VGM collectors know one thing for certain about Tokimeki Memorial CDs: they are just like sugary sweets. They should only be used sparingly, yet they are in plentiful supply, making it hard to avoid (though the metaphor breaks down when you compare desire for sugar to desire for Tokimeki CDs). I can only take so much Tokimemo before I get a headache. So, to deal with it, I go with a more mature flavor. Instead of any number of vocal collections, I choose a Piano Collection. And what better choice than “Moegi’s Piano Collection” from Tokimeki Memorial 3?
That’s not to say that there’s something marvelous about this album. It’s not marvelous, not on a technical level anyway. It’s simple, and it’s lightly sweetened. There are two vocal tracks on the album (we just can’t seem to get away from them…), but they are tempered by the simple, clean accompaniment of the piano. The rest of the pieces are New-Age ballads, with a couple songs being influenced by jazz.
The opening track, “Rallentando,” sets the stage perfectly. All of the right-hand (upper-octave) notes ring out perfectly: there’s just the right amount of reverb in the recording and mixing.
Some of the most complex arrangement takes place on one track. Track 4 features some of the most extensive arpeggiations I’ve yet heard from a Konami arranged album. And the jazz tracks (9 and 10) aren’t anything to scoff at, though I still think the label “simple” fits here.
If you’ve been thinking about scratching the surface of all things Tokimemo, why not start with something a little more mature than the piles of mundane vocal albums the series has to offer? And if you like piano arrangements, you won’t go wrong with this album. I give the CD mild recommendations: nothing bad about it…plenty of good, in fact! But I’ve heard better.
