AWR 10109: Distant Worlds IV: more music from FINAL FANTASY

[CrackerG]

Tracklisting appears to be:

FINAL FANTASY
Zephyr Memories - Legend of the Eternal Wind
Battle with the Four Fiends
Main Theme of FINAL FANTASY V
Phantom Forest
Cosmo Canyon
JENOVA Complete
The Oath
Festival of the Hunt
The Dalmasca Estersand
Fang's Theme
Torn from the Heavens
Dragonsong
Somnus (Instrumental Version)
APOCALYPSIS NOCTIS


Thoughts? Kinda looks like FF Orchestal Album live studio edition + ARR & FFXV.... which I guess is functional?

[Ramza]

They keep it up, they'll have as many Distant Worlds albums as games... :P

I'm interested in seeing how Fang's Theme turns out.

[Mac_Tear]

Why does they always choose the same themes over and over again? There are couples of other songs which deserve a proper orchestral arrangegement, instead of Battle with the Four Fiends, The Oath, Fang's Theme or Somnus (which doesn't mean they're bad, but their respective soundtracks has a lot more to offer than those...fan favourites)

[TerraEpon]

Popularity, one assumes.
It's also of course a lot cheaper to use an already existing arrangement.

[Ramza]

Originally Posted by TerraEpon

Popularity, one assumes.
It's also of course a lot cheaper to use an already existing arrangement.

This. They can look at prior orchestral (or other) arrangements and do some touch-ups, call it a new arrangement. I mean ... transcription alone is a huge, time-consuming process. Then assigning voicing, trying *new* things (modulation, layering voices, new transitions) ... it's a lot.

Doesn't mean I like the practice. Just means that, like TerraEpon said, it makes sense from their perspective.

There are a handful of pieces from the FF series that have *never* received any kind of proper arrangement from S-E that, if I ruled the world for a day, would get so much love. "Ragnarok" from FFXI: Treasures of Aht Uhrgan (though found on the WotG OST since it was released late in the expansion's cycle) being top priority.

[CrackerG]

"Ragnarok" has an orchestral arrangement, too! I'd love that on a release like this. "Twilight over Thanalan" from XIV, as well. The live recording is nice, but I'd like something a bit fuller sounding. Alas, with their focus on shit like "Torn from the Heavens," I think that's a pipe dream.

ETA: This is the first release with any semblance of a studio version of "FINAL FANTASY" orchestrated, right? Not, of course, counting FFVIII or IX's ending theme medleys.

[Soundtrack Central]

Added the track list from the Distant Worlds mailing list.

I agree that the inclusion of arrangements that have already been released on other albums can be annoying, but if you look at it from the perspective of them targeting Western fans, many of whom may not keep up with all the Japanese releases, then it's understandable.

Even for those of us with the Japanese releases, if the studio recordings are better than previous studio or live ones then it'll still be a very solid album. Pretty big if though.

[CrackerG]

I like that tracklist ordering. And although I can't imagine repeat tracks (namely 2012-onward arrangements) will offer anything above what's already released, this is still a stellar collection of songs.

[nitro322]

There's a digital version available on bandcamp:
http://store.ffdistantworlds.com/alb...-final-fantasy

There are currently two entries for the album:
1. This entry for the Japanese CD release
2. http://vgmdb.net/album/68539 for another CD release

Because that second links to Amazon, I originally thought it was for the digital release, so I added the bandcamp link, but then noticed that it references a specific CD release that's at a different price than the digital release.

So, how should the digital release be added? Create a third version? I'm guessing that'd be the most appropriate option, but wanted to verify before doing it.

Also:

Originally Posted by CrackerG

ETA: This is the first release with any semblance of a studio version of "FINAL FANTASY" orchestrated, right? Not, of course, counting FFVIII or IX's ending theme medleys.

