Slow Reviews Soundtracks: A NinSheetMusic Column

[SlowPokemon]

Soundtrack Review: Nintendo DS Pokémon Black & White Super Music Collection by Shota Kageyama, Jun'ichi Masuda, Go Ichinose, Hitomi Sato, Morikazu Aoki, and Minako Adachi

Wow... REALLY long soundtrack. It comes from being a long game with lots of frivolous small tracks like "Obtained a Pokemon Egg!" or "Victory Over the Wild Pokemon!" or "Pokemon Healed!"...you get the idea. This type of length in a soundtrack makes it difficult to produce an organized review. So what I'm going to do is look at things in sections (and of course, I'm not going to mention all 171 tracks...rest assured, though, I have listened to the whole soundtrack, many times). Also note that I have localized

Note that I won't list any composers in my review; I have the list if you're really that interested. The only thing you can assume is that if it's a battle theme, Jun'ichi Masuda composed it. Masuda also composed themes like the Pokemon Center, Gym, Route 4, and a few others. Go Ichinose handled many of the "Eye Contact" themes, as well as some major route and city themes; however, he composed the fewest of all the main music producers. Let it be noted, though, he also was in charge of each Pokemon's unique cry. Hitomi Sato handled few songs as compared to her monstrous amount of composition for Diamond and Pearl but all of the songs she did compose are quite high in quality. Shota Kageyama, the lead music developer, composed most major themes as well as the most of anyone. Aoki composed the Pokedex evaluations, move forgotten, receive Pokemon Egg, receive BP, and the Gear Station. Adachi composed one musical, the victory over Team Plasma, the chemistry themes, and Lostlorn Forest. If you'd like to know which composer wrote which song, I have a google document with that information.

The music is excellent, and notice that all of it--nearly every single track--has an "electronic" feel to it. And not just because it's from a game. I feel like this electronic feel was done on purpose, similarly to how I felt that HeartGold/SoulSilver sounded "exotic" and "tropical."

PART I: BATTLE THEMES
Why are battle themes the most important? Well, you certainly hear the trainer music several hundred thousand million billion times throughout the course of the game. That theme alone is pivotal in your viewpoint of the game. The one thing they have in common is that they are blatant, repetitive, and fast-paced themes. All of these were composed by Jun'ichi Masuda.

"Battle! Cheren & Bianca" is a bouncy piece that perfectly suits your zany rivals--uptight, know-it-all Cheren and flighty, ditzy Bianca. It's heard several times throughout the course of the game, and it's the first battle theme heard in game.

"Battle! Wild Pokemon" is probably the catchiest of all wild battle themes, save maybe Sinnoh. Wild Pokemon themes have to be good, or else you'll want to ragequit whenever you run into a random battle. I don't know why, but I always picture a Minccino when I hear this theme. xD

"Battle! Trainer" is also a good trainer battle theme. It makes excellent strategic use of dynamics. It's overall my...fourth favorite battle theme out of five, but it's certainly better than Hoenn's at least. There are some nostalgic elements in here.

"Battle! Team Plasma" is THE catchiest of all evil team battle music, no exceptions. It's heard in all of Team Plasma's themes as a group, and it's absolutely brilliant.

"Battle! Gym Leader" begins with a furious, pounding rhythm, developing into a fast-paced, fun theme. It ties with HeartGold/SoulSilver's Kanto gym leader and Diamond/Pearl's gym leader theme for my favorite.

"Battle! N" is pretty tense and heavy. It may not be much to listen to (especially considering how easy N was to defeat throughout the game), but Jun'ichi Masuda put a LOT of thought into composing N's two battle themes. See his blog for more details.

"Battle! Elite Four" is amazingly dark and keeps tension high. There is a direct reference to Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald's Elite Four battle theme (possibly alluding to remakes? I don't know.). It's catchy.

"Decisive Battle! N" is the final showdown with N, and it's a chaotic, frightening revamp of the normal battle. This is the theme that Masuda put so much thought into, and he went over his composing method in his blog.

"Battle! Ghetsis" is the most epic battle theme in the game. Heard only once the entire game, this theme was also really well thought out by Masuda. The excessive timpani and creepy vocals complement each other surprisingly well. He elaborated on the simplistic melody: Looking up music that is considered "evil," he found that a certain G chord (literal translation "Ghe") and a C-sharp (lit. Tsis) were considered "music of the devil." So he named the character after the evil chords and used them prominently in his musical theme.

"Battle! Battle Subway Trainer" is a clever remix of the Trainer battle theme. It's quite good in its subtle differences--upon a first time listening to the two, you might not be able to tell there's a difference. However, the difference is greatly exaggerated after hearing the original Trainer battle so many times.

"Battle! Legendary Pokemon" is quite an odd tune. It changes tempo and key dramatically several times. It's somewhat catchy but quite honestly more annoying than fun.

"Battle! Powerful Wild Pokemon" is a clever remix of the Wild Pokemon battle theme (similarly to how the Battle Subway Trainer remixes the regular Trainer). It's more frantic and chaotic, bringing for a good theme--despite the fact that you hear it mostly with Audino, who is not remotely threatening. (Heal Pulse, oh no! )

"Battle! Kyurem" is fairly catchy. Better than the regular legendary theme at any rate. I just feel like so much of it is recycled bits from other battle themes from other games.

"Battle! Champion" is one of the best battle themes in the game. It perfectly suits Alder, surprisingly strong and flame-headed. It's also fairly pleasant to listen to, with deep guttural tones and high-pitched brass. It's very enjoyable and says, "Yes, this is tough, but at least he's a nice guy!"

PART II: CITY AND TOWN THEMES
Why are city themes the most important? Because they're where all the action takes place as far as story, of course! Battles are just mindless fun, and routes shuffle you from place to place, but cities? They're the center of Pokemon (no pun intended). All composers but Jun'ichi Masuda contributed to the city themes, with the lead Shota Kageyama, the veteran Go Ichinose, and the lovable Hitomi Sato each composing several.

