The Music of Final Fantasy

noodler

So I was zoning out last night and playing my favorite tracks from a bunch of FF games when I realized I only actually have the soundtracks for 7, 8 and 10.

Anyway Id like to have a thread where people can list a couple (not too many per reply to keep it manageable) where they can list some of their favorite but not-so-well known tracks (So no Aerith's theme or Liberi Fatali for example) from the series. Do try and list the title and even a youtube link or something (if allowed?).

So Im gonna start with a few from the above games.

From 7:

Sending a Dream into the Universe (Disc 2 of the soundtrack) http://www.ffonline.com/media/music/ff7/ff7-Sending_a_Dream_Into_the_Universe.mid

You can hear the cries of the Planet (Disc 3)
http://www.ffonline.com/media/music/ff7/ff7-You_Can_Hear_the_Cry_of_the_Planet.mid

From FF 10:

People of the Far North (Disc 4)
http://ffmusic.ffshrine.org/ff10midis/ffx-4-05-people_of_the_north_pole.mid

Someday the Dream will End (Also disc 4)
http://ffmusic.ffshrine.org/ff10midis/ffx-4-08-someday_the_dream_will_end.mid

(That last one is genuinely emotive and the use of it in the game is absolutely brilliant-normal battle music is foregone whilst in the area in question)

These are tracks that I particularly love-I could list more but the fewer you list the more chance of fans actually having a quick listen to the streams and seeing if they remember the said songs.


Anyway if anyone has any tracks from FFs that they particularly like then go ahead and stick a few up.

jill_valentine

Damn. Thought this was about Owen Pallett when it appearred at the top of New Posts.

Creamy Goodness

jill_valentine wrote: »

Damn. Thought this was about Owen Pallett when it appearred at the top of New Posts.

ditto but either or is good.

final fantasy have some really great music.

i'm loving Cid's theme from VII and Away to Zanarkand from X at the moment.

GothPunk

I want to post some of the music from Crisis Core but I'm having trouble finding a YouTube link. I know a lot of people didn't like the game, and people like Retr0 said it was all 'wailing guitars', but the Crisic Core soundtrack has some of the best piano pieces I've ever heard in a game.

I'll edit this post when i can find a video with 'Melody of Anguish' in it. I also thought 'The Price of Freedom' was a beautiful piece of music.

noodler

Do GP. But you must have a few favs from other FF games? Kinda counting on you and Retro to get this thread flowing.

By the way the Midis a posted links to seem to be from the PC version and are crap quality.

seraphimvc

lol remember there was a post of me in some FF music discussion thread saying i can share some FF OST (since i basically have all of them except FFTA,FFCC,FF12 ya know those not worth your money) but 'hunted' down by Retro good times being a newbie back then

now for the one song i kinda like it but i didnt(or will i) get it is the Crystal theme song in FF12.

i just list the ones that i think the very best+ easily float up in my mind,since i havent revise them for a long time.how i envy japapanese fans can go Nobuo's orchestra!!*i may update this link to the songs when i am free*

FF6:
THE Superb Terra theme!!!is the theme makes the game that epic
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zsGA0Aiq6uA(this concert is from an indonesian orchestra band tho)
the battle theme wohoho,still my fav after all these years,is the ultimate version combining battle themes from (1-5),the Gau theme(walking on the field that has all fiends from the world),the another world theme and many more of course.only Nobuo can make Midis come this far.genius

FF7:personally i think Cid's theme is the best,since someone mentioned it already i'd go with
cosmos canyon theme!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=io6H-FrK_d0
the ancient temple theme(FF8 witch's theme original comes from i reckon),Airship theme

