OCR01162 - Final Fantasy VII "Prayer"

[Theta Kogun]

I actually liked it, for the most part. Like most everyone has said to far, the distortion on the electric guitar was a little overpowering. Had it been toned down a bit, or taken out all together, it probably would have been a much better mix. You could also have probably used acoustic for that part too, only at a bit higher volume, but that probably would have changed the feel of the song as a whole considerably. I give it 4.5/7 Chrono Trigger characters.

[teoryn]

Well, even if FF is always remixed, it's still good music. I just make sure never to listen to often to any music or it gets old. I thought this song was really well done. I'm usually not a fan of guitar, but I liked this piece. I think the guitar was done fine for this piece, it really seperates the piece from the original.

[GrayLightning]

Im sorry, im stubborn, and i cant write a review on this. I have seen far to many ff remixes. People, you need to try something different. FINAL FANTASY HAS BEEN DONE... ABOUT 1000 TIMES, JUST LIKE SO MANY ZELDA SONGS.

Instead of complaining about how there's so many Final Fantasy mixes, why don't some of you review others? A lot of people complain we mixers mix too many Sonic or Chrono Trigger, yet when we do mixes for lesser known games no one reviews it. There's so many mixes that aren't Sonic, Zelda, CT or FF that are not getting any reviews. If you want more variety, show your support for other types of mixes instead of whining.

[fauconnuit]

First, I just wanted to point out that I really like the feel of this one. The only problem I have with it is the lead guitar. Like Smackahoe Tribe

said, the notes are very disconnected from each other and it disjoints the whole mix. If you added some legato to the lead and maybe toned down the distortion a little (just to get rid of some of that residual fuzz), it would do wonders for the whole bit.

As to toning down the distortion, I'm not sure how you can do that on the pedal, but if you use the neck pickup and turn down the tone on the guitar, that could help stabalize the sound (not sure though, since I use a telecaster.)

[The Orichalcon]

I just don't really like the plucky guitar. That's all.

I've had another listen, concentrating on the melody in the background. It's pretty good now that I've listened again.

The guitar sounds alright, it's just the pluckiness that ruined it for me. The notes in this were originally strings and were meant to be smooth together. I can't stand things that play, then stop, then play, then stop, then play, then stop, instead of constantly playing.

But listening to the percussion closely, it is pretty good. The ahh choir could have been a little better.

Personally I don't really know how this one made it onto the site. It doesn't seem up to par with the other remixes, and I've seen some better stuff that didn't make it. It's good, but there's hardly any variation at all.

[risingson77]

No, thanks.

The percussion is way too busy, the acoustic guitar is out of tune, and the electric has a staccato delivery that just grates on me. I nixed it after about 40 seconds.

[hhallahh]

Hm, I liked this track for whatever reason. Guitar didn't annoy me too much. Loved when the choir kicked in at around 2.45... Idunno. Aeris' Theme is such a pretty song.

[renrutal]

I liked it, I played it with my headphones on and the percussion had a funny effect. Usually near some very loud percussions you think your heart is beating in the same rhythm. This one was almost doing an ear massage, t'was sorta cool.

Very nice 2:10 BTW.

[Debotron-6K]

I agree with the multitude of comments about the dry lead. It needs some SUSTAIN.. but it's not just that.. 'screechy' is definitely an accurate description. IMO, it's not very good playing. example: 1:15. What the heck was that? Don't know if this was intentional, but it sounds like a 'wrong' note to me. Overall, this electric guitar is a bit lacking in the soul department.

This mix isn't terrible; it does some creative things with the somewhat-celtic vibe and the.. buckets, but personally I think I'd prefer a dope sampled beat to those, as well as some actual rearrangement.

Bottom line - creative vision; lackluster execution. This mix lacks depth.

[Vex]

I like this remix. not a whole bunch, but its a good solid remix that relly tries to get some emotions going. It is very appropiately titled, and the guitar really has soul. Good job, I'd like to hear more from this guy.

and really Debotron? FFVII's soundtracks decent at best (although J-E-N-O-V-A is damn good). I really liked FF X's soundtrack (V and VIII's was pretty good too, but X is my favorite).

[habnem]

Thanks, Debotron, for making the post I was going to. I'd also like to point out that, in my estimation, "Aerith's Theme" is one of the more famous video game songs out there, and unless I've missed one in the last couple of months, this is only the second remix on OCR. Debate the wisdom of covering FF games until doomsday; you can still hardly say that this particular song has been overdone.

