Nobuo Uematsu VS Yasunori Mitsuda

[Wolf Kanno]

*Shrug* Not a "good thing", per se, but certainly worth tolerating in order to hear what Mitsuda really has in store. The question of " the best composer", to my thinking (and I do expect you to flagrantly disagree), is one to be determined by comparing the best work of the parties involved. Not necessarily something so cut-and-dry as "One Winged Angel" vs. "Battle with Magus" or "Fight With Seymour" vs. "World Revolution", but, inevitably, the contest between the composers must be decided in the air, with their most powerful ammunition, rather than in the knife fight on the ground. The minutia counts for something, to be sure, but something like "Gale" fails to reduce my enjoyment of "Corridors of Time", or my esteem for Mitsuda in general, just as the fact that Uematsu produces little that I hate does nothing to change the favor he receives. If nothing else, the valleys are necessary to underscore the enormity of the mountains, and Mitsuda's blunders are somewhat more noticeable than Uematsu's due to the sheer bodies of work involved. Balance is crucial, yes. Inevitably, though, I will be inclined to favor the composer with the highest mountain and a decent balance over the composer who has fewer valleys to mar his record but never quite reaches the loftier heights. Such is my view of the comparison between Mitsuda and Uematsu in general, really.

I will "flagrantly disagree" about your method of choosing the better composer cause your method is too subjective. Case in point is our disagreement over Xenogears/Chrono Cross. How can we compare the best they have to offer when we can't even agree what each composer's best offerings are? While I feel CC is a great soundtrack, I feel Xenogears is better.

Another problem is that in my experience and knowledge; even bad composers and musicians can have one stellar album and if the rest of their work cannot follow, I don't see the point in saying they are "the best" cause how can a truly great composer do one really great work and never live up to it again? This leads me to my one statement which you already touched upon earlier...

Probably. The extent of one's influence is not directly proportional to the quality of one's art, though. Not to say that Uematsu's laurels are at all unearned, mind you, but Mitsuda has purchased my loyalty with a style and profundity that I have never before seen, and his influence upon me will remain, regardless of whether his industry grants him the same perspective. Again, this question of "the best composer", to me, has to do with the answer to the question "which composer has evoked the most/best from me?", and questions like "how has he influenced others in his industry?" are completely peripheral.

To be fair, I do feel this matters cause once again, saying who had the most influential to you is too subjective. When you say it like that, I wonder why we should even debate this topic? Because there is no way you could possible get us to understand exactly the same way you do; so debating is kind of a moot point imho.

See, this is the sort of statement that confuses me. :laugh: Is not your "preference of his (Mitsuda's or Uematsu's) work" the criterion that matters most? Reducing this debate to the concept of "quality over quantity" may be entirely subjective and perhaps an oversimplification of things, but it is not entirely without merit. Quality must trump quantity, and it is the question of quality that should be addressed -- Uematsu, or Mitsuda? A case could be made for either, but I think that a comparison on those terms is the only one that matters.

Humble opinion, of course. <_< >_>

I should have explained this better. This goes back to your statement about Nobuo always being consistently good (though I'd rather say excellent). I feel this is a major factor though. Many musicians and composers I've listened to can be consistent to a point. Most can be good for a few years, and the really talented (like Mitsuda) can be good for a decade or more; but Nobuo has been consistently excellent for 20+ years now. I can't even think of mainstream artist and musicians who have been able to lay down wonderful and provocative music like that for over 20 years. Most fall into a slump, usually after the second or third album but Nobuo has produced some of the best gaming soundtracks in the minds of fans and critics alike. His library of musical compositions is throughout his history as well, not just a "he was good back in the day but he hasn't been up to par in a decade" nonsense like so many others.

This is why I said Mitsuda can reach this goal cause I feel he's on his way there as well. He's past the ten year mark; I'm sure he will still be lending us beautiful music for another ten.

I feel longevity and consistency are important in an objective discussion of "best composer"

Indeed. Acquired it through . . . less legal means, myself, so unless your objections to the idea are explicit, perhaps locating a torrent might be in order?

I ordered it last night after I found it for a reasonable price. I have a few tracks on my computer (got the bonus CD with my pre-order of the game back in the day) and I have the Square Vocal track which I bought solely for a copy of Radical Dreamers as its one of my favorite tracks from CC. Its been on the list and hopefully next month I can get a copy of the FFIX soundtrack and the complete Persona 3 soundtrack with the full version of Burn My Dread.

Never quite thought of Xenogears in this context. Really can't say whether I agree with it at the moment; I just find it an interesting perspective.

Listen to CT, Gears, and CC back to back or at least a track from each in that order and I feel you will understand what I mean. Xenogears has several musical pieces that feel like expanded CT tracks and other compositions that show Mitsuda's use of complex arrangements he uses for CC... Not to mention he started on his Celtic kick in Gears with tracks like Small Two of Pieces ~ Restored Pieces and Stars of Tears

Really, when you listen to his music back to back and chronological order (pun unintended) you will notice Mitsuda's style and his growth as artist. His music really does build on each other.