Yeah, I'm pretty sure it is. I just recently looked through all orchestral versions of Prologue/Final Fantasy because I wanted a version without applause to use in my wedding (...we're all geeks here, right?), and I couldn't find one. So, this will be welcome, even if it's a bit late. ;-)

[Efendija]

Originally Posted by nitro322

There's a digital version available on bandcamp:
http://store.ffdistantworlds.com/alb...-final-fantasy

There are currently two entries for the album:
1. This entry for the Japanese CD release
2. http://vgmdb.net/album/68539 for another CD release

Because that second links to Amazon, I originally thought it was for the digital release, so I added the bandcamp link, but then noticed that it references a specific CD release that's at a different price than the digital release.

So, how should the digital release be added? Create a third version? I'm guessing that'd be the most appropriate option, but wanted to verify before doing it.

This database tends to omit an identical digital version if it's simultaneously released with the physical version(s). Here both are released on 30th of June so you get the idea.

BTW the news for the AWR CD picked up from here.

[nitro322]

Originally Posted by Efendija

This database tends to omit an identical digital version if it's simultaneously released with the physical version(s). Here both are released on 30th of June so you get the idea.

That makes sense, thanks. I see you or somebody else changed the bandcamp link to reflect that it's the digital version of the same album, so that seems like a reasonable approach to me.

Now, time to actually listen to it. :-)

[CrackerG]

Originally Posted by nitro322

Yeah, I'm pretty sure it is. I just recently looked through all orchestral versions of Prologue/Final Fantasy because I wanted a version without applause to use in my wedding (...we're all geeks here, right?), and I couldn't find one. So, this will be welcome, even if it's a bit late. ;-)

Heh, yeah, I think it's a bit late for all of our geek Pomp & Circ replacements. Oh well!

On a less fortunate note, has anyone else noted audio glitches in "FINAL FANTASY" around the 1:00 mark? :-(

[nitro322]

Originally Posted by CrackerG

On a less fortunate note, has anyone else noted audio glitches in "FINAL FANTASY" around the 1:00 mark? :-(

Ugh, yeah, I can confirm that, at least in the bandcamp FLAC version. Can anyone with the CD release confirm if it's present there as well? It sounds a bit like static, and lasts for about 5 seconds.

[CrackerG]

I bought mine off of iTunes after hearing it on the Bandcamp audio stream, so I can at least confirm it's on both of those digital versions. :-/

[dancey]

fyi the audio flaws in M15 exist on the CD copy as well, so either a recording or mastering problem.

[FPI]

What a bummer, too bad. So far, no kind of replacement in any form (digital or otherwise) right? I'm surprised that when the FFIV Remaster Soundtrack was released they fixed the flaw fairly soon and made replacements available, but nothing for a case like this? Odd. Maybe it's because a orchestra is involved, the costs are much higher. But then again, fixing this track for the digital release at least shouldn't be that much of in issue.

[VGMLover]

Should Distant Worlds IV be classified as vocal?

It's not an entirely vocal album, and the other Distant Worlds albums are not classified as vocal, just as arrangement, even though they each have a few vocal songs in them.

Should Distant Worlds IV just be classified as arrangement?

[Efendija]

Originally Posted by VGMLover

Should Distant Worlds IV be classified as vocal?

It's not an entirely vocal album, and the other Distant Worlds albums are not classified as vocal, just as arrangement, even though they each have a few vocal songs in them.

Should Distant Worlds IV just be classified as arrangement?

An album doesn't have to be entirely vocal to receive this (additional) classification.

[VGMLover]

Oh, I see. Thanks for telling me.

[Zarathustra]

Can anyone who owns a physical copy of this album provide the full album production credits in text or scans? Since this is the only Distant Worlds album to not have a digital booklet, there's no way to verify the credits that has been added to this album's entry here.

[Efendija]

Originally Posted by Zarathustra

Can anyone who owns a physical copy of this album provide the full album production credits in text or scans? Since this is the only Distant Worlds album to not have a digital booklet, there's no way to verify the credits that has been added to this album's entry here.

Square Enix reprint has the scans, you can check those.