Another Homages/Rip Offs post? OK yes, this is the fourth one I've done in about a year BUT there's a twist to this particular post! Instead of comparing Rock/Metal songs to other Rock/Metal songs, I'll be looking at pieces of music composed for video games and comparing them with existing Rock/Metal songs (or vice versa, depending on which came first). To clarify, I'm not talking about licensed tracks used in video games like Guitar Hero or GTA, I'm talking 100% video game music compared and contrasted with 100% Rock/Metal.
Also, whilst I'd usually list both the bands in the round number and then talk about the individual songs before the verdict, I'll be naming the band and the video game franchise in the round number before discussing individual songs and the title for the piece of music/level it's featured in. Not only that but I'll also include a YouTube link to the piece of video game music, just in case you want to compare tunes but didn't have the same childhood as mine. As for the composers of the video game music, I'll credit them if I can find the correct information online.
Right then, we all know the format. If not, here's the last post for you to brush up on. Let's get started!
ROUND ONE: Spyro The Dragon vs. Gov't Mule
Cloud Spires - It was tempted to pick a song by The Police and compare that to something composed by Stewart Copeland for Spyro The Dragon ("Next To You" probably) but it turns out there's an even better song to look at, which I'll get to later. First, this tune from Spyro: Year Of The Dragon (3rd game in the original PS1 trilogy) has what I'd call a classic Spyro The Dragon sound; organ accompaniment, strong guitar riff, upbeat and fun game music at its finest. I should note that the song I'm comparing sounds like a mish-mash of Spyro music so feel free to check out some similar sounding tunes: Sunny Villa, Mushroom Speedway and probably a bunch from Spyro 2: Gateway To Glimmer that I've forgotten about.
Streamline Woman - OK, I first heard this song in Guitar Hero 5 BUT this isn't the video game song in question. It's a Southern Rock track with some pretty sweet riffs throughout and a fun little middle-eight after the guitar solo. It comes in just after the two minute mark but the particular section of that I'm comparing starts around 2:17. It may not sound identical but I can't be the only person to think this little section of the song sounds like it was plucked out of Spyro The Dragon.
VERDICT - Small spoilers for this post but this is the only round on the list where the video game came before the Rock song! Even though Spyro: Year Of The Dragon came out about six years before the Gov't Mule song, I doubt this Southern Rock outfit knowingly copied the tune or even the general sound of the game's music. That being said, I'm giving the win to Spyro The Dragon as I'd much rather listen to the Cloud Spires music than "Streamline Woman", which somehow becomes more repetitive than video game music.
ROUND TWO: Queen vs. Pokemon
We Will Rock You - Even if you don't like Rock music, this is one of those songs that EVERYONE knows the chorus to. It's anthematic and even though the faster version of this track often played live is far superior to the original, you can't deny that the classic BOOM-BOOM-CLAP and delivery of the song's title is fucking awesome...you know, when you haven't heard it to death.
Vs. Champion/Rival - The final battle music from Pokemon Red/Blue/Yellow and yes, I know it's 8-bit; just stick with it. When you get to the 14 second mark, a little tune plays that sounds astonishingly similar to the Queen classic. Not much else to say about comparing the two but in terms of the music itself, it's a pretty fantastic tune to hear when you finally face your rival. You only ever hear it at that point in the game and the stabbing notes played throughout make it sound more dramatic. Top tune and I'd love to hear a remixed orchestral version of it.
VERDICT - Not only do I believe that Junichi Masuda had influence from Queen to come up with that tune (which is by far the most polite way of saying he ripped it off), but I'm giving the win to Queen as well. I love the Final Battle theme but it just doesn't have the same power as the Queen original, even if it is more dramatic.
ROUND THREE: Survivor vs. Ratchet & Clank
Eye Of The Tiger - Another iconic Rock anthem, always associated with themes of underdogs fighting their way to the top. As soon as you hear the "dugga-dugga-dugga-dugga" of the guitar kick in, you immediately know what you're in for, arguably more so than with the main power chords. It's also got a simplistic but notable bassline designed to emphasise the drumbeat and rhythm of the song.
Korthos Sector, Pirate Radio 6 - Admit it, this is fucking obvious. Even more obvious than the last track, which is saying something. The only main difference between this and the Survivor song is that instead of vocals, we get a synth playing the main melody. Anyway, since Ratchet & Clank: A Crack In Time allows you to fly around different sectors of the galaxy and listen to a few radio stations containing music composed by Boris Salchow, there are many tracks to enjoy and Pirate Radio is essentially the Rock radio station of the game. It contains a bunch of tunes similar to Rock hits, including one heavily inspired by "Are You Gonna Be My Girl?" - Jet that I was tempted to write about instead of this one.
