Roper Is Always Watching
Or he should be, anyway. So much for keeping me on track. Anyway, I think the last post I made a while back promised a bigger entry, so here it is. There's a bit on my mind, but it's sort of jumbled, so sorry if it seems a bit non sequitur.
Boy howdy is it ever strange living in Richmond. Even though many of you are off to college and busy these days anyway, the location still continues to disorient me. There's just nothing here for me really, and with no vehicle to get me from place to place, there's a weird sense of detachment. Like there's no world outside my house. Living in Alameda, if I didn't get outside at least once per day, it felt as though I'd wasted a good part of the day. Here, if I don't go outside, it feels like I avoided the "strange" outside world. Creepy.
On a more positive note, I've become more constructive as of late. Or at least, I've begun to lay the groundwork for being constructive (if that makes sense). After a lot of wandering around in my head and playing with tons of ideas, I finally found one for a novel. A very tangible idea that works well with what I've been wanting to write for a while now. At the moment, it's still in the pre-writing stages, but I can honestly say I haven't been this excited about an idea in a long time. I'll hopefully be able to slowly outline the story, characters, themes, etc., and be writing soon. However, I will say that this is something I'm going to take seriously. As such, I won't be posting it anywhere on the net, since, if it turns out like I'm hoping, I would actually like to get it published. If you're interested though, I'd be happy to to let people read it as I write. Just ask.
Music has also taken a rather drastic turn. Well, maybe not drastic, but certainly much more driven. One night a couple weeks ago, I was watching the Ween show in DC, and I was hit with a sudden revelation concerning my goals. I want to make music, but not casually. It's something I sincerely feel I have to do now, and frankly, I've become a bit more obsessed with the idea of music being a possible profession. It's risky as all hell, and the odds of me ever being a successful musician are statistically against me, but dammit, I feel like I need to at least try. Consequently, I've been practicing guitar more. A lot more. In fact, last time I checked, Travis said it sounded like I was almost as good a guitar player as I am a bass player. I don't think that's completely true, but it's something I'm working toward. Just wanting to be better. As soon as I get a new cable for my amp, I'll be back on the bass too, working to improve. I'm glad to say I feel like I'm steadily getting there.
This kind of poses a problem though, in the long run. Music is something I really want to pursue, but the only person I know who's as interested in making music is Drew. This also conflicts with plans concerning Travis. He wants to go down to L.A. and try to break into television and film, and it's something I'd like to do with him, but I don't want to feel like I have to choose between the two. The potential to make music with Drew is something I refuse to give up. It just means too much to me at this point. Damn it's hard. I'll have to discuss this more in depth with him later.
Drawing is something I'm really torn over right now. I would like to start drawing again and get better, but between the music and potential novel, it's low on my list of priorities. Musashi always encourages me to continue drawing because he says I have a gift for both story telling and drawing, so there's almost no question that I should do comics, but it's tricky. I'm ultimately a much better writer than I am an artist, and while I like the idea of doing comics, I just feel a bit discouraged in that area. I'm not too sure why, it's just frequently there. Maybe I need to just try drawing again and stop thinking too hard.
So that about covers the issue of my current and future endeavors. I'm certainly and without question, the worst person out of all of us when it comes to actually getting stuff done, but I've been feeling really good about my progress lately. The night after my little music revelation, I picked up my guitar, and began to practice more and more, and, as I said before, I can really feel myself getting better. If that's any indication of what I'm capable of, I really think I can follow through with the novel idea and get it written over time. Here's hoping anyway. I wanted a year off to do this stuff, so it's time to do it.
Oh yes, there's something I've been meaning to write out for a while now, and I may as well tack it on here since I probably won't make another entry for a while. Besides, I'm also curious about your opinions. Without further ado...
Black Jack Kidd's Top 5 Video Game Soundtracks
I'm talking about the music that made you take notice when you played a game, the music that stays with you even now when you find yourself daydreaming or humming one of your favorite tunes. My list is by no means infallible, and I'm sure most gamer purists would disregard all personal bias in favor of what truly changed the tide, but what fun is that? So I'll mix a little opinion, and a little historical affect. We'll begin from the bottom and working our way up starting with...
