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Found out why I didn't enjoy ToMi Soundtrack as much as the others

thin029thin029
edited May 2010 in Tales of Monkey Island
Clint Bajakian didn't help composing it! Seriously! He made the entire Outlaws soundtrack which is one of my favorites ever, and I just recently found out he helped Michael Land with Escape and LeChuck's Revenge music, which are my favorites for the Monkey series.

;)

Here comes the troll accusations
«1

Comments

  • PecanBluePecanBlue
    edited May 2010
    How dare you have an opinion! I call troll.
  • thin029thin029
    edited May 2010
    Hahahahaha, but seriously, last time I stated I didn't like ToMI's rushed soundtrack people got overly angry at me.
  • PecanBluePecanBlue
    edited May 2010
    I didn't really dislike it, but it's certainly my least favorite soundtrack out of all the games. (yes, even EMI) Something about it is just not as memorable. It's hard to describe but even in the old games the tunes just sounded more lively and "organic."
  • thin029thin029
    edited May 2010
    My feelings exactly
  • Ash735Ash735
    edited May 2010
    I still blame the Wii for this, why get a brilliant composer like Michael Land and then restrict him because of some stupid limits on a consoles hardware. The music he done on his own for Curse and Melee Island on Escape are brilliant.
  • StarEyeStarEye
    edited May 2010
    Ash735 wrote: »
    I still blame the Wii for this, why get a brilliant composer like Michael Land and then restrict him because of some stupid limits on a consoles hardware. The music he done on his own for Curse and Melee Island on Escape are brilliant.

    Uhm, hardware restrictions didn't stop the earlier MI games from having some of the best music ever in games. That's really a completely nonsense, and only an excuse to bash the Wii.

    The problem with the music in Tales, to me, was that it didn't play an as important role as it did in the earlier games. In Tales, it was less intrusive, less present. It just laid there in the background, and felt like it was there just to have music. For me, in certain games, music should be the main focus to create an atmosphere, and it feels like it was downplayed a lot in Tales. But I guess it could depend on how important you think music is and how much you love music in general.
  • Ash735Ash735
    edited May 2010
    Yes but earlier MI Games that were wholly MIDI based didn't have Voices and other sound effects distractions, once Monkey Island got them, the soundtrack itself went fully scored, dialling back to MIDI based but still having the voices and sound effects minimize the feeling of the music even more, plus the samples were short, there were barely any tracks over 1:20.
  • StarEyeStarEye
    edited May 2010
    What about CMI then? And Escape? Just face it, hardware restrictions is not an excuse for less-than-stellar music. A good song is good, wether it's played through simple PC stereo speakers or a massive HI-FI system. Blaming the Wii for not being able to compose great music is really just plain dumb.
  • AdmonisherAdmonisher
    edited May 2010
    Good grief -- I'm a serious collector of film, television and game music, and I can safely say that I rank ToMI as among the best music in the franchise, well above the last two entries! Oh well...
  • adventureaddictadventureaddict
    edited May 2010
    Right now I can't say that TMI's music is memorable, but thats not it's fault. I think after replaying it will give me my opinion. (Just waiting for the dvd to arrive!)
  • Hassat HunterHassat Hunter
    edited May 2010
    @ Stareye: Wait, what? What limitation was there on CMI's OST? I can't think any.

    And yeah, sadly, ToMI's isn't as memorable as the others, and I agree that's most probable due to the Wii. S&M series and Wallace & Gromnit aren't as limited in the musical area as ToMI was...
  • StarEyeStarEye
    edited May 2010
    Hassat Hunter wrote: »
    @ Stareye: Wait, what? What limitation was there on CMI's OST? I can't think any.

    And yeah, sadly, ToMI's isn't as memorable as the others, and I agree that's most probable due to the Wii. S&M series and Wallace & Gromnit aren't as limited in the musical area as ToMI was...