"Nuvema Town" is relaxing and heartfelt. Kageyama manages to make it sound just like home, like the other composers have done with the original towns--Masuda with Pallet Town, Ichinose with New Bark and Littleroot, and Sato with Twinleaf.

"Accumula Town" is decidedly lackluster. It's so bright and cheery that it's annoying. It was cool in the game how the piano and drums were added after conversing with the town musicians, but...meh. Not much else. Boring town, boring song. Sorry, Kageyama-san.

"Striaton City" by Sato is brilliant, a playful waltz bringing the city to life. I would walk around this town for ages, just listening to the soundtrack! Was that just me? XD

Ichinose's "Nacrene City" is pleasantly relaxed. I find the beginning slightly reminiscent of Violet City! The music in game isn't very good without the accordion player, but luckily the soundtrack incorporates it.

By itself, Kageyama's "Castelia City" is kind of annoying. But in game, it complements the gigantic city wonderfully! This was such a wonderful town to explore. Great use of 3D mechanics.

"Nimbasa City" is annoying, aggressive, and grating. No matter which angle you look at it from.  It could be catchy? But it's too simple and heavy for me. Sorry, Kageyama-san... your themes so far are pretty annoying, save for Nuvema Town.

"Driftveil City" is pretty amazing. Hitomi Sato really doesn't get enough credit, in my opinion. This nightclub-like theme is catchy enough to disprove anyone who says she's not a worthy Pokemon composer.

Classic, wonderful Ichinose is found in "Mistralton City." It has for sure the most epic of all the town themes. Catchy, and not just catchy but complex. Sounds like flying, just like the airplane city.

In Kageyama's "Icirrus City," he finally gives us something to rave about. The upbeat, happy tune is classic Pokemon. The clapping in the background alludes to playfulness and just...this song is pretty great.

Next, Ichinose throws us a clever and worthwhile curveball by composing separate themes for the drastically different Opelucid Cities in each game. The Black Version is modern and upbeat, with lots of electronic noises and a synthesizer carrying the main melody (which is catchy and moving). The same melody is tweaked drastically for the sorrowful White Version, which uses a string instrument rather than a synthesizer and the instrumentation is generally more traditional. The two themes are drastically different but they both work well and are great.

Kageyama handled both "Black City" and "White Forest," the former being somewhat jazzy and dark while the latter is upbeat and playful. Both are great.

There are also two themes for "Undella Town," Sato's Fall-Spring theme being the better. It's quiet and brings out the waves in a moving display. Kageyama's Summer theme is tropical and upbeat, but doesn't prove as effective in the end.

"Lacunosa Town" is great. It manages to create that small-town feel while also suggesting hustle-and-bustle. I swear, like a good 50% of my favorites are Hitomi Sato's compositions.

"Anville Town" is also brilliant. Ichinose brought out his lighter side with a peaceful flute and piano duet playing the simple but effectively moving melody while strings in the background carry the piece along.

PART III: ROUTE THEMES
Why are route themes the best? Because the routes are where all the magic happens. The route themes have to be grand enough to carry you to the next city but also suit the route well. I am happy to report that all route themes are great. Each of the four main composers wrote at least one.

"Route 1" is great. Rewriting Route 1 isn't easy. Ichinose wrote a perfect one, though, creating an almost carousel-like atmosphere with happy-go-lucky tambourines in the background.

"Route 2" is fantastic, albeit slightly overplayed towards the beginning of the game. It's true that when I first heard Sato's piece I played it on my iPod over and over, though. So I guess it was intended for that effect. Each of the four seasons has a different intro, with Spring having a flute, Summer a string movement, Fall a piano, and Winter chimes. Each characterizes the different seasons well, and rather than include four separate songs, the producers only included two and simply changed the season halfway through the song, making it play once in one season and repeat with a different. And they're spaced out, which is good.

"Route 4" is also great, and is the only non-battle music Masuda composed for this game (not including remixes of older themes). It's triumphant and rollicking, and it not only suits the route, but the professor's introduction to the game. The four different versions are spaced out, with one on each disc: Spring begins with a flute, summer a double layer of trumpets, fall with mallets of some sort, and winter with chimes.

"Route 6" by Kageyama is what I consider to be Black and White's main route theme. Majestic, grand, and moving, it's a great piece that works extremely well. The four seasons have not just different intros, but also different instrumentation throughout the piece.

"Route 10" is Kageyama's tribute to the final winding road before the last cave. The accordion doesn't feel out of place at all, and makes an already moving melody feel even more real.

"Route 12" is beautiful. Sato's slightly off-kilter beginning gives way to a truly moving, heartfelt, and grand performance. Is it slightly overplayed in the post-game areas? Yes. Of course. But it's still great.

PART IV: Remixes of Older Themes
Why are classic themes the best? Nostalgia, of course. New themes can be tossed around as much as you like--but older themes will always win out.

"A New Adventure!", taken from the second part of the intro, is a remix of the classic intro theme from Red and Blue, and it has never sounded better.

"Title" is great. Masuda and Ichinose collaborate on this remix of the main theme. The opening include oddly positioned chords, almost exactly how Ghetsis's battle uses C# and G to sound ominous later.

"Pokemon Center" is of course a staple of the series by this point, and for the first time since Gold and Silver I feel like Masuda was trying for a more classic approach to this version. It's not my favorite--Hoenn's Ruby and Sapphire remix takes that title--but it's friendly and nice.

"Taken Along" is a grin-inducing reference to the omnipresent theme, taking the chord progression exactly from the Gold and Silver versions. Silly and cheerful as ever, it's just classic.

The somber, annoying, repetitive "Evolution" (also trading theme) is here as always, of course.

It's a mark of how versatile Masuda is that at this point even "Pokemon Gym" can be made to sound novel and new. It's the same theme, just peppered with Black and White's electronic style.