FF8:noone is gonna forget how blood pumping it is to be chased by the black widow:
Never look back!!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUjAblq-T0o
the man with the machine gun used to be my fav - in fact all battle themes(dont be afraid,force your way,final battle etc) in FF8 are unique in the series,the modern classical feels with high tempo metal.strange to express music in this way but read on...
i think Nobuo has thrown in tremendous work on music in FF8,all of them are very 'sleek' and emotional mixing up with modern and classical elements - somehow showing of his talent of presenting any types of music as he wants on the table.Violent storms like those latin orchetral pieces through out the game(Liberi fatali ,witch's themes,songs in many 'magical' moments.follow by tranquility themes Fisherman's horizon,balamb garden ,blue fields,brezzy etc.If asked, i guess most modern musical artists would find it ridiculous to expect them to arrange an original waltz piece in such a short time, as well as 73 other tracks. As i said before FF8 itself should get a Best music gaming.(and yes,i am a classical music fan)

FF9:I believe Nobuo spent a very limited time on FF9 seeing 8 and 9 only have 1yr gap between them.BUT,the quality of the theme songs are still great and blended into the story perfectly.
personally i love Crossing those Hills world map theme
www.youtube.com/watch?v=OL0HVjyK4j8
and chocobo theme most,i actually prayed not to get into any battle so i can enjoy walking on world map and riding chocobo looking for treasure is an enjoyment.

FFX:Starting from here i think Nobuo is not fully in charge of the OST anymore.
favourite one is no doubt :
the main theme:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1fNTCzgbY_w
the hymm's are nice too.love blitzball as well :pac:

that's it for now,my 1hr is wasted on this piece of sh*t :Di'll let Retro do the FFT part.

by all means,need to clarify tho,Terra's theme owns everything hands down.the whole "fight against all odds even when all hope is lost" theme brings back so much memories.

Retr0gamer

Have to say I think Terra's theme is the best pieve of music composed for the Final Fantasy series. i particularly like this vocal version but even the SNEs version is beautiful:

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=WHo6QTW-97E

I think FF6 has the strongest soundtrack of the lot. I think the world of Ruin theme is particularly haunting.

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=yI0Xuff-duQ&feature=related

Almost forgot Relms theme:

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=6VUWrf_sk0s

Love my boss music and particularly the bassiness of this one from FFV:

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=6PkNirSetQc

Would love to here it arranged by an orchestra.

Was never really a fan of FFVIII's sundtrack. It's good but I think the game puts me off it and the god awful Eyes on Me.

For FFVII apart from aeriths theme it's you can hear the cry of the planet that has already been mentioned. Really liked lifestream and the opening theme as well, both very epic (and very similar).

Lifestream is below:

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=u9v7hx93IQM

Loved the Final Fantasy IV soundtrack, the SNES one sounds so much better than the DS ones. Again love my boss music so have to have this one:

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=jv1huQW-3HM

And really like the Red Wings theme, what an epic tune to open a game

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=nRhXc1S0_f0

I actually think FFIX is one of Nobuo Uematsus best soundtracks, not many standout classics but as a whole there is hardly a bad track. I really like the Boss and normal battle themes, which I hate in all other FF games other than a few boss themes:

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=HZ9O1Gh58vI
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=U2nF6qt49dE

As already mentioned the overworld theme is gorgeous.

Really like the music in burmecia, very haunting take on Freyas theme which I loved as well. Think it's because I have a soft spot for dragon knights since FFIV. Both are below

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=MYu2O3U9uK8
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=iJCMGRCB9iU&feature=related

The weird thing about the FFX soundtrack is that I'm not all that fond of tracks by Nobuo Uematsu other than To Zanarkand.

Absolutely adore the Boss theme in that game

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=p0fDBMuDPCk

And the final battle with

yu yevon

is epic

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=j3uCmM3sF5Y&feature=related

there's some really good quiet pieces like wandering flame

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=xShgYPOFCRo

As for Final Fantasy Tactics, well I really love Hitoshi Sakimotos work (other than FFXII, what the hell went wrong there?) and FF Tactics is one of his best, although it doesn't come close to the masterpiece that is the Vagrant Story soundtrack.

My favourite would be Remnants which I can't find on youtube. it plays during your last battle with Miluda and is really atmospheric considering the battle takes place in the rain and marks the turning point in the story when you realise everything isnt as black and white as you thought.

