RPGamers Network > Reviews > Game Music Reviews > Final Fantasy IV: Piano Collections
Reviewed by: Zanarkand
Final Fantasy IV Piano Collection is one of the most well composed and beautiful piano collection that I've ever heard. No matter if you have played Final Fantasy IV or not, this piano collection will really have you hooked. The collection first starts off with the famous Final Fantasy "prelude". No need to say more about this track because if you're a Final Fantasy fan, you're sure to love it.
The second track is "Theme of Love". Personally, I thought this version was slightly weak. Maybe it was too soft or maybe I'm going deaf, but I just thought it was slightly difficult to hear, like it was slowly fading away or something. If you like the "Theme of Love", I strongly suggest listening to the orchestrated version on the "Final Fantasy 20020220 Concert". It's much stronger and has more depth. Normally I love this song, but this version just doesn't cut it. The third track is another well known track simply called "Prologue". If you've played any of the earlier Final Fantasies then you would know what I'm talking about (though I'm pretty sure I heard it again in Final Fantasy 8 but that's another story). This track is simple and sweet. What more needs to be said.
The next track is named "Welcome to Our Town" and this is one of my favourite tracks in the collection. Like many small and peaceful town themes in Final Fantasy, "Welcome to Our Town" is very mild and delicate. It flows very nicely and to be honest, a little bit addictive, but again, it was slightly too soft but I guess that's just it was meant to be. The fifth track is the Final Fantasy "Main Theme". I thought this was nicely done and personally think that it's much better than the original. It has this sort of child-like melody but at other times it has a more mystical sound to it. Listening to it almost sounds like I'm in a dream.
What Final Fantasy game would it be without a Chocobo theme? The sixth track is called "Chocobo-Chocobo" and like all Chocobo themes, it's very upbeat. Every time I listen to this, I imagine little men in Chocobo suits tap dancing around.....Yes I know I'm weird. The next track is called "Into the Darkness" and is another one of my favourite tracks. The title of this track fits like a button. It's mysterious and haunting with a splash of something evil and demonic. Sometimes it almost sounds like you've awaken from a bad dream, like you've overcome something. Yes there are a lot of mixed feelings in me.
"Rydia" is the eighth track and is the best track. It's very sweet and ballad-ish. To be honest, I think that this track is one of the best ballad type tracks that I've heard on all the Final Fantasy piano collections. The ninth track is "Melody of Lute" and in my opinion, is another track that is better than the original. I think maybe because the track is a second slower and so maybe this conveys a much more stronger feeling (whatever that feeling is???). In this track, there feels like a sense of lost and longing for a love one.
The next track is "Golbeza Clad in the Dark". I have to say that this is my least favourite track of the piano collection. Maybe because the original sounded so much more evil and so when this track was done on piano, I just thought that the piano wasn't the best instrument to use for this track. There seems to be an uneasy flow to this so maybe that's where the problem is. "Trojan Beauty" is the eleventh track and I have neutral feelings for this one. It's not horribly disfigured but at the same time, it's not tremendously well done so I don't think I can say much for this track.
"The Battle" is the next track. Parts of it I like but most I didn't. To me, I think that battle themes are best done with an entire orchestra and not with just a single piano. It just doesn't build up enough and there's not enough power to it. So in my opinion, all battle themes should not be done on piano. The second last track is "Epilogue" and I thought it was pretty well done. It combines a bit of everything on the collection so in a way it kind of summarizes the album.
The last track is "Theme of Love Practice Track" and this track is NOT in piano. I think most of it is done in violin or cello, something like that. I thought this was much better than track 2 because the violin (or whatever it is) creates much stronger feelings and emotions to the track. In fact, it's pretty damn close to being my favourite track, but "Rydia" was too good. Anyways that's my opinion. This piano collection is well worth getting your hands on because it is one of the best out there.