    Wasn't it midi?
  • RipcordRipcord
    edited May 2010
    Yeah, that's the problem I had with the music. Not memorable. Too atmospheric and forgettable. Not enough caribbean feel!

    I did like the tune as you drop down to find the Manatee. Otherwise it was all reasonably well-done music, but pretty forgettable.
  • StarEyeStarEye
    edited May 2010
    Ironically, the best piece of music was from Monkey Island 2.
  • Giant TopeGiant Tope
    edited May 2010
    StarEye wrote: »
    Wasn't it midi?

    Pretty sure it wasn't.
  • LaserschwertLaserschwert
    edited May 2010
    StarEye wrote: »
    Wasn't it midi?
    CMI's soundtrack was digital audio with a large share of live instruments... so was EMI. And I agree that it's difficult to compare the effect of the soundtracks from MI1 and MI2 with the later games, because those had voice over and ambient sounds, which "distracts" from the music a bit, and requires the compositions to stay a little more in the background. In MI1 and MI2 on the other hand the music was basically the only soundscape the games had (ignoring the occasional sound effects).

    I personally like MI2's soundtrack the best, but ToMI's soundtrack had its high points, especially in the later chapters. I agree though, that the pure MIDI takes a little bit away from the potential the new compositions had.
  • monkeymoviesmonkeymovies
    edited May 2010
    Again, I disagree. I think Tales' music stands out as some of the better compositions in the series. Maybe not the best original melodies (this belongs to Secret and Revenge), but in terms of the themes carried over from the other games it made excellent use of them, especially Chapter Five when previous themes were made more dramatic than ever before. So they were based from midi. So they had to be compressed on the Wii. So what? Michael Land is an excellent composer and he not only delivered a great soundtrack, but pulled it off as a one man band.

    Listen to this and tell me it's not awesome:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uzslUbKeLhg

    And don't get me wrong, the game did create Winslow's theme, Morgan's Theme and DeSinge's theme, all of which are extremely memorable to me.

    Not arguing! Just stating my opinion. It seems like everyone on the board recently has begun to hate or nitpick at TMI these past few months. Hmm...maybe Monkey Island 2: Special Edition has us all distracted or something.
  • VeronicanPlayVeronicanPlay
    edited May 2010
    I think the music was really great, but then again I haven't really played the other games (Shame on me) to compare the music.

    But I think ToMI music caught the mood just right, I can listen to them all in a row, and only very few times do I have to skip one.
  • MusicallyInspiredMusicallyInspired
    edited May 2010
    thin029 wrote: »
    Clint Bajakian didn't help composing it! Seriously! He made the entire Outlaws soundtrack which is one of my favorites ever, and I just recently found out he helped Michael Land with Escape and LeChuck's Revenge music, which are my favorites for the Monkey series.

    ;)

    Here comes the troll accusations

    You do know that Clint Bajakian had nothing to do with the soundtracks for SMI or CMI either, right?
  • thin029thin029
    edited May 2010
    Of course I know, that's why I DIDN'T SAY ANYTHING about those games' music.
    Duh.
  • MusicallyInspiredMusicallyInspired
    edited May 2010
    I still don't get you. You said you didn't like the TMI soundtrack because Clint Bajakian wasn't involved. Do you not like the SMI and CMI soundtracks either?

    Also, don't be a dick.
  • thin029thin029
    edited May 2010
    I said I didn't enjoy it as much as I enjoyed Lechuck's Revenge's and Escape's, which are my favorites. I liked CMI and SMI soundtracks, but not as much as Escape's, for example.
  • Ash735Ash735
    edited May 2010
    StarEye wrote: »
    What about CMI then? And Escape?

    Well seeing as they were fully scored with real instruments and not MIDI based which is what my point was! :p
  • Ash735Ash735
    edited May 2010
    thin029 wrote: »
    I said I didn't enjoy it as much as I enjoyed Lechuck's Revenge's and Escape's, which are my favorites. I liked CMI and SMI soundtracks, but not as much as Escape's, for example.