VERDICT - If I'd picked the Jet rip-off...yeah, I probably would've given it to Ratchet & Clank. However, since I've talked about how Jet copied Iggy Pop already, I picked these two tracks and hence the win goes to Survivor. They created the iconic song and Boris Salchow rewrote it for the game. Nothing wrong with that, as it's definitely a homage instead of a rip-off, but he doesn't deserve the win for it.
ROUND FOUR: Shocking Blue vs. Croc
Venus - A song made famous in modern years by an advert for a women's razor blade. It's notable for its chord progression, key change in the verse and lyrics in the chorus. It's not a bad little tune and it's easily the band's biggest hit, although I personally prefer "Send Me A Postcard". It's hardly a Rock classic or even a Psychedelic Rock classic, as there are plenty of them to name. It'd be pretty easy to lift and, I dunno, rewrite to fit into an appropriately themed level.
Venus Von Fly-Trappe - Guess what my verdict on this piece of music from Croc 2 is going to be? If you thought it was obvious enough by the name, give it a listen. They use the exact chord progression from the verse and chorus, albeit spiced up a little to sound more tribal. Plus, they also slipped a crafty Sound Of Music reference in there and all! I'm not sure if this game was released before or after the razor adverts but there's no denying the glaring similarities.
VERDICT - Karin Griffin obviously intended this adaptation of "Venus" to be an in-joke among parents who knew the song whilst their kid played this game but it's impossible to say it's merely a homage. It's one of those rare tracks that's simultaneously a homage and rip-off but even with that judgement in mind, I'm giving the win to Croc 2. I like the Shocking Blue original but the tune just sounds more appropriate as the music preceding a boss battle with a giant venus fly trap in a caveman village.
ROUND FIVE: The Beatles vs. Earthbound
When I'm Sixty Four - I think I have more fond memories of this song due to the Yellow Submarine cartoon, not the actual song itself. It's a jolly little number about growing old and sticking together, the antitheses of "Help!" in tone if you will. There isn't really a specific part of this song that's similar to the video game music but if you listen to this track and recall the overall sound and chord progression, it's remarkably similar to this next piece.
Buy Somethin' Will Ya! - I can't say I have much interest in this franchise but I do like this little tune. Definitely one of my favourite shop themes from video games (along with the shop theme from Legend Of Zelda: Ocarina Of Time/Wind Waker) and something I can listen to for ages before getting bored of it. However, the jaunty bass, simplistic rhythm and structure of the tune sound almost identical to that of "When I'm Sixty Four".
VERDICT - It's fairly well known in the Earthbound/Mother community that composers Keiichi Suzuki and Hirokazu Tanaka were heavily inspired by John Lennon (Suzuki in particular) when making the music for Earthbound, one of the significant reasons for licensing issues with the game overseas. However, even though I love The Beatles, I'm not a humongous fan of "When I'm Sixty Four" (although I like it on occasion) so I give the win to Earthbound. It's short, it's cute and it's catchier than the original track, even when played on repeat for half an hour. Perfect drug store music!
ROUND SIX: Styx vs. Super Smash Bros.
Heavy Metal Poisoning - Not one of Styx's most well known tracks but a solid track off Kilroy Was Here, the album that gave us "Mr. Roboto". It also starts off with some creepy backmasking before a guitar riff kicks the song off and it's that riff that we're looking at. Once you've finished listening to that opening riff, do yourself a favour and enjoy the rest of the song once more...well, at least until the four and a half minute mark where it starts losing the plot a little.
Ground Theme/Super Mario Bros. 3 - A rearranged tune originally from an old Mario game but jazzed up for Super Smash Bros. Melee. I didn't use the original tune because it sounds nothing like the Styx riff but with the use of crunching overdrive, the opening guitar riff to this sounds pretty close to "Heavy Metal Poisoning". Fortunately, both pieces of music are completely different after that.
VERDICT - Yeah, it's going to Styx. I doubt Shogo Sakai has even heard that Styx track so it's not a case of homage or rip off. With that in mind, I put it to which track I think is better and honestly, I was never a fan of the Super Mario Bros ground themes. They're cute but outside of the games, they get old pretty fast.
ROUND SEVEN: Cheap Trick vs. Street Fighter
Mighty Wings - I should really listen to more Cheap Trick, as they've got a pretty solid back catalogue with some great Rock tracks buried by radio friendly singles such as "I Want You To Want Me" and "Dream Police". This track was written for the Top Gun soundtrack and recorded by Cheap Trick so the intro has a few similarities to "Danger Zone" - Kenny Loggins, albeit without the same edge that makes that song awesome. What I'm basically saying is I don't really care for this track despite liking Cheap Trick...that and the intro is what I'm focusing on.
