WM-0691~4: BARE KNUCKLE Original Soundtrack

[Carl]

Yuzo was standing at the turntables during the LEGEND event, but not much moving and interacting, so the mix was likely to have been mostly prepared beforehand.

But I'd still put him as the Performer anyway, as he was physically onstage doing the "presenting" of it.

[CHz]

I would absolutely characterize DJing as a performance, don't get me wrong. It's just that we currently consider "performers" as people who play something, not just anyone using a broader definition of "performing." Like I said, we don't link conductors as performers either.

Just another thing we could add a more specific role about. :V (Although I'm pretty sure there's a vanishingly small amount of true DJ recordings on VGM albums besides this one.)

[Xenofan 29A]

The liner notes have been translated, and can be found here at SEMO.

[dissident93]

awwww sweeet

[Vert1]

Good read. Makes me wish some of these tracks were pressed on vinyl for the clubs.

Anyhow, the Bare Knuckle 3 sound is supreme now. 'The Poets II' has been invigorated and now is quite a joy to hear. Before there was no way I'd listen to that track loop up to 5 minutes. Though I'm not sure why the first track on BK3 needed to be 6 minutes long...

[Seraph]

Does anybody know the reason why the following tracks are written in caps in the booklet:
CD 3 - 05 "KAMADECOCO"
CD 3 - 19 "ROBO X"

Is this just a print error or is there some hiding meaning behind it?
And BTW what does BGM stand for?

Just being curious ...

[dissident93]

They've always been printed in caps, even on the original 1994 release of BK3.

and BGM= Background Music

[Seraph]

Than you very much for your explanation!

[dissident93]

No prob ^_^

[Vert1]

Haha. This pops up on iTunes for disc 4

[Spirit_Chaser]

I have a question about this and the Best Collection Vol. 2 release. I'm only interested in getting the Mega Drive versions of Bare Knuckle 1-3, and don't want to spend too much money. Would it be better to get this or the Best Collection Vol. 2 release? Which has the better quality? if so, do you consider the difference in quality significant? Do both releases feature the BM 1-3 Mega Drive versions? Thanks.

[dissident93]

The original 2 BK games featured the original PC-98 soundboard version of the soundtrack, although it's basically the same sound as the Mega Drive. The Best Collection Vol. 2 release features the PC-98 version as well.

This collection however, features all songs logged from the Mega Drive, and if I remember correctly, the quality on this release wasn't that great.

[Despatche]

For what it's worth two years later, the rest of the thread seems to think the quality is generally fantastic except for BK2.

[LuxKiller65]

Was this album factory sealed or just wrapped in a plastic baggy? I missed it when it was in stock so I'm trying to find a new copy -- but they all seem to be inside a baggy without being "properly" sealed.

[Aifread]

I just bought a new one at a Koshiro concert in Tokyo and it was in the baggy.

[LuxKiller65]

thanks

really surprised they didn't seal it........

[Kewing]

If I recall correctly, at least the The Legend of Joe Mushashi and maybe even Golden Axe WM releases were like that, and the former I remember buying not long after the release date, so yes it wasn't something unusual for the bigger (in terms of jewel case) WM releases.
A tiny bit cumbersome if you ask, complicates the storage later, but oh well... #firstworldproblems

[LuxKiller65]

there's something flimsy, cheap and low quality about WM releases, I don't like them at all. I mean the items themselves, not the music.

I guess they saved a few cents by not having those releases sealed, especially if they are double cases or larger than normal cases.

[LuxKiller65]

So ehm, if someone went to December's Yuzo Koshiro concert in Tokyo and bought an extra copy of this soundtrack... I'm looking for it. The few copies that suddenly appeared on teh Yahoo auction are copies bought there...

thanks

[LuxKiller65]

not fair
waited years before giving in and buying a brand new copy on yahoo for ~8000y, 2 months ago
and now it's back in stock on sega's shop
GRRAAAwwaaaaaaaaaaaarrr

[Light]

Just got this album, and for what it's worth, I think everything sounds great, including the Bare Knuckle II section. What exactly was the problem that some were having with it?