Really liked ovelias themes as well, really marked her out as a tragic character:

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=Gzr2pPEzvY0

So thats just off the top of my head, annoyed I couldn't find remnants, it's a wonderful piece of music.

Retr0gamer

BTW all the music in Crisis Core sucks, just like the game.

noodler

This is excellent stuff. Cheers to the last two posters especially-I know it was time consuming but thats more what I was after.

I didn't love 6 as much as you Retro but I agree the soundtrack, especially for a Snes game was excellent. Id like to mention the track when you are inside the airship (Inside not just on) but I don't know the name of the track if someone could correct me.

Also "http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=sNix05L--wM&feature=related' for the excellent 'Searching for friends'.

I may finish FF6 this week Retro! I am in the middle of Kefka's tower after all! Can't be more than 30 mins of gameplay left.

Retr0gamer

Kefka's dungeons pretty big but really good thanks to some great puzzles. I love the final boss especially the music 'Dancing Mad'. It is one hell of an impressive composition by nobuo uematsu.

Edit: Love searching for friends from FFVI. The non-linear part where that plays is probably my favourite bit of FF gameplay, loads to see and do, brings back some good memories.

seraphimvc

aye searching for friends is one of the best airship theme:Dbut FF7's airship theme floated up in my mind - could be due to the first impression of the 3D flying around the globe in my life:http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=azgxHn5paTg *Midgar grassland*

Terra's theme is kinda bouncy in the game actually :Dthe remake version with piano and stuffs make it sound so much better

What makes old FF great is that you will keep wondering when will you get on the airship!FFX failed me and FFXII made me cry - could be why music in FFXII is so bad,they need these long lenght background music

nonetheless,FF music are always good tbh.it's just the matter of the OST worth your money or not.
*look at my OST collection,90% FF,7% MGS,2% castlevania*so lucky to be a gamer +music lover

Vokes

Eternity - Memory of Lightwaves

The standout piece from FFX-2 (imo) and wouldn't be out of place alongside the other greats from the previous games.

Shame about the rest of the OST (and the game, natch).

noodler

Heh, I enjoyed that game immensely. Once the Ladies 'stopped doing it for themselves' and the actual game and story broke in I loved it. I loved seeing how a world could potentially change over the course of a few years. I also thought the 3 new male characters, the leaders of the new factions, were excellent. The spheres part of the story that reportedly showed you-know-you were excellently haunting as well.

The gameplay and battle system wasn't half bad either and they changed Blitz which was clever as people who played the original probly couldn't be arsed playing full games again.

Oh and thats another soundtrack I lack. Can't remember many of the tunes for it at the mo.

Retr0gamer

seraphimvc wrote: »

What makes old FF great is that you will keep wondering when will you get on the airship!FFX failed me and FFXII made me cry - could be why music in FFXII is so bad,they need these long lenght background music

What the hell did happen with the FFXII soundtrack? It was just always in the background and it just never stood out. Ok, Esper Battle is an awesome piece of boss music but other than that it was all just so twee and lacking any emotion. I expected so much better from Hitoshi Sakimoto, just look at his resume. Final Fantays Tactics, Vagrant Story, Radiant Silvergun, Soukyugurentai, Gradius V. Some of the best videogame soundtracks ever and Vagrant story, an OST vying with Panzer Dragoon Saga and Shadow of the Colossus for best game soundtrack ever. Just hope he is back on form with Valkyria Chronicles whenever I get my hands on it.

SofaK wrote: »

Eternity - Memory of Lightwaves

The standout piece from FFX-2 (imo) and wouldn't be out of place alongside the other greats from the previous games.

Shame about the rest of the OST (and the game, natch).

True, definitely the only decent track on that OST.

noodler wrote: »

Heh, I enjoyed that game immensely. Once the Ladies 'stopped doing it for themselves' and the actual game and story broke in I loved it. I loved seeing how a world could potentially change over the course of a few years. I also thought the 3 new male characters, the leaders of the new factions, were excellent. The spheres part of the story that reportedly showed you-know-you were excellently haunting as well.