[djpretzel]

Maybe I listen to a lot more guitar-based music than others(?), but it seems to me the tone here is not at all unheard of and similar processing/articulation shows up in a good deal of classic rock... it's one thing to say you feel a different tone would have been more appropriate, but some of the comments here have tended towards implying that this just isn't how a guitar should ever sound, and, well... it would seem to me from my particular background and tastes that there are plenty of critically acclaimed, professional examples to the contrary.

I've also heard a boatload of guitar samples, ranging from convincing to Prot's Uematsu patch, and for this to have been synthetic would have made it one of the most if not the most impressive emulations of an electric, up there with Jan Hammer's stuff.

But oh well.

[ella guro]

There is really nothing wrong with this guitar at all - I wonder how many of you listen to rock music often. This type of stuff is done all the time. The big problem I have with this mix is the mixing - the percussion is always a little off (and sounds muddy), the acoustic is a little flat, the choir patches are too loud, and the piano at the beginning is too tinny. As far as arrangement goes, it's pretty close to the original - which is ok for this type of mix, and the lead guitar playing is good.

It's not overwhelming and has some issues, but it's pretty good overall.

[Debotron-6K]

OK..

After listening to this some more, I have to admit that I was a little too harsh on it in my review.. because it has grown on me quite a bit. My problem with the lead, like others have noted, was the brief, staccato nature of the playing. It sounds choppy to me.. make those notes flow. I have played guitar for a while now, and listen to plenty of guitar-based music, but just like anything musical, a person's taste in guitar tone is completely subjective.

To clarify what I meant when I said that I felt the mix lacks depth - I think it would have been great if Menbah had multitracked a few more guitars, instead of just having one acoustic and one electric. The lead emulates the melody of Aerith's theme exactly- which isn't bad, but I think it would have sounded better to have another electric or two playing some solos to spice it up a little. and put some BASS in there Just little things I noticed which I felt would have gave this one some extra punch.

But overall, a good first submission from MENBAH!

[Protricity]

I don't mean to start a fuss and upset everyone but I'm not very good at sugarcoating things, and I believe in frankness and truth over ambiguous half truths in the name of peace and kindness.

This is the worst song I've heard in a while now, and I'll give my reasons.

1. Percussion is completely off sync throughout the entire mix.

2. Guitar is horribly amateur, and I mean that in the best way. This is the kinda guitar that is played by someone who never took lessons and is kinda just messing around.

3. This isn't an arrangement. This is the original played poorly. Very poorly.

This song makes me wonder why on earth it didn't go to the judge panel.

I am aware that dave isn't entirely familiar with the original and might have displayed some bias due to this, but aside from the lack of arrangement ability, I am chiefly addressing the completely amateur sound quality and skill involved in making this song.

I doubt the possibility that I could have not pissed anyone off by saying all this, for that I'm sorry, but everything I said is what I truly believe after 4 listens of this song. I'm not driving blind here.

[djpretzel]

This is the worst song I've heard in a while now, and I'll give my reasons.

1. Percussion is completely off sync throughout the entire mix.

2. Guitar is horribly amateur, and I mean that in the best way. This is the kinda guitar that is played by someone who never took lessons and is kinda just messing around.

3. This isn't an arrangement. This is the original played poorly. Very poorly.

This song makes me wonder why on earth it didn't go to the judge panel.

1. Not everything has to be quantized. In this case, it certainly would NOT have been appropriate. I know you make YOUR music that way, and it works for YOU, but you have this age-old habit of prescribing what you like and what works for you for everyone else.

2. Disagree. Listen to a lot of guitar-based music.

3. It's an arrangement in the sense of the aspects I clearly took the time to enumerate in the write-up.

4. As to whether it should have gone to the panel - there are always going to be instances where you guys approve things I might not have, and vice versa. I'm glad this mix is on the site. It's different. There has to be room in both our realms of evaluation, which take everything else into account, that still allows for that.

And I listened to the original side by side, like I said.

[Dhsu]

You know, when the last post in the ReViews forum is by djpretzel, that's supposed to mean there's a new ReMix up.

Curse you, djp, for getting my hopes up.

