I was at Kinokuniya, looking for soundtracks in the Final Fantasy section, and I found Potion. Hadn’t ever heard of it, and it looked as if it wasn’t anything new. However, something told me to buy this soundtrack, so I did. And there was much relaxin’.
Subtitled “Relaxin’ with Final Fantasy”, Final Fantasy Potion is a collection of the most laid back selections from the various arranged Final Fantasy Albums, such as the Piano Collections, Celtic Moon, Dear Friends, etc., along with a Bonus Track which is a 5 minute piano/flute rendition of “Dear Friends” from Final Fantasy V.
Though the only thing that’s actually new is the Bonus Track, this compilation is a solid buy, especially when you’ve just come home from a hectic day at work or school and just want to wind down with some silky smooth Nobuo goodness instead of scurrying from CD to CD to get all your favorite tracks lined up. All your favorites are there: “Kids Run Through the City” from the FFVI Piano Collections, “Melody of Lute” from Celtic Moon, even a the cool piano rendition of “Eyes on Me” from FFVIII Piano Collections. Do not operate heavy machinery while listening to this CD.
Though I could go on for hours about each of the tracks, you’ve heard them all before, so I will just mention the Bonus Track, “Dear Friends.” A rendition of the original track from FFV, this song is a beautiful duet by flutist Kazunori Seo and pianist Laurent Wagschal. Ms. Kazunori does a wonderful job of keeping the piece calm and soft, while Mr. Wagschal has a definite piano-forte (how long have I been waiting to use that line?). Overall, a very solid rendition of this classic piece.
If you’re looking for music to drive/exercise/fight villains to, search somewhere else. If you’re having insomnia, or need to relax after a long day, get this CD and pop it into your player. It’s worth it just for that, let alone all the great memories it evokes of soundtracks past. A must buy for laid-back Final Fantasy fans. This soundtrack can be purchased at GMO for around $30 after Shipping.
Note: This soundtrack was actually released with a typo…or two. Track 16 from FF IV Celtic Moon is Troian Beauty; but, the CD lists the track as “Rydia.” Also, track 3 “Eria, Virgin of the Water Shrine” was never a track on its own from FFIII LotEW, but rather a section of one of the tracks (specifically, the end of track 3: Montage).
