ReMix: William Wobbler 'AWilliamWobblerChristmas'

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William Wobbler

One of the cooler Christmas gifts I could receive this year came from someone who has done tons of work in the videogame arrangement scene - more specifically the c64 scene - the one and only Chris Abbot. It was fantastic to hear from him after far too long a lapse in communication, and not only did he shoot a friendly email my way, but a holiday-flavored submission along with it. For those that don't know, Chris is the man behind Back in Time, a series of "C64 remix CDs, professionally pressed and licenced, with contributions from the original composers!" - they're awesome and worth the money, btw. He also runs www.c64audio.com and is one third of a ReMixing group known as Slow Poison, who've done some great stuff too. Their submission from the oddly-titled quirky shoot 'em up William Wobbler (for c64, of course) is a fast-paced instrumental tune with both a soundtrackish feel and a holiday verve that all should appreciate. The arrangement's great, with transitions well-handled, mixing on, cool triplet breaks, and just a good use of a flute section (as opposed to the more common solo). One of my goals for next year for OCR is more site-to-site partnerships, where appropriate, feasible, and to mutual benefit, and I'm hoping part of that can be stronger ties to the c64 arrangement scene, which has a long and proud legacy that predates OC ReMix by quite a bit :) Regardless of whether that happens, Chris is great, Chris is good, Slow Poison rock, and you should grab this. Nuff said.

― djpretzel

Discussion: Latest 13 comments/reviews; view the complete thread or post your own.
A William Wobbler Christmas, eh? To me this sounded more like William Wobbler was crossing the American frontier in a clown costume, but okay, Christmas it is.
I'm a real big fan of this, and it's in no way due to me knowing what William Wobbler is. Frankly, the name and that hideous title screen in the game's profile page is enough for me to make up an opinion of it. The music however, as with a lot of c64 games, seems to be fantastic. It's been given a very stylised, very exaggerated reinterpretation here that really fits the melody well.
Now, I'm not the greatest advocate for how realistic this sounds; to me, it sounds fake through and through. But that orchestral approach is undeniably strong and sticks to the melody like glue.
Out of the entire OCR lineup, this is certainly one of the mixes I remember just on the basis of the level of fun alone. It's an overload of fun and it does nothing to hide that fact. An admirable trait indeed. I wouldn't have guessed this was Christmas themed if not for the title, but regardless this is something I can always get into. There's not enough mixes that just belt out melodies superfast in comedy-musical orchestral style. Yet another niche that needs severe addressing.

- Marmiduke on November 11, 2009
Every sound in the source (both melodic and percussive) has been brought over and given just the right Christmas-themed instrument to replicate. The widely panned bells have an eternal twinkle in their eyes and the drum/brass combo keeps the adrenaline pumping, while the other instruments work their magic whenever an opening presents itself. The tempo and general progression remain intact, but now the melody's colored like a lively, family-friendly cartoon. Kinda reminds me of [i]Banjo-Kazooie[/i].
A grand and spirited production upgrade.

- Polo on May 17, 2009
Uhm, this song reminds me of "Gonna Paint a Wagon" from The Simpsons' corny musical show. But it's got less cheesy lyrics (none) and a whole lot more cheer. It kind of comes out of my speakers and tries to draw a smile on my face. I wonder what it'll do to me if I listen to it through headphones - dear God, I might actually smile! :O
Plus: it come from a game that nobody (not even their mothers) has heard of, but quite possibly has one of the most winnar titles out there.
(not rly)

- SoulinEther on December 17, 2008
Holy XMAS. I can't believe I haven't reviewed THE William Wobbler Christmas. For Pete's sake, its been on my OCR playlist for god knows how long. I also can't believe that other people haven't reviewed this. Makes me feel like people don't know about William Wobbler Christmas.. For me this is definitely one of the OCR classics, up there with Amazon Sessions and all the other greats...
ANYWAAYY, never even heard of the game or William Wobbler or anything. I just picked this up years and years ago and liked it so much it went straight to the "Definite OCR keepers" pile. I love all the wacky instruments used here, and its awesome how they all contribute to the christmas feeling. Incredible.
This really reminds me of the feel of christmas movies back in the day. This song makes me think of a scene where the credits roll in the beginning and there is lot of different christmassy stuff going on - elves wrapping up presents in Santa's present factory, you know, stuff like that. And all sorts of wacky things happen. And then Santa comes in and the music and credits stop. And everyone turns to look at him and after a small pause he says... "HO HO HO!" And then the action and the racket and the commotion go on... Yeah. I guess I pretty much summed it up.
Also, a GREAT remix. Classic OCR stuff.

- EvilHorde on December 17, 2008
Good, fun, classic. Really enjoyed this one. The title screen seems a bit creepy though. :(

- Dhsu on November 10, 2008
This is complicated and cute at the same time. I really enjoyed listening to it, despite not wanting snow anytime soon. Some of the offbeat sections were a bit strange, I had to go back and listen to them again, but I was more comfortable with them then.
This one's really nice, more people should take a listen.

- DragonAvenger on August 28, 2008
When I heard the intro I instantly thought of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

- Dionyseus on May 12, 2007
Fast and fun, I really enjoyed this remix. The toned percussion is great on all counts, well programmed and high quality samples, it really sets this piece apart from the rest.
I admit being aprehensive by the name of the game; what the hell is a William wobbler anyways?
I know now the error of my ways, check out the mix, you'll like it.

- OA on January 2, 2007
This track is totally awesome. I wish more people would check it out. We've gotta get some more reviews!
Having spent a lot of years in marching bands and concert bands, this is a real treat to hear. I have absolutely no reference to the original music, game, or even the system it's on, but I sure love it.
Great stuff. And for this time of year - folks, you've gotta get this on your Christmas CDs. Give it a listen!!

- Mustin on December 16, 2006
Man, this is a fun mix. The low brass and offbeats really give it a 'marching band' feel, something most Christmas tunes are sorely lacking in (IMO, of course :lol:). I could easily see myself enjoying this year-round though, as it also works as an adventurous song. The orchestration works great throughout, particularly with the use of temple blocks. The syncopated rhythms, as pointed out, greatly spice up the piece and make it really bounce with energy. I'm glad I found this when I did!

- Anorak on December 16, 2006
I love these Christmas ReMixs!!!!! Anytime of the year this tune'll work for me!!! 8) Great work men!

- Vash the Stampede on May 8, 2004
When I first saw a Christmas-themed remix, I thought that it would seem out-of-place for 11/12ths of the year, but somehow this piece, while Christmas-y, also has a quirky enough personality that it's fun to listen to any time.
The glockenspeil runs, the sleigh bells (whatever it is that opens the piece) and the constant syncopation all combine nicely for an enjoyable but unexpected flavor, kinda like chicken marinaded in cinnamon and honey mustard dressing.

- IdeaMagnate on August 20, 2003
William Wobbler 'A William Wobbler Christmas'
This one is a much more up beat Christmas tune then most. It’s comparable to Jingle Bells, but only if it’s done by one heck of an innovative and imaginative orchestra. And the name Slow Poison defiantly doesn’t suit this, I’d say that’s really got to go. Besides the name, Mr. Poison, I love this piece work. Go to court and get something done about that.

- Ginnsu on May 26, 2002

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