[Nase]

me likes it! i love the percussion combined with the classic acoustic guitar strumming. i can understand that not everyone likes the distorted guitar in that context, but i find it quite enjoyable.

prot: maybe youll like the tune a little more if you listen to it as a whole...i could also pick certain things out of it, like the percussion with its loose rhythm, and could say meh, technically imperfect, but if you listen to the song as a whole, it just feels right. same with the distorted guitar i guess. sure, its not what a studio guitar pro would sound like. but to me, this all doesnt matter too much. i'm glad i havent got your judge's ears and brain, so that i can still enjoy what's to be enjoyed here.

[EmperorSteele]

Hmm...

Well, I have to disagree with everyone saying that it doesn't match the original, or that some parts are out of synch: Aside from the extended begining, and brief apperances (i kant spel) of the Highwind theme for a second (1:20 and 1:55), it matches the orignal note for note (perhaps give or take some notes being extended, while others are shortened). Well, based on just listening to it, anyway. The precussion seems to stop, slow down, etc at appropriate places, when mind you, the orignal had NONE at all.

Now the Electric guitar isn't BAD.. however, it's too prominant, and it seems as though there's a recording quality issue, which, taken together, can explain why some people think it's a bad thing. There's other instuments being played, obviously, but the guitar overpowers them a biiit too much.

That said, some of the pieces better moments are when the E-guitar slows down or becomes quiet.

And is it my imagination, or does it seem like the E-guitar player has a better idea as to what he/she is doing in the second half? I dunno, maybe it's just the chorus, but the guitar just sounds better.

*shrugs*

oh yeah, hi, i'm kinda new here =P

[habnem]

Thanks, Steele, for being the first to notice (or at least mention) the Main/Highwind theme cameos. I was kinda proud of that touch.

This piece was meant to have sort of a drum-circle vibe to it--almost like a Red XIII treatment of the Aerith Theme, with a gently-weeping guitar carrying the melody. The imperfections that have been picked apart numerous times thus far were left in intentionally, and I'm really not sure why they're such a source of consternation. One person (yours truly) performed and recorded everything here, but great care was taken to make it sound as much as possible like something played by a bunch of people.

As DJP noted, had this take on the song sounded like it was performed by a computer, it would have been something totally different, and considering the emotional quality of the song, in my estimation that something would have been a good deal worse.

Finally, I thought it might be nice to have a look at Webster's definition of the word "arrange," which is the source of another complaint I keep reading which baffles me. here we go, from m-w.com:

"3 a : to adapt (a musical composition) by scoring for voices or instruments other than those for which orig. written b : ORCHESTRATE"

"Prayer" may not be a radical reworking of Aerith's Theme, but an arrangement it most certainly is.

[Kaleb.G]

I have a problem with the statement about how the guitar isn't bad sounding because it's "been done before in a lot of guitar-based music". Are you suggesting that we're not supposed to describe a certain technique or type of sound as low-quality if it's been utilized in a given quantity of music? "Popular" doesn't always equal "good" (and IMO, this is true most of the time). I could give examples, but I think the point is straight-forward enough. I thought the guitar playing didn't flow well, and contrasted jarringly against the calm consistant sounds of the other instruments; as if the distorted guitar wasn't enough of a contrast as it was. I had no problem with this remix, and it was pretty good for being done with live instruments. However the arrangement was too simple, and this mix can't fly on originality due to the bucket drums alone. Sure, the arrangement may have changed the tempo, but that has been done many, many times before on this site.

No offence to Menbah, as it seems he just got in the middle of something bigger.

[pixlz]

thought this was in general amazing. my only crits.

everything else was sooooo high quality, that choir just fell flat and gave little meaning to anything, should've just removed it, if it was going to be so "eh" compared to the other instruments.

otherwise, spoon remix!

[Krelian]

I like it. This song totally deserves to be on the site. First off, this is only one of 2 Aeris songs here...and the drums are kick ass. The guitar seems to be a lot more tolerable during the 2nd half of the song, why that is I don't know...maybe because there are more sounds going on with "ahh" and the acoustic guitar.

Thumbs up. Now let's hear a 2nd song from ya.

[Ska]

I thought the guitar sounded extremley nice. And by the way it is a freal guitar! Are you people deaf? The guitar was using a distortion pedal. Anyways if you want the Tabs for it i got them. It took me a long time to get them but if you want them either email me at oprtnska@netscape.net or IM on AIM at Undercover Lint.

[the frantic melon]

this was probably my favorite piece in the ost, so it's nice to find a version of it that isn't a midi. no critisism to the dj here, but are we ever going to get an orchestral version of this song?