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OCR01404 - Secret of Mana "Dragon Song"


djpretzel
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Gone but not forgotten I see :) A sincere thanks to Monobrow and everyone else who tosses this remix into the playlist every once in a while.

Oh, and as soon as I work up enough cash to bribe Dave and Larry, I'll see if I can get something on the front page again ;)

EEEEEEEEEEEEE!

Ahem, now that I have that girlish shriek out of me, I must say it's good to see you're still around.

Oh yeah, I never posted in this thread.

Well, this song is awesome and everyone should download it.

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  • 3 months later...

For all I've seen you on the boards, Brandon, I somehow never listened to one of your mixes until today. They were all released in that two-and-a-half year break I took from the site.

This is an incredible song, without a doubt one of the best ReMixes I've ever heard. The playing and arrangement are so moving and well-executed; the tempo changes seamless. The song moves unpredictably yet after you hear each part, you know that that is how it should have gone. It's really just stunning.

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  • 4 months later...

Oh, man, I hardly know what to say about this! Easily one of my faves, five stars in my WMP library (and iTunes when I get it on my desktop computer)! Your voice really is sensational, and I find myself attempting to emulate it when I listen to the song. Specifically, the "Secret of the Arid Sands" harmony that you start at 2:49 is the icing on the cake. I play that part over and over to hear it and do it myself. I love the reverberation and multiple layers you use with your voice; they convey the sense of open spaces that riding on Flammie entails. Indeed, I was playing this ReMix in my head as I warmed up for track yesterday, and it fit the outdoors and the exhilaration so well! Awesome stuff; please keep it up!

Edit: Memo to self: stick to font size 2 next time...

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  • 4 months later...

Damn... I never even knew this song existed which is kind of embarrassing seeing as I've been a member for over 2 years now. (one of the years under a different alias)

Beauty - in every sense of the word. Coupled with the fact that I'm a syncopated rhythm buff and I love jazz, this song really appeals to me. Bravo!

-Derek-

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  • 1 month later...

(This was probably my favorite song from the game, (I would listen to it over and over all the time despite how short it was) and I'm SO glad someone remixed it!)

Lyrics are usually not my thing either. They sounded nice, and you did a good job which is damned rare (I've heard too many lyrics that hit a few off notes that just ruin it), but I'm not a fan of the choice of lyrics either.

TL;DR: Have you considered releasing a version without vocals?

I know they did that for a few tracks in the Bound Together album remixes from Earthbound*.

*: actually, I think one was a version they ADDED lyrics to, while another was without. Flying Man by Mustin. Now THAT's how you pick cheesy lyrics properly. ;) The one they added lyrics to was ROM Schtick. Two of my favorite tracks from that album. (either version of both songs, although the Applesauce Baptism is a little over-the-top)

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For a long time, I was turned off from this song by the vocals and lyrics. Not that I don't like vocals and lyrics in ReMixes in general. Brandon's smooth pop voice here is very far from what I like. I do think he sings well and uses the tone of his voice very well. I agree with previous mentions that they're a bit undermixed for lead vocals.

Lyrics aren't great, although they serve the vocal lines well. Harmony admits earlier in the thread that he didn't work on them very much. I think lyrics the major weak point of this ReMix. "Fly me away".. ulgh. Pardon my language. There is one single line that transcends the overall blandness, "take me to see my mother". That provides some specifics to the emotion of the piece, it's a vulnerability revealed. "Fly me so far" works terrificly with the melody and the way it's sung, even if it's not impressive on paper. Ok, mentioning dragons and Flammie give a specific context too, and yeah, the lyrics are tongue-in-cheek, but it comes across as a half-assed joke too much. I don't think trying to explain that via "it's about Secret of Mana!" is enough. I'm really thinking that with some work on the lyrics they could have been quite good.

That's my account on the lyrics. On the other hand, reading pixietricks' review on page 10, she obviously related to the lyrics and singing powerfully. I thought that was a moving story, thanks for sharing.

