I.   A BRIEF HISTORY OF FINAL FANTASY'S MUSIC

In today's day and age, there are few game music series that can spark as much controversy and debate as Final Fantasy. Ah, how times were so much easier back then, when nearly everyone and their mother would agree - "Final Fantasy is, inarguably, the pinnacle of game music." Past titles (i.e. FFI-VI) focused on fairly simplistic, yet incredibly melodious music - the very quality that made Final Fantasy, in turn, such an endearing series.

But now, times have changed. It's no secret that composer Nobuo Uematsu's musical integrity, as seen by long time fans, has been put on the line during the past few years. With the advent of its seventh and eighth installment, Final Fantasy seemed to be swaying further and further away from what was known to be as, well... Final Fantasy. Going past the traditional setting, the new music possessed a decidedly more experimental feel; music that was set to "fit the mood." Many argued that this brand of music just didn't make it feel like Final Fantasy anymore.

And so, that brings us to the ninth chapter of the legendary series: IX. Certainly, the announcement of going back to the "old-school" ways of fantasy has done nothing to sedate the controversy that lay ahead. Would it REALLY be true to the old ways? The return of airships and castles? The four character party setup? And, most importantly, how would the music stand up to this retrospective change?

II.   IX

From the beginning, it was apparent that Uematsu was aiming for both a nostalgic and a modern feel for Final Fantasy IX. Yes, there are still hints of experimentation that litters the soundtrack; naturally, going back to the old ways doesn't mean that he would ENTIRELY dismiss what he had learned in VII and VIII. And yet, this time, there's this certain feeling - a feeling that makes you believe that Uematsu had a reassured sense of tactility when creating these compositions. We all know that Uematsu is melody-inclined, which has always been the proof of his great, musical talents. But, what makes IX so unique is that he melds this clarity of melody, into the presentation of both experimental styles and cinematics. The result? A brilliant flair of original, highly-complex (and sometimes not), mood-making pieces.

As Uematsu himself had said, there was much more liberty in being able to create a "fun" sound - no doubt this is due to the game's nature, which is very light-hearted and easy to relate to. Seemingly unrestricted by the "cinematic"-only rule of VII and VIII, Uematsu was now able to mix in more of his patented style of music. But again, the feel of experimentation still lingers in the air. Using the term "experimental," actually, always seemed so strange to me.... It is because Uematsu seems to have such a firm grasp at every style he conceives, that they seem totally natural.

Final Fantasy music is known for its wide variety of musical styles - and IX is no exception. From waltzes to ragtime, pulsing battle themes to ambient tracks, as well as countless ethnic-based songs, IX instantly establishes its main basis of diversity. They also show off an excellent symmetry of finesse and grace, possessing both melodious and atmospheric qualities. "Medieval," in particular, is a genre that is often pegged for this music score, and a number of songs definitely show this off.

III.   QUALITY OF SOUND

While Uematsu openly admits that he feels more comfortable using his older sound systems, it still amazes me at how good it is. Minoru Akao, who has been Uematsu's "right-hand man" for the longest time, supplies much of the sound programming. Though one can say that the sound quality doesn't match up to the high clarity of other Square titles, such as Final Fantasy Tactics, Xenogears, or Chrono Cross (many people, sadly, still use this defense to berate FFs music), IX's sounds are still way above and beyond anything found on the old Super Nintendo titles.

That might not be saying much, but let me explain why I feel IX is a level higher than any other game title to date. You see, I have always judged "sound" at how GOOD the quality is. And yet, I never actually paid attention at HOW it was used. Call it a revelation, but IX really opened my eyes, so that I could see how sound, even when used alone, can be a powerful force. Matching the diversity of the songs themselves comes a multitude of different percussion and instrumentation. Uematsu uses his resources to its full potential, weaving innovative methods and musical patterns to bring his songs alive. He also mentioned tonality, and how this time, he was able to get it the way he wanted. This has no doubt contributed to my revelation, and you will also find that this is one of the larger focuses of my review.

Okay, so I'm throwing all of these broad generalizations at you... so, what of the music? To answer that, let's take a blow-by-blow analysis of the songs.

Go to FF9 Music Review - Page 2.