Customer Reviews

Fable

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

First off I'd like to say that I loved the Fable soundtrack. It's one of my favorite videogame soundtracks, and definitely my favorite American one. That said, I do have a few issues with the soundtrack (and the CD) that others have not pointed out.

1. Danny Elfman. He wrote the first track, the main theme. This is a brilliant theme. Problem is, the theme is the entire soundtrack. See below:

2. Russel Shaw. He didn't write any real original music for this game. Every track in the soundtrack is a variation of a section from Danny Elfman's main theme. Listen to another track, then go back to track one, and you'll find it somewhere in the suite. All Shaw did was do some arrangments. Not to say Shaw didn't do any work, he managed to take one Elfman song and create nearly 40 arrangements from it. But let it be known, they're just arrangements.

3. The CD. The game's actual soundtrack has close to 40 different tracks. The retail CD is obviously missing quite a few. This is probably to keep it at one disc. Japanese import soundtracks tend to be multiple discs (sometimes 4 discs!) which increases production costs and the retail cost (they tend to cost $30+). In America, since the soundtrack CD market is much smaller, the studios don't bother to spend the extra amount to release a $30 soundtrack. They instead will sell an abridged version to keep it at normal CD costs.

That said, the soundtrack is probably worth buying, if you don't have another means of getting the soundtrack. It's great to have if you want to listen to the "best of" from this game in your CD player. The PC version (The Lost Chapters) includes the soundtrack pretty much, as it uses MP3 format. There's no other way to get the 30+ missing tracks.

Most the the times when a Soundtrack is produced from a video game there are two things that are to be expected that would turn off most people. First, that the music is synthesized and second, that the music doesn't stand up well enough on it's own except to those who have already played the game. The Fable soundtrack suffers from none of these. Every track is done completely by the Philharmonic of London. And though only the "Fable Theme" is composed by Danny Elfman, the other songs suffer no loss of quality. Each song stands out on its own with a sense of independence that many game soundtracks do not have. Having played the game, the music immediately provided the player with a sense of adventure and fantasy. Once you entered a town or a forest you gained a great sense of the situation just from the music alone. Currently the song "Summer Fields" has played over 150 times on my computer just because of the great atmosphere it creates. It almost reminds me of the playfulness of "Dawn is a Feeling" from Moody Blues' Days of Future Past. But at the same time a song like "Bowerstone" creates the sense of a bustling town and songs like "Darkwood" and "Lynchfield Cemetery" creates a sense of a dark foreboding place. The range and quality of this work has to be heard to be understood. I buy almost every RPG soundtrack I can get my hands on but this is the only soundtrack I suggest to anyone.

This soundtrack is something that fits the bill whether you need some music to keep you awake while you work a late night in front of the computer screen, whether you want to relax and take an hourlong nap, or whether you simply want to listen to some cool music from a game you played once. It's NOT some kind of undeniable masterpiece, but there are some masterfully written/orchestrated twists and varations to be found.

Something has bothered me ever since I started listening to this: the prevalence of "Danny Elfman!!! Danny Elfman!" name dropping. Great, I'm sure it helps with the marketing, but Danny Elfman's part in the whole thing is completely blown out of proportion. The first track was composed by him (the Main Theme), and everything else is Russell Shaw's baby. Yes, there are many things found in Shaw's work that remind of a two-bar section here or there in Elfman's piece, but there is PLENTY of fresh, new stuff to be found. In comparison, the Main Theme sounds formulaic and uninspired. Don't listen to the majority of what you've heard about this CD. Heck, don't even take it from me, I could be just as full of it as the next guy. Anyways, that's what I wish someone had told me before I'd bought this CD.

Standout tracks include Oakvale (2), Summer Fields (6), and Greatwood (11)...but there isn't one track that doesn't offer something interesting that you'll want to skip back to and listen for again.

This is REALLY well done. Worth the price.

When I first heard that Fable was going to be one of the most involved and detailed RPG's ever, I was already stoked; but then I read that the opening title would be composed by none other than my favorite film composer Danny Elfman and I could barely contain my stoked-ness (?) until the game was released. As it turns out, the theme is quite exceptional and quintessentially Elfman, incorporating the best of his harmonic structures and orchestrations. Elfman's theme is heard behind the opening sequence, and is also used behind several of the cutscenes throughout the game. The rest of the underscore throughout the game, while not composed by Elfman, is very well written and cleverly builds off of Elfmans' themes. The music for Oakvale sounds very similar to "Edward Scissorhands," and the tense battle music for the arena sequence could easily be mistaken for any of Elfmans' heavy orchestral cues from "Planet of the Apes" or "Spiderman." Overall, the music made the game even more enjoyable to play, and is a great listen on its' own.

An album like this does not come very often- holding such charm, such magic, within its music. Russell Shaw and the various composers on this CD have truly created a noteworthy culmination of skill and talent. Probably one of the best songs on tis album is the Oakvale tune- the song sounds like something out of a fairy tale or legend. It has this youthful tone all the way through, and its enchanting melody and triple meter beat weave together into a true work of art. Even if you don't usually buy video game soundtracks, I highly recommend this one- the moral of this story is, this is a beautiful and bewitching album that all will enjoy.

The theme, which is all that Elfman contributed to this set, is stand-alone, the best track in the entire album. It maintains a great tempo, and reminds you of some deep and dark introduction to some masterful movie.

The rest of the tracks are excellent and blend nicely, while complimenting Elfman's work.

You would almost expect this to be a piece for a movie, it doesn't have the feeling of a game composition at all.

Wow, this is one of the most beutifull soundtracks I've ever heard. Many memorable tracks here, my favorite being "Summer Fields". It's all good, I'd recomend it.

if you loved the background music to the game, this is totally for you. worth every penny. love it

Fable is one of the best RPG's I have played in a long time. I never bought an original XBOX, so I did not play this game until I bought an XBOX 360 via the backwards compatibility. The graphics suffer from a few frame-rate problems (especially in cities) but they do not impact the overall experience of the game. The story is very engaging. Often I found myself agonizing over some of the decision you will have to make throughout the course of the game.

The soundtrack is amazing. While the official OST contained 15 or 16 tracks, the music never gets old. It sets the mood and tone of the game - perfectly complementing the story and setting of what the developers were trying to portray.

The only criticism I have about this game is its length. There are a very limited number of quests to complete that are outside the main story. With that said, this game will take you about 20-25 hours to complete.

Danny Elfman and Russel Shaw combined forces to make an awesome video game soundtrack...but I listen to it to get to sleep at night!