V’Ball -U.S. Championship- Arrange Album
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Album Title: V’Ball -U.S. Championship- Arrange Album (V’Ball) |
| Record Label: Meldac |
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| Catalog No.: MECG-28002 |
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| Release Date: March 10, 1990 |
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| Purchase: Buy Used Copy |
Overview
Coming from the same company that brought us Kunio-kun and Double Dragon, U.S. Championship V’Ball is a slight departure from what Technōs Japan normally produces. While still being an over the top sports game (in this case volleyball), V’Ball does not feature this same deformed art style that Kunio-kun featured opting for a more “realistic” look. The game was originally released for arcades in 1988, and later ported over to the NES with the music was handled by Kazunaka Yamane, best known for composing for the Double Dragon series. Around the time of the Famicom release, an album containing arranged tracks from the game was released. Does this rather obscure game shine through with its music?
Body
The album opens up with an arranged version of the game’s title theme “V’Ball (Title Back)” as a 1980s rock techno piece. Although similar in style to the Kunio-kun remix album, this theme undoubtedly features better synth and mixing. The use of electric guitar prominently stands out and the synth, while some may consider outdated, is actually not half bad. The real highlight, though, is the electric guitar with its jamming solos. “First Wave (Daytona Theme)” has some rather strange mixing choices. It starts off briefly with the original 8-bit synth, and then goes into the arranged version. This wouldn’t be a problem except that the 8-bit portion is way too quiet in contrast to the rest of the piece. The arranged portion, though, is quite enjoyable. The synth and electric guitar are perfectly mixed together forming a fun and enjoyable arrangement.
“Twilight Game (New York Theme),” on the other hand, is a smooth jazz piece. The delicious saxophone solos are a joy to listen to, and the synth and drum kit adds fitting background. “Sea Breeze Hero (Chicago Theme) -Female Vocal Version-” returns to the rock/techno tone, but is paired this time with strong, yet playful vocals from Yoshihiko Ando with some orchestral flair thrown in halfway through. “$1,000,000 Night (Las Vegas Theme)” is exactly what one would expect from Las Vegas: jazzy music to go along with the city’s casino theme. It starts off with flute and bass, and is later paired with a female chorus. Another lovely saxophone solo comes into play towards the latter part, and takes the piece to its conclusion. “SeaSide Walker (L.A. Theme)” is a wonderful acoustic piece that blends Spanish guitar, electric guitar, keyboard, and techno synth to paint a picture of sunny Los Angeles beaches.
“Beyond the Sky (Hawaii World Cup Theme)” is a calmer, mellower theme. That being said, I still couldn’t help but feel slightly bored by this track in comparison to the rest of the high-powered rock and jazz tracks. “Iron Wing (Aircraft Carrier Theme)” is a jazzy arrangement of faster tempo techno synth and smooth saxophone. “Big Red Attack (U.S.S.R. Match Theme)” again uses the original 8-bit soundtrack before its arrangement section, with the arrangement itself being a fast-paced frenzy of techno and rock fusion. The ending utilizes sports commentator announcers, as if the listener were at the volleyball game. After another short round of the 8-bit soundtrack (though this time it’s more balanced with the arrangement), we get to the rest of “Winner’s Theme (Championship Scene), the final track. It feels like a sad and lonely blue jazz piece, but I feel that it comes off as a bit cheesy.
Summary
I had no idea what to expect from this album going in, but once I was done listening, I was pleasantly surprised. For a video game music album released in 1990 for a rather obscure title, the production values are quite high. It is fantastic that live instruments were used, and the mixing is pretty decent. The album isn’t without its problems though, namely the poor use of outdated 8-bit synth and some songs which feel slightly outdated. What it does get right is the use of different musical styles like rock, techno, and jazz. If you’re a fan of those styles, than this album should serve well as a decent listen. The downside though, is that this album is really rare and went out of print years ago. There’s only one release, and I highly doubt that it will ever be reprinted. Good luck finding it if you can!
Do you agree with the review and score? Let us know in the comments below!
3.5
Posted on June 29, 2015 by Oliver Jia. Last modified on June 29, 2015.
About the Author
Oliver Jia I am a university student based in Kobe, Japan majoring in Japanese and English writing. Having dual American-Canadian citizenship, as well a Chinese and Lebanese heritage, world culture and history are big passions of mine. My goal is to become a university educator specializing in Japanese culture and history, as well as hoping to do translation/interpretation on the side. Hobby-wise, I'm a huge cinema buff and enjoy everything from classic to contemporary film. I love playing all kinds of video games as well and having grown up in a musical household, video game soundtracks are a natural extension of that. At VGMO, I primarily cover Japanese and indie soundtracks, but will occasionally conduct interviews with composers. Some of my favorite VGM artists are Koichi Sugiyama, Nobuo Uematsu, Hideki Sakamoto, and Norihiko Hibino to name a few. As for non-VGM artists, I regularly listen to David Bowie, Japan, Yellow Magic Orchestra, Queen, and Chicago. I hope you will enjoy your time on VGMO!
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