"Shopping Mall R9" is a remix of Ichinose's great Pokemart theme, but it relies too heavily on sounding almost sleazy; I prefer HeartGold/SoulSilver's remix. The theme is the same as ever, though.

"Looker's Theme" is great and dangerous and exciting for the somewhat incompetent member of the police.

"GTS" is a great remix, but the strings and mallets make for a performance that is somewhat lacking in bass.

"Cynthia's Theme" is a dramatic and frenzied piano solo; it doesn't sound that different from Diamond and Pearl's version.

However, "Battle! Cynthia" is a great remix. The electronic, heavy-metal nature of the melody itself works even better in Black and White.

Perhaps the award for Best Remix goes to Hitomi Sato for "Mystery Gift," who takes the theme to a whole new level of playfulness, with synthesizers mixed with an orchestral ensemble.

"Team Rocket!?" is a laugh-out-loud easter egg in the game, and I love Ichinose for remixing this classic theme.

PART V: Character Themes and Trainer Eye Contact Themes
Why are character themes the best? Because they make already complex, interesting and funny characters even better! Why are Trainer "Eye Contact" themes great? Because they introduce the player to their opponent before they even meet his Pokemon!

"Professor Juniper" is a dancingly blatant melody mixed with a friendly and catchy atmosphere. It suits the somewhat zany professor perfectly.

The theme is later altered for "Papa Juniper," in a relaxed but also exotic and dancing version.

"Team Plasma's Secret Maneuvers" is technically not a character theme, but I always associate it with Ghetsis since it always plays when Ghetsis is in sight. It's creepy and slithering, and is reminiscent of the intro theme, "The Day I Was Crowned King."

"Cheren's Theme" is undeniably catchy and rockin'. But I don't know if it quite suits the arrogant, bookish character of Cheren. I love the guy, don't get me wrong, but he's not that cool.

"Bianca's Theme," on the other hand, suits the ditzy, flighty, and lovable girl perfectly. It's upbeat and cute. Is Bianca a bit annoying? Maybe. But you can't help but love her. She deserves it, after all the merciless beatings you laid down on her Pokemon.

"One Captivated by Formulae" is N's creepy, sinister, and fun theme. I love it, it's good for the nerdy, mumbling and admittedly intimidating N.

"Champion Alder" presents a western/desertish theme that's mysterious and fun. I really like Alder's character, though his character struck me as detached, and when he was in the plot I was never particularly impressed with him. His Bouffalant proved me otherwise, though. (*yeesh*)

"N, the Pokemon Child" is a slower, music box version of N's theme. That toy room really freaked me out, I'm not gonna lie.

"Eye Contact! Shorts Youngster" is upbeat and fun, and the mallets make it even more so.

"Eye Contact! Miniskirt" includes adorable chimes and strings in a catchy theme. It's probably my favorite of the Trainer themes.

"Eye Contact! Twins" is similarly bouncy and cute.

"Eye Contact! Businessman" uses the piano for a particularly jazzy theme.

"Eye Contact! Backpacker" is brief but undeniably effective. Burly brass combine later with nostalgic beeps to make a really fun little piece.

"Eye Contact! Parasol Lady" is heavy with strings and is nice, I guess, but it's a little hard to get into.

"Eye Contact! Scientist" is great but I think borrows too heavily from the Pokemaniac Theme of Gold and Silver. The piano is creepy and great here, though.

"Eye Contact! Psychic" is the biggest failure of all of them, but it really does fit Psychic Trainers. It just has literally no melody, all random synthesizers.

"Eye Contact! Team Plasma" is catchy and borrows from the Battle theme, which is always good.

"Eye Contact! Skinhead" has little in the "consistent time signature" area but is sleazy and fun.

"Eye Contact! Ace Trainer" is fun and wild and I CANNOT LISTEN TO THE BEGINNING WITHOUT THINKING OF "THRILLER." THAT IS ALL.

"Eye Contact! Cyclist" may be simple but I quite like it. Ichinose was clever here, even if the melody isn't that great.

"Eye Contact! Daisuki Club" is great and fun, mostly used for Harlequin Trainers. I think it's just a generally all-around good Pokemon piece.

"Eye Contact!  Gentleman" is pompous and cute.

PART VI: Other Location and Activity Themes
These are the "in the field" areas you live for--caves, ruins, towers, forests, bridges...All are important. Yup yup yup. In addition, some activity themes are here.

"Pokemon Research Lab" is soft and special and really hits a sensitive place in my heart. It's nostalgic, even though you may never have heard it before.

"Dreamyard" is one of the biggest disappointments. And it's just plain annoying. There is no other way to say it. Ichinose was going for a smooth jazz feel, mabe? It feels more like "on hold" music than anything and suits literally zero of the areas it plays in.

"Gate" is a calm, relaxing piece relying on a drum set and a piano. I quite like it, though it takes some time to really appreciate.

"Skyarrow Bridge" is fun and upbeat, perfect for the bridge that really showcases Game Freak showing off. Just kidding, this was one of the coolest moments in the game.

"Bicycle" and "Surfing" are two more necessary additions, but neither ones really match any other entries into the series.

"Driftveil Drawbridge," creepy and brooding, has some interesting and moody parts in the latter half of its music. Worth a listen, though you wouldn't guess it from the first minute.

"Cold Storage," also the theme for Twist Mountain, just sounds cold. The weird twanging instrumentation is almost funny, but it isn't one of the best tracks on the album.

"Chargestone Cave" is another characteristic entry into the Pokemon franchise, but I feel like it is trying way too hard to be Mt. Moon.

"Dragonspiral Tower" is the creepy, serene theme that uses echoing piano and strings to create an intended uneasy atmosphere.

"Relic Castle" quite honestly never amounts to much, with twanging of strings and a halfway attempt at a desert feel.

"Tubeline Bridge" makes me want to grin broadly and never stop. It's a bit cliche but ultimately is a good piece.

The grand waltz "Champion Road" is an interesting feel for a final cave. Typically Ichinose goes for tenseness, but here he's almost channeling sorrow, longing and majesty.

