LONG BLOG
Phils Game/Pop Music Similarities #259 - "Cloud!" the One Winged Angel Cried
Featuring Final Fantasy 7 and several genres.
Greetings fellow game music lovers,
well, here it is. The first shot at one of the most famous songs in video game history. What is Raining Blood for Slayer, this is what One Winged Angel is for Uematsu. From Final Fantasy 7 (1997). Associated with Sephiroth more than his actual theme. Obligation for every Final Fantasy related symphonic concert.
What this shares with Dancing Mad is that it is basically a multi sample song consisting of many evil sounding motifs which are just too numerous to find all at once. So, I just limit myself to the info I have gathered at this point.
Let's start with the beginning of the song:
It has been mentioned by Uematsu himself that it was inspired by Jimi Henrix Purple Haze:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGoDaYjdfSg
I will obviously not challenge this. But what is funny is that there is a japanese industrial rock variant the song that not only has the one-two one-two rhythm but an equivalent for the high pitched violins that come afterwards:
2nd Communication · Break Your Chains (1985):
For the part at 0:14 I can offer a sequence from the ballet "Gayaneh" by Aram Khachaturian (1942) from the Dance of the Highlanders sequence:
If anyone thinks this sounds like a well known circus song, yes this ballet also brought us the famous Sabre Dance.
For the section at 0:49 I can offer a sample by japanese Avantgarde band Hikashu from 1985 ( 日本の笑顔 ):
For the part at 2:13, I do not have a good sample. Nevertheless, I think it is Tango due to this (Astor Piazzola - Adios Nonino, 1959):
And that's all what I have for now. Merry Christmas everyone and Happy New Year!
Now, for the schedule of the next months:
On new years eve, I will take the saturday off. I kinda have to do it as I heard thousands of songs in the last months and I just need a little rest and time for the family in the next days. But the schedule for the beginning of the new year is tightly packed involving new material for Mario, Sonic and Zelda. See you then, see you soon!
Phil out.