![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() She is such an expert in this subsection of Brazilian genres that, in fact, she has even often collaborated with native Brazilian artists who find her work to be extremely respectful of and true to the music she has made her life work. Pastiche, the female trio who provided the backup vocals to these tracks and the titular theme song, was fronted by Sandy Cressman.Ĭressman has made her whole career out of specializing almost exclusively in traditional Brazilian music like bossa nova and samba. But these tracks, in fact, use very unique harmonic progressions that are only specifically found in Latin American music, and it goes without saying why. Now to pivoting to a related topic, to correct some misconceptions out there that are often raised against the American soundtrack, let's address a more recent one I heard in this popular YouTube video, namely the mischaracterization of the good future's theme of Palmtree Panic as an "African safari." Many are listening superficially and mishearing musical styles in the American soundtrack as tired and old tropes like this. The Sonic CD Japanese soundtrack's sin against this is it is chockful of extraneous runs and random cheesy sound effects that go on and on that drown out and fail to advance the core theme or idea of the music, and it effectively breaks away from this tradition.įrankly, Sonic CD's Japanese soundtrack comes off as lazy musical notation that is lacking the key ingredient of attention to detail, something you would not hear if there had been a sufficient editorial stage to ensure a trim and coherent, synergistic composition. Sonic soundtracks before and after it have a well-known sound, what I like to call bright, tight, and bassy, possessing a compactness of theme and melody that hits loud and proud with a certain serendipity that comes from just enough drama to balance out the cheese. So with that understanding behind us, I believe the most significant strike against the Japanese Sonic CD soundtrack has always been how random and unresolved the progressions and melodies are, especially compared to other Sonic music that has come out before and after it.įor one, the Sonic CD Japanese soundtrack has (and many non-fan music aficionados who I have shared the soundtracks with would back me up in this assessment) overly whimsical, immature melodies, the kind you would remember hearing from dollar store low-budget CDs blaring out of that dusty and beaten up boombox at school recess. The rose-colored goggles of foreign sentimentality can become a problem in other franchises among their more devoted fans as well, so we are not alone in this. Let's first agree that it is not a predetermined choice that all Japanese counterparts are better because there are merits and significant contributes that must not go overlooked in the American content. Just because Sonic is primarily Japanese-based, that does not mean that everything in the franchise that is Japanese must by default be the choicest caviar and the other "efforts" only Americana sloppy joe-not so. So allow me a moment to tackle this blue-spined monster. Sonic Unleashed) and, but this is one Japanese soundtrack I take issue with because of how overrated it has become due to a certain disliking of the American soundtrack which has risen in the fanbase. ![]() I absolutely love Japanese soundtracks (e.g. To begin with, I am not here to say the American soundtrack is better for you, but I want to put to rest this perpetuated tradition of automatically dismissing it just because others say to. Unpopular opinion: Sonic CD's American soundtrack is better than the Japanese version. ![]()
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