On the other hand, "Pokemon League" is too simple in its tenseness. I kind of wish Kageyama had gone a little outside the confinement of the safe route to do something different, like Ichinose did with "Champion Road."

He quickly redeems himself, however, in "N's Castle," with heartbroken strings and a merciless pipe organ battling for the spot. It's a great piece.

Yet another great Kageyama track is the light and achingly beautiful "Cruiseferry S.S. Royal Unova," which uses trembling and hesitant strings most of all.

"Gear Station" is Aoki's clever, aggressively jazzy remix of his Battle Tower theme with a bizarre piano performance. This track is pretty awesome.

"Musical Hall" is a pompous, extravagantly bouncy waltz that anyone will find catchy. It's one of the best waltzes made for a video game I've ever heard, besides maybe some Professor Layton stuff as well as earlier Pokemon themes like "Lilycove City."

The electronic, methodical, and (I'm just gonna say it) boring "Ferris Wheel for Two" leaves me disappointed that Sato didn't do anything exciting with this great opportunity.

"Marvelous Bridge" is fun and uses some sky-high strings as well as a simple piano-centered melody to create an effective piece.

One worth noting is "Someone's High Link," in which we hear jungle-esque drums in a fun piece.

"Lostlorn Forest" is one of Adachi's extremely few tracks, mixing an uneasy woodwind with some creepy strings and percussion. It gives the feeling of, fittingly enough, being lost and forlorn in a forest.

Sato's "Undersea Ruins" isn't great but accomplishes what it needs to.

"Village Bridge" is quite moving and peaceful, if you can get past those bizarre synthetic vocals.

The four musicals are a surprising treat, save for Kageyama's piece. Ah, poor Kageyama. Your good pieces are really good, but when you're meh, you are undoubtedly meh. The piece in question is similar to "Black City," but is called "Exciting Nimbasa" and uses the piano in a dark and longing way that never really develops. Sato's "Stroll in the Woods" would probably have to be the highlight, with its playful percussion and smiling clarinet and flute. Her "Sweet Soirée" is cute and comes in a tie for second with Adachi's synthesizer-led "Stardom!"

PART VII: Part of the Story
These are the themes that move along the story and are vital to the game.

"The First Day" is the opening song with a reference to Nuvema Town's theme on the piano.

"Let's Go Together!" is a theme similar to "Skyarrow Bridge" and in most aspects is just excited and joyous.

"Unwavering Emotions" is bittersweet. It's beautiful but sadly never amounts to a lot. I would like it better if it reached a sort of climax.

"N's Farewell" does just that. It's beautiful and does indeed reach a climax that satisfies. Kageyama tries too hard sometimes. This is not one of those times. He uses only piano and strings, with a simple melody, but it's still more effective than many of his other pieces.

"ENDING -To Each Future-" is the epic ending theme, a fast-paced and crazed roller coaster ride that ends on a darker note--and I find that great.

PART VIII: Remixes (Bonus Tracks)
These are the four bonus tracks on the disc--and none disappoint. The four main composers each remixed one of their songs for the CD.

First up is Hitomi Sato with "Summer in Lacunosa." She takes her Lacunosa Town theme and makes it better--not so fast-paced, but with higher-quality instrumentation. She doesn't play with the theme a lot but it's still a great remix.

Next is Go Ichinose with a lengthy rendition of Anville Town, "Lullaby for Trains." Rather than both the flute and piano playing the melody, here he is free to leave the piano with bass and the flute go off and ad lib the beautiful melody, while strings move things along in the background. There's a particularly great section in the middle with a purposely low-quality vintage style solo played by a pianist with a flair for ragtime.

Third is Jun'ichi Masuda with a crazy remix of the "Decisive Battle! N" theme, entitled "LAST BATTLE -N^n mix-" It is legit head banging music with bizarre sound effects. I love what he's done with the piece, but it's not my type of music.

Finally, Shota Kageyama brings us home with "N's Farewell -refrain-" which is by far the best of these. It's achingly beautiful. If you thought the original N's Farewell was good (or even disappointing) you will love this piece. For once, the remixes on a Pokemon album are great. And I'm stoked about that.

This was really fun to write. Pokemon Black and White are my favorite games music-wise. I hope that comes through. Also sorry about all the Kageyama-bashing. Some Pokemon themes have to be annoying.

DOWNLOAD IT: If you enjoy Pokemon music and love a wide variety of clever (albeit simple and somewhat repetitive) music pieces.
DON'T DOWNLOAD IT: If you hate soundtracks with too many annoying filler tracks, because this album has a LOT.

