Album: Donkey Kong Country 3: Double the Trouble!

What I enjoy about pretty much every OCR album is its ability to put a fresh spin on familiar songs that make me feel some nostalgia for when I played that game. DKC3: Double the Trouble is really no exception to this, with its wide variety of styles and delightful takes. I guess I probably wouldn't want EVERY album to stretch itself out to five discs worth of music but it's certainly a treat when they do.

Especially when buried deep within the album, at disc 4, track 7, is some funk that, rather than taking me back to playing video games, takes me back to being in jazz band in college, when (if you were lucky) you'd have that one song where everyone could cut loose with a little solo. Maybe it would close out the concert and the whole band could go home feeling good. Spanish Jitters is just... 5:43 of THAT feeling. I love it.

General Overview:
Going through December Reviews month, I found that the album that contained most of the tracks I reviewed came from this album. So I figured that this album would be worth a download/listen/review. It totally was, as this is by far the most eclectic compilation album anyone can listen to. Nearly every music genre that could possibly be represented is represented in this album. I guess it shouldn't surprise as the Donkey Kong Country soundtrack has always been eclectic, but Overclocked took that about ten steps further with this specific album. It's not perfect, and I don't expect everyone to go through the entire album from beginning and end due lack of preference in other genres. But this is definitely worth investing in for many reasons (if you like DKC series, if you like DKC3, general Overclocked fan, music fan, video game music fan, etc etc etc). I'm an elementary student teacher, and I would totally use this album to help kids discover what music genre's appeal to them, and which ones don't. I also appreciate this album as until last month, I didn't even know that the Game Boy Advance port had unique music. So I had nothing to compare any of the "GBA" tracks to, and I still enjoyed them. It made me more curious about the GBA version of the game. Moral here is, you miss out on a lot of good Overclocked tracks (and albums) if you choose not to download it just because you've never heard the original before.

Album Strengths (AKA Personal Favs):
Track 1-4: Unbearable (Brothers Bear) by Brandon Strader
This was already a fun track, so it's nice to hear Brandon retain that fun factor even while making the track his own.

Track 1-6: Purewater Pressure (Stilt Village) by WillRock
Very relaxing and light hearted. It just makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

Track 1-7: Bash the Bastards! (Bonus Time) by WillRock, Level 99
I was expecting something much more intense with a title like that, but I still enjoyed the relaxing folk rock vibe I got out of this.

Track 1-8: Funky's Joint (Hangin' at Funky's) by Brandon Strader
Compared to DKC 1 and 2, I didn't really care for Funky's theme in DKC3. But this interpretation of Funky's theme actually makes me appreciate it more. How do I describe this without using any funky puns....damn it.

Track 1-13: Banana Revolution (Live in Kongcert) [Cranky’s Showdown] by Jason Covenant feat. AkumajoBelmont
Loved the "'live performance" vibe. Almost sounds like this was actually recorded live at a venue of sorts.

Track 1-14: Permafrost (Frosty Frolics) by Draconiator, Flexstyle
I was still humming this version of Frosty Frolics when I reviewed this last month. It gets stuck in your head quite easily. Lucky for this track, it's a good song to keep in your head.

Track 1-18: Shenanigans Bananigans (Jungle Jitter) by Archangel
Very creative arrangement. For someone who had never done a "cartoon-chase" style theme at the time this was being produced, you sure made it seem effortless.

Track 1-19: Cliffside Clamber (Rockface Rumble) by Ergosonic
The percussion made this track a 10, and then the rock guitar at around the 4 minute mark took it to 11.

Track 1-20: mojo gogo (Jangle Bells) by prophetik
Said it in the original, but I'll repeat it here. Very Motown, very comparable to the Contours, all around excellent arrangement.

Track 2-7: Water Warped (Water World) by GSlicer, The Scarborough Joker
.ti evoL .dica ni gnimmiws retfa lanimilbus lla tca ot tnaw em sekam kcart sihT

Track 2-10: Wrinkly's Nightcap (Wrinkly 64) by Doc Nano
This was such a sweet track. Very Claude Debussy-esq.

