Video Games Live and EMI are to release a CD of their globe-trotting game music concerts, with a digital version up for download today.
Video Games Live: Volume One is downloadable in the UK from today, with the release of the CD and an iTunes exclusive version coming later, to coincide with the VG Live events kicking off in Europe at Leipzig on August 20.
The album features live tracks from Halo, Warcraft and God of War, performed by the Slovak National Orchestra, The Crouch End Festival Chorus and The Video Game Pianist, Martin Leung.
If you've ever been to one of the actual events, you'll know that it's an awesome showcase of some of gaming's very best tunes - though the Tron soundtrack can bugger right off, if you ask us.
The full Volume One tracklist, which if you're interested is now on iTunes, is as follows...
1. Kingdom Hearts Written by Utada Hikaru. Orchestrator: Kaoru Wada
2. Warcraft Suite Composed by Jason Hayes. Orchestrator: Benoît Grey
3. Myst Medley Composed by Robyn Miller; Gallery Theme composed by Tim Larkin
4. Medal of Honor (LIVE) "Operation Market Garden" Composed and orchestrated by Michael Giacchino . Recorded Live in Brazil, South America
5. Civilization IV Medley Composer: Christopher Tin (BMI) . Orchestrator: Christopher Tin . Alto solo: Nathania Reid . Tenor solo: Ron Ragin . Soprano solo: Nicole Bonsol . Choir: Stanford Talisman
6. Tetris Piano Opus No. 1 Originally adapted and arranged from the Russian folk song "Korobeiniki" . Piano Arrangement: Martin Leung . Performed by: Martin Leung
7. God of WarT Montage (LIVE) Composed by Gerard Marino . Recorded Live in Brazil, South America
8. Advent Rising Suite Composers: Tommy Tallarico, Michael Plowman, Emmanuel Fratianni, Laurie Robinson . Orchestrated by Emmanuel Fratianni, Laurie Robinson and Christopher Nickel
9. Tron Montage Composed by Wendy Carlos; Orchestrated and adapted for Video Games Live by David Kates . Synthesizers programmed and performed by Matt Robertson
10. Halo Suite Composers: Martin O'Donnell and Michael Salvatori . Orchestrated by Emmanuel Fratianni, Laurie Robinson, Martin O'Donnell and Michael Salvatori . Guitars: Tommy Tallarico, Steve Vai, Chris Kline and Marcus Henderson . Voiceover: Cindy Shapiro
11 Castlevania Rock (LIVE) Composers: Kinuyo Yamashita (Castlevania), Club Kukeiha (Castlevania III) and Michiru Yamane (Castlevania: Symphony of the Night) . Arranged by Tommy Tallarico . Guitars: Tommy Tallarico and Dweezil Zappa . Keyboards: Martin Leung . Drums: Joe Travers . Bass: Peter Griffin . Recorded at Plaza Calafia Bullring - Mexicali, Mexico
I think I'll pass. I was really looking forward to this, but with the main (for me) tracks removed/replaced (Zelda, Mario and Sonic) it's rather lacking.
What a terrible selection songs! I would like to hear Tetris and that's it, like others I was hoping for some classic melodies given the VGL treatment, Halo was already beautifully composed, why cover it?
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