're in the mood for slower music.

[CrownSlayers Shadow]

I think I would do better if I got a little productivity, so I'm gonna give this a shot. If I actually get a position, that'll just be great.

Sonic Unleashed Soundtrack:

Despite the criticism that comes with the Sonic games, the music is something that is more than worthy of praise for those of you who are audiophiles.

Rather than the rock music that is well known within the series, this musical score takes an ethnical feel to match the cultural settings that are very much like our world in real life.

There are oriental tunes for the Chinese-inspired Chun-nan, Jazzy and Funky tunes that represent the New York-like Empire City stage, Christmas-like tunes that gives the arctic tundra of Holoska its wintery atmosphere, and a menacing, eerie techno tune to match the mechanical monstrosities in Eggman's very own country. The tunes even go further as they simulate the passage of time, with the more alert and energetic tunes that matches the time of day, while the nighttime tunes slow down to smoother R&B-like levels.

If you’re fond of exotic tunes from other worlds, Sonic Unleashed's musical score will not disappoint you. However, if you're expecting to hear a lot of rock tunes as you come to know in the Sonic series, you're not likely to find any other than Bowling for Soups "Endless Possibilities" song for the game's theme music.

...wow, that's exactly 200 words. I was expecting to be slightly under it.

Edited November 29, 2009 by ChaosSupremeSonic

[Meow]

Hmm. I might do this, but I don't know how well off I'll be since I'm not very fond of Crush 40 at all or the style they seem to represent (which was painfully present throughout the adventure era for sure). Cool idea though, I'll definitely see what I can cook up . I think I have just the album to review too...

Reviewing music can be difficult though since most of it comes down to a personal taste in music, I can try as hard as I want to be unbiased in whatever review I may end up writing, but its always going to be in there. I guess this is why you want a diverse review cast? I just know that a lot of people are probably not going to agree with what I'll be bringing in terms of what I put into my reviews for the most part, so I'm just hoping that is okay before I decide to do this xD;

[Tweaker]

I'd be willing to try my hand at an entry provided the 200 word limit be waived. I don't see a reason for such an arbitrary limitation when the ultimate focus should be based on how comprehensive, literate, and helpful the review is. I have quite a few words to say about quite a few of the soundtracks; being a musician, you can be sure that my criticism will be solidly based and as objective as possible before delving into my own personal tastes.

[edge.]

I would do this, put can you raise the word count to around 300 words or more. It's like Tweaker said. Also I would like to do one for a vocal Sonic album. Is that acceptable?

[SuperStingray]

I'm extremely passionate about Sonic music. It takes up about 90% of my iPod's tracks. It was hard to make a report under 200 words; I was closer to 300 so I had to narrow it down substantially. So sorry if it sounds a bit choppy.

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Sonic Adventure 2's Soundtrack

Sonic Adventure 2’s unorthodox structure, focus on narrative and characterization and heavy use of nontraditional gameplay mechanics give it the reputation of being the epicenter of the fanbase’s split. Though these changes were very sudden, its music is more transitional.

Where the music in earlier titles is focused on the environments, the later games are focused on the characters. When you hear "Chemical Plant Zone," you think "Chemical Plant Zone." But when with “Westopolis,” odds are you think of Shadow before the level itself. SA2’s structure has each level exclusive to one character so the music can lie on two dimensions: environment and character. Eggman and Tails both have stages on Prison Island and the music for each stage equally portrays the environment’s tension. The music for Eggman’s level, however, is darker and tougher to suit his evil intent. On the other dimension, Iron Gate's gameplay is about an intense environment where his later stage, Lost Colony, is about abandoned one. As such, the music is the same genre but has a softer, isolated feel.

While it set the groundwork of the music in future games, SA2’s music is far deeper. That’s why it’s my favorite from the 3D games.

[The Tenth Doctor]

Sounds awesome! I wannna try

Sonic the Hedgehog soundtrack

The first game that was released needed an excellent soundtrack, one that can make use of all that the Genesis had to offer apart from Blast Processing. Well this was delivered by a very strong soundtrack.