Rating: *****

Track listing (excellent tracks in red):
1. The Day I Was Crowned King
2. A New Adventure!
3. Title
4. Now for the Adventure!
5. The First Day
6. Nuvema Town
7. Battle! Cheren & Bianca
8. Taken Along 1
9. Professor Juniper
10. Pokemon Research Lab
11. Received a Key Item!
12. Let's Go Together!
13. Route 1
14. Battle! Wild Pokemon
15. Victory over the Wild Pokemon!
16. Level Up!
17. Accumula Town
18. Taken Along 2
19. Pokemon Center
20. Recovery
21. Pokedex Evaluation... Onwards!
22. Team Plasma's Secret Maneuvers
23. Route 2 (Spring-Summer)
24. Live Caster
25. Eye Contact! Shorts Youngster
26. Battle! Trainer
27. Victory over the Trainer!
28. Eye Contact! Miniskirt
29. Obtained an Item!
30. Striaton City
31. Pokedex Evaluation... Not Yet
32. Dreamyard
33. Team Plasma Appears!
34. Battle! Team Plasma
35. Victory over Team Plasma!
36. Evolution
37. Congratulations on Evolving!
38. Eye Contact! Twins
39. Cheren's Theme
40. Here Comes Trouble!
41. Nacrene City
42. Pokedex Evaluation... Do Your Best!
43. Gym
44. Battle! Gym Leader
45. Victory is Right Before Your Eyes!
46. Victory over the Gym Leader!
47. Received a League Badge!
48. Obtained a Technical Machine!
49. Gate
50. Skyarrow Bridge
51. Castelia City
52. Eye Contact! Businessman
53. Route 4 (Spring)
54. Eye Contact! Backpacker
55. Nimbasa City
56. Bianca's Theme
57. Unwavering Emotions
58. One Captivated by Formulae
59. Battle! N
60. Crisis in Battle!
61. Bicycle
62. Champion Alder
63. Driftveil Drawbridge
64. Driftveil City
65. Cold Storage
66. Route 6 (Spring-Summer)
67. Eye Contact! Parasol Lady
68. Eye Contact! Scientist
69. Chargestone Cave
70. Mistralton City
71. Papa Juniper
72. Pokedex Evaluation... You're On the Way
73. Forget a Move
74. Eye Contact! Psychic
75. Icirrus City
76. Dragonspiral Tower
77. Eye Contact! Team Plasma
78. Dragonspiral Tower Top Floor
79. Route 4 (Summer)
80. Relic Castle
81. Tubeline Bridge
82. Shopping Mall R9
83. Eye Contact! Skinhead
84. Opelucid City (Black)
85. Opelucid City (White)
86. Route 10
87. Champion Road
88. Eye Contact! Ace Trainer
89. Pokemon League
90. Battle! Elite Four
91. Pokemon League Under Siege
92. Carrying Out a Mission
93. N's Castle
94. N, the Pokemon Child
95. N's Dragon
96. Dragon Awakened
97. Decisive Battle! N
98. Ghetsis's Designs
99. Battle! Ghetsis
100. N's Farewell
101. ENDING -To Each Future-
102. Looker's Theme
103. Route 2 (Fall-Winter)
104. Received a Pokemon Egg!
105. Cruiseferry S.S. Royal Unova
106. Wi-Fi Connection
107. Global Terminal
108. GTS
109. Spin Trade
110. Pokedex Evaluation... Just a Little More!
111. Route 4 (Fall)
112. Gear Station
113. Battle Subway
114. Battle! Battle Subway Trainer
115. Received BP!
116. Musical Hall
117. Obtained Goods!
118. Dressing Up With Goods
119. The Curtain Rises on the Musical
120. Musical "Stardom!"
121. Musical "Stroll in the Woods"
122. Musical "Sweet Soirée"
123. Musical "Exciting Nimbasa"
124. Ferris Wheel for Two
125. Checking Your Chemistry!
126. Your Chemistry is the Best!
127. Your Chemistry is Getting There
128. Your Chemistry Doesn't Measure Up?
129. Route 6 (Fall-Winter)
130. Battle! Legendary Pokemon
131. Anville Town
132. Marvelous Bridge
133. Route 12 (Spring-Summer)
134. Eye Contact! Cyclist
135. Shift Factory
136. Poke Shifter: Choose Your Pokemon!
137. Poke Shifter: Catch Your Pokemon!
138. Eye Contact! Daisuki Club
139. Black City
140. White Forest
141. Game Sync
142. High Link
143. High Link Mission Start!
144. Someone's High Link
145. Mission Success!
146. Mission Failed...
147. Eye Contact! Gentleman
148. Undella Town (Fall-Spring)
149. Undella Town (Summer)
150. Cynthia's Theme
151. Battle! Cynthia
152. Lostlorn Forest
153. Battle! Powerful Wild Pokemon
154. Surfing
155. Undersea Ruins
156. Route 12 (Fall-Winter)
157. Lacunosa Town
158. Village Bridge
159. Mystery Gift
160. Route 4 (Winter)
161. Challenge for the Battle Conference
162. Team Rocket!?
163. Battle! Kyurem
164. Pokedex Evaluation... Perfect!
165. Battle! Champion
166. Victory over the Champion!
167. Congratulations on Entering the Hall of Fame!
168. Summer in Lacunosa
169. Lullaby for Trains
170. LAST BATTLE -N^n mix-
171. N's Farewell -refrain-

[K-NiGhT]

I enjoyed this review

[Nebbles]

Ahh, B/W, I was waiting for this!!

I was surprised you didn't mention the in-game instrumental adds in the towns/cities! That was an interesting quirk on its own.

[Jub3r7]

That's a lot of songs to review. o.o
You could be a journalist.

Anyways,

"Eye Contact! Miniskirt"

I don't know why but that made me lol.

e: Also, the Eye Contact songs are very catchy. I tend to wait a whole minute before the battle starts just to listen to the music. XD

[SlowPokemon]

Ahh, B/W, I was waiting for this!!

I was surprised you didn't mention the in-game instrumental adds in the towns/cities! That was an interesting quirk on its own.

Oh I meant to. I guess I only mentioned it briefly with Nacrene City and Accumula Town in passing. I thought it was cool! Also the way percussion begins playing in routes as you begin to walk!

That's a lot of songs to review. o.o
You could be a journalist.

Anyways,I don't know why but that made me lol.

e: Also, the Eye Contact songs are very catchy. I tend to wait a whole minute before the battle starts just to listen to the music. XD

Lol the Miniskirt song? Me too, the name is hilarious. I like the song though. That was one of the ones where I did just what you said in game! Also the Daisuki Club one.

[Bespinben]

There are far too many tracks to call this my NO.1 favorite track, but I really, REALLY love the Lostlorn Forest theme, as it has a very Pokémon Mystery Dungeon-esque vibe to it. The introduction to it is very grand and oriental too.

[SlowPokemon]

Soundtrack Review: Trapped by Jordan Knapp (SlowPokemon)

Today, seeing as Jordan has actually written this soundtrack, it would be unfair for him to write the review. So I, the left side of his brain—his cynical, arrogant, and sarcastic alter ego—will be reviewing his work.

