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22 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Wolf's Rain OST 2 da bomb!!!, September 10, 2004
The series wasn't as good as I thought it would be; being that it was made by the same people responsible for Cowboy Beop (and music composed by the legendary Miss Yoko Kanno of Cowboy Bebop as well)... I guess they needed the same director (Watanabe) though to pull it off better... HOWEVER, the music and songs Miss Kanno composed for this series are just superb!!! She's got a Brazilian theme going on with this one (as Gregorian chanting in Escaflowne and jazz in Cowboy Bebop)...
1. Heaven's Not Enough - I love all of Steve Conte's works in everything Yoko Kanno's composed for any series... I don't consider this song one of THE best but it's still very nice... I particularly like the end-part of the song...
2. Shiro, Long Tail's - The piece plays almost exactly like Shiro (from OST 1, track 7) but it's a bit longer... This one still sounds different though than Shiro... Frankly, I can't figure out which one I like better of the two... Both are great pieces...
3. cycle - A Gabriela Robin piece with some eccentric lyrics... I can't quite put my finger to what this song really reminds me of... Otherwise, it's a great tune... Not a fave though...
4. Beyond Me - This one's a very peaceful guitar-based music with some strings... I like the transcending tune of the first part to the middle part as well the 'chorus' of the piece...
5. Mouth Of Fire - The track begins with some traditional-like folk music with clapping and drums... Then it shifts to a catchy tune played by a string instrument (violin perhaps?)... Makes my body move to the song whenever I hear it...
6. Hounds - A laid-back guitar piece... And guess what?... It captures a laid-back atmosphere too... The flute playing is a nice touch too...
7. Rain Of Blossoms - Starts with a lively combination of strings and wind instruments... Then calms down to the end...
Nicely put in the anime I should say...
08. Separated - A melancholy piece played mainly by guitar...
09. escape - Man, when I heard this piece in the anime, I was floored... Yoko Kanno, yes, she does it again!... I adore this piece very much... Gotta admit, it captures the atmosphere of a rooftop escape...
10. Face On - Not my fave... But I like how the music climaxes with strong violins...
11. tsume's sand - This one played when Kiba and Tsume first encountered each other as wolves (if I remember correctly)... This piece has a very futuristic sound to it...
12. Flying To You - Ilaria Graziano sung this somewhat melancholy piece that's also somewhat Bjork-esque as well sounding as a torch song...
13. Night Owl - Forboding music that pictures a dark and damp place... And HEY! I think it works!!!...
14. forest of death - This sounds more like a mech march to me... Maybe it's a connotation for a forest of death... I like how it feels like your running away from someone or something...
15. indiana - A Native American-like music... It's calm but not that repeatable to listen to...
16. Amore Amaro - Franco Sansalone provided his raspy voice to this drunkard music as I'd like to call it... Not my fave...
17. friends - A sad piano solo then blends with some strings and woodwind... I don't particuarly find myself listening to this; but I think it's a very nice piece...
18. Tell Me What The Rain Knows - I didn't quite like this song as much as other people... This is the season ending song for Wolf's Rain, mind you... I don't think it's bad at all, but I would've like Cloud 9 better to end the series (track 22)...
19. Float - One of those pieces I rarely listen to...
20. Tance - Another one I don't listen too often...
21. Sad Moon - Weird, but this one reminds me of Princess Mononoke (y'know, the Hayao Miyazaki film; buy the OST too!!!)
22. Cloud 9 - Yes sir, yes ma'am!... I sure do love this song (even though it's exactly the same as Laurent Voulzy's Une Heroine--which I recommend listenting too as well)... It starts great, has a fantastic chorus, and is sung by the angelic-voiced Maaya Sakamoto... This is, no doubt, my most favourite song Ms. Yoko Kanno composed for Wolf's Rain... And YES, I like this song better than Gravity (but only by a small margin)...
23. Go To "Rakuen" - A hidden track... I guess this is the recurring music for the series (as Adieu is for Cowboy Bebop and Ark for Brain Powerd).... I love this piece too... It builds up and builds up to a VERY nice climax... I like how there's some radio-like talkings in the middle of the piece... Nice touch!...
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An Outstanding Piece, August 5, 2006
This soundtrack has one track that I don't particularly care for. Out of 23. This is probably one of the best soundtracks I have ever heard.
Heaven's Not Enough - Excellent song. It stays quiet for the first two and a half minutes, making it seem very peaceful. Then, it crescendoes into the main piece of the song. It's one of those things where you can close your eyes and feel utterly relaxed. Just amazing.
Shiro, Long Tails - This is Shiro from OST 1, but extended. The extension is worth it. It is a very natural extension of the piece, taking it away from the same melody that we have heard for the entire song, yet it does not lose the dramatic essence of the piece.