Ken's Theme - Got to say, I prefer the Super Street Fighter II Turbo version of the original but I still prefer this theme to Ryu's and, yes, maybe even Guile's. Anyway, the intro sounds like a stripped back, sped up version of the Cheap Trick hit, at least for the first few notes. After that, it breaks into a different tune designed to accompany fighting rather than flying.
VERDICT - Similar to the last round, I don't believe Yoko Shimomura was a Cheap Trick fan or even subtly decided to nick the song from Top Gun for this game. However, unlike the last round, I'm giving the win to Street Fighter as I definitely prefer Ken's Theme to "Mighty Wings". If "Mighty Wings" was a bit faster though...I dunno.
ROUND EIGHT: Supertramp vs. The Last Tinker
Give A Little Bit - I used to be intensely bored by this song but only after listening to the whole thing start to finish did I realise how much I truly love it. It's probably the outro that did it for me but most people will know this song for the opening guitar chords and vocals. In fact, it's that section and the bit that starts "there's so much that we need to share" that I'm comparing to the next tune.
Tinkertown's Market Hymn - I'm surprised more games from the last decade aren't in this list but for those of you who haven't played The Last Tinker: City Of Colour, it's a great little platformer with a unique soundtrack. To me, this song has a few little similarities to the Supertramp one but nothing concrete like some of the others on this list. However, every time I hear this tune, I can't help but hum the lyrics to "Give A Little Bit" and now, you will too. Sorry.
VERDICT - Fuck, this is a tricky one. I love listening to both of them and even though I don't think the piece of music is close enough to Supertramp's song to call it a rip off or homage, I reckon FBP may have been subtly influenced by the sound of that track IF he'd heard it. I'm giving the win to both Supertramp and The Last Tinker for creating two similar but ultimately different tunes that I love to listen to equally. By the way, if you are following the links to the video game music, I recommend checking the rest of the soundtrack out for The Last Tinker: City Of Colours on that bandcamp page and supporting the guy if you can afford it.
ROUND NINE: Motley Crue vs. Legend Of Zelda
Looks That Kill - Not my favourite Motley Crue track but a solid Hair Metal tune. I should probably thank Wikipedia for this comparison as I wouldn't have picked it up myself had I not remembered something I read on the page for this song about seven years ago. When the chorus starts, the guitar plays sustained notes before returning to the intro riff. Remember those notes and the order they go in!
Palace Theme - After the introduction, those notes from the Motley Crue song are arranged in more or less the same way here. Pretty spooky, right? They're practically the same song if you ignore the 8-bit sound, the different tempo, the music in the background and the fact that Zelda II: The Adventure Of Link definitely, definitely, DEFINITELY wouldn't have taken inspiration from an American Hair Metal band to promote itself.
VERDICT - The mild similarities between these songs have got to be coincidental so Akito Nakatsuka gets away with it this time. However, what he doesn't get away with is the win for this round, as I'm awarding it to Motley Crue and Motley Crue alone. I may not care for that song but I damn sure prefer it to the Legend Of Zelda one, even if it sounds pretty good when rearranged properly for Super Smash Bros. Melee.
ROUND TEN: Bon Jovi vs. Mega Man
Runaway - Our last song on this list is a decent Hard Rock track that often gets snubbed in favour of something off the Slippery When Wet album when people choose Bon Jovi tracks to play. I was going to review Bon Jovi's latest album, This House Is Not For Sale, this week but since it has yet to appear on Spotify, I don't see why I should listen to it. Anyway, the synth intro to this song is what we're comparing here. Listen to the notes played and then check this little tune out.
Stage Select - Not the best tune from the first Mega Man but if you slowed it down and imagined it wasn't 8-bit, it would sound a hell of a lot like the Bon Jovi song. It's about as close as you can get to the "Runaway" intro without straight up plagiarising it but I can't help but wonder what it would've sounded like if Mega Man was released today, you know with a proper orchestral soundtrack. I think everyone would want to hear the Mega Man 2 soundtrack with an orchestra and I bet, if you look hard enough online, you'll find one.
VERDICT - If the Stage Select tune was a little longer and not quite as irritating after a while...nah, I'd still give it to Bon Jovi. Great song, great intro; sorry Manami Matsumae.
Did I miss any obvious comparisons? Maybe some orchestral tune from a JRPG that sounds like Boston or Judas Priest? Let me know in the comments or via Twitter if there are any songs that sound incredibly similar to video game music and I'll check them out. Hell, I might even add them to this post.
Next week, it'll either be another video game related post OR a Rapid Fire post.
No comments:
Post a Comment