Overview

I've grown fond of the Sega Rally series since I've started reviewing them. When I found out there was an arrange album for the second game's soundtrack, I was pretty excited. Considering it also featured Yoshihiro Ike, who did a fantastic arrange album for Star Ocean: The Second Story, I was sold. Is this album worth a purchase?

Body

The album itself is quite short, containing only eight tracks, of which seven are unique. "MNF," arranged by Tatsuhiko Funuyo, keeps a firm urban jazz style while adding some soulful vocal samples, given it a bit of a Motown sound. Another jazzy arrangement by LOWDOGS, entitled "Searchin' for My Dreams," is a vocal arrangement. It's pretty interesting in the fact that it has a soul sound to it, yet it mixes some modern elements to it, such as the DJ scratching. It reminds me a lot of the more modern Persona soundtracks. I wonder if Meguro had any inspiration from these. "Estrada Nova" is definitely one of my favorites on the album. It's a fantastic rock arrangement with a wonderful bass line and some edgy guitar work with some synth accents. I think Hideyuki Yonekawa did a fantastic job on this one. Tetsuya Yamamoto, on the other hand, goes for a more techno/trance arrangement for "Route 246." It reminds me a bit of the crazy Supersweep additions to the Ridge Racer series, but definitely toned down a bit.

The remaining four arrangements are split between Yoshihiro Ike and Minoru Mukaiya. Ike's first arrangement, "Soul on Desert," is a very catchy jazz theme. The saxophone is definitely the star of the show here, but the other elements, such as the piano and percussion, help to support the strength of the arrangement. Mukaiya's first arrangement, "Ignition '98... In the Groove," is an awesome rock/techno fusion with some interesting vocal samples, an industrial rhythm, and some interesting pacing.

Interestingly enough, both Ike and Mukaiya arrange "Go Go! Sega Rally." Mukaiya's arrangement, which opens the album, definitely sets the pace for the jazz atmosphere many of the arrangements contain. It features some excellent guitar and piano passages, which are easily the best parts of the arrangement. Ike's arrangement ends the album and also retains that nice jazz style. Similar to "Soul on Desert," there is a heavy focus on saxophone and there is a funky groove throughout most of it. Between the two, it's a tough call, as there are elements to each I like, but I think I'll have to go with Ike's because the electric guitar solo really surprised me, given the lack of it throughout most of the arrangement.

Summary

Although this album is short, it's definitely worth looking at. While the majority of the arrangements are in a jazz style, there are some welcome departures from this style, in the form of rock and electronica. I think the arrangers did a fantastic job making these pieces their own and the quality is top notch!