ReMix:Yoshi's Story "O! Say Can Yoshi" 2:37

By Bladiator

Arranging the music of 2 songs...

"Yoshi's Song", "Yoshi's Story"

Primary Game: Yoshi's Story (Nintendo , 1997, N64), music by Kazumi Totaka

Posted 2005-12-06, evaluated by the judges panel


Karl paves the way for anyone who's ever had a really cheesy mix title in mind for their latest opus to not feel quite as ashamed, as it's hard to best "Oh, Say Can Yoshi" - it's a fine, ripe gorgonzola to the day-old muenster most of us can muster. Blad's latest solo piano has some recording issues - it's live, but it's mic'd a little distant, with a whole lotta room going on, almost like a too-generoulsy applied convolution reverb. However, levels are decent enough to hear the variation in dynamics and nuances in the performance. Karl says as much himself, with visceral language:

"So, like, I have this remix. I got the idea from Dr. Fruitcake because he is totally the man, the midi man, but the man, none-the-less. I took the songs from the end that came from Yoshi's Story and I made this remix. Then I had to go search for the music because I didn't know what it was. From what I can tell, this is the Title Screen music and Yoshi's Theme (a section from both). Then I got the bright idea to do it live, and it came out ok. It's like the Kirby one: not the best recording, but I really just work with what I have, and the university obviously is not one for high production quality. I'm surprised they can hit the record button some days. Anyways, I was juiced, the mics were hot, and I really squirted this one out. Hope you enjoy it."

Karl squirts, and what can one do but appreciate the byproduct? Whilst undoubtedly enjoying a vegemite sandwich, TO writes:

"As soon as the mix starts we can hear the title screen theme brought in softly with the piano, and that plays until 0:53 when Yoshi's Theme is brought on, playing those groovy parts on the lower chords of the piano from the original. Love that sound. The Yoshi's theme part continues until the Karl eventually mixes the two themes together after the 2 minute mark to create a very creative and upbeat mix of the two themes."

Highlight for me would be the jammin' chromatic flourishes at 1'16" and 1'19" and the like, as they break the happy-go-lucky, almost Peanuts-esque mold and throw a little more bebop/jazz into the swing of things. The overall vibe transitions from mellow nostalgia to upbeat romp in well under three minutes. For a live performance, the confidence, consistency, and coherence are all admirable, but it's ultimately the transitioning, fluid arrangement that starts off pensive and ends up pompous (in a good way) that makes it all tick. More unique, inspired work from Bladiator that I'll never be able to come close to playing myself, making me appreciate it all the more.

djpretzel

Discussion

Latest 15 comments/reviews; view the complete thread or post your own.
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Eino Keskitalo
on 2023-08-27 11:19:19

I'm just playing Yoshi's Story via Switch Online.. it's great fun to listen to this track!

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Hydrargyria
on 2011-04-01 01:10:30

I can't believe how good this is. I downloaded it 10 minutes ago and have been listening to it non-stop.

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TheCorty
on 2010-10-01 14:16:34

Heh. The thing I love about this piece (other than the epic piano work my feeble fingers can't begin to appreciate in a lifetime) is the maturity of it; especially compared to the source. Always with Bladiator's live piano remixes, I don't feel ashamed in the slightest to be listening remixes, even on such extremes as Yoshi (or Kirby) tunes.

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OA
on 2010-05-04 15:58:45

pft, a remix review where i can pretty much just quote DA? Makes it easy on me. :-D

But no, Karl is too cool to have a cut and paste review. Really, I am not feeling the 2 chromatic bits, but the rest is phenomenal; I love the energy that picks up, and how effortless it all sounds. One of my favorite OCR piano mixes. It's infectious. :-)

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Polo
on 2010-04-11 21:54:42

Instead of spotlighting individual keys, this piano mix is driven by groupings of chords and runs which, when combined with the factor of distance/reverb, produces a warm and enveloping soundscape. It certainly warms my heart. 3

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Benjamin Briggs
on 2009-10-12 18:28:56

this is one of the best remixes ever

I am sorry that I did not pay proper attention to bladiator in the past

that has changed; he is fantastic

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaand this is one of the best remixes ever

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DragonAvenger
on 2008-09-10 15:08:37

The title is awful, in a good way.

Very cute piece, definatly makes me think of Charlie Brown. Wish the recording was better quality, but it has charms of it's own as is.

My qualm with it is that the two little chromatic sections seem out of place. I feel like if you had done more with those two tiny sections it would have been fine, but as it is there isn't enough for it to really 'fit in.'

Worth the download.

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Yera
on 2008-06-13 12:09:23

I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say that this would make great material for a senior recital on piano at a music school. Of course, I'd remember to give you credit!

I'm also gonna echo others and beg you to post sheet music of this. Please? Hard as I try, I can't do this song justice...:cry:

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Jaybell
on 2007-10-24 22:03:08

Awesome awesome awesome! This is like the happiest piano piece I think I've heard on this site, ever. It's ridiculously uplifting without being cheesy, unlike the game. Short but sweet.

Also, this and "Mean Streak on Main Street" are the best remix titles. EVAR.

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Steben
on 2006-07-18 14:36:41
Please post sheet music. :D

QFT

This just came up in iTunes. I don't remember if I listened to it when I first downloaded it (I must have..), but I'm really digging this. I'm a mediocre piano player, but I always love trying out stuff like this anyway. I have a simplified version of klutz's 600 AD in Piano memorized.

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Piano
on 2006-03-11 09:16:17

That was absolutely fantastico!

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Press Start
on 2006-02-27 18:35:53

I like the title. :?

Absolutely beautiful stuff here. It's so...jubilant and yet...mature, like someone else said. It's a nice balance. Now only if you could re-record it, it would be perfect. Sound quality and such, y'know?

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DJ Skratch 'n' Sniff
on 2006-01-20 07:06:10

I'd just like to say that Bladiator is one of my favorite mixers on the site and this ReMix is a perfect example why. I didn't care too much for the game though...

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lady zelda
on 2006-01-20 01:26:55

It was so cute when the Yoshis sang this originally on the game. Now this remix plays the tune in a more mature manner; it's as if all of a sudden, I'm like, this song just grew up and there you are listening to the utter beauty it has grown into. Well, that's my analogy, but really, this complex piano piece is just amazing. Enough said.

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Zekian
on 2006-01-05 06:34:43

I love this. Since I didn't feel like reading pretzal's comments, I just jumped right to the song, expecting trippy, Yoshi-singing madness. This is almost as good- kidding, kidding! *dodges brick* Absolutely beautiful. Nice work.

Sources Arranged (2 Songs)


Primary Game:
Yoshi's Story (Nintendo , 1997, N64)
Music by Kazumi Totaka
Songs:
"Yoshi's Song"
"Yoshi's Story"

Tags (2)


Genre:
Mood:
Instrumentation:
Piano
Additional:
Arrangement > Solo

File Information


Name:
Yoshi's_Story_O_Say_Can_Yoshi_OC_ReMix.mp3
Size:
2,601,287 bytes
MD5:
f68e409ce0eeb22ebdd598d8f25f0735
Bitrate:
128Kbps
Duration:
2:37

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