About the Artist: Jordan Knapp (alternately known here as SlowPokemon) is a fifteen-year-old student, prone to arrogance and self-pity, while also well-liked among peers. He has had literally no experience with composing before this album, save a couple piano pieces. I'll try to bear in mind that it's his first work while reviewing.

Trapped is a video game that someone Jordan knows made for a technology club—TSA—in the hopes of taking it to the state competition. Whether it will actually be judged adequate to go will be decided next week. When this friend asked him to join on as music and sound director, and compose the music, Jordan jumped on the opportunity. He reportedly "had a blast" writing the music and said it was "a great first project." We shall see whether it is, in fact, a blast to listen to.

Trapped has the player controlling a vehicle which navigates a number of mazes in different environments. First, Knapp introduces the area themes with a very basic one-instrument "cutscene" theme which plays while the vehicles enter the new areas. The cutscenes take up roughly half the soundtrack, and as each are 30 seconds or less, they are somewhat lacking in memorability. It is a nice idea to use a simple motif before adding other instruments on top of it, though.

"Title (Main Theme)" is the first track, and it's not much of a main theme. Using only three notes for the main melody in the entire song, it's very simple and repetitive. I suppose he might have been going for that? I'm not quite sure. Starting out, an uneasy contrabass carries the bass while a violin plays the main melody. Other instruments are added, including a bass drum, cello and viola, and then in the closest thing to a climax this piece ever amounts to, a piano overlies the strings in a harsh and pounding performance. The piano is really the only thing that makes this piece worth listening to. With a bit more in the melody department, and the right instrumentation, this piece could be great—I could see it as a horror theme. Here it's sadly lacking a bit. Knapp says this piece, which originated with him playing the piano part and transcribing it into Finale, was inspired by Hans Zimmer's score to Inception. I can see that, but he fails to do much beyond the simple melody.

"A Cave Story" is the first level theme, for a cave setting. The piano (playing throughout the piece) mimics fluttering bats overhead, and while it's a bit risky to use the same exact two measures throughout the piece, it works better than expected. The bassoon, contrabass, clarinet and flute combine to make what is in reality another simple, eerie melody quite effective.

"I Lava the Volcano" is the theme for the volcano. Knapp could have gone any number of ways with an area like that, but he opted to make the piece moody and brooding. The piano is also omnipresent in this piece, playing continuous quarter notes, usually along with the bass drum. Contrabass, cello and viola play sinister bass melodies while the violin carries the main melody—again simple, but he plays with the melody a little and draws it out more. It's good to see him doing a little more and being a bit more ambitious. The piece has its flaws, but it's an improvement over what we've heard so far. Listen closely and you'll hear a couple bars of the main theme.

"Just Deserts" is the desert theme, with a piano and timpani playing an "Arabian Nights"-style bass. In the beginning, Knapp references his own main theme for the game with a violin, and interestingly enough, it works rather well. Especially great is that rather than just making the main theme section repeat, he adds a new composition played with oboe and then flute, making the piece a little more original and distinctive.

"Underwater" is of course the underwater theme, repetitive in nature but clever in content. The harp mimics bubbles and the flute, clarinet and (very briefly) violin suggest an ancient, creepy atmosphere. There is not much to this piece, but it's effective at creating a fitting underwater atmosphere.

"Into the Forest" is the forest theme which begins with an eerie piano before bursting into flute, oboe and a frenzied harp which carries throughout the piece. It matches the rest of the soundtrack melody-wise, but the main focus will be on the harp. The piece is rather short, but it does the job.

Finally, "A Winter's Snow" is the snow theme, beginning with a simple piano mimicking jingle bells, a triangle, and flute—before relying on the timpani, accordion, and violin to make what is actually the only song on the album in a major key. The violin's entrance may seem a bit familiar—Knapp has openly admitted to taking a few notes from a theme from Mario, though he has yet to reveal which. Whether this was just laziness or he was incorporating elements of a song that he respected and believed would do the job, it's a nice piece, albeit one that deviates from the moody, creepy feel of the rest of the soundtrack.

Overall consensus: For a first project, Knapp does quite well. He was certainly ambitious, but ambition isn't enough—good melody and technique is also important, and that is an aspect which he lacks in certain places. For what it is, though, he accomplishes quite a lot.

Download it: If you're interested in what a teenager could produce in his first composition, or if you find simplistic ensemble pieces amusing or fun.
Don't download it: If you're expecting anything fantastic or legitimately good music, or if you dislike simple music that never reaches much of a climax.

Rating: **

Track Listing (excellent tracks in red):
1. Title (Main Theme)
2. Cutscene (Approaching Cave)
3. A Cave Story
4. Cutscene (Approaching Volcano)
5. I Lava the Volcano
6. Cutscene (Approaching Desert)
7. Just Deserts
8. Cutscene (Approaching Ocean)
9. Underwater
10. Cutscene (Approaching Forest)
11. Into the Forest
12. Cutscene (Approaching Snow)
13. A Winter's Snow

[SuperFireKirby]

First you say the LoTR soundtrack isn't the greatest thing in existence, then you give the Trapped soundtrack a 6.5. Gosh Slow, you are just terrible at this whole reviewing thing.

[Nebbles]

...you... reviewed your own soundtrack. |D

[SlowPokemon]

Lol it was meant for two purposes:
A) A joke
B) The mark of any artist: Shameless Self Promotion

[fingerz]

"Nimbasa City" is annoying, aggressive, and grating. No matter which angle you look at it from.  It could be catchy? But it's too simple and heavy for me. Sorry, Kageyama-san... your themes so far are pretty annoying, save for Nuvema Town.

I look at it from my angle and don't find it annoying, aggressive and grating. One of the best songs in the game, in my opinion.

[SlowPokemon]

I'm Slowpokemob? Wtf?

Also yeah most either hate it or love it, I'm definitely a hater of Nimbasa. I respect your opinion though! But my new favorite city music has got to be Opelucid City (Black)! The White version is good too but I just think the Black version is catchy and emotionally moving (lol I almost accidentally wrote sexy) and just has a great atmosphere. The other one is pretty awesome too though.

