Though I loved Music Collection 1, I didn’t know what to make of the second set. Most of the music is above the “passing grade” as far as arranged albums go. But then, I also found some tracks that either irritated or bored me.
Let’s just start with the bad stuff. The arrangement of “Graduation Ceremony” (track 11) was one of the worst picks for this style of arrangement ever. It’s like someone took Pomp and Circumstance, took a hammer to the chord structure, and jazzed up the melody. Yuck.
But the character themes? Many of them are still good. Track 8, “Keeping Love a Secret,” is a personal favorite. I also enjoyed the opening track of the album, which is a seasonal theme instead of a character theme.
What you’ll find here are Kukeiha Club session musicians jamming. It’s what they do best. Guitar, bass and piano solos with a fair bit of structure. That’s the idea.
If forced to keep just one of the two TM2 Music Collections, I’d take 1. If forced between owning the four TM1 Sound Collections and the two TM2 Music Collections, I’d choose TM2. That’s how I rack-and-stack ’em. Listen to audio samples to make your own determination.
