ReMix: The Adventures of Bayou Billy 'El Lagarto'
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- Game: The Adventures of Bayou Billy (Konami, 1989, NES)
- ReMixer(s): Evil Horde
- Composer(s): Atsushi Fujio, Hidenori Maezawa, Kyouhei Sada, Tsutomu Ogura
- Song(s): 'Gun Shootin' ~ Shootout (Stage 4 BGM)', 'Street & Swamp Fightin' (Stages 1, 3, 6, 8 BGM)'
- Posted: 2008-12-26, evaluated by djpretzel
One can only wonder whether Konami's decision to localize "Mad City" into "The Adventures of Bayou Billy" actually helped sales; I for one never really connected with or completely bought the protagonist's supposed Cajun/Creole street cred. Wiki informs me that there are uncomfortable similarities between the game's plot/original boxart and Crocodile Dundee II, which makes me cringe with unfortunate memories of Paul Hogan. One thing we can all agree on, however, is that the game's soundtrack was all sorts of badass. EGM just ran an awesome feature on Maezawa in their latest issue, and while it never became a real franchise, the game still has a place in the hearts of VGM fans as one of Konami's classics. Evil Horde's hooking us up with our first ReMix since Mazedude's classic 'Trippin' on Alligators' back in 2002. Janne writes:
"Here is my Adventures of Bayou Billy remix. About six months ago I listened to good old NES tunes and the funky guitar and the "muy caliente" chorus in Bayou Billy's soundtrack just blew me away. I needed to remix this, badly. The ending result is somewhere in the fields of 70´s latin-esque-funk/disco. I came up with this latin piano vibe and the rest followed that - hence the name "El Lagarto" which is the spanish word for lizard. The word alligator is an anglicization of el lagarto. How convenient.
The remix has two songs from the Bayou Billy soundtrack. The main vibe is from the first stage. I tried to find out what the second song is, but I couldn't get past the first stage to check it out because the game is so FREAKING DIFFICULT. But I believe it is the second stage theme."
Wiki also informed me that Bayou Billy was supposedly the only game even Captain N himself couldn't conquer; respect. In a completely irrelevant sidenote, I also ran across Bayou Billy's Homemade Soda Pop while googling. No relation. So I'm glad we're getting this one out in 2008 because it adds a last dash of flavor to an awesome year. EH has taken a completely different direction with his mixing, here, going way out on a limb with brass, wah, Latin flava aplenty, and mucho creativity in the arrangement department. Oh and a freakin' delicious, funky bass that drips fat-filled character. Awesome piano slides, inspired percussion, some of the best ensemble brass writing on OCR, and just a heapin' helpin' of pure gusto. Reminds me VERY much of Santa Esmeralda, visually of the Thurman-Liu Kill Bill showdown with an instrumental version of 'Misunderstood' playing. Towards the end the sheer number of instruments firing at the same time is almost overpowering, but that's basically the idea.
This is a badass, eye/ear-opening ReMix; Evil Horde's prior mixes are rock-solid-and-then-some, but for me this one's groundbreaking, very unique on OCR, and pushes the artist's compositional arsenal out into a whole new expanse of possibilities. It's the type of thing I absolutely love to see, I can't wait to see what else he has up his sleeves for 2009, and it's just in time for any VGM-theme NYE parties that want a hottastical latin/disco jam on their playlists. Also, RAD TIMBALE LICKS. Major props - absolutely inspired ReMix.
Discussion: Latest 15 comments/reviews; view the - CasualVader on November 28, 2010
The whole style reminds me of some of the music in the very first GTA game, way back
Yeah, me too. On a slightly related side note, this music was used in Ben Buja's machinima, Red Dead Redemption Bloopers, Glitches And Silly Stuff, here.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DC0lKwttOj0
- Gherkin on October 8, 2010
This popped up on my playlist on shuffle. I had to repeat it at least four or five times to make sure what I was hearing was real. It was.
Mind you, I liked Bayou Billy's music when I first listened to it, but sweet crap I didn't realize anyone had made an arrangement this unbelievably awesome. It comes in almost unassumingly but then BAM! Brass right in your face, with a whole slew of sounds that blend together perfectly. The Latin flavors, the slick guitar, the funky bass, the ridiculous hand percussion and...oh man, this is so good.
Nature of the beast is that I didn't know about it sooner because it was from Bayou Billy, a game which unfortunately I don't seek out arrangements for very often. Glad it eventually made it's way down my waxy earways because this song can be inspiration to anyone to make a mix.
I would encourage you, whether you're familiar with the source or not, to LISTEN TO THIS MASTERPIECE. 99.999% guaranteed to bring a smile to your face.
(Incidentally, I'd love to know what kind of brass you used: whether it was live or sampled, and if sampled, what samples)
- Level 99 on August 31, 2010
Can't say enough good stuff about this track. It's got a permanent slot on my OCR playlist.
- Bip on August 11, 2009
Superlative work.
- Polo on April 13, 2009
- richter on February 18, 2009
It's like there's a party in my pants, and-
...I don't sleep with this remix, whatchu talkn' about?
- MechaFone on February 15, 2009
This is awesome.
This pulls everything off everything off superbly.
Very nice :grin:
- 42 on January 17, 2009
Martin Penwald;496151 wrote: and I really love the castanets (or whatever that is) used throughout the song, e.g. from 0:22 on.
That's actually just basic handclapping. Me and few friends of mine clapped it to a really crappy mic. And it worked out great.
On other news:
Thanks everyone for the great feedback! Really glad you like it.
- EvilHorde on January 17, 2009
- Martin Penwald on January 16, 2009
- K.B. on January 6, 2009
Buen provecho! Can we have some more, please?
- glasfen on January 6, 2009
- LuigiFan on January 1, 2009
