As Patrick’s wife, I’ve learned that a few situations will almost always make Patrick a happier man: playing with our son, makin’ a home-cooked meal, engaging in conversation, and listening to videogame music. I’ve embraced this part of life, but when it comes to the videogame music, I do so with hesitation. After all, I didn’t grow up playing RPGs, nor do I have a strong musical ear. But…I thought I’d give it a try. I went one step beyond just listening and decided to start writing. Recently, I chose Red: The Adventurous Sequence, first printed in March of 1993. It is composed by Tenpei Sato, well known for his work on NIS’s Phantom Brave and Disgaea.
I must add that the first twenty years of my life, I was quite naïve to practically all things having to do with videogames. I mistakenly clumped all videogame music into the same genre. It has only been in the last few years that my ears have been opened to the uniqueness and beauty that many soundtracks have to offer.
It was to my delight that I found something to appreciate in Red: The Adventurous Sequence. My initial reaction to the album overall was that it feels much like a musical drama. This comes as a positive and negative. I enjoyed how the music had the potential to evoke a reaction, whether it be soothing, light-hearted or intense. However, I must also comment on the drama segments found throughout Red. It didn’t bother me at first; in fact, it added to the screenplay-like awareness. That is…until the dialogue between a man and an intended little girl put a bad taste in my mouth. Could her voice be more annoying? My husband assures me that yes, it could. Nonetheless, it ruined the dialogue for me.
A solid mix of contemporary and sensual tunes, this album stand outs for its variety. Among the mix, I particularly delighted in the sleek, dare I say, seductive, use of the saxophone. The slower, jazzier melodies are a nice change of pace to the album’s upbeat tone.
All in all, I was quite impressed. Not an album I’d listen to everyday, but certainly decent and worth checking out.