5. Gitaroo Man by Chihiro Harada
This soundtrack is without a doubt, an amazing peace of work. Composed by Chihiro Harada, and performed beautifully by COIL, the soundtrack boasts a level of eclectic tastes ranging from funk, to metal, to salsa, to techno, and so forth. What makes the album particularly noteworthy is the game itself, which was highly innovative incredibly fun and addictive. There are perhaps other albums that could have been placed above the Gitaroo Man soundtrack, but as far as consistently good sound and catchy tunes, it's hard to beat.
4. Chrono Trigger/Xenogears by Yasunori Mitsuda
Spots 2 and 3 were a close tie, but as close as they were, these two were closer. So close, in fact, that they have to share the spot. This is for several reasons. Besides being very well composed, they are both also by the same composer, and exhibit different qualities. Chrono Trigger is certainly much more memorable than Xenogears, but the latter exhibits Mitsuda's growth as a composer and is, in some ways, even better.
Xenogears displays some beautiful composition with sounds that are very earthy and that I hesitate to describe further, lest I do them injustice. Some pieces are like being at a fair hundreds of years ago, while others are reminiscent of the Middle-East, but the quality is always there. The sounds are consistent to the game's surroundings, and the music holds up quite well in an archaic world that is a combination of both rural and high tech. A top-notch soundtrack indeed.
As for Chrono Trigger, well, it certainly stands as a classic. Memorable pieces and great mood music as well, something Mitsuda seems to have a knack for. It's all there, from the famous opening to the character themes, including a villain theme that's almost as famous as... Well, I'm getting ahead of myself. Suffice it to say, even though the album is old as far as video game sound quality, it's great composition more than makes up for it's lack of actualy orchestration, and it's just as fun to hear now as it was then.
3. Guilty Gear XX by Daisuke Ishiwatari and Koh-ichi Seiyama
Two words. "Holy Orders". Two more words. "Midnight Carnival". Need I go on? In an era where 2D fighting games had hit an all time low, Guilty Gear XX responded with not only an amazing fighting game, but also an incredible soundtrack to boot. Lined with amazingly composed heavy metal, Guilty Gear XX outdoes most of the competition and is easily one of the best game soundtracks of all time in its own right. It set another standard for game music and took it to another level entirely. Ishiwatari's amazing music is well done and this is one of the few game soundtracks that I think could easily be listened to without actually playing the game. Except of course for...
2. Dracula X (or Castlevania: Symphony of the Night) by Michiru Yamane
If Guilty Gear XX set a standard for game music, then Dracula X set the standard for game music. A combination of gothic, metal, and classical, Dracula X reigns quite high, and is without question, one of the greatest game soundtracks of all time. Similar to Guilty Gear XX's situation, it came at a time when 2D side-scrollers were beginning to fade, and also featured this incredible soundtrack. Certainly a comparitive standard, there's not much in the game world like Dracula X. Of course, incredible though it is, it's still no match for...
1. Final Fantasy VII by Nobuo Uematsu
Surprised? Of course you aren't, you all saw it coming. In fact, everything else may very well have just been an excuse to get to this moment. The Ultimate Weapon in game soundtracks: Final Fantasy VII. To quote a review, "Square was out to make a masterpiece, and boy, did they make one", music included, of course. Every track is memorable in its own right, and on a 4-disc soundtrack that spans 85 tracks, that says a lot. This soundtrack, like the game had it all: an incredible opening track, music that matched every mood and situation, an infamous track that can make any soft-hearted nerd cry from the first measure, and a boss theme that has achieved legendary status in the gaming world. There is perhaps no greater game sound track than "One Winged Angel", performed by an Orchestra and sung in Latin. Just look at the lyrics! Bad. Asssssss. An epic, both in story and music, for video game soundtracks, you can't beat Final Fantasy VII. Seriously. If you try, you will die. Ne me mori facias. Sephiroth! Bless you Mr. Uematsu.
So that's my Top 5.
Honorable Mentions:
-The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time by Koji Kondo
-Metal Gear Solid by KCE Japan Sound Team, TAPPY, Rika Muranaka
-Goemon's Great Adventure by ?