The gameplay and battle system wasn't half bad either and they changed Blitz which was clever as people who played the original probly couldn't be arsed playing full games again.

Oh and thats another soundtrack I lack. Can't remember many of the tunes for it at the mo.

I gave up on FFX-2 halfway through Chapter 3. The story sucked, didn't like the disjointed mission system and the fact that a walkthrough was essential to get everything. Battle system sucked balls, whyt have a combo system when a spell will interrupt it and back to the dreadful ATB system. I think it's biggest sin was how they changed the characters. Rikku became an annoyance and Yuna became a ditz despite becoming a very strong and independent character in FFX. As for the males on the airship, a creepier bunch of sex pests you could never find. Brother was a borderline rapist.

noodler

Racist!

Maybe the main story (As in lets find Tidus) but the political conflict between the two new yevon sects and the machina sect was interesting for me.

Theres some other stuff that you would probably enjoy if you ever finished it but we have differect tastes in many respects so you'd probably disagree.

Sorry to hi-jack the music thread anyway-ill shut up now.

Machismo Fan

Shadows Theme from FFVI:

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=kENEx5bwLow&feature=related

noodler

I wonder if I could make myself play through FF6 a third time? Probably not!

Great track alright-is it just me or is it very western-like for ninja?

Vokes

Was listening to my FFVII - X collection earlier and the following are probably the standouts for me. (Apologies for the length of the post)...


FFVII

Nobuo struck gold with this soundtrack. Away from the main theme and other popular tracks, there are some other amazing pieces. Some favourites include:

• Escaping with Cloud & co. from ShinRa HQ, Crazy Motorcycle definitely got the blood pumping. Super piece of music.
• Interrupted by Fireworks is a simple but effective piece.
• Great Warrior is one of the standout tracks from FFVII and IIRC played when Red XIII discovers what happened to his father.
• Already mentioned by noodler, Sending a Dream into the Universe is a great track. Lots of slow percussion and slow drum beats in this one, which I think was a feature running through a lot of the tracks on the soundtrack.

FFVIII

While i think this didnt hit the heights of VII and X, VIII has a couple of superb tracks hidden away:

• Drifting - I think this one plays when Squall and Ellone have their reunion. Very sad music.
• Fithos Lusec Wecos Vinosec is usually the music playing when Sorceress Edea or Ultimecia is about. Great villain music.
• If there's one thing that Final Fantasy does well, it's End Battle themes. Maybe I'm a Lion is that heart-thumping track that shows up right at the end with the battle against Ultimecia - Greiver. Love it when the base kicks in.

FFIX

Not a massive fan of this one - very few standouts.

• I second Burmecian Kingdom mentioned by Retr0gamer above. This is the best 'serious' track in the game - a very chilling piece of music. It's marks the first point in the game where the story really took off for me.
• The Airship theme is pretty damn nifty too
• You're not Alone - ahhh yes, the obligatory heartbreaking revelation music that is mandatory in all Final Fantasys (see Great Warrior (FFVII) and Revealed Truth (FFX)) - an excellent piece.

FFX

My favourite soundtrack by far. The whole thing is magic and unique. Possibly because Uematsu shared the composing duties with two newcomers which freshened things up. Also much less percussion used than in previous games. Lots more oscure pipe and string instruments used. Some favourite tracks are:

• Besaid Island. I could run around the island for ages just listening to this track.
• Wandering Flame - again, already mentioned by Retr0. I think we first hear this piece when Sin decimates the Crusader fleet. Very effective, very haunting.
• Revealed Truth - plays when Tidus finds out about the Final Summoning.
• Someday the Dream Will End is superb - already mentioned by noodler - I think it's played IIRC when you-know-who is revealed to be a you-know-what.
• Ending Theme - simply wow :eek:

FFX-2

As I said in my previous post, the only track that smacks of greatness is Eternity - Memory of Lightwaves. It's remarkable how amazing that one track is compared to how ordinary the rest is. That isn't to say of course that there isn't any other decent stuff but anything that is decent is mostly recycled from X imo.

noodler

Don't apolgise for the length! Posts like this were the whole point of the topic!