When people think Sonic music, this is what comes to mind first. The classic Green Hill theme makes us all hum along every time we whizz through. The same continues in Marble Zone with its darker setting. Next is my favourite, Spring Yard which sets the feel of the level with an awesome bouncy tune. The Labyrinth zone music makes you feel trapped which is what this zone is meant for since Sonic is lost in the Labyrinth. Star Light Zone is a beautiful tune which makes you think of the starry sky. Scrap Brain instantly lets you know its near the end, as it feels as if your heading for the final showdown. As for the boss themes, Eggman gets his theme across right away when you hear his theme, you know its boss time! As for the theme itself? Its glory is passed by none. We all love it.

Hope you enjoyed the Genesis of Sonic Soundtracks!

[Flyboy Fox]

I'll offer up an alternate Sonic Rush mini-review, if only because I disagree entirely with Black Spy and actually loved it!

By the way, this is NOT under 200 words, as it's a rebuttal rather than an entry submission. So... nyah =P

Sonic Rush - Original Groove Rush OST

Those of us who recall speeding through loops and collecting rings while bashing Badniks in the original classic Sonic games of the 90's almost certainly remember tapping their toes to the energetic beats that accompanied those crazy stages. The music from those games is memetic; it's stuck with us through the ages with a feel of its own that, upon hearing, harks us back to those crazy hazy Green Hill days.

Sonic music has evolved since then, for better or for worse, with the constraints of the MIDI format removed to allow for greater freedom of style. Gone are the days of synthesised pseudo-electronica and tinny beeps. Today, full vocal tracks abound, and games boast extraordinary orchestral accompaniments where no expense is spared in creating atmosphere and ambience.

But perhaps along the way while something was gained, something was lost. Even with all that Sonic's current audio accomplishment has to offer, there are some who still pine for that simple upbeat catchy MIDI accompaniment of the 90's.

Enter Sonic Rush. It would be a redundant observation to note that, as a 2D side-scroller on a handheld device, Sonic Rush was heralded as a modern throwback to the classic games even before we begin talking about the music. But for our purposes, we'll be looking simply at the soundtrack that accompanied our blue hedgehog friend on his epic handheld adventure.

The moment you switch on your DS, you know you're in for a treat. As you're greeted by the cheerfully chirpy 'A New Day', you can already feel your cockles warming as you drift back to happier times. This is a soundtrack that aims to make you feel good. There's no pretence here - the music is delightfully cheesy and corny from the get-go, yet you can't help bobbing your head, and later on you know you'll be humming it in the middle of your Social Sciences lecture.

While the Sonic Rush OST does contain a couple of full or semi-vocal songs (the title track and the strange but charmingly gospel strains of 'Raise me Up' come to mind), most of the in-game tunes feature warped vocal sampling layered over fast-paced MIDI-esque melodies. If one was daring and not ashamed of ridicule, one might even make a comparison to the infamous Arcade CD which featured the likes of 'King of the Ring' and 'They Call Me Sonic'. But Sonic Rush manages to do it so much better.

Some of this soundtrack's songs will drive you crazy if you attempt to make sense of the 'lyrics'. Many have wondered why on Earth 'Ethno Circus' wants us to eat tacos and drop ailing cats on our heads, or pondered the racial implications of 'Wrapped in Black's "too black, too strong" refrain. But the nonsense lyrics are all part of the charm of this quirky little soundtrack.

While the likes of 'What U Need' and 'Ska Cha Cha' entertain us during the main acts, the boss battle themes are equally dynamic, speeding up in pace and urgency as the track skips to its 'phase two'. It's difficult to not feel energised while smashing a giant mech to the strains of 'Bomber Barbara' or 'Metal Scratching'.

Even the musical interludes between stages, brief though they are, have a cheering effect. But wait, there's more! Playing Blaze's side of the story unlocks an entirely new set of remixes of the tracks you heard whilst playing as Sonic. It's up to personal preference as to whether you prefer these funked up mixes or the original score, but the energy just doesn't stop.

Retro fanboy Flyboy Fox gives this soundtrack a techno-tantalising score of 8.5/10.