Track 2-11: The Mighty Junglol (Chase) by Jason Covenant
I feel like this track was made for the purpose of starting a meme of some sort. But outside of being reminded of YTMND, I did like this track. The narration track reminded me of how narration was delivered in old LucasArts adventure titles.

Track 2-16: Friendships Through Dark and Light (Crazy Calypso, Crystal Chasm) by Vampire Hunter Dan
This sounds like it would have made the best ending theme to a Donkey Kong Country game ever.

Track 3-2: Treehouse Campfire (Treetop Tumble GBA) by Level 99
Wanna go camping in the wilderness? Wanna bring a guitar? Is the weather clear and starry? If you said yes to all three, then this should be the music to represent such a trip.

Track 3-4: Thump Brothers (Brothers Bear GBA) by Flexstyle
I love this track, and the beat-boxing. But still, it makes me want to hear the damn bears rap about themselves.

Track 3-9: Funky's Tricks (Funky's Game GBA) by Malcos
I loved the fun electronic/chill vibe this track creates. The beats are fabulous, and the main melody is so soothing.

Track 3-11: Arichnophobia (Arich Boss) by Flexstyle feat. Paul Capps
When I reviewed this last month, I had to hear the original because if this boss truly did have its own theme, it's gotta sound good, right? All I can say is, I wish that the original...well...GBA original theme sounded half as good as this arrangement does.

Track 3-13: Post-Apocalyptic Society (Boss Boogie GBA) by Harjawaldar
And then you get this boss battle theme which just sounds like it was made to motivate the bad guys more than the good guys. But that's okay, because it's fun to be bad, and to hear what represents the bad sometimes.

Track 3-14: Nutz in the Head (Nuts and Bolts GBA) by zykO
I actually liked the weirdness of the track. The distorted drums really added to the track, and really captured that "in the head" feeling.

Track 4-1: Undercurrent (Enchanted River GBA) by Pot Hocket
This is such a soothing, innocent new age stroll in the water. Very nice.

Track 4-3: Heart of the Cave (Cavern Caprice GBA) by Rozovian
....wait, Super Metroid was used in this? Huh, interesting. I guess that makes kind of sense. Still a nice, pretty track.

Track 4-7: Spanish Jitters (Jungle Jitter GBA) by David Wise feat. Robin Beanland, OC ReMixers
Damn this track is incredible. You really have to hear for yourself how incredible this track is. So much effort from so many people in one track, and it all pays off. It's so good, it made me worry that my experience with the rest of the album would be tainted by comparison XD

Track 4-8: Sea Breeze Concerto (Stilt Village GBA) by Monkey Kong feat. David Wise
A little bit new age, a little bit rock, a little bit fusion jazz, a little bit 80s pop, a lot of it fun to listen to.

Track 4-9: Beneath the Moonlight (Stilt Village GBA) by Theophany feat. Harmony, some1namedjeff, Fishy
Back to back Stilt Village? Okay, I'll take it. Very grand arrangement here. I didn't get that "ending theme" vibe from it, but I still got a lot of enjoyment out of it.

Track 5-2: Jitterbug System (Jungle Jitter) by Flexstyle
I loved the percussion work here. It's so addictive, and catchy.

Track 5-4: Treetop Intense (Treetop Tumble) by Danton F.
The heavy metal vibe brought into this track works really well. Now I have a second reason to associate "intense" with Treetop Tumble (the first being that saw blade level).

Track 5-5: Joyful Jungle Jig (Jungle Jitter) by Chernabogue
I'm amazed that I recognized this as being from Chernabogue. Guess that what happens when you go through Vampire Variations in a week. The percussion and flute work done here are so good. The synth melodies make the jungles seem a little twisted. Like you'll lose your mind if you stick around too long.