How 'bout you?
Phew, I'm tired. Until next time gents.
-Black Jack Kidd
Boy howdy is it ever strange living in Richmond. Even though many of you are off to college and busy these days anyway, the location still continues to disorient me. There's just nothing here for me really, and with no vehicle to get me from place to place, there's a weird sense of detachment. Like there's no world outside my house. Living in Alameda, if I didn't get outside at least once per day, it felt as though I'd wasted a good part of the day. Here, if I don't go outside, it feels like I avoided the "strange" outside world. Creepy.
On a more positive note, I've become more constructive as of late. Or at least, I've begun to lay the groundwork for being constructive (if that makes sense). After a lot of wandering around in my head and playing with tons of ideas, I finally found one for a novel. A very tangible idea that works well with what I've been wanting to write for a while now. At the moment, it's still in the pre-writing stages, but I can honestly say I haven't been this excited about an idea in a long time. I'll hopefully be able to slowly outline the story, characters, themes, etc., and be writing soon. However, I will say that this is something I'm going to take seriously. As such, I won't be posting it anywhere on the net, since, if it turns out like I'm hoping, I would actually like to get it published. If you're interested though, I'd be happy to to let people read it as I write. Just ask.
Music has also taken a rather drastic turn. Well, maybe not drastic, but certainly much more driven. One night a couple weeks ago, I was watching the Ween show in DC, and I was hit with a sudden revelation concerning my goals. I want to make music, but not casually. It's something I sincerely feel I have to do now, and frankly, I've become a bit more obsessed with the idea of music being a possible profession. It's risky as all hell, and the odds of me ever being a successful musician are statistically against me, but dammit, I feel like I need to at least try. Consequently, I've been practicing guitar more. A lot more. In fact, last time I checked, Travis said it sounded like I was almost as good a guitar player as I am a bass player. I don't think that's completely true, but it's something I'm working toward. Just wanting to be better. As soon as I get a new cable for my amp, I'll be back on the bass too, working to improve. I'm glad to say I feel like I'm steadily getting there.
This kind of poses a problem though, in the long run. Music is something I really want to pursue, but the only person I know who's as interested in making music is Drew. This also conflicts with plans concerning Travis. He wants to go down to L.A. and try to break into television and film, and it's something I'd like to do with him, but I don't want to feel like I have to choose between the two. The potential to make music with Drew is something I refuse to give up. It just means too much to me at this point. Damn it's hard. I'll have to discuss this more in depth with him later.
Drawing is something I'm really torn over right now. I would like to start drawing again and get better, but between the music and potential novel, it's low on my list of priorities. Musashi always encourages me to continue drawing because he says I have a gift for both story telling and drawing, so there's almost no question that I should do comics, but it's tricky. I'm ultimately a much better writer than I am an artist, and while I like the idea of doing comics, I just feel a bit discouraged in that area. I'm not too sure why, it's just frequently there. Maybe I need to just try drawing again and stop thinking too hard.
So that about covers the issue of my current and future endeavors. I'm certainly and without question, the worst person out of all of us when it comes to actually getting stuff done, but I've been feeling really good about my progress lately. The night after my little music revelation, I picked up my guitar, and began to practice more and more, and, as I said before, I can really feel myself getting better. If that's any indication of what I'm capable of, I really think I can follow through with the novel idea and get it written over time. Here's hoping anyway. I wanted a year off to do this stuff, so it's time to do it.
Oh yes, there's something I've been meaning to write out for a while now, and I may as well tack it on here since I probably won't make another entry for a while. Besides, I'm also curious about your opinions. Without further ado...
Black Jack Kidd's Top 5 Video Game Soundtracks
I'm talking about the music that made you take notice when you played a game, the music that stays with you even now when you find yourself daydreaming or humming one of your favorite tunes. My list is by no means infallible, and I'm sure most gamer purists would disregard all personal bias in favor of what truly changed the tide, but what fun is that? So I'll mix a little opinion, and a little historical affect. We'll begin from the bottom and working our way up starting with...
