Dragon Slayer Jr. -Romancia- Sound Fantasy
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Album Title: Dragon Slayer Jr. -Romancia- Sound Fantasy |
| Record Label: Apollon |
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| Catalog No.: BY30-5176 (CD), KSF-1500 (Tape), AY25-0011 (Vinyl) |
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| Release Date: November 21, 1987 |
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| Purchase: Buy Used Copy |
Overview
Sound Fantasy Romancia is an arranged album dedicated to the third game in the Dragon Slayer line, Dragon Slayer Jr: Romancia. Romancia was actually much shorter, simpler, and shallower than its precursor Xanadu, despite its still challenging gameplay. This feature is also true for the music. Yuzo Koshiro and Takahito Abe didn’t compose many compositions for the title and those that were created were mostly superficial ones. Nevertheless, there are still some highlights among the original piece and Ikuro Fujiwara offers a few accomplished arrangements.
Body
The majority of Sound Fantasy Romancia is much more light-hearted than All Over Xanadu. This is particularly demonstrated by the arrangement of “Song of Romancia”. The majority of the piece revolves around a bouncy little flute melody and the only contrasts are created by some very brief interludes and a heavier drum beat. It’s extremely superficial and, while catchy at first, it loses its appeal within a few minutes. The vocal version is not much better; it does little more than present the flute melody on a misfitting high-pitched female vocalist instead. “Opening Gate of Romancia” is a little more charming in its rock and vocal arrangements thanks to the extravagant rock influence. However, those looking for any depth won’t really find it here and Rie Nakayama’s vocals won’t be enjoyed by all.
There are still some more mature arrangements reminiscent of the material on All Over Xanadu. For example, “Song of Azorba ~ Waltzing Celestial Waltz” ditches the pop influences in favour of a melancholy courtly dance. It’s reminiscent of the arrangement of “La Valse Pour Xanadu” with its Baroque influences and triple metre, though not quite as memorable or atmospheric. The medley of castle themes is also well done and exuds a suitably stately feel. However, the purely synthetic instrumentation restricts the emotional capacity of the music. “Ending Theme” returns to the tacky pop sound, but it suits the original music quite well and the is some half-decent guitar work.
The last track is a 15 minute medley of all the original music from the game. Listeners can hear everything from the rocking opener, to the sedate town theme, to the brooding dungeon themes. Everything is very modest, which is appropriate given the nature of the game, but there is some charming and catchy music nevertheless. However, note this is actually a recording of a playthrough of the game, so there are distracting sound effects, abrupt transitions, and plenty of repeated themes. There’s even a pile of electronic noise at the end of the recording. While some will find this approach enjoyable and nostalgic, it mainly detracts from the original compositions and the concept of presenting them in album form.
Summary
Sound Fantasy Romancia is by no means a bad album. After all, it does compile the original, arranged, and vocal versions of the music from Romancia into one set. In addition, it features some enjoyable melodies and accomplished arrangements. However, neither the original music nor the arrangements have what it takes to achieve ‘classic status’ like Xanadu Scenario II or Ys. They’re simply too superficial and repetitive. However, fans of classic Falcom music will still consider this album a moderately enjoyable addition to their collection.
Do you agree with the review and score? Let us know in the comments below!
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Posted on August 1, 2012 by Chris Greening. Last modified on August 1, 2012.
About the Author
Chris Greening I've contributed to websites related to game audio since 2002. In this time, I've reviewed over a thousand albums and interviewed hundreds of musicians across the world. As the founder and webmaster of VGMO -Video Game Music Online-, I hope to create a cutting-edge, journalistic resource for all those soundtrack enthusiasts out there. In the process, I would love to further cultivate my passion for music, writing, and generally building things. Please enjoy the site and don't hesitate to say hello!
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