Track 5-7: Canopy Crawl (Jungle Jitter GBA) by Evory feat. Gintokipianist
(Man, Jungle Jitter brings out the best in Overclocked, doesn't it?)
This track makes me think I'm listening to audio from a silent film. Very fun, and very natural sounding.

5-08 Banana Revolution [Flexstyle's Slam-the-Breaks Edit] (Cranky's Showdown) - Flexstyle vs. Jason Covenant, AkumajoBelmont

FLEXSTYLE! VS! JJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJASON COVENANT! 'Chekan Winter' from Kong in Concert was one of my favorites of that album, so it is always nice to see Jason Covenant / Prophecy. Anyways, this track...I like the energy and the effects on the vocals, something about them just makes smile.

5-09 Cranky's Christmas Mojo (Cranky's Dojo) - Peach

This song...I like it, but something that utterly baffles me is that it appeared on 2 separate An OverClocked Christmas albums. Like...huh? But in any case, I can just lay back and bop my head to the bells as the rest of the song comforts me.

5-10 Can't Boss Us Around [Original Mix] (Boss Boogie SNES) - HoboKa

Listening to this version...I can see that having Flexstyle step in for the main album version made it special, but this is a fine song on its own, so I can tell that HoboKa's got talent of his own.

5-11 FrosTronix [Original Mix] (Frosty Frolics SNES) - Draconiator

This may sound offensive, so if it does then my apologies, but this version unlike the above sounds like an almost completely different beast to the main album version...and yet, this one too is pretty nice on its own. A little more traditional, but like with Rocket Rave, that isn't a bad thing.

5-12 Dive (Water World SNES) - Theophany feat. JJT, prophetik, some1namedjeff, zykO

JJT! His work on Kong in Concert, 'West Coast DK Island', was also one of my favorites, so I'm glad to see him back, in a collaboration no less. But this song...I'm torn on it. It is a nice piece, but it is a little hard to follow at times, as the instruments seem to be working against each other in the beginning. Perhaps that was the intent, so if it was, success, but it is what it is.

5-13 The Crystal Key Is Broken (Mama Bird) - Theophany

This track, compared to the main album version, sounds a lot different, and while I do prefer the main album version to this one, this one does have its own merits. Upon listening to it, I can actually consider it a precursor to some of his individual albums and some of his OCR album contributions, so Theophany only grew over time.

5-14 Footloose Falls (Cascade Capers SNES / GBA) - Emunator

And with the last track on the bonus disc, I can say that combining the two songs together really led to something special. It's really good music to just close your eyes and jam to.

Favorites of this disc: Rocket Rave, Footloose Falls

---

So...I'm super duper sorry about putting this off so long . I think I just lost interest or gave up because I thought I was no good at reviewing things. I've wanted to review other things, but this was always nagging in the back of my mind, so I had to finish this once and for all.

On 1/25/2013 at 0:12 PM, Bored_Man said:

Not sure if I made it clear, but I actually was planning to do a Disc 5 review. I'm just not sure when I'll get to doing it, is all.

Said Bored_Man, almost 3 years ago. Sigh...I've got no excuse.

DISC 5 - BONUS TIME!

5-01 Take the World Back (Northern Kremisphere SNES) - Acolyte

I like the slow buildup, especially when the percussion comes in. Other than that...I find it actually hard to put into words what I like about this track, but I do like it.

5-02 Jitterbug System (Jungle Jitter SNES) - Flexstyle

Oh dear, my foot's already tapping. I can't not imagine a dance going on when I hear this track, and head bopping is also hard to resist.

5-03 Rocket Rave (Rocket Run) - Draconiator

This mix is somehow more energetic and laidback than Afterburn at the same time. Like, it seems like a faster tempo, but the instrumentation is a tad less in-your-face, if that makes sense. A bit repetitive, but that isn't always a bad thing, and the vocal countdown is nice.

5-04 Treetop Intense (Treetop Tumble SNES) - Danton F.