The forever controversial "One Who Bares Fangs At God" bears watching, as well. ^_^

Damn straight

Fully concurred. Personally, I do not even remember the beautifully minimalist and offbeat "Warmth" being played in-game at all. ~_^

I believe its played during the scene where Shion comforts M.O.M.O. after Jr. reveals the truth about Mizrahi. It may have also been played during the Shion flashback where Shion chats with Kevin about KOS-MOS the night before her activation.

Well, I can honestly say that this is not the case for me. I genuinely feel that the Chrono soundtracks are superior. :laugh:

We'll have to disagree cause I feel Xenogears was greater than Chrono Cross. Saga is good but its not my favorite style he's used. CT is pure win though.

And there are other factors that play into the matter, as well; due to the circumstances in which the music was heard, my mind has served to elevate Mitsuda's soundtracks into an entirely different level of artistry than anything Uematsu has displayed in those soundtracks of his that I do possess. The result is a highly idealized perspective on the Chrono soundtracks that often inspires me to analyze the moods and imagery evoked by the music, and to apply the things gleaned to my perspective on the current universe (in which I reside), or my current existence. For example, I sometimes consider "Corridors of Time" (or the extremely faithful remix by the artist known as bLiNd, called simply "Time Circuits") to be the "theme" of certain of the more "enigmatic" shades of my artistic inspiration.

This attitude tends to yield an enormous gap between composers who are able to inspire me to produce this kind of effort for the sake of their music -- and produce it with some regularity, so as to confirm that the special track in question was not a "fluke" -- and those who do not. The distinction really is that simple: Mitsuda inspires me this way to the highest extent of virtually any composer I have heard

I can understand this but I get this feeling from both composers which is why I can't decide who I personally favor. Both composers have made incredible musical scores that inspire and help me with my own creative works. Bonds of Sea and Fire and Epitaph have always been inspirational tracks for me.

In summation, it is quite possible that FFVI is the crucial soundtrack which will turn my opinion on its head, but it will have to be Uematsu's crowning achievement by a considerable margin to enter my personal realms where Mitsuda's past work has dominion. It will need to be more than what is reasonable to expect from mainstream video game soundtracks; it will need to surpass its Final Fantasy title, dwarf all other efforts by Uematsu, and leave me blinking and awestruck, a pair of industrial headphones around my head and images raging in my mind -- it will need to touch Chrono Trigger and Chrono Cross, for God's sake.

I wouldn't go in comparing it to those soundtracks (CT and CC), technology has come a far way and you missed the chance that fans had by being blown away by the complexity and technological achievements that produced this soundtrack. I feel it would be better to listen to FFV, then VI and then listen to VII again to see the growth and major difference between the three compositions. Then afterwards begin an assessment compared to Mitsuda's work. Better to compare the artist to himself before others.

V to me is an experimental OST, Nobuo used it as a means to really immerse himself into the technology and thus the quality of the arrangements vary. Most of the soundtrack is amazing but it still feels like an extension of the older games except with a few surprising tracks like Battle on the Big Bridge, Dear Friends, and Legend of the Deep Forest. These tracks showed Uematsu experimenting with what could be produced with the technology at hand with the SNES/S.FAMICOM. He found a means to create sounds that sounded like instruments (though a bit synthesized) and with this he produced VI's soundtrack which holds a theme and style with every track. This is something you don't see in any of his earlier works but VI was created with an Opera theme and Nobuo utilized his new knowledge to create the VI soundtrack which actually feels like an orchestrated work despite being on the SNES. The soundtrack is much more complex than his previous efforts with a few exceptions and when you listen to VII's OST, you can hear the influences. Aerith's Theme feels like a piece that was inspired more from Aria Di Mezzo Carattere. The VI OST utilized composition techniques and styles not heard any other video game music at its time, Dancing Mad, the final boss theme, is composed as a traditional classical piece with four movements and the entire soundtrack utilizes leitmotifs with a level of complexity and skill not seen at the time.

I just feel bad that you may not see it that way. Part of its splendor came from being there when it was first heard. It really does stand apart from all other soundtracks at its time and it wasn't until Mitsuda did Chrono Trigger that we heard anything on its scale. In fact, it was partly the reason I was drawn to Mitsuda cause until CT no one had composed anything on VI's scale.

From reading Mitsuda's interviews concerning CT's OST. You can actually credit Nobuo more than just his few tracks, he also oversaw the music composition and helped Mitsuda beyond finishing a few tracks. I wouldn't be surprised if Nobuo was the one who showed him how to push the technology to create the musical tracks Mitsuda wanted.

VI, you say? I will have to keep it in mind, the next time I am interested in listening to something unfamiliar and synthesized . . .

Why settle for just the original? I agree you should listen but also check out the arranged and piano version. Many of Nobuo's older tracks come to life when you hear it on a real instrument. Besides, you would be doing yourself a disservice if you didn't hear the orchestrated arrangement of Aria Di Mezzo Carattere