5. Gitaroo Man by Chihiro Harada
This soundtrack is without a doubt, an amazing peace of work. Composed by Chihiro Harada, and performed beautifully by COIL, the soundtrack boasts a level of eclectic tastes ranging from funk, to metal, to salsa, to techno, and so forth. What makes the album particularly noteworthy is the game itself, which was highly innovative incredibly fun and addictive. There are perhaps other albums that could have been placed above the Gitaroo Man soundtrack, but as far as consistently good sound and catchy tunes, it's hard to beat.
4. Chrono Trigger/Xenogears by Yasunori Mitsuda
Spots 2 and 3 were a close tie, but as close as they were, these two were closer. So close, in fact, that they have to share the spot. This is for several reasons. Besides being very well composed, they are both also by the same composer, and exhibit different qualities. Chrono Trigger is certainly much more memorable than Xenogears, but the latter exhibits Mitsuda's growth as a composer and is, in some ways, even better.
Xenogears displays some beautiful composition with sounds that are very earthy and that I hesitate to describe further, lest I do them injustice. Some pieces are like being at a fair hundreds of years ago, while others are reminiscent of the Middle-East, but the quality is always there. The sounds are consistent to the game's surroundings, and the music holds up quite well in an archaic world that is a combination of both rural and high tech. A top-notch soundtrack indeed.
As for Chrono Trigger, well, it certainly stands as a classic. Memorable pieces and great mood music as well, something Mitsuda seems to have a knack for. It's all there, from the famous opening to the character themes, including a villain theme that's almost as famous as... Well, I'm getting ahead of myself. Suffice it to say, even though the album is old as far as video game sound quality, it's great composition more than makes up for it's lack of actualy orchestration, and it's just as fun to hear now as it was then.
3. Guilty Gear XX by Daisuke Ishiwatari and Koh-ichi Seiyama
Two words. "Holy Orders". Two more words. "Midnight Carnival". Need I go on? In an era where 2D fighting games had hit an all time low, Guilty Gear XX responded with not only an amazing fighting game, but also an incredible soundtrack to boot. Lined with amazingly composed heavy metal, Guilty Gear XX outdoes most of the competition and is easily one of the best game soundtracks of all time in its own right. It set another standard for game music and took it to another level entirely. Ishiwatari's amazing music is well done and this is one of the few game soundtracks that I think could easily be listened to without actually playing the game. Except of course for...
2. Dracula X (or Castlevania: Symphony of the Night) by Michiru Yamane
If Guilty Gear XX set a standard for game music, then Dracula X set the standard for game music. A combination of gothic, metal, and classical, Dracula X reigns quite high, and is without question, one of the greatest game soundtracks of all time. Similar to Guilty Gear XX's situation, it came at a time when 2D side-scrollers were beginning to fade, and also featured this incredible soundtrack. Certainly a comparitive standard, there's not much in the game world like Dracula X. Of course, incredible though it is, it's still no match for...
1. Final Fantasy VII by Nobuo Uematsu
Surprised? Of course you aren't, you all saw it coming. In fact, everything else may very well have just been an excuse to get to this moment. The Ultimate Weapon in game soundtracks: Final Fantasy VII. To quote a review, "Square was out to make a masterpiece, and boy, did they make one", music included, of course. Every track is memorable in its own right, and on a 4-disc soundtrack that spans 85 tracks, that says a lot. This soundtrack, like the game had it all: an incredible opening track, music that matched every mood and situation, an infamous track that can make any soft-hearted nerd cry from the first measure, and a boss theme that has achieved legendary status in the gaming world. There is perhaps no greater game sound track than "One Winged Angel", performed by an Orchestra and sung in Latin. Just look at the lyrics! Bad. Asssssss. An epic, both in story and music, for video game soundtracks, you can't beat Final Fantasy VII. Seriously. If you try, you will die. Ne me mori facias. Sephiroth! Bless you Mr. Uematsu.
So that's my Top 5.
Honorable Mentions:
-The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time by Koji Kondo
-Metal Gear Solid by KCE Japan Sound Team, TAPPY, Rika Muranaka
-Goemon's Great Adventure by ?
How 'bout you?
Phew, I'm tired. Until next time gents.
-Black Jack Kidd
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