Overview

Namco Music Saloon ~ from GO VACATION features classic Namco tunes arranged by Norihiko Hibino in both instrumental and vocal performances that were used in the Wii game, Go Vacation. How does the end result turn out?

Body

This album is split down the middle when it comes to the types of arrangements on the album. Since it is my least favorite aspect of the album, I’ll start with the vocal arrangements at first. While I can’t really fault the vocalists for doing their job, as they are generally performed well, I think that the vocals definitely take away from the ability to enjoy the album, mainly due to the lyrics. As for the music that accompanies the vocals, it is generally a good accompaniment that otherwise saves the pieces. The album opens with “Crusin’,” an arrangement of a tune from New Rally-X, which features a swing rock vibe and sports a pretty awesome solo. “Word Games for Two,” an arrangement from Kotoba no Puzzle Mojipittan definitely gives me vibes of “Summer Lovin’” from Grease and “La Bamba” with its rock approach.

“Papaya Beach,” an arrangement from Kotoba no Puzzle Mojipittan Daijiten, has a bit of a tropical vibe with some beautiful saxophone work. Of the vocal themes, this one isn’t as obnoxious, as the vocals serve more as an accompaniment rather than really being in the forefront of the tune. “Blinky and Clyde,” an arrangement from Pac-Man, also gives a swing rock vibe and once again, the instrumental sections are definitely the highlights of the piece. “And Then There’s Sunshine,” an arrangement from Family Ski, is probably one of my least favorite vocals. I’m not a big fan of the rap-like vocals mixed with more melodic style vocals. The big band/funk approach of the music is appreciated though. “U.F.O” from Family Ski World Ski & Snowboard, continues this jazzy funk style, which is nice, but once again, I’m not a huge fan of the vocals on this tune.

“Aloha Is Worth 8 Points,” an arrangement from Kotoba no Puzzle Mojipittan has a tropical vibe that is accentuated by steel drums and other various percussion elements, but the vocal performance is really distracting to me. “Welcome to Kawaii,” an arrangement from the same game, features a ton of slap bass and has a Hawaiian soundscape to it. Compared to “Aloha Is Worth 8 Points,” this tune is definitely more successful in terms of a vocal performance, especially since I find the instrumental backing less satisfying than other themes. “Love Maze,” from Ridge Racer Type-4, is probably my favorite of the vocal themes on the album. The sultry vocals go well with the smooth jazz sound of this arrangement and the instrumental sections are quite impressive as well.

The last two vocals are original themes composed for the game. “Vacation,” the theme used in the Japanese version, has surfer rock vibe for sure, which definitely helps the vocals. The vocals themselves are pretty nice; however, the lyrics, while fitting for the game, just do nothing for me. “Vacation (from Go Vacation US Version)” has definitely more of a rock vibe that definitely doesn’t fit that well with the vacation-y vibe of the original tune. Perhaps this was created to cater towards the US audience, but I find it to be less satisfying than the original.

Fortunately, the instrumental arrangements help to save the album, in my opinion. “Colored Dirts and Grass Skirts,” from Dig Dug, has a Hawaiian style to it that really makes me think of a vacation on an island far away. The strings performance has a bit more of a rustic quality to it which I think works well with the acoustic guitar accompaniment. “My Little Darlin,” also an arrangement from Dig Dug, keeps with the Hawaiian vibe, although here there is definitely more of a jazzy aspect to the strings work. “Starry Ocean,” from Galaga, and “Masalada Break,” from Mappy, also keeps the nice island vibe going. The focus on the ukulele, both in accompaniment and melody, is also quite welcome.

“Red Car/Blue Car Shuffle,” from New Rally-X, keeps with the swing rock vibe of “Crusin,” but due to the lack of vocals, it is a much more enjoyable tune and the brass is fun and bubbly. “Race to the Cove,” from Ridge Racer, has a fantastic beach vibe that is accentuated by the focus on steel drums, jazzy piano, bass, and frenetic percussion that really manages to capture the essence of the original, albeit in a very different style. “The Town Power Pellets Built” and “Sweet Grass” both come from the Pac-Man series. The former has a strong focus on saxophone and though the accompaniment does help give it a bit of a tropical vibe, I find this to be one of the weaker instrumental tunes on the album. “Sweet Grass” definitely has more of a country vibe with its violin work and rustic acoustic guitar accompaniment. “Hilltop Breeze, from Toy Pop, also has a bit of a country twang to it, although with an island vibe as well, that works well together. Lastly, “Hotel Kawaii,” also from Toy Pop, is probably one of my favorite instrumental pieces on the album. It is a beautiful lounge jazz piece with a strong focus on piano that really draws the listener in. This is definitely the style of music that I think Hibino is best at composing, so this arrangement is welcome. I only wish more of the album was like this.

Summary

This album is split between vocal performances and instrumental arrangements almost equally and as such, it can be a soundtrack that will be sure to split opinions. On one hand, the music itself is arranged nicely, whether it be instrumental or vocal based, but I find the vocal performances to be a huge distraction, for the most part, and really hampers my enjoyment of the album. For those who enjoy vocal performances with lyrics that are, to me, a bit ho-hum, definitely give this album a shot; however those only looking for Hibino’s instrumental stylings may be interested in looking at one of his instrumental arrangement albums only.