    I wonder if it's a placebo effect here, tell me, what were your fave tracks from Escape? No one help him on this.
  • UdvarnokyUdvarnoky
    edited May 2010
    Gotta say, I loved the TMI soundtrack as much as the other games'. Sure, I wouldn't have complained if there was money to spare to bless it with the production values of CMI's (still staggering) score, but the bottom line is that the compositions are of the Michael Land level of excellence I'd hoped they'd be. I'd even argue that the technical limitations are part of the soundtrack's charm, and really helped give it an MI2 vibe that's hard for me to describe. If we ever get an official CD, I hope the original MIDIs Land made that supposedly exist and that the final product is based on are included. I'd also recommend people with the means who've only played the PC version to check out how the soundtrack sounds on the WiiWare versions. It really sounds like old-school, Monkey Island MIDI goodness, and I insist that both versions merit being experienced for the truly die-hard MI fanatic.
  • thin029thin029
    edited May 2010
    What? I already said I really liked Lucre Island's background song on another topic. It's definitely my favorite and most memorable song for the game. But there's also Jambalaya, the Monkey Kombat tune and many others.

    Also, how would anyone be able to help me pick MY OWN favorite tracks? I don't get you Thin029 haterz
  • Ash735Ash735
    edited May 2010
    Out of the three you mentioned, Clint done one. :P
  • thin029thin029
    edited May 2010
    So what, it just proves my point

    Edit: After searching the entire internet to know exactly which one he's done I couldn't find anything. Could you tell me which one he has done and where did you find out about it? I'm totally curious!
  • Giant TopeGiant Tope
    edited May 2010
    thin029 wrote: »
    Found out why I didn't enjoy ToMi Soundtrack as much as the others. Clint Bajakian didn't help composing it!

    Ash735 wrote: »
    Out of the three you mentioned, Clint done one. :P

    thin029 wrote: »
    So what, it just proves my point

    how
  • LaserschwertLaserschwert
    edited May 2010
    thin029 wrote: »
    After searching the entire internet to know exactly which one he's done I couldn't find anything. Could you tell me which one he has done and where did you find out about it? I'm totally curious!
    If I remember correctly it was mentioned in an interview with... one of the three. Possibly the "Secret History"-article on Mojo? They're down now, so I can't check. But it was said that they split up the work, so that each one of them would score another island.
  • Ash735Ash735
    edited May 2010
    Laserschwert wrote: »
    If I remember correctly it was mentioned in an interview with... one of the three. Possibly the "Secret History"-article on Mojo? They're down now, so I can't check. But it was said that they split up the work, so that each one of them would score another island.

    This. If I remember correctly, I know for certain Michael Land done Melee Island, Anna Karney did Monkey Island, I THINK Peter McConnell did Lucre Island Town, Michael Lande did Jambalaya and Clint Bajakian scored all the cutscenes (except for one done by Anna) and the rest of Lucre Island.
  • Chyron8472Chyron8472
    edited May 2010
    I think the reason why some of you don't think ToMI's music is as memorable is because you haven't had between 10 and 20 years to let it grow nostalgia on you yet.

    As much as I can't say which MI music I like best (as which one I listen to more depends on my mood,) I would, however have to say that I much prefer ToMI's music to EMI. EMI's title theme, for example, is just a slight remix of CMI's and a number of EMI's songs give atmosphere to certain locations in the game (eg. Planet Threepwood) that exemplify why, for me, EMI is the weakest in the series.
  • thin029thin029
    edited May 2010
    Giant Tope wrote: »
    how
    thin029 wrote:
    ToMI Soundtrack is not as good because Clint Bajakian didn't help composing it!

    Never said he's done it all.
    And Lucre is my favorite, so:
    Ash735 wrote:
    Clint Bajakian scored the rest of Lucre Island.