I can't remember if Somday the Dream will end is playing during that revelation but I do remember it when you are walking through the ruins of Zanarkland and it keeps playing even as the random battles kick in.

Now Im gonna listen to some of your recs.

Retr0gamer

SofaK wrote: »

[*]Interrupted by Fireworks is a simple but effective piece.

Love that track, it suits the carnival date scene so well.

tread_softly

i agree, one of my favourite pieces.

when i began learning the piano all those years ago, i taught myself that piece and eternity memory of lightwaves

the music from FF games are (in the majority) incredible. i have a huge selection on my ipod and love to listen to them. i downloaded an orchestral version of the FFVIII battle theme and it's amazing, the amount of different instruments used.

one of my all time favourite pieces is City of the Ancients from VII. (Kitaro wrote it too, which is a plus)

it's a great atmospheric piece, intriguing yet creepy at the same time; suits the city perfectly.

noodler

Yeah so much so that your the third person to mention it in this thread! Didn't think it would be so popluar!

It occurs in Ancient City but Its actually called "You Can Hear the Cries of the Planet".

tread_softly

noodler wrote: »

Yeah so much so that your the third person to mention it in this thread! Didn't think it would be so popluar!

It occurs in Ancient City but Its actually called "You Can Hear the Cries of the Planet".

ah, didn't realise it was called that!

noodler

I forced myself to finish FF6 tonight. Neat little compilation at the end with all the characters' music complied into one long theme.

Ive one or two questions-Don't wanna waste a thread with them. Who is 'Balam(sp?)' the person shadow says he is coming back too? (It also seems painfully obviou to me that Relm is Shadow's daughter too (Shadow's line "I have learned the joys of Friendship.....and family...").

Also it was the psx version so there is this weird FMV at the end, but it just seems to me to be like an extended intro? Stuff like Setzer battling other airships from his ship etc etc (Basically defo not end FMV stuff). Whats the crack with this Retro?

Retr0gamer

There's a small sub quest where you visit various bars in the game with shadow in your party and you get new scenes that give a little background on Shadow as well as Balam.

As for the CGI outro, ignore it, it was just tacked on.

noodler

Is it basically a girlfriend or wife then? Is she dead? Is he goin off to top himself now cos he says hes going back to her (find it hard to believe both parent abandoned Relm if they're both alive).

Surprised Djibril's guide didn't mention that Shadow sidequest.

Phototoxin

the ffvii music was very good. Many games to day have crappy muzak.

my fav is 'can you hear the cry of the planet' quite haunting

Retr0gamer

noodler wrote: »

Is it basically a girlfriend or wife then? Is she dead? Is he goin off to top himself now cos he says hes going back to her (find it hard to believe both parent abandoned Relm if they're both alive).

Surprised Djibril's guide didn't mention that Shadow sidequest.

It's so long since I played it that I can't really remember. I'm sure there is a dedicated faq on gaefaqs for it though. Yep I think he was going to top himself.

noodler

Theres some more credit I have to give to FF8.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_HxjU8TolU

The Landing (On Dollet). I included the FMV because it is an excellently done piece.

Also the much more subtle "SeeD"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yaGzGJAnKoQ

On a funny side note-It took me years to cop that SeeD was a play on words for seed (I also missed the whole Garden-Seed link thing)

I'm clever me.

Retr0gamer

noodler wrote: »

On a funny side note-It took me years to cop that SeeD was a play on words for seed (I also missed the whole Garden-Seed link thing)

It wasn't exactly high literature was it

Always loved the Balamb garden track in FFVIII especially the orchestrated verison:

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=i63r6rInpD0

noodler

I just thought of it as (SEE-D-like CD).

Meh.