While looking through old game magazines, I came across this unusual ad for something called “The Best of Final Fantasy 1994–1999: A Musical Tribute” (as advertised in December 2000 issue of GameFan magazine). This CD brings together a handful of tracks from Final Fantasies VI through VIII. Looking at a listing for the CD, it looks like these arrangements were performed specifically for this CD by a company called DCC Compact Classics.
I have no idea who DCC Compact Classics were or why they decided to do a Final Fantasy album, but it looks like their label Big Ear Music had a habit of doing unofficial, unlicensed albums “inspired by” major movies around the turn of the millennium. Like their album inspired by Armageddon. Or their music inspired by “the Lethal Weapon motion pictures.”
I get the impression that Big Ear Music wasn’t totally above board with getting permissions for their CDs, and especially not with their Final Fantasy album. The back of the case explains that “Final Fantasy” is a registered trademark of Squaresoft, and that this music isn’t taken from the games but rather is inspired by the games. But like… this is just the game music, right? I know people cover game music all the time, but there’s a difference between somebody’s Bandcamp album and a commercial CD released in the 90s that took out ads in game magazines, isn’t there? I would’ve loved to be a fly on the wall at DCC Compact Classics’ legal meetings, because I feel like Square could have obliterated them if they wanted to.
Anyway, this album apparently sucks ass. I can’t find recordings anywhere online, but a vintage review from RPGFan raved that “words can’t describe the bad taste in my mouth at the utter lack of enjoyment from this CD” and described its rendition of “Liberi Fatali” as “undistinguishable” and “awful.” It sounds like it’s just clunky MIDI renditions of the FF6, 7 and 8 soundtracks.
Nothing to write home about, I guess. So instead, let’s talk about the four tracks they selected as “the best”:
- Liberi Fatali
- My Mind
- The Spy
- Mods De Chocobo
I can’t disagree with the first two choices. “My Mind” is one that I have eagerly gone to bat for.
But those other two choices. “The Spy” is such a goofy piece of music: a spy-porno pastiche that plays over the scene where Selphie sneaks into a military base and intentionally breaks their computers. I know some people (co-editor AL among them) who will go to bat for this song, but it is extremely hard for me to put it even close to the top four when there’s music like “Waltz for the Moon,” “Balamb Garden,” “Shuffle or Boogie,” and fucking “Man with the Machine Gun.”
Then there’s “Mods de Chocobo,” which is FINE, but it’s such a weird choice for, again a top-four list. If you’re going to do one Chocobo song for this album, why not “Electric de Chocobo”? (I will give them a pass for not including “Techno de Chocobo” from Final Fantasy VI, maybe the weirdest version.)
All I’m saying is, I do not trust the good people of DCC Compact Classics, but I WOULD buy an album that’s just twelve copies of “Man with the Machine Gun.”