What You Need to Know: As my score description alluded to, I really enjoyed listening to this compilation album. I discovered it by browsing iTunes for any obscure releases that I may have missed during the past quarter, and with this being a surprisingly dull period for score releases, I decided to give this one a run. I'm quite happy that I avoided some of the negative feedback on the iTunes review page for Play and bought the album -- it proved to be a great escape for me. And lets face it, one can't really take the iTunes reviews to heart since they are mostly inconsistent, often overstated or placed forth by people with agendas.
If you make this purchase, I'll tell you straight up that you'll be treated to music that is performed by musicians who have a fond love of the material they are playing. There is a sense of indulgence in listening to
Play and I found myself swept up in it. There are 12 tracks featured in this concert album and they are each from a cross section of the video game world, ranging from lovable, classic characters like
Sonic the Hedgehog to the galactic frontiers of
Halo. You'll also be treated to a fine rendition of
Kingdom Hearts (I just can't get enough of that main theme) and a sensation medley of classic game scores early on in the soundtrack. Also take note of the extended drum solo on track 9,
Battlefield, which gives the album more of a live concert vibe. I tell you, it almost felt like I was in Czechoslovakia myself for this one!
I would be remiss if I didn't mention the star track from this album which is the suite from
Castlevania (as heard in the 3rd track). This phenomenal selection is full of mischievous motifs and a colorful personality that makes it an extremely catchy and memorable experience. The corridors of the castle never sounded better! Indeed, out of all the cues that are on this score, this one is the track that translated over with greatest success.
The beauty of this score, which runs well over an hour, is that there are no idle or dull clusters of music. Each of the tracks were carefully selected, it seems, to provide optimized entertainment value for the audience and for those who would be listening to it on CD. I also cannot emphasize enough that the enthusiasm of the score is contagious. It is so delightful that you'll wind up overlooking some of the rough edges of this recording, including the rustling that is heard during some of the quieter moments. If you're feeling a bit glum about the lack of quality soundtracks you've been listening to of late, then I prescribe this CD as the perfect tonic to cure your woes.
