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Nobuo Uematsu: What's his greatest music?

TheExodu5 said:
That's my main issue with the FF VIII sound track. It has a few good songs, but the instrumentation is really terrible in places. World map steel drums, and overused synth bleeps and bloops just don't feel right. Furthermore, a lot of the samples aren't very good even if the instrumentation is right. Maybe the Playstation sound-chip is to blame...I don't know.
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I don't think Uematsu worked directly with the PSX's MIDI this time like he did with FFVII, or multiple sources for samples. This time he used a Roland SC88 synthesizer to create the music, and he ended up using a rather odd combination of samples (and compression probably didn't help as you said).
 
B.K. said:
My favorite piece from him is Final Fantasy. That's my favorite piece of game music ever.
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This is my second-favourite piece in the entirety of Final Fantasy. This is the theme that I associate with the series, really.

I won't deny--even though I like Hamauzu--that I'm disappointed that it has not appeared on either FFXIII's or FFXIII-2's soundtracks (and it wasn't on FFX's soundtrack or FFII's soundtrack, but eh, I can excuse those a little). I would've loved to hear Hamauzu's take on it, tbh.
 
B.K. said:
My favorite piece from him is Final Fantasy. That's my favorite piece of game music ever.
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I remember when I was a kid, I watched my brother play Final Fantasy IV for SNES. And at the end when
everybody is giving you their power to destroy Zeromus and stuff
I remember crying so fucking hard and thinking it was the greatest scene ever in a video game. It was the single greatest use of a song ever for me at that time.

...Then I played FFVI, and now FFIV is cheesy as shit in comparison.
 
Parn said:
As far as his newest work goes, I'm really partial to this song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VGD8QXFyTkQ

Such a shitty game, but it has some really great combat tracks.
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I wouldn't say The Last Story is his best work, but it's really underrated by people

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YSilws2qyHk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9a59MvGxWVA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QWI9LLQsHzE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=35Tcuvd7P5k

IMHO, if you combined it with FF14's OST (which Uematsu worked on at the same time) you could probably make an OST as good as a classic FF title.
 
The Mana Legend said:
...Then I played FFVI, and now FFIV is cheesy as shit in comparison.
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I just like listening to these videos because they play all of the Final Fantasy pieces succession. Too bad the videos don't sync the themes with where they play in the game, though.

Part 1
Part 2

PsySal said:
Also, wasn't "Eyes on Me" the first game/pop-song crossover?
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I think Tales of Phantasia on the SFC was one of the first? I might be mistaken, and someone might know this better than I do.

The tech involved (the Flexible Voice Driver) to swap in audio samples on the fly and overcome the limitations of the SNES is pretty neat, though.
 
I see that there is barely any love for these themes, so I'll post 'em:

Sakura Note
Sakura Note - Fight! Boy
Sakura Note - To the Legendary Last Battle...
Sakura Note - Fight! Naskaiser
Sakura Note - I'm Always Hills
Sakura Note - A Future Connected to the Present

Guin Saga (this soundtrack's pretty good, you guys)
Guin Saga - Grand Opening ~ The Thread of Fate
Guin Saga - Mongaul Suite, First Movement: Obsessed with the Sight of Tigers
Guin Saga - Mongaul Suite, Second Movement: Sortie
Guin Saga - Mongaul Suite, Third Movement: Rose of Mongaul
Guin Saga - Mongaul Suite, Fourth Movement: Advance of the Crimson Scorpions
Guin Saga - Driven into a Corner
Guin Saga - Infinite Time and Space

Other
Lost Odyssey - Neverending Journey
Lord of Vermillion - Lord of Vermillion (Instrumental Version)
 
Haaaa so much FFVI love, that's my Neogaf as i like it!

As for my general opinion, FFVI is the best of course, but everyone is truly great, even FFVIII (but as someone said, the sound library of the game killed it somewhat).

After that there was some bad things but Lost Odyssey is worthy of the best old school tracks.

From FFVI not really known pieces, i'd say The day after as it was already said, or Searching for friends (well known already) which is the perfect song! And i'm a huge mega fan of the recently arranged Dark World

This is one of the only good re-arrangement of FFVI ost for me, as every other one seems cheesy and two light hearted. FFVI is so fucking dark, slow and sad... This orchestrated song single handedly shows how out of this world FFVI is in term of maturity and tone, compared to every fucking videogame ever.

I also love the Grand Finale orchestration from Shiroh Sagisu (composer of Evangelion or Bleach) and i think its baroque and totally anachronistic tone is perfect for what is FFVI in my heart, but sadly Uematsu doesn't think so! It's actually really confusing to think my eternal love for the music of FFVI is not even in line with what Uematsu think of is own work..

Also as wonderful non FFVI bonus track : Silence and motion
 
Quickly off the top of my head:

The entire Final Fantasy VI ost
Distant Worlds - Final Fantasy XI
Melodies of life - Final Fantasy IX
Theme of love - Final Fantasy IV
 
Dark Schala said:
I just like listening to these videos because they play all of the Final Fantasy pieces succession. Too bad the videos don't sync the themes with where they play in the game, though.

Part 1
Part 2
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I gotta say, I really miss when the FF theme was played during certain moments in the game, rather than just during the credits. It's such a damn good song, and the fact that they just throw it into the credits is really sad.
 
Sciz said:
FFVI is one of those very special games like Mega Man 2 where virtually every single song is a legitimate classic in its own right, and all the more impressive for having something like 60 distinct tracks. Uematsu has plenty of other great compositions scattered throughout his career, but no other game ever came together in the same way.
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Couldnt agree with this more. Never heard anyone make that comparison before but its right on the money. FFVI is a Mega Man 2-tier classic.

VI, VIII and IX are his best FF soundtracks. VII might be there if the sound programming didnt get fucked up between the tobal demo and the actual release. The music on the VII demo is of much higher quality.
 
I really think FFVII's OST is underappreciated, maybe the fanatism towards the game makes some kind of Newton's third law representation around here.

i.e. Highwind takes to the skies or Cosmo Canyon themes are fantastic.
 
Acidote said:
I really think FFVII's OST is underappreciated, maybe the fanatism towards the game makes some kind of Newton's third law representation around here.

i.e. Highwind takes to the skies or Cosmo Canyon themes are fantastic.
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VII has a great OST when its remixed or orchestrated. The programming for the actual game version is a honky, scratchy mess tho.Not sure what exactly happened during development that it wound up that way, but I recall being shocked when my import copy of FFVII was delivered and the music had taken a considerable drop in quality from the demo version that came with Tobal No.1
 
Pardoning the hyperbolic ranking by its fans, VII's music *is* pretty outstanding. The somberness, experimentation and strength in melody are unmatched - in the series - for me. Coupling that wiçcth the game's imagery, produced such a carefully crafted atmosphere and memorability.

VII>VI>V
 
anaron said:
Pardoning the hyperbolic ranking by its fans, VII's music *is* pretty outstanding. The somberness, experimentation and strength in melody are unmatched - in the series - for me. Coupling that with the game's imagery, produced such a carefully crafted atmosphere and memorability.
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Sandy Badlands, Great Warrior & Interrupted by Fireworks are simply awesome tracks.
 
No one ever talks about how awesome The Decisive Battle from Final Fantasy V is.

Dat percussion.

The Mana Legend said:
I gotta say, I really miss when the FF theme was played during certain moments in the game, rather than just during the credits. It's such a damn good song, and the fact that they just throw it into the credits is really sad.
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Yeah, I always thought that it was pretty awesome how the wove that theme into the game in older installments. Quite inspirational.
 
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