[fingerz]

I'm Slowpokemob? Wtf?

Also yeah most either hate it or love it, I'm definitely a hater of Nimbasa. I respect your opinion though! But my new favorite city music has got to be Opelucid City (Black)! The White version is good too but I just think the Black version is catchy and emotionally moving (lol I almost accidentally wrote sexy) and just has a great atmosphere. The other one is pretty awesome too though.

Whoops. XD
Yeah, I'd have to agree. My brothers don't like Nimbasa. After arranging Opelucid City (Black), I've grown quite fond to the song.

[SlowPokemon]

Soundtrack Review: The Haunted Mansion by Disneyland/Buddy Baker and X. Atencio

The last time I was at Walt Disney World, in January 2010 (wow, has it been that long?), I picked up a copy of "The Haunted Mansion," a 40th anniversary soundtrack for the classic ride, being both a soundtrack enthusiast and a lover of the attraction. It has proved to be quite a worthwhile buy, even if only for a couple tracks—after all, the CD has only seven.

All are based around Buddy Baker and X. Atencio's classic theme song "Grim, Grinning Ghosts," the simple, creepy and catchy song that plays in several different formats throughout the ride. So basically, if you do not like that theme, there is a good chance you will not enjoy this album. Just a thought.

It starts off with the 13-minute "The Haunted Mansion," which has the ride's soundtrack as well as Paul Frees' classic narration. From the cheesy puns to the genuinely clever aspects of the mansion, this track should prove nostalgic as well as entertaining. All the narratives are here, most notably Madam Leota—she's the floating head in the crystal ball. "Grim, Grinning Ghosts" is heard prominently here: firstly as an organ-led funeral dirge to introduce the tour of the mansion, and then, as the guest enters the ballroom, an extravagant waltz which encompasses the ghosts dancing around the hall. Shortly thereafter, a piano solo of a truly creepy and haunting variation of the Wedding March, played while the deceased bride, killed by her husband, makes dark comments. A jazzy remix is used for the graveyard scene, heard first by itself, then with a small ensemble band, and finally with the singing busts singing the actual lyrics. The haunting chorus fades into nothing as Little Leona implores the guests to hurry back.

Next is "Ghostly Music Box," which is my least favorite. It's a great music box arrangement of "Grim, Grinning Ghosts" but...it's a music box. It's not going to be great.

"Otherwordly Concerto" works best when you know the backstory. Basically, the composers, Baker and Atencio, sat down at an organ to record the background music for the ride. The first two minutes are variations on the funeral dirge from the beginning of the ride, while the rest consists of an extended anthology of the waltz theme heard in the ballroom. It's great but runs on a little too long.

"A Swinging Wake" is the graveyard background music, heard with no sound effects and no other accompaniments. It's really catchy.

"The Graveyard Band" is the band that plays in the graveyard, without the background music and sound effects heard in the ride. It's a fun little brass ensemble piece.

"999 Happy Haunts" is every single version of the actual song "Grim, Grinning Ghosts" heard in succession. Basically, it's an extended version of the song with different voices. The first is obviously the most recognizable, a deep-voiced man, and the woman singing should be familiar as well, but some of the voices are just downright hilarious. From a zombie-sounding man who seems to have trouble opening his mouth to a ridiculously gruff monster voice, all the voices on this 7-minute track are worth listening to, if only for teh lulz.

Finally we come to the last and best track on the album, "Phantom Manor Suite," which is the soundtrack with no narration to the Disneyland Paris version of the attraction. It is nothing like the other tracks on the album. Film composer John Debney (who was nominated for an Academy Award in 2005 for his score to "Passion of the Christ") wrote this sweeping orchestral interpretation. I'm going to skip a line, because if you're skimming over this review, I want you to see this part; it's important.

If you are a fan of orchestral music at all, it is imperative that you listen to this track.

Thank you. Anyway, as I was saying, it's wonderful. The first half of the song is a waltz, including strings and then adding a lovely female voice who accompanies the rest of the song, in addition to a wonderful and intense piano-led section. This leads into a very brief segment of the song "Grim, Grinning Ghosts," only including the one minute or so that features the deep-voiced man. What's better, some of the orchestra plays over the top, making it more real and jazzy and making it fit in better with the piece. After this, the score becomes very dark and creepy before digressing back into the waltz theme for a fitting ending. I'm not kidding when I say this track is almost worth the whole soundtrack.

Rating: ****

DOWNLOAD IT: If you are a fan of the Haunted Mansion attraction, its theme song, orchestral music in general, OR if you love hearing a wide variety of variations on a single theme.

DON'T DOWNLOAD IT: If you dislike "catchy" songs or hate albums that center around one melody, OR if you hate extended tracks that could be shorter.

Track listing (excellent tracks in red):
1. The Haunted Mansion
2. Ghostly Music Box
3. Otherworldly Concerto
4. A Swinging Wake
5. The Graveyard Band
6. 999 Happy Haunts
7. Phantom Manor Suite

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO GET THIS SOUNDTRACK, PM ME AND I WILL SEND IT TO YOU.

[SlowPokemon]

Soundtrack Review: Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

Music and Lyrics: Stephen Sondheim

Performers:
Johnny Depp (as Sweeney Todd)
Helena Bonham Carter (as Mrs. Lovett)
Alan Rickman (as Judge Turpin)
Jamie Campbell Bower (as Anthony Hope)
Jayne Wisener (as Johanna Barker)
Ed Sanders (as Toby Ragg)
Laura Michelle Kelly (as the Old Beggar Woman)
Timothy Spall (as Beadle Bamford)
Sacha Baron Cohen (as Pirelli)

"Sweeney Todd" is the tragic tale of a tortured man. Fifteen years before the story takes place a corrupt figure of the law, Judge Turpin, had a young barber, Benjamin Barker, arrested on corrupt charges, and deported to Australia for a life sentence—all because he lusted after Lucy, Barker's wife. Now an escaped convict, Barker returns to London under the name Sweeney Todd, bent on seeking revenge on those who wronged him.