[Meow]

SONIC ADVENTURE 2 - in a very brief and short 198 words =P

Sonic Adventure 2 is a highly praised soundtrack for some strange reason. It has a very 80s sound to it that just gets tiring after hearing it in almost every level of the game. Though there are a few tracks in the game that are not huge offenders, the abundance of cheesy vocal tracks just makes you wonder just how these could even be considered video game pieces in the first place. It just seems silly to try and make this cartoon universe seem very 'edgy' with these tracks. When playing a level about escaping a city - I don't need to hear about it. I get it, we're rolling around at the speed of sound...now shut up.

This isn't to say every track is terrible, and it cannot be denied that Jun Senoue is a very exceptional guitarist. The problem here is that everything is generic sounding and music is geared more towards what character you are playing as. Take a look at Green Forest/White Jungle.

The soundtrack to this game is oddly loved but I find it sounds more like a 'best of' of rejected songs from the 80s rather than something for a videogame.

Edited November 26, 2009 by DesertPunk

[JezMM]

I might try this at some point but I think I love Sonic music too much. D8 I can't think of a single soundtrack I'd review more negatively than positively.

[CapnCloudchaser]

I wrote more of an overview than a proper review. With more space I could probably get into more detail.. I just wrote a sound wiki on the sounds of 2D Sonic, so my head is stuck in academic mode

The sound of Sonic has evolved over the years from cheerful bleeps and classic jazz to a mix of different styles ranging from techno to rock. Whatever you personally feel about the newer 3D Sonic games, their soundtracks continue to grow from strength to strength, thanks to composers such as Jun Senoue. Sonic the Hedgehog (2006) then was one of the most controversial releases of modern times, yet its soundscape was arguably the most impressive aspect.

Continuing the trend set by Sonic Adventure, Sonic 2006 had an even wider range of vocal artists lend their talents with such well known names from Zebrahead, Akon, Lee Brotherton and remixes from Crush 40. The songs "His World" and "Dreams of an Absolution" are fan favorites.

The non-vocal soundtrack itself also featured memorable melodies such as the Kingdom Valley and Crisis City medleys. Tracks such as Flame Core gave a rock-style nod towards Sonic Adventure whilst Wave Ocean, Tropical Jungle and the cut-scene tracks were a fitting reference to classic Sonic. Music for White Acropolis and Radical train really set the scene for their distinct levels, but it was the haunting “End of the World” medley that really made the game worth it.

[bcdcdude]

I'd sure like to give it a try

Sonic R

If you're new to the Sonic series, you may assume that the genre of choice for Sonic games is rock-orientated. Older fans would certainly disagree - just think of the happy hardcore Sonic Fighters etc. Sonic R continued that trend: Indeed, what better way to have a racing game with songs sung by someone from an Abba tribute band?! Richard Jacques continues his fine musical skills of Sonic 3D Blast with this collection of upbeat songs like “Can You Feel the Sunshine" and "Livin' In The City". Every song is designed to remain in your brain for as long as you live. Certainly, no racing game I’ve played has a ballad (The sublime "Diamonds In The Sky") or an upbeat love song for the credits ("Number One").

Of course, if you're not fond of TJ Davis' vocals, you can always listen to it instrumentally, but that's like driving an Aston Martin with a Skoda engine...pointless.

The OST is out of print, but get a copy of the game and slap it in your CD player. Let go of you inhibitions; the music isn’t cool, but it’s awesome…”Just think about the good times…and they will come back again…”

197 words!

[T-Bird]

I'd be willing to try my hand at an entry provided the 200 word limit be waived. I don't see a reason for such an arbitrary limitation when the ultimate focus should be based on how comprehensive, literate, and helpful the review is. I have quite a few words to say about quite a few of the soundtracks; being a musician, you can be sure that my criticism will be solidly based and as objective as possible before delving into my own personal tastes.

The limit is there because after 200 words I stop reading. As do a large percentage of the audience. I'm kinda looking to approach this on the brief, quick and snappy front - I want points to be conveyed quickly to audiences.

Sure I could talk out of my arse for 10,000 words on Arcade Deutschland, but I doubt there would be many willing to read it.

200 isn't strict guys, just keep it to one or two reasonably sized paragraphs. Like what I'm seeing so far though...this is going to be a hard decision!

