The Opening Music...
is the best rendition of the Monkey Island them I've heard so far! How do you other folks think about it? Can it be downloaded somewhere?
Cheers,
Red
Cheers,
Red
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I agree this is an awesome site
But you don't have the ToMI version of the opening theme yet
So this time around, the Scumm Bar wins ^^
the theme from EMI is the the same theme from CMI. They didn't even bother to change it.
If I'm not mistaken, the EMI theme was identical to the CMI theme.
To be honest, I remember it sounding poor but not quite that bad! Any idea where this came from? The Telltale Music Extractor doesn't work - and if TTG were being consistent, it would be Ogg Vorbis format.
Curse has the melody on flute and steel drum, which would mask the flute somewhat, but it still sounds better than Tales. I think it's sampled rather than synthesized.
I can't get Escape to play in Windows Media Player 11 because it's wrapped in a WAV format! Not true MP3. It does play in VLC, though. To me it sounds identical to Curse - appears to be encoded at 128kbps in Escape rather than 80 in Curse, though that may be how the MP3s were extracted rather than how the games were encoded. The effects from the battle in Curse aren't there in Escape, obviously, and it has a sort of voodoo-chanting beginning and end, but the main theme is identical.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-tdPAr_mKc
http://www.scummbar.com/mi2/MI1-CD/01%20-%20Opening%20Themes%20-%20Introduction.mp3
I personally liked CoMI's theme the best. It's just got this really hauntingly beautiful feel to it that's closer to MI2, but without that weird beat that makes me think of the Ninja Turtles movie... and early nineties/ late eighties movies in general.
OUt of all of them, ToMI's actually feels the most 'Cute'. What would be really interesting is if they played a MI2-like version in the next game, and then a MI3 like version for the third.
Yeah, shows just how much of a rip-off EMI was. I agree CMI is richer, and TMI is more back to basics. I like them both. The theme from MI2 is also cool, being the most divergent.
The re-recording for MI:SE is interesting, with the flutist going bananas a few times.
Over all, the MI series is blessed with a number of great scores. Well, except for the forgettable number 4, of course.
Why would anyone use WMP to play MP3s? it's like using a chainsaw to cut your bread. Get Winamp, never look back.
If Windows Media Player can't play it, use a decent player. There are many free ones: Foobar, Winamp, Media Player Classic etc. EMI is MP3 with 128 kbps indeed, but with some iMuse quirks implemented, it seems. Thus, there are occasional clicks. The soundtrack is very dynamic, which makes it sound so lively.
The TMI version of the theme seems very close to the MI1 version while the others are more differently in arrangement and style. Mostly the MI2 version.
Oooh, I owe you a grog.
Cheers
Seriously? I think the music in EMI is the most catchy and cinematic of the lot.
Really? I thought that was the worst. So slow and boring. The credits version is much better (though think it's simply the same MIDI used in SMI). The best is either SMI (CD version) or CMI/EMI's version. SMI's is epic while CMI's is intense but also whimsical and fun. I'm not sure which I like better. I don't think the TMI's is the best, though. And SMI:SE's is a little too tame. Loses the epic charm. A little more whimsical/fun as well. Still good.
EMI uses CMI's theme. Straight from the game. Including all the sound effects from the CMI sequence.
I meant music in general. Sure, Empire Strikes Back used the same exact theme A New Hope did, but it also gave us Imperial March. What does that have to do with being a rip-off?
Thanks for defending the honor of EMI's music! Yes, so the intro music was taken from MI3, but EVERY other single cue and song was new and catchy. Besides, most of them featured live players, just as CMI did.
I wouldn't dare to say EMI had better music than another Monkey Island, since I love them all equally. But it was definitely just as brilliant than any other Monkey Island (in terms of music... though I don't understand the constant complaining about the game itself either).
To anyone having forgotten about EMI's musical achievement, I really recommend to listen to these highlights:
Scumm Bar. Feels really ancient and stylish.
http://www.scummbar.com/mi2/MI4-CD1/18%20-%20Scumm%20Bar%20(Main).mp3
Pegnose Pete. A really catchy theme.
http://www.scummbar.com/mi2/MI4-CD1/39%20-%20Pegnose%20Pete.mp3
Outside the Booty Showcase. Perfectly ambient. Starts slowly and features a fantastic oboe live solo towards the end.
http://www.scummbar.com/mi2/MI4-CD1/42%20-%20Outside%20the%20Booty%20Showcase.mp3
Nice interactive trick, how the music changes to minor when you're rowing towards the Knuttin' Atoll.
http://www.scummbar.com/mi2/MI4-CD2/06%20-%20Jambalaya%20Map%20Near%20the%20Knuttin%20Atoll.mp3
Very dark mood.
http://www.scummbar.com/mi2/MI4-CD2/07%20-%20The%20Knuttin%20Atoll.mp3
Very relaxed jungle feeling.
http://www.scummbar.com/mi2/MI4-CD2/34%20-%20Meeting%20a%20Monkey%20in%20the%20Woods.mp3
And yet another catchy theme.
http://www.scummbar.com/mi2/MI4-CD2/24%20-%20Herman%20Toothrot.mp3
Unfortunately, the cutscene music, which often featured symphonic feeling and cleverly used the characters' themes isn't available separately, as it was already mixed into the movie files (including the voice). But some parts of the closing medley also feature a tiny bit of this orchestra mood:
http://www.scummbar.com/mi2/MI4-CD2/42%20-%20Closing%20Medley.mp3
If you take away the differences in technology and production, I'd say Monkey Island 2 has the best music. MI2 is where they began or fleshed out most of the major themes for MI and there are many other memorable themes in that game that we still remember even though those themes haven't come back in later MI games like Largo's theme, Woodtick, Phatt Island, etc., which is impressive considering it was all MIDI and is quite dated now. It will be really awesome if they do a MI2 Special Edition and if they do a good job in modernizing that soundtrack.
I like your site to:D... now dont get a big hed about it
What a bizarre statement.
But my favourite version of the MI theme is the one in LeChuck's Revenge. I'll always remember the day I tried to configure the game to use a "Roland" sound card instead of a "Sound Blaster". It was like day after night. What a blast !
Does your site have the TMI theme on it?
http://www.scummbar.com/mi2/MI2-CD1/01%20-%20Opening%20Themes%20&%20Introduction.mp3
Here's the intro from TSOMI SE:
http://www.scummbar.com/tx/games/mise/mp3/theme.mp3
I definitely think that TOMI needs live instruments. And I think its music is quite good in terms of interactivity, but it's lacking in terms of being memorable.
I played TSOMI recently and I can't hardly take the songs out from my mind. I hardly remember the music from TOMI. I don't think that playing the game more times would help too much either. It's not very noticeable at all. Sam and Max music had more much punch to it and also live instruments.
Well, but after all it's just the first chapter. Having Michael Land on it gives great hopes as does the fact that he is making ¡Muse like transitions on it.
Talking about ¡Muse what is there left to say about Monkey Island 2? I consider it probably the best soundtrack of any videogame ever. Every tune is simply memorable and the interactivity is great. Woodtick theme should win a Grammy for videogames or something.
I couldn't agree more. The Woodtick theme was (and still is) brilliant.
Well, since the thread subject is the Monkey Island theme I assumed that's what we were all talking about rather than whole soundtracks. But to point out a flaw in your reasoning, the same music in Empire Strikes Back that was taken from A New Hope was rerecorded and reperformed, while EMI's was ripped from CMI without rerecording or even using the original source files....I mean come on.....the fire sound effects from the CMI title sequence still being present in EMI is just sloppy.