    Got it now?
  • LaserschwertLaserschwert
    edited May 2010
    Well, I'm listening to ToMI's score on a regular basis now, so I wouldn't say I don't like it.
  • AvistewAvistew
    edited May 2010
    You people are missing the point. Thin isn't saying "I hate X's sountrack", he said that TMI, Curse and Secret's soundtracks, although he likes them, aren't as good as Revenge and Escape's as far as he's concerned.

    He recently found out that a certain artist contributed to the soundtracks of the games he likes best, and not to those he liked a little less, and concluded that this person's touch is what made the difference to him.

    That's really all there is to it.
  • thin029thin029
    edited May 2010
    Thanks Avis! This seem to happen everytime I create a topic.
  • Giant TopeGiant Tope
    edited May 2010
    Well, I'm gonna be frank. You come off as incredibly abrasive. But I digress...

    I asked how your thinking made sense on the confusion of you saying that the reason you believed you didn't like the TOMI as much as the "others", which I guess you actually just mean Revenge and Escape, which I guess you've refined down to Escape, which I guess you've refined down to the music on Lucre Island because Clint didn't help with composing the music. The reason you kept refining this was because it turned out that Clint actually didn't make the songs that you liked. Why can't you just like the other soundtracks better than TOMI? That's completely okay. You don't need to come up a reason.

    I personally found the TOMI soundtrack to be a bit too "ambiance-y" for me to actively want to listen to outside the game most of the time, but tracks like Club 41 and the track that plays during the first fight with Morgan are pretty nice. Despite Escape feeling a bit lackluster, I actually thought the soundtrack was very good. I didn't like Lucre Island's music, but I did like the theme of the Scumm Bar. Even more so than the original Scumm Bar theme! Shoot me, I know!
  • thin029thin029
    edited May 2010
    If you read my first post I wrote Revenge and Escape since the beginning, I couldn't write it all in the topic title because it'd be obviously too big. And Clint did help composing the music, INCLUDING Lucre. It's obvious he didn't do that one song only (Ash himself heard he's done all the cutscenes). Lucre was brought up because Ash wanted me to tell which tracks I like the most FOR ESCAPE (I didn't and won't list ALL the songs I think are memorable, I wanted to say I prefer both SOUNDTRACKS in their whole), and coincidentially, my favorite tune was made by Clint himself (as far as Ash told me)

    I don't see why you say I, being a Clint fan, can't prefer a soundtrack that includes his works over ones that doesn't.

    Avistew and PecanBlue got it all pretty well, why can't you?
    Having to repeat myself is annoying
  • Giant TopeGiant Tope
    edited May 2010
    And missing the point of my post is pretty annoying too. :/

    I have no problem with you liking whatever you like. I also have no problem for you liking it because Clint made it. I just don't see why listing three songs of which Clint only worked on one is sufficient proof that the reason why you prefer one soundtrack over another is entirely based on one person. Like I said, you like Clint's work. Neat. I like a lot of his work too, but based off what you said you liked, Clint isn't the entire reason why you like that music because he didn't work on all the tracks you've listed.

    It's like listing lemons, banana, and cherries as your favorite fruits then coming to the conclusion that the reason why you like those fruits is that they're round. For all I care, you may as well like round fruit, but saying those are your favorite fruits because they're all round is simply untrue. And that just... bugs me.
  • thin029thin029
    edited May 2010
    Giant Tope wrote: »
    I have no problem for you liking it because Clint made it.
    Giant Tope wrote: »
    And that just... bugs me.

    Hum... It seems you do have a problem with that.

    So basically, you're telling me in order to enjoy a soundtrack more than another one I have to think ALL its tracks are better, only one, two, three or whatever aren't enough for you. Since Clint worked on only one I listed, and not all the other ones he's not reason enough! Saying "I think I like these soundtracks better because there are tracks composed by Clint Bajakian" is totally unacceptable.
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