T

[SoniClub]

Slightly over the limit, but here goes:

Sonic Adventure:

Sonic Adventure combined a jazzy rocky feel to create a very fitting soundtrack that tied in with the games ‘cool’ style; even if it mean getting cheesy.

'SA' was very much a new beginning for the series. As with many franchises, the transition to 3D forced for many changes to be made and this was felt especially with the Adventures’ soundtrack. It created many new things; such as ‘Character Themes’, which have become a staple for the series. But even though it may have been a trend setter, it still holds it’s own with current Sonic Soundtracks for its’ funky use of sax and bass.

The songs are all extremely well tied with their level counterparts. Whether it’s Ice Caps’ eerie and almost empty sound, or Red Mountains’ funky bass rhythms they all fit with the stage you’re playing.

A new thing that this introduced is the Character themes. All fit the characters they are trying to display. With Knuckles’ ‘Unknown from M.E’ Rap, or Bigs’ Jazzy ‘Lazy Days’ being some of the highlights. However cheesy the lyrics may be, they’ll still make you smile.

Another highlight is the games’ main theme ‘Open your Heart’. This has a distinctive rocky sound and mature lyrics which fit perfectly with the final boss.

Even though its’ been a decade; Sonic Adventure still stands out as one of the best Soundtracks of the series.

Edited December 1, 2009 by Pelly Mark II

[T-Bird]

Nice entries peeps - I'm going to have a looksies at these tonight and tomorrow night and deliberate who gets the jobs going! If you are still thinking about it, you've got until tomorrow night to decide! I'll let ya'll know by the weekend who I've chosen.

T

[eXtaticus]

Sonic Unleashed - Planetary Pieces:

Following the heart-stopping and eye-popping heavy metal supernova that was Shadow the Hedgehog, Sonic soundtracks seem to have suffered a steady and depressing decline; although Sonic '06 had a multitude of exceptionally brilliant moments (in terms of both audio and gameplay), it's plain and clear that SEGA's sound division has slipped in quality by an utterly incredible amount - and the latest release in the series, Sonic Unleashed, is no exception to the trend.

From the ear-shatteringly bad (and, unfortunately, orchestrated) main theme all the way to the coma-inducing boredom of "Dear My Friend", Planetary Pieces just outright sucks. It's filled to the absolute brim with all the monotonous and samey shite that we've come to expect from the soundtracks of modern videogame releases, and fails to excite the listener at any point; even the pop-influenced vocal theme is packed with cheesy lyrics and repetitive chord sequences, and the fact that it sounds like it's being belted out by an ADHD 12-year-old on steroids doesn't help the cause at all.

That's not even beginning to mention the more jazzy sections of the soundtrack; most of the game's "WereHog" stages are accompanied by an incessant and insufferable back-ally-cabaret-esque drone that'll bust a person's eardrums before it gets them enticed in any way, and when - in the game, of course - the enemies arrive to wreck the day, the "battle music" kicks in. This is where Planetary Pieces goes from deafeningly bad to exceptionally awful; within mere seconds of listening to those appallingly atrocious and downright derivative jazz licks, I wanted to snap the disc in half. Hearing that kind of stupefyingly horrendous "music" is enough to drive a person insane.

Overall, "Sonic Unleashed - Planetary Pieces" is an absolute travesty, and should be avoided like the bubonic plague - lest you are, of course, a sadistic bastard who enjoys the odd spot of self-torture every night before bed... To anyone else, however, this soundtrack offers nothing less than the highest calibur of unrestricted and unadulterated awfulness known to man. To be blunt, it's bad. Mind-bogglingly so.

Final Score: 2/10

Planetary Pieces? Planetary Faeces, more like!

Edited December 3, 2009 by Hux Flux Deluxe

[JezMM]

Here's my attempt. Man, it was hard to stick to 200 words. D8

Sonic Riders Shooting Star Story Zero Gravity Tracks

By Cashell, Runblebee, Fumie Kumatani, Hideaki Kobayashi, Kenichi Tokoi, Tomonori Sawada.