The soundtrack begins with the eerie, haunting, and ultimately grandiose and extravagant "Opening Title," a replacement for the musical's "Ballad of Sweeney Todd." It uses the same background music, more or less, and it's a fantastic piece. The orchestra really shines in what is the only instrumental track on the album. Creepy strings, a pipe organ, and finally blaring brass sing, and sometimes scream, a haunting theme. An excellent piece.

The rest of the tracks are all vocal, of course. And there is a lot to love here. Sondheim proves wonderfully diverse, even by show tune standards.

"No Place Like London" is a subtly haunting song which introduces Anthony, a young sailor, and Sweeney Todd. Todd's shaking bitterness is evident in Sondheim's lyrics and Johnny Depp's wonderful delivery, especially in the lines muttered to himself halfway through: "There's a hole in the world like a great black pit/And it's filled with people who are filled with sh*t/And the vermin of the world inhabit it..." The last minute or so is stolen by a lengthy instrumental section, wild and fast-paced, before becoming slightly cheery to lead directly into the next song, the upbeat and surprisingly moving "The Worst Pies in London," which introduces the second central figure of the plot, Mrs. Lovett, portrayed beautifully by Helena Bonham Carter. "Poor Thing" follows, also performed by Bonham Carter, in which she relates what happened to Lucy. "My Friends" is a particularly slow and yet somehow beautiful piece in which Todd caresses his razor blades and Mrs. Lovett attempts to convey her feelings for him. Uhh...yeah I'm leaving that one alone. It finishes with the wonderful chord progression from the opening title.

"Green Finch and Linnet Bird" is the only song the movie included for Johanna, Todd's daughter, portrayed rather well by Jayne Wisener. It's soft, fluttering, and lovely, and serves a nice deviation from all that creepy music. The same can be said for what may be the most widely known song from Sweeney Todd, "Johanna," which is sung by Anthony and is beautiful and tender.

"Alms! Alms!" is the song of the old beggar woman, slow and screechy. The longing piece doesn't really have much effect over the rest of the soundtrack.

Next we come to the comical march "Pirelli's Miracle Elixir," sung brilliantly by Edward Sanders, who plays Tobias (Toby), the small boy. The highlight, however, has to be Sweeney Todd and Mrs. Lovett proclaiming the "elixir" to be nothing special after all. ("What is this? ...Smells like piss...looks like piss...this is piss, piss and ink.")

"The Contest" is a song for Pirelli, played fantastically by the great Sacha Baron Cohen (who you might know as the Station Inspector from the recent movie Hugo). It's ridiculously over-the-top and serves almost as comic relief.

"Wait" is the creepily slow song sung by Mrs. Lovett, advising Todd to bide his time. "Ladies in Their Sensitivities" is the Beadle's song (played by Timothy Spall). It is not all that memorable. "Pretty Women" is notable, if for no other reason than it has Alan Rickman (as Judge Turpin) singing!!! His singing voice leaves a little something to be desired, and the piece is a bit boring, but you know. "Epiphany" is a lot of fun, as Sweeney Todd (and by extension Johnny Depp) goes mad with anger and starts yelling at random citizens, and then switches quickly to singing longingly for Johanna and Lucy.

That in turn leads to what I consider to be the best song from Sweeney Todd, "A Little Priest," in which Mrs. Lovett and the demon barber waltz gleefully around the kitchen while plotting to bake people into pies to boost business and allow Sweeney to satisfy his murderous rage. The song gets its name, in case you didn't know, from the section which finds Mrs. Lovett advising Sweeney to try the freshly baked priest: "It's priest/Have a little priest"/"Is it really good?"/"Sir, it's too good at least/Though they don't commit sins of the flesh/So it's pretty fresh"/"Awful lot of fat"/"Only where it sat"/"Haven't you got poet or something like that?"/"Ah, but you see, the trouble with poet is how do you know it's deceased?/Try the priest." It's a brilliant, satirical, and quite sadistic song, one with a bouncy waltzy melody, and the final few seconds might give you chills in its pure extravagance.

Next is another great song, "Johanna (Reprise)," which begins with Anthony reprising the same melody heard in the first version, and then comes to a more steady, pounding version which has Sweeney and Anthony singing over one another—but Johnny Depp's performance proves more rewarding. And the Beggar Woman sings sporadically in a couple verses, incorporating her "City on Fire" sections, as she grows steadily more hysterical and insane. One of the most bizarre things about this song is the fact that Sweeney sings it while slitting several peoples' throats. It's pretty strange to look at.

"God, That's Good!" is Mrs. Lovett and Toby singing to pie shop customers. It uses a similar structure and melody to "Pirelli's Miracle Elixir."

"By the Sea" is one of the movie's more humorous moments, in which Mrs. Lovett tells Todd of her fantasies that one day they will be married and have a house by the sea.

"Not While I'm Around" is pretty and moving. Toby's commitment to Mrs. Lovett is almost sad. And it's delightfully creepy when she starts singing.

I won't spoil the ending, but the ten-minute "Final Scene" is very well-done, and it reprises practically every other song in the soundtrack, if only briefly.

Rating: *****

DOWNLOAD: If you enjoy musicals OR the macabre.
DON'T DOWNLOAD: If you don't enjoy show tunes or creepy music, OR are expecting Depp or Bonham Carter to be phenomenal singers.

Track Listing (excellent tracks in red):
1. Opening Title
2. No Place Like London
3. The Worst Pies in London
4. Poor Thing
5. My Friends
6. Green Finch and Linnet Bird
7. Alms! Alms!
8. Johanna
9. Pirelli's Miracle Elixir
10. The Contest
11. Wait
12. Ladies in Their Sensitivities
13. Pretty Women
14. Epiphany
15. A Little Priest
16. Johanna (Reprise)
17. God, That's Good!
18. By the Sea
19. Not While I'm Around
20. Final Scene