Cycle - Don't listen to this one very often, but a very cool song. The instrumentation and vocals blend together very well, and the chorus is particularly good.
Beyond Me - One of the saddest pieces in the show, especially if you recognize the scenes in which this music plays. The lone guitar starts it until they add in a strings section, making for a beautiful piece.
Mouth on Fire - Love it. I love the total percussion at the beginning of the song. Then they have a great melody solo before they bring in the full orchestra. It makes for a very cool song that doesn't move fast or slow. It moves at just the right pace.
Hounds - A very peaceful, cool tune. I call it a tune because it almost plays out like a jazz tune. It's very cool. And the flute in the song at about a minute in is the highlight of the song.
Rain of Blossom - The only one I don't really like. It just doesn't fit with the show. Now I don't remember the song, but it's just very odd and happy, not something that would normally be Wolf's Rain.
Separated - A beautiful piece. It is a lone guitar playing melody with strings in the background playing harmony. Very beautiful, if a bit long. Not as sad as Beyond Me, but it is a sad piece.
Escape - A personal favorite. Extremely fast-paced, it is aptly named. In the middle of the song, there is a pause, and you wonder if the song is over. Then it comes back in full force, making for a fast and intense piece.
Face On - A dark piece, this song incorporates some modern elements, then brings in a strings section. The combination is extremely interesting and quite well done.
Tsume No Suna - I don't listen to this one very often, but it's a cool tune. It is probably the most modern instrumental song of the soundtrack, mainly incorporating techno-style elements and not using much orchestral stuff.
Flying To You - A nice song, it is fairly peaceful and quiet, a good respite in the soundtrack after the last three fast songs. One thing that is very interesting is the sunthesized glisses that constantly go up and down throughout the whole song.
Night Owl - A creepy song, this one makes you want to look over your shoulder to see if someone's there. It has that creepy feeling that makes you uncomfortable, yet it is a very cool tune. There are crescendoes interspersed in it that heighten the creepiness. With each crescendo, a new instrument is put into the mix, making a very interesting song.
Forest of Death - The military song of the album, this makes good use of percussion, heightening the intensity and feeling of danger that accompany this song. It is quickly paced and is very good.
Indiana - A flute solo, this is a nice song, though not one of my favorites. It is sort of like the song from OST 1 that is basically an old guy chanting most of the time, though I forget the title
Amore Amaro - I don't listen to this tune often, but it is very nice, with good piano and vocal instrumentation. It is a very simple song, remaining only a piano and a singer, but it is very good.
Friends - The saddest and most beautiful song I have ever heard. This song is worth the price of the soundtrack. A beautiful piano solo to start the song, then incorporating a full orchestra before the final minute which is the same as the beginning, except being a flute solo with a piano playing the bass cleff in the background. This song will make you cry.
Tell Me What the Rain Knows - My only complaint with this song is that it is too short. It is an interesting song, being basically the only one to employ a full traditional orchestra along with vocals.
Float - Don't listen to this one very often, but it's a very good song.
Trace - Very interesting, as it is sad, and yet it is intense at the same time. This music plays in the series when we discover the truth about Hige, so it is very appropriate music and very nice.
Sad Moon - One of the better pieces on the soundtrack, it is a fitting penultimate in true Wolf's Rain style, as it is not sad or happy, it is neutral. At the end of the piece, it becomes extremely dark, highlighting the events of the show from the episode.
Cloud Nine - A fitting conclusion, I love this song. It is upbeat, not quite on the level of Stray, but still upbeat. It's an enjoyable song, particularly once the vocals start. It also sticks with a modern band, further enhancing its likeness to Stray.
Go to Rakuen - I say Cloud 9 is the conclusion because this is a bonus track. It is an extended version of Requiem/Rakuen from OST 1. It is once again beautiful, but the added two minutes only enhance it. Instead of a sad conclusion, it ends on a positive note while still keeping in mind the losses that have been incurred throughout the series.
All in all, Wolf's Rain OST 2 is one of the best soundtracks I own. It was a great decision to buy, with a lot of variety. One thing that is very good about this CD is that it doesn't shortchange you like most anime soundtracks do. This CD has more than an hour of music as opposed to the seeminly typical fifty minutes for an anime soundtrack. Well worth whatever price you pay.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
I love this music, July 18, 2005
I simply cannot get enough of Yoko Kanno. So far, the Wolf's Rain soundtracks are my favorite works by Kanno, because they are diverse, like most of her stuff, and have so much drama and beauty to them, not much unlike the anime series they were written for. I liked the first one, but for some reason this one really blows me away. The orchestra is a little bit bigger, I think. If you don't like orchestra music some of this might bore you, but I think you should give it a chance, because the violins and such simply accentuate Yoko Kanno's song writing technique. This is very emotional music and some of the songs, like the "hidden" track at the end, just seem to hearten you with the passion that must have gone into preforming them.
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