Unlike the pumping, high-speed techno of the first game, Sonic Riders’ sequel sees the music team take on a slightly more surreal, even darker tone for the melodies and mood of the music. The vocal themes include “Un-Gravitify” performed by Cashell, and a new remix of “Catch Me If You Can” by Runblebee. Both have a blend of rock, strings and techno, and a much more emotional vibe to the melody than the straight-up action, or “cool” vibe of the original game’s vocal themes.

The in-game music uses a unique mixture of strings, techno and horns, with a few other one-time instruments. The music bounds from section to section whenever you perform a gravity-dive, so while listening to each section one at a time on the soundtrack is not quite as exciting, the catchiness of the beat and fantastic (if a little repetitive) melodies make it still well worth listening to. The melodies are generally not as cheery as those in the first game, and like the vocal tracks I found this to perfectly reflect the game’s darker and more surreal choice of locales.

Melodies: 7/10

Catchiness: 8/10

Memorable: 6/10

Overall Quality: 8/10

Recommended tracks: Un-Gravitify, Through Traffic, Spiral Madness, Dive Into Gravity, Catch Me If You Can.

Recommend if you like the soundtracks of: Sonic Riders, Sonic Rush Adventure, Sonic Unleashed.

Edited December 1, 2009 by JezMM

[T-Bird]

Damn guys, you're making it hard for me to choose...

T

[NominalMuffin]

I hope I haven't missed this... if I have... sorry, I just really want this staff writing job.... here we go... I'll try to keep it under two

Sonic the Hedgehog (2006) soundtrack

Well, I think it’s safe to say that Sonic video game music has had its ups and downs in the past. We’ve heard the sheer epic-ness of both the Adventure games and yet we’ve also heard the absolute monstrosity that is the Sonic Unleashed soundtrack (not including Endless Possibilities of course. When I bought Sonic the Hedgehog for the Xbox 360 (please no flaming), and first heard the tune to Wave Ocean, I literally fell off my stool in the cold, dark cellar where I play my games... the utter brilliance of the composition just makes you proud to be a Sonic fan, and Crush 40’s cover of All Hail Shadow is just incredible! From Wave Ocean to Crisis City the whole thing is nothing short of a masterpiece, I think it is fair to say that whether or not you actually like the game, you cannot deny the soundtrack is absolutely mind-bogglingly marvellous!

Final Score: 8.5 out of 10

In my opinion; the whole thing is nothing short of epic!

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I really hope that this is up to scratch. I am rather tired at the moment, I've just melted my brain doing maths homework. If you feel I should write something else (more advanced) I will.

Yours rather hopefully,

Mr. Spazzo

Edited December 3, 2009 by Spazzo

[T-Bird]

Well guys, you made this a pain for me because there were a lot of people who made it to the last stage of consideration for this job! After much consideration and deliberation with some of the staff I reduced the choice down to four finalists, and eventually I've decided upon the two SSMB'ers I'd like to make part of my music review team...

So, congratulations goes to JezMM and Hux Flux Deluxe! Your reviews were both very well written and articulated, and I are exactly what I want for a front page review!

Comisserations to everyone else - believe me you made this a hard choice! Thanks all for your interest...and I hope you will still contribute your opinions on the front page too - variety is the spice of life!

T

[CapnCloudchaser]

Congrats to the winners, although I hope to never read a review with the word faeces as a pun written in it again, no offense Flux

[T-Bird]

Congrats to the winners, although I hope to never read a review with the word faeces as a pun written in it again, no offense Flux

It did make me laugh. Maybe I'm a bad person. I will be getting you lot involved at some point though...but a few months down the line, so all your work wasn't for naught...keep yer eyes peeled!

T

[CrownSlayers Shadow]

I'm not trying to be an blocking asshole or anything, but one of those two went way over 200 words and I thought the only criteria was to keep it under. I mean if you were going to bend the rules you could've let everyone else know. That seems kind of unfair for others who did stay within the limit.

Anyway, who were the other two who were considered?

EDIT: I got a negative rep just for pointing out that they bent the rules? You guys are so silly (and I know who did it too).

Edited December 4, 2009 by ChaosSupremeSonic