Japan exclusive soundtrack to the Namco RPG game. Victor. 2004.
CD Reviews
Simply beautiful
Gabriel N. Cobos | 09/04/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"One word...Wow. From the moment I first opened the CD and played it, I was in absolute awe. For a moment, I was not sure music this beautiful could be from a Video Game. The Track "Sweet Song" is just beautiful in its self. Although some of the tracks are a little repitive, that is no reason not to get this Sound Track. Although, the price may be the reason. I recomend Anime Castle for this CD, I found it for almost Half Price (28.50 or such for the CD and Three Day Shippong). But i can not simply stress how powerfull and emotionally filled the tracks are. Simply a must have for the Xenosaga music lover and all RPG music lovers."
Xenosaga, retold through Kajiura
Katie Baker | Ohio, USA | 04/28/2005
(4 out of 5 stars)
"First, let it be said that I think that no one could have outdone Mitsuda's score for the first game, except maybe himself. It sits among the best soundtracks in my collection along with John Williams and Howard Shore.
That over and done with, I also have to say that Yuki Kajiura wrote a completely differet sytle (and therefore mood) of music for Xenosaga Ep. 2 than Mitsuda created for Ep. 1. But the second part of the series deserved a retelling through music. Mitsuda took great advantage of a full orchestra, while Kajiura makes use of electronics, a small selection of strings, woodwinds, and especially pipes. A whole different world is introduced in the second part of the series, and Kajiura's difference in style helps to throw this transition into sharp relief.
Character themes are altered or changed. Albedo's once erratic and off-kilter operatic theme song (used to represent his less-than-sane state of mind) is changed at the hands of Kajiura to a soft, menacing half choral/half techno amalgam of terror (used effectively to show Albedo as a menacing character, not just a man suffering from mental instability).
Most of the tracks on the soundtrack are superb, showcasing Kajiura's expertise with themes and altering them, mixing them. There are a few tracks, however, that do not stand up to the test. For example, the first "Battle of the Elsa" track is a dissonant and indecipherable piece which I skip on every playing. Along with the uneventful track "R&D Report," which shows about just as much emotion that the voice actor for the main character chooses to display. But, other than the few blips on the radar of unworthyness, the score is one I would recommend for fans of the game, or fans of music in general, if they feel so compelled.
One suggestion: Amazon's prices are extremely high for this soundtrack. I bought mine on E-Bay for $14, a very reasonable price for 2 disks and about 1 hour and 45 mins of music. Happy shopping!"
Yuki Kajiura?
Christopher Davis | SAN DIEGO, CA United States | 03/30/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"The Xenosaga Ep. 2 soundtrack was the first I've heard of Yuki Kajiura, and I'm quite impressed. She has great range and talent from complex dance/electronica to very simple and beautiful melodies. Yasunori Mitsuda, talented composer of Xenogears and Xenosaga Ep. 1, has a very different style. His best skill is invoking a haunting or unsettling mood (think of Id's theme from Xenogears). Yuki Kajiura is not quite able to keep up with Yasunori here, but she more than makes up for it with a range of energetic and emotionally moving music.
Track 15, Sakura's theme, with the acoustic guitar and Japanese vocals is a wonderful example of Yuki's talent. Even though I can't understand the words, the song is very beautiful. Yuki uses the same melody in much of the music, and in the ending theme, Sweet Song, which was sung in English. While a few of the words seem a bit awkward and poorly chosen, the song still succeeds brilliantly in painting a clear mental picture, and in that, it is unlike any other song I've heard in a video game before. Yasunori's English songs are rather incoherent in comparison.
I really loved this soundtrack. It's definitely worth a listen."
A Masterpiece.
HB | Montreal, Quebec Canada | 12/15/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Granted that I'm a complete Yuki Kajiura freak, I must admit that I was not very fond of her previous game soundtracks (Double Cast and Blood the Last Vampire) but then, this one truly shines above all. Actually, the Xenosaga II O.S.T. ranks at the top of her works along with some masterpieces of anime soundtracks she wrote like Noir and Madlax. This double CD, that blends new-age beats and surreal foreign lyrics, really is a nearly 2 hours feast for the ears. This CD may be quite expensive but, if you're already a fan of her music or if you simply like new-age/world fusion music, then it is totally worthy of the money you'll spend on it!"
Without Mitsuda, Xenosaga couldn't do much better than this.
Caitlin B. | Illinois | 01/04/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Let me state a couple things. I have three composers that give me inspiration. My first I encountered was Nobuo Uematsu. My second, Yasunori Mitsuda. My third, Yuki Kajiura. I love Mitsuda's work, and Episode I was good, but was NOT my favorite of his works. I personally believe that Chrono Cross and parts of the Xenogears soundtrack outshine it.
You can not compare their styles, except for the occasional similarity (none come to mind right now but I know there is at least one). Both composers have the ability to evoke emotional responses. Mitsuda's is generally orchestral, though if we look at Chrono Trigger and for example the track Schala's Theme, the style is very different--which I personally love. Chrono Cross has many great tracks. Of course, these are not his only works, but I have come to like Mitsuda's works better than a good deal of Uematsu's.
Kajiura relies on piano, strings, vocal, and electronic elements. Also, her manipulation of percussion is admirable. In Episode II, all of them are interwoven beautifully for the most part of the soundtrack. I can honestly say that I like 90% of the soundtrack, which I can not say for most any other soundtrack. The theme we hear for the last time in Sweet Song, the ending theme, was previously in several other tracks, but that shouldn't detract considering it's extremely beautiful. True, the lyrics aren't perfect in terms of comfortability on one or two counts, but it's not enough to really detract.
Part of it is personal preference. But I'd have to say that a majority of the audience would enjoy this soundtrack. It has an entirely different feel from Episode I, which you can tell even from the title screen. But I find it's my favorite of Kajiura's works and urge you to try it out."
Track Listings (40) - Disc #1