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Uematsu ... is a self-taught musician who learned to play the piano at 11. |
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The opener, "Waterside" (I, 1), is a gentle piano intro, and you'd expect that approach to continue, but it doesn't. Almost every cue is different in style, from reggae to rock to classical to pop. The cues tend to be well written, with good hooks and even hummable melodies, some of them, but the styles don't fit together. Usually movies and even video games have a stylistic approach and don't wander much from it. But here Uematsu is all over the musical map, and the overall effect can be a bit tiring.
"Crisis" (I, 4) could be from a '60s spy show. It's done with a full orchestra. "A Mysterious Village" (I, 5) sounds like the "Dance of the Puppets" section of "The Court of the Crimson King," off the first King Crimson album. There are a few other cues here in this MIDI-esque vein, such as "City Lights" (I, 18).
Endless variety on Blue Dragon equals confusion.
"Dragon Fight!" (I, 6) exemplifies the good feeling suffusing most of these cues, which tend to be energetic, upbeat and done in major keys. Some are even out-and-out funny. Not all of them, though ... "In Search of the Ruins" (I, 12), for example, is annoying; that's the only way to describe it. It's a staccato electronic piece that really gets on one's last nerve.
"Anger and Sorrow" (I, 15) 1 is similar in structure and instrumentation to "Bell of Grief" (I, 2) in that it a gentle, dirge-like piece, with bells in the background—but "A&S" is rendered on acoustic guitar. Very nicely played and most expressive, it's one of my favorites on Blue Dragon.
As noted above, "My Tears and the Sky" (I, 16) is the CD's first vocal. Sung in Japanese in a breathy, wistful voice, it's very much like a lullaby, with a harmonica solo in the middle eight, no less. Next up is "Cave" (I, 17), a superior orchestral setting for a theme that was introduced in Cue 11 ("Omen"). The second vocal on this disk, "Bad But Bat" (I, 21), sounds as if it's sung by a couple of kids. It's a catchy, frothy pop melody with good hooks. It's infectious and up-tempo and will probably drive some people right up the wall.
Uematsu, who has been doing music for games since 1986, is a self-taught musician who learned to play the piano at 11. He claims Elton John as his biggest influence, but you'd never really guess that from his own work. He's become almost universally respected for his composing, but with this offering he seems to be marking time at best.
Not much to say about Blue Dragon Original Game Soundtrack's inclusions, just some small screenshots, a track list and a couple of big pictures of dragons. *Shrug.*
—Al
