OCR00282 - Chrono Cross "Nikki Learns a Song"

Chrono Cross 'Nikki Learns a Song'

First off, I love a nice long remix. I love songs I can get into for several

minutes. Not that I don't love short little gems like Music of my Groin,

but when a song gives you time to get to know it and hear development,

I just love it. This track is no exception. It's got several different

personalities that come and go, thrashy, smooth and wild.. a great

track by Ailsean.

Nikki's Song is one of my favorite tracks from CC, and Ailsean did a magnificent job of capturing the feel of the original while fleshing it out, so that it makes the song sound more human (demi-human? hehe) and makes the "correct" playing sound that much more triumphant.

Star Level: 10/10!

I was astonished to see this track didn't have any reviews until now. It's one of the few ReMixes that have earned a coveted place on my hard drive (well, maybe not coveted...but with only 2GB, you gotta keep only the best).

I suppose the only thing that could be held against this Mix is that it's too close to the original (virtually note-for-note, in fact). I guess it's more of a "ReMake" than a ReMix, so to speak (ha, aren't I clever...). But it's a darn good one, and definitely deserves its coveted place on OCR. Now it's time for it to earn a special place on your hard drive, too. Don't ask, just download.

this track is brilliant, I must've listened to it about 4 times when I first downloaded it.

Any guitar song automatically goes in my top 10 list. 1:13 really starts off well with just strings then later joined with the guitar. It really makes a good combo.

Am I the only one who notices that there is some horrible background noise starting at 1:12 along with the other instruments? I usually like Ailsean's covers, and would've liked this too, but the background noise is annoying and doesn't go away until near the end

Yes, you are. unless you consider the background music harsh noise. Perhaps the download was corrupted? try downloading it again, it is a truly great song, and a shame for anything to diminish it.

If the download had corrupted, the song would not play at all.

He is referring to the lower notes of the guitar during the initial part where Nikki repeatedly screws up, which are a bit scratchy and annoying. Passing that part, the rest of the song is awesome, besides the occasional note being on purposely way off (I personally think applying an effect to the correct note would have had better results, but that's just me).

I can't really stand the beggining, but after that, it gets really good.

it's a really good song

This is one of the best remixes I've ever heard! It's right up there with the "CrossFire" remix (which is a remix of another Chrono Cross song).

i figure, i never posted how much i love this track. also, it deserves a bump.

good stuff.

The first electric guitar sounds sweet; the second one, not so. 1:12 is where the song really starts for me. A beach festival or seaside market are the dominating imagery as I listen to this multi-synth section. Delicious drumwork, if a bit buried. Thankfully, the guitar work here - both the lead and the countermelodic bass - speaks colorful groove-based volumes. That premature fadeout feels like a letdown, though. (Don't like the grungy distortion early on, and I don't change my mind at the end. )

Pretty cool how this one tells the story, with the learning sequence at the beginning. There were some weird production issues with the initial learning sequence, but once the song itself starts the sound was pristine. I'll assume it was intentionally that raw and hiss-tacular.

As for the song itself, it is pretty coverish but very enjoyable. Ailsean is a fantastic guitarist and pulls of pinch harmonics without even trying throughout the song, and the bass is totally groovin. The groove based volumes it speaks are very colorful. >_>

f****** awesome

The hiss is truly horrendous to begin with. The whole "rehearsal / sound test" section is misleading, sounds absolutely terrible BUT I strongly believe the actual mix benefits because of it. The listener sits through, what, 1:10 minutes of grating material to get the payoff of 4 minutes of very blissful, ethnically-accented rock. Things really sound much sweeter and fuller following the technically crippled overture.

It's a strong melody that doesn't really require much arrangement to be fantastic sounding, which is great since this mix doesn't have all that much.

There are plenty of pros with this, but there is actually a con bigger than people are probably used to. The unusual technical and conceptual balancing is pretty interesting, and come across as both an issue and a selling point. Like I said, I personally wouldn't cut out the band practice bits for the same reason I wouldn't cut out the Ewoks from Star Wars. If that's how the canon was laid down, then that's how it shall be. I still despise those damn Ewoks though.

Why didn't I like this the first time I listened to it? Who knows. This is awesome stuff.

So, the first section of this song really threw me off - I have a hard time rationalizing it and the mood with the rest of the piece. Everything after 1:10 was simply amazing, and I would listen to that part again, but the part before it... major turn-off. And while I kind of get what he was going for with it, I still can't make myself like that section. The last four minutes of it, however, definitely deserve the listener's consideration - I had no complaints at all about that section, really, except that maybe the fade-out felt like it began way too suddenly.

I still like this track. The opening is a little bizarre, but oh well, if I can leekspin myself for 40 minutes, I can survive any strange little segment.

Then it gets epic. Granted, when 'Nikki' misses notes, it gets really annoying, but I do it a lot on guitar anyway (stupid intermediate-level playing on advanced pieces), so I 'spose I'm desensitized.

And now that I've given the song another bump, I bid you adeau!