The wind in the beginning makes me think of the original track, and the mood of this song actually is close to the original as well, a mix of pumping and paranoid. You rock, but something doesn't quite feel right, so you gotta keep moving. Guitar is NICE, though.

5-05 Joyful Jungle Jig (Jungle Jitter SNES) - Chernabogue

Anyone else feel like slinking around in the dark like a cartoon character to this? No? I'm weird, but I likes the song.

5-06 Heart of Darkness (Cavern Caprice GBA) - CC Ricers

Feels a lot darker than Heart of the Cave, but in a good way. Again, an urge to dance and/or headbop is strong in me in this one.

5-07 Canopy Crawl (Jungle Jitter GBA) - Evory feat. Gintokipianist

Piano pieces are a nice treat in albums, whether they're slow and deliberate like Wrinkly's Nightcap or more driving like this one. Then again, my mom's a piano teacher, so I'm biased.

(Continued in next post)

Listening through this one again and I can't believe how well it's aged. I still love it. So glad this was my first in-depth participation on an album on OCR, because I'm incredibly proud to have helped with it.

! I can't believe I hadn't posted in here.

I'm listening to the wonderfully violent Treetop Intense and now everyone must listen to it. ^-^ It rocks. Go now. Seriously, it has a great sound and aggressive drive. The cries of the apes await us all! Really sets the mood.

The album seems to be a mix of tough tracks with lovely calming pieces and some funk. Really, how did you do it? I know sometimes albums take years to complete... but this is enormous! Sheesh, well I'm not going to complain. XD You guys are awesome. :3

Epic Bananas comes across just as powerful and in your face than Treetop Intense. They're both great takes on the source, although I don't have the knowledge to say how they're different but both still great. Both have have impressive outros.

Bring the Noise is more menacing, like they're trying to avoid the fight at first. ^-^

Thrill of the Chase also has that great edge. There are subtleties here that I'm unable to clearly identify. Great track. c:

Afterburn is just so damn cool. I could almost see it in Perfect Dark alongside Crash-Confrontation.

Arichnophobia is almost an F-Zero track. XD It's great. It combines the anger with a little bit of violence.

In Intoxica, the trickling at 0:45 and I love the melody most at 1:08, while 2:15 is also pleasant.

Heart of Darkness has a mix of danger and inspiration. The squeeking noise does put me on edge. n.n

Distant Dreams on Stormy Seas is simply beautiful. Sad but beautiful. The hum does add an ominous touch.

Sea Breeze Concerto is more uplifting. The sound effects at 0:28 are my favourite. Great melody from 1:20. The animal calls make this good piece even better.

Footloose Falls has so many wonderful sounds, the first being at 0:08 (a swirling echo?) followed by a star-like impression at 0:33. The beat coming in at 0:55 is great. At 2:16, another type of swirl sound comes in. It's fantastic when everything comes together at 2:40. Wonderful piece. How... just... I'd need to know more about music to express my appreciation.

Beneath the Moonlight feels a bit sad. Reflection after the game is finally over. How is it so long and good, though? There's a lot going on that it's hard to believe it's 9 minutes. The ending alone lasts a minute!

Purewater Pressure. So nice pleasant one! ^__^ More pleasant than chill. Until the xylophone at 2:00, it reminds me of a Ys-ish town theme.

Jitterbug System. What a beat, man! Use the ratchet. ^__^

Unfinished Business provides a similar feel at 0:59.

Kingfisher's Stream. A pixel-like start... and that sound effect starting from 0:14-0:15 / 0:50 really adds another layer to the piece. I love hearing it in the background. Your melody at 2:00 is my favourite. :3

Despite having the same source, Wonderfull is definitely set apart with it's chill theme.

"Spanish Jitters", huh? Title sounds odd... and it's bit crap.

