Search - Nobuo Uematsu :: Final Fantasy IX: Uematsu's Best Selection

Kirsten R. (ringwraith10) from MILLEDGEVILLE, GA
Reviewed on 7/15/2009...

A warning to FFIX fans who want the soundtrack -- this CD does not contain all of the key songs from the game! Kuja's (the main antagonist of the game) theme is not included, nor are any variations of it (such as the final boss music).

Otherwise this soundtrack is great, and contains some great songs!

Barb B. from LAS VEGAS, NV
Reviewed on 7/10/2009...

Soundtrack for Final Fantasy 9, Beautiful And Moving music.
Its Uematsu's best work and can be enjoyed by anyone not just gamers.
The Black Mage Village song will get stuck in your head for days.

1 of 1 member(s) found this review helpful.

Great selection of great music

orkybash | Seattle, WA | 11/21/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Although I never played Final Fantasy IX, I am a fan of Uematsu's other works so I decided to pick up this CD. Let me just say that I enjoyed the music thoroughly, even though I couldn't connect it with a scene in the game. The quality of Uematsu's composition is, as always, top notch, and the sound quality is some of the best I have heard on the Playstation (except, of course, for Chrono Cross). This is especially good to know after the dissapointing sound quality heard in the first two Playstation FF's. Of special note is the voice samples that can be heard in parts of the soundtrack, such as the realistic singing in "Song from her Memory," the spanish yell in "Vamo Alla Flamenco", or even the trademarked "Wark!" in "Ukelele de Chocobo."The music its self conveys every sort of mood imaginable, from the adventurous "Over the Hill", to the peaceful "Daguerreo, the hermit's library", to the frightening and fast-paced (if a bit watered down) "Final Battle". Other highlights of the CD (IMHO) include "Vivi's Theme", the previously mentioned "Vamo Alla Flamenco", and "Not Alone". I do have some bones to pick with Uematsu's composition of some songs, however. For example, "Zidane's Theme" ends up sounding a bit too... Disney, and, as I mentioned before, The Final Battle is very watered down compared to earlier final boss songs in the FF series (think Zeromus from FF4, Dancing Mad from FF6, or even One Winged Angel from FF7). Also, I just didn't like "Black Mage Village," as the song is much to synthy and techno-y even for my tastes.Finally, as the title says, this is a "best selection" album, so it doesn't have nearly asmuch music as the full four disk import. However, the music selection is excellent, despite the fact that it seems like Uematsu gravitated more towards peices improtant to the game than peices that were the best music in the game. The result turned out good, though, so I'm not complaining. One last complained i have is that the songs only loop once before fading, where they loop twice in the four disk set. This makes it hard to get into some songs, as they end just as you start to get into them.As a whole, though, FF9: Uematsu's Best Selection is well worth picking up, especially if you don't have the full OST. The composition, the sound quality, and the selection are all extremely well done."

Best in years.

P. Douthwaite | Milwaukee | 11/11/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Holy Heck! What an absolutely gorgeous soundtrack! Where do I even start? This music fits the wonderfully charming atmosphere of FF9 perfectly. If you've played the game you'll be able to associate every one of these tracks with the exact moment you first heard them while playing this game. Vivi's theme(#4) is cute and mischiefous, just like the charecter it portrays. Steiner's song(#6) has that big bumbling clumsy feeling you can easily associate with the man. The overworld theme ("Over the Hill")
uses the game's "Melodies of Life" and combines it with an adventurous, happy beat that captures the cartoony(but wonderful) feeling of the game. "Village of Dali" consists of a beautiful, relaxing melody that reminds one of a peaceful, isolated little farm town(which, of course, is what Dali is). A few more. Freya's theme(#16), is a haunting, gothic rift that is reminiscant of Bach. "Dagguerreo, The Hermit's Library" is a sleepy little acoustic song that somehow makes you want to take a nap and cry at the same time(it's gorgeous). And finally, the games main theme, "Melodies of Life", which is probably the best song in the game, and is played during the game's end credits, once again perfectly captures the charm and beauty of the entire game through an orchestral score and very nice vocal work by Japanese singer Emiko Shiratori. The song is then followed by the famous Final Fantasy theme song, which is beautifully conducted. I hope you find this review helpful. If you've played this game or you are a big fan of the Final Fantasy series, then I guarentee that you won't regret buying this CD."