Overview

Final Fantasy Mix is a bizarre CD full of unreleased material and some remixes of the classic pieces. The balance between synth unreleased pieces and club remixes is not very good at all, but it's the pieces we are more interested about.

Body

Opening the CD is "Tina", which has been remixed by Snow Productions. It's a house remix and you would have no idea it was actually Tina for the first two minutes. Eventually, the tune actually comes on, but these parts sound tacked on. On the whole, the remix sounds a little dated and too repetitive, but it's still worth a listen to hear what they've done. "Friends Beats" is a "Dear Friends" hip-hop remix. This mix is much better and actually incorporates the original a little more. Although it's merry enough to plod along, it just doesn't cut it as a great remix even then. It's a shame as, now SquareDance is around, we can get better dance tracks... "Main Theme Of Final Fantasy IV" is another remix and sounds very dated and very wrong. A reggae beat splattered over the top of the soundtrack version does not make a good item. No ifs or buts. Now on for something a bit better...

Along comes sound synth arranged versions of the older pieces. "Prologue" is a fully arranged version of the Final Fantasy main theme. This is nice, but it just doesn't cut it as well at would have done eight or nine years ago. The tune is still great, but it's not as impressive. "Theme Of Love" suffers the same problem, but, as it's a one off piece, it cannot be overlooked so much. It's a much clearer and better version than the soundtrack and congratulations must go to Uematsu for breathing new life into a well-used song. "The Origin" is an unreleased track and, though it really does nothing new, it will appeal to some die-hard fans. I am one of those, though I was not impressed with it... "Restless Moments", on the other hand, is a true synth piece and is welcome entry here. Full of panic, it struts its stuff well.

"Sea of Silence" is a sombre track but really does nothing new again. It's nice, but not enough to stand out for you to buy the CD. "Matoya", on the other hand, is a remix version done well. Using new drum technology and synth, it brings the original into a new world and depth and shows that this album could have been so very much more if others were done like this. "Mount Of The Sky" is a quirky track and gives a great character. I have no idea why it wasn't released or used before. "Opening Idea Version 2" is a nice little track and it's nice to see what other music could have been put to certain pieces of games. The same can be said for "Flying Ship Version 2". Both are good songs and are worthy of being released.

"Mambo de Chocobo" gives us one of the best arrangements of the Chocobo theme, complete with real instrumentation. You'll want tequila when the track is finished. It's a classy number indeed. Approaching the conclusion, "The Prelude Crystal Remix" sounds like a redundant early 1990s Madonna song. Although it's not dreadful by any means, it's definitely an acquired taste. "Final Fantasy Megamix" is a fun way to finish off the album, if not entirely successful. It is very interesting to see what they've done, and how it could have been better, but that doesn't make it either a good CD or one worth paying out for...

Summary

Final Fantasy Mix is one of those for hardcore fans. Essentially, this is a bungled mix of wannabe tracks. Some are great, but those are tarnished by the lacklustre pieces surrounding them. This is not a worthy buy unless you see it in a bargain sale. Sorry Nobuo!