Jking -- it's spectacular! ^__^ You go listen now. ^-^

Having never played DKC3, I came into this album unfamiliar with the original OST. I am, however, rather familiar with the OSTs to DKC and DKC2 and loved both( In both standard and OCR treatment fashion). That sort of atmospheric gutteral feel to those osts are what make those games for me. The SNES DKC series has consistently had great tunes and I can say that without the goggles of nostalgia that this DKC3 album hits all the right notes. It helps cement the DKC series as perhaps a close second in terms of favorite soundtrack following closely behind the Metroid series (Which OCR did a fantastic job with).

Keep up the good work guys and gals.

I was pretty much amazed by the number of tracks. Really massive album here. It's a good one too. while not as good as the DKC2 remix, i've still enjoyed many of the songs. Good work guys!

Judging by my response and Flexstyle's, it seems it was rather unclear.

But yeah, when you finish that pester Emunator. I had to to get my bonus package.

Not sure if I made it clear, but I actually was planning to do a Disc 5 review. I'm just not sure when I'll get to doing it, is all.

Come on, I reviewed Disc 5, and there are tracks by folks who'd love to see it be reviewed.

It just wouldn't be fair if no one else reviewed Disc 5 and received the bonus content even though I did.

Did you review Disc 5 yet?

EDIT: And yeah, may want to touch base with Emu, although I betcha he'll see this very shortly.

Also, I do not mean to sound impatient or demanding, but when can I expect to receive the bonus content? Should I PM Emunator about it?

Let's finish this on up!

DISC 4: PACIFICA

UNDERCURRENT (ENCHANTED RIVERBANK GBA)

Oh hey, Pot Hocket. I remember the piece like this that was on Voices of the Lifestream. This one is very nice and relaxing, mellowed out and overall pleasant.

AQUATIC TRANSFORMATIONS (WATER WORLD GBA)

So we've gone downstream into the ocean, then. This song is not as "busy" as the original, but it's definitely similar to both it and the original's base, Aquatic Ambience. Guitar work is pretty cool as well.

HEART OF THE CAVE (CAVERN CAPRICE GBA)

Neat little cameo from Super Metroid in the beginning. This song is quite a long one, and it takes a little while to really pick up, but it is worth the wait. Even so, when it does, it isn't over the top or noisy, but more subdued and "present".

CRANKY'S MOJO (CRANKY'S DOJO GBA)

This song, the intro especially, makes me think of Donkey Kong Jungle Beat, mostly because that game had you fighting different Kongs that seemed like martial artists. I can picture a montage of Cranky Kong training and sparring, trying to get back his skills from his heyday, and maybe preparing to go off on a sightseeing adventure of his own. The jazzy portion is unexpected, but pretty neat. Overall, a good pick for one of my personal standout tracks.

CHASING WATERFALLS (CASCADE CAPERS GBA)

I like the groove this one sets. Can't exactly think of the words to describe what I like about it, but I like it all the same.

CORN-FED KONG (ROCKFACE RUMBLE GBA)

I will be honest here, and say that I was never a huge fan of country music. Nowadays, I don't hate it, but it isn't my favorite genre, mostly because I have not listened to a lot of it, and a lot of it sounds very same-y. Same issue with rap. I want to think I'm getting better with both, though. Anyways, this song...it feels very cheerful and adventurous, like you're going somewhere, but enjoying the journey more than worrying about the destination.

SPANISH JITTERS (JUNGLE JITTER GBA)

THIS song. THIS is how you start an album flood, no question about it. I can't imagine how fun and rewarding it must have been for you all to perform with Mr. Wise and Mr. Beanland. The song itself, very very nice. I'm a sucker for jazzy, big band pieces, so this is right up my alley. I can definitely imagine this playing at a party or some other event. The "80's section" is a nice breakdown, and makes the piece that much more special. Top notch job, folks.

SEA BREEZE CONCERTO (STILT VILLAGE GBA)

If you look at the sprite banner for this piece, you'll see Donkey Kong on saxophone, and Diddy Kong on guitar, just like on the artwork on Kong in Concert. Ah, how time flies. Anyways, this just overall is a nice jam session. Monkey Kong, you guys are lucky getting to work with Mr. Wise, but this is really your show, and it is a great one. That said, the sax solo is very nice. I also love the ending referencing the startup theme from the original Donkey Kong Country.