Vocal style and lyrics aside, I've finally managed to listen past my dislike and I'm really enjoying the track. Some tasty guitar work! The trading of lines with the piano is effective, as someone else pointed out previously in the thread. Rhythm guitar bits are worth a mention, I like the percussive effect it has. The overall flow is very good. Great use of the different time signatures. I love the chilling mood the latter half has, the processed vocal sample/thing is great, and after that part the simple guitar riff coming in and growing sounds fantastic. And then to a fine solo.

The production is a bit slick for my tastes, nothing really punches through, nothing really scratches (in a good way, if you get what I mean). I'd love a rougher take on this exact material (ok, with refined lyrics), but, good as it is.

--Eino

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  • 2 months later...
  • 6 months later...

Just taking a listen through the Secret of Mana remixes and this one is the first to really captivate me. Arranged well, the vocals seem on cue although a tad undermixed but not enough that anyone who wasn't anally-retentive about their music selection would mind or notice.

Thumbs up from me!

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I have never played Secret of Mana or any of that sort, so unlike many of my other reviews, this one isn't affected by nostalgia...and yet I find myself loving this song so much. Everytime I hear this song it really does what the lyrics say and "takes me away" into another world. While the lyrics aren't the best, they definitely work with the song for me, and this song is a must for any "OCRemix with lyrics" playlist.

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Just as long as this is bumped, I might as well throw my 2 cents in about a mix I have liked for a while but never did get to the review thread on.

I fully agree with djp's assessment of how this mix conveys a sense of traveling. I get a very clear vision of flying (obviously that comes from the fact that it's a mix of one of flammie's tracks), but on a much grander scale than just the world of SoM. I can clearly see a vast ocean through the clouds below me, and an island somewhere in the distance.

Lyrics can often go both ways with me, but I really like their use in this case, they carry the song without distracting too much from the excellent instrumention for a blend of well, pure awesomeness!

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  • 2 months later...

Thank you soooooooo much for making this remix. I find it beautifully-done. I loved it so much, and I hope you don't mind, but I used it in my latest AMV on Youtube.

As soon as I heard this song, I kept imagining an AMV dedication to you and one of my favorite RPGs. I am at such a loss for words when trying to describe my reactions to this song. I just love it so much.

Please check out the AMV when you have the time: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o45c1bAGjXc

Again, thank you so much! I hope you have many more songs to share with us =)

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  • 3 weeks later...
  • 2 weeks later...

Secret of Mana holds some of my fondest gaming memories. It is no secret however that Kikuta's work on this game was stellar.

The original source was already pretty hard to touch. Well, it's even more now.

Nearly every person I know that isn't a gamer, and who I've played this remix to has fallen in love with it.

This song is a complete living entity. It grows, it grooves, it nutures, it sings, it elevates, it reflects, it learns, it evolves, it reaches, and it succeeds.

No point for me in critiquing what there is to love/hate. It's already past that.

It's up there, soaring high into the sky, sitting on Flammie's back.

The Dragon Song deserves posterity for what it achieves to do, for the worlds it achieves to transcend,

for the people it achieves to bring together, for the joy it achieves to bring.

One true masterpiece.

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  • 3 weeks later...

This review thread is maybe more epic than the mix itself.

This is great, though. I've listened many times. The way it starts is probably the best part. When the intro builds and he says "HA!" and the drums and guitar just come in, the mix has a maximum level of potential energy behind it. It's like a rollercoaster ride where the intro leads you up to the highest point of the coaster, and then when everything comes in when you fall. I was like "THIS IS GUNNA BE FUCKIN' EPIC" when I heard that.

Well, it isn't quite that epic. Not like multi-part prog rock epic. It's more of one groove that varies a lot. It's still a very good mix, don't get me wrong, just not as mind expanding as one would lead you to believe. It's more floating and breezy and less of an opus, if you catch my drift. But still really great stuff and it deserves the praise it's gotten.

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Yeah, I don't think I'd feel right trying to critique this. This single mix has pretty much solidified you in the annals of OCR history, it's that amazing. It's one of the only vocal mixes I can actually use to zone out and fall asleep to, or as study music, because it's so cohesive and mellow. I love natural, organic songs like this more than just about anything else and you took that style and ran like crazy with it! :-D

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  • Liontamer changed the title to OCR01404 - Secret of Mana "Dragon Song"

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