[LuxKiller65]

If you go to the ebten and amazon links, the prices has been updated to 5,280 yen. Anybody bought this OST recently? Can you check if the product still says 5,040 yen on it, or did they reprint it with an updated price?

[depa]

I bought 3 month ago. It says always 5040

[LuxKiller65]

I'm sure it's an impopular opinion, but after finally listening to this OST in full, and hoping to change my mind about what I thought about these 3 MD soundtracks from partial listening and some gaming... well it hasn't changed really.

I got lots of Eurodance/techno albums for this kind of music. Would also be fun to find out all the stuff plainly ehr, borrowed (I recognise some obvious Technotronic, Enigma and 2 Unlimited). I find it very smoochy and completely unoriginal. It's like he had a Eurodance compilation playing and was making this soundtrack at the same time, taking stuff from every song he listened to.

Not a single melody stuck, whereas other Sega games with just a bunch of tracks manage to have at least one great catchy melody I love going back to regularly (Power Drift, Golden Axe, After Burner, Hang On and many others).

I'm just not made for Yuzo Koshiro, I guess I don't need chiptuned Eurodance when I already love the real deal so much. eurodance90.fr is my main web radio.

Nothing personal, and not just to be original. I tried hard to like this. I even listened to Bare Knuckle IV and it left me with a very similar feeling (and it's not a Yuzo Koshiro soundtrack).

at least the used copy i found locally this morning was only 13 usd.

[Cellfish]

Originally Posted by LuxKiller65

I got lots of Eurodance/techno albums for this kind of music. Would also be fun to find out all the stuff plainly ehr, borrowed (I recognise some obvious Technotronic, Enigma and 2 Unlimited). I find it very smoochy and completely unoriginal. It's like he had a Eurodance compilation playing and was making this soundtrack at the same time, taking stuff from every song he listened to.

Not a single melody stuck, whereas other Sega games with just a bunch of tracks manage to have at least one great catchy melody I love going back to regularly (Power Drift, Golden Axe, After Burner, Hang On and many others).

I'm just not made for Yuzo Koshiro, I guess I don't need chiptuned Eurodance when I already love the real deal so much. eurodance90.fr is my main web radio.

I feel like the general consensus is that it was technically very impressive what he was able to do with the limited power of the audio hardware in the Mega Drive / Genesis. This page has some interesting technical info:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music_...of_Rage_series

This is also from 1991. If you consider some of the other dance music you enjoy, but limit to everything that came out before 1991, does your opinion of this soundtrack rise at all? :-)

[LuxKiller65]

Thanks Cellfish, I agree it's technically impressive and you are right, it's hard to judge it now while trying to pretend it's 1991 or 1994. Though by 1994 it was probably less impressive already.

But when that Wikipedia article claims theses soundtracks are "some of the best in video games", with 2 links to Gamesradar and 1 link to a review of SoR2 (not even 1 and 3), I can claim any soundtrack I like is one of the best in video games after writing a good review. Rubbish Wikipedia as usual. Check those 3 links, really. [facepalm]

Back to Toaplan and Rockman music!

[Brad Evans II]

Originally Posted by LuxKiller65

I'm just not made for Yuzo Koshiro....

So I'm not alone. Whew.

[GoldfishX]

I think that's kind of the key there: Chiptuned Eurodance. From this era. I'm not in the camp that worships these soundtracks, but they are a sort of comfort food. They fit in amongst the early Sega classic themes, without standing out a great deal. They are much preferable to me than, say, his Wangan Midnight works, which feel completely foreign to me (in a "I need to turn this off after 15 seconds" way).

Go Straight and Moon Beach are playlist staples (and the SoR3 rave scene theme), but admittedly, I'm having trouble naming tracks off the top of my head.

[fusoxide]

Personally I enjoy the Streets of Rage soundtracks. Sure, the compositions themselves may have been very derivative of the European dance scene at the time, but the overall results are still enjoyable to me since I enjoy Koshiro's melodic soulful style. But yeah I do believe their reputations are more to do with "wow!! dance music on the genesis!!" than being some of the best compositions in the world of VGM.

Similarly I do enjoy the non-American Sonic CD OST but do feel it's overrated.