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| Album Information | Reviewer Rank |
|---|---|
|
Final Fantasy IV: Piano Collections Published by: NTT Publishing Release Date: April 21st 1992 Composed by: Nobuo Uematsu Arranged by: Shiro Sato, Osamu Saitou 1 Disc, 14 Tracks Catalog: N38D-010 |
93 |
Reviewed by: Zanarkand
Final Fantasy IV Piano Collection is one of the most well composed and beautiful piano collection that I've ever heard. No matter if you have played Final Fantasy IV or not, this piano collection will really have you hooked. The collection first starts off with the famous Final Fantasy "prelude". No need to say more about this track because if you're a Final Fantasy fan, you're sure to love it.
The second track is "Theme of Love". Personally, I thought this version was slightly weak. Maybe it was too soft or maybe I'm going deaf, but I just thought it was slightly difficult to hear, like it was slowly fading away or something. If you like the "Theme of Love", I strongly suggest listening to the orchestrated version on the "Final Fantasy 20020220 Concert". It's much stronger and has more depth. Normally I love this song, but this version just doesn't cut it. The third track is another well known track simply called "Prologue". If you've played any of the earlier Final Fantasies then you would know what I'm talking about (though I'm pretty sure I heard it again in Final Fantasy 8 but that's another story). This track is simple and sweet. What more needs to be said.
The next track is named "Welcome to Our Town" and this is one of my favourite tracks in the collection. Like many small and peaceful town themes in Final Fantasy, "Welcome to Our Town" is very mild and delicate. It flows very nicely and to be honest, a little bit addictive, but again, it was slightly too soft but I guess that's just it was meant to be. The fifth track is the Final Fantasy "Main Theme". I thought this was nicely done and personally think that it's much better than the original. It has this sort of child-like melody but at other times it has a more mystical sound to it. Listening to it almost sounds like I'm in a dream.
What Final Fantasy game would it be without a Chocobo theme? The sixth track is called "Chocobo-Chocobo" and like all Chocobo themes, it's very upbeat. Every time I listen to this, I imagine little men in Chocobo suits tap dancing around.....Yes I know I'm weird. The next track is called "Into the Darkness" and is another one of my favourite tracks. The title of this track fits like a button. It's mysterious and haunting with a splash of something evil and demonic. Sometimes it almost sounds like you've awaken from a bad dream, like you've overcome something. Yes there are a lot of mixed feelings in me.
"Rydia" is the eighth track and is the best track. It's very sweet and ballad-ish. To be honest, I think that this track is one of the best ballad type tracks that I've heard on all the Final Fantasy piano collections. The ninth track is "Melody of Lute" and in my opinion, is another track that is better than the original. I think maybe because the track is a second slower and so maybe this conveys a much more stronger feeling (whatever that feeling is???). In this track, there feels like a sense of lost and longing for a love one.
The next track is "Golbeza Clad in the Dark". I have to say that this is my least favourite track of the piano collection. Maybe because the original sounded so much more evil and so when this track was done on piano, I just thought that the piano wasn't the best instrument to use for this track. There seems to be an uneasy flow to this so maybe that's where the problem is. "Trojan Beauty" is the eleventh track and I have neutral feelings for this one. It's not horribly disfigured but at the same time, it's not tremendously well done so I don't think I can say much for this track.
"The Battle" is the next track. Parts of it I like but most I didn't. To me, I think that battle themes are best done with an entire orchestra and not with just a single piano. It just doesn't build up enough and there's not enough power to it. So in my opinion, all battle themes should not be done on piano. The second last track is "Epilogue" and I thought it was pretty well done. It combines a bit of everything on the collection so in a way it kind of summarizes the album.
The last track is "Theme of Love Practice Track" and this track is NOT in piano. I think most of it is done in violin or cello, something like that. I thought this was much better than track 2 because the violin (or whatever it is) creates much stronger feelings and emotions to the track. In fact, it's pretty damn close to being my favourite track, but "Rydia" was too good. Anyways that's my opinion. This piano collection is well worth getting your hands on because it is one of the best out there.
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