BENEATH THE MOONLIGHT (STILT VILLAGE GBA)

I can tell just from the start, this is the album's baby right here. 9 minutes long, and all of it awesome. It's very atmospheric, and just overall an experience rather than just a song. Great job.

DISTANT DREAMS ON STORMY SEAS (GAME OVER GBA)

So the story ends with Dixie Kong and Kiddy Kong stranded in the rain likely to die of exposure and cold? That's rather sad . Also, thanks to somebody posting a certain rendition of the main theme of DKC 1 in the album thread, I can hear a certain rap artist sadly singing along to this with his..."famous" lyrics. Joking aside, this feels like a somber yet fitting ending to the album. Perhaps it's signifying the end of the SNES era as the series moved forward into the N64 era. But either way, it's the end of the main four discs, and this is a good way to send it off.

OVERALL IMPRESSION

In contrast to the last disc's impression of doing the adventure again, this one feels more like an actual vacation, a hard-earned reward of relaxation. Great songs all around, especially with David Wise and Robin Beanland's involvement. It's been a great trip listening to all four of these discs, and I'm grateful to everyone who worked on the project. I'll try to do a review of the bonus disc at some point. Thanks again, everybody .

Can't get enough of Cliffside Climber. It's quite faithful to the original and really takes me back, yet is refreshed enough to be its own work. Also I'm pretty sure I heard the snow level music from DKC1 thrown in there at one point? Can't remember if that happened in DKC3 but it made me smile. Epic Bananas is another favourite, taking one of DKC3's most haunting melodies and turning it into an energy-filled beast. In many ways it would have suited the treetop level where you have to outrun the ginormous saw.

Winter has a lovely atmosphere, although could use a little more variation to make it truly memorable. Intoxica runs along a similar line, and is exactly the kind of electronica I often listen to outside of the VGM world — this might sit beside artists like Bonobo and Emancipator in my playlist. Breaking the Crystal Key does a great job of retaining the source track's haunting feel whilst giving it a burst of adrenaline, and the oriental influences make it something very unique. Could have gone so wrong if it were any more electronic than it is.

Friendships Through Dark and Light is wonderful, although strangely immediately evokes memories of Banjo-Kazooie rather than DKC3. Perhaps an omen of where OCRemix's top musicians should focus their attentions next? 'Til We Meet Again is a great way to round off the bulk of the SNES music, I always was very fond of that short piece of source music.

Moving into the later discs, Joyful Jungle Jig is a toe tapper that's fun to listen to although is another track that needed a bit more variation to really fulfil its potential. FrosTronix (Original Mix) is fantastic, really nails the DKC atmosphere I won't even try to quantify any self-respecting remix should strive for and I liked the (perhaps unintentional) nod to Serious Monkey Business's 'Roller Disco' track towards the beginning.

Dive. This one caught me off guard as I subconsciously expected the tracks stuck on the last disc to be inferior b-sides or something, but this is one of the album's finest. Great mood that does justice to one of DKC3's strongest source tracks, with some quality sax (or whatever) incorporated; I was very pleased when the piano bit I remember most from the source made a proper appearance a few minutes in. Random, but this piece makes me think of Homeland's title sequence music a little.

The Crystal Key is Broken is the winning Mama Bird interpretation for me, surpassing the previous one which was already superb. The bass is so masterfully handled in this track that the relatively unchanged melody is given a whole new lease of life, and there're endless details to listen to and appreciate — ultimately evolving into a beautiful cacophony that reveals some serious skill behind its composition.

So, great work guys! That's as far as my track-specific reviewing will go as I really am a busy person nowadays, but it was fun thinking and writing about why I love some of these tracks so much. An incredible way to end the DKC remix album trilogy, and I agree with the sentiment that this is the most consistently high-quality one yet. I hope this isn't the last I hear from the talent involved in terms of interpreting classic Rare music.