To not know of a new CD released by an ex-Led-Zeppelin-bandmember until a review of it is published in the local newspapers is an extremely strange revelation. It only goes to prove how much attention I have been paying to the rock music world and to the band to whom I worshipped for several years of my life.

The CD in question is Robert Plant’s latest, Mighty Rearranger, which he has created in collaboration with his band Strange Sensation. The cover of the album is Dave-McKean-ish gorgeous and I had the pleasure of listening to a free (note: not illegal but officially free), albeit low quality, quicktime version of one of the songs on the album titled “Shine it All Around”. It is very reminiscent of Led Zeppelin but Robert owns this one. His voice may be older, rougher, but the music has evolved to complement these new vocal qualities.

I’m going to get a copy of the album this weekend. Judging by the ratings in Amazon, the album is probably not going to disappoint. This will be the first rock album I will have bought in ages and I’ve got high hopes about it.

Subjects: Music 音楽

Mood: Raves and Rants

Tags: CD, hard rock, Led Zeppelin, Robert Plant, Strange Sensation

“Watashi wa omoide ni wa naranai sa”…ends 3 of the trailers in Final Fantasy Advent Children, Squaresoft’s attempt at mythologising the iconic villain Sephiroth. カッコいい‼

Other favourite one-liners:
“I am Alpha and Ome’ga, the beginning and the end” — Revelation 21:6
“I am Legend” — Richard Matheson
“I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds” — Robert Oppenheimer (though technically the line did not originate from him)

And as recommended by 傑義, I just watched the FF7 opening remake that was created specially for the PS3 technology demo. Pretty cool, seeing how much technology has evolved over the past 8 years. Before I saw the demo, I actually saw the screenshots, thinking that they were screenshots of the movie, except they seemed a little pixellated. I thought, maybe they were production screenshots or something… Wow.

Subjects: Film, Television & Anime 映像

Mood: Learnings & Quotations, Raves and Rants

Tags: Final Fantasy, Japanese, Square-Enix, Squaresoft

Neil Gaiman is coming to Singapore! This isn’t new news but I just had to write something about it sometime. According to his blog (4 May 2005 entry), he’ll be here around 3-6 July. The fangirl in me is trying to figure out what to get him to sign. Ideally, I would like him to sign my huge Japanified-Morpheus-by-Amano poster(s) but that’s going to be too large to carry anywhere. So I suppose I’ll just bring along the Dreamhunters HC as well as a couple of Sandman books. Maybe I’ll go to Kinokuniya, get myself a copy of the Japanese version of Coraline so that it’ll be something different… ^_^ Wonder what his schedule is going to be like. The 4th-6th are weekdays so I might have to work my leave around his visit once things are more confirmed.

Subjects: Books 書物

Mood: Raves and Rants

Tags: Amano Yoshitaka 天野喜孝, Morpheus, Neil Gaiman, poster, Sandman

Well, from my regular sources, I managed to obtain the music two days from its official release. I played the music in one setting and to be honest I’m not that all impressed by it. (Note that I am listening to the music again as I type this, hoping for a change in opinion.)

Overall it’s a pretty album but nothing really stands out for me. It’s new-age styled music that just goes on and on. The image song with the Scandinavian-like chorals (theme of ‘fatal fight’, etc) is probably the only decently memorable song, but I feel it’s far too repetitive.

Essentially, the album sounds like a continuation of Hack//Sign, with only a few minor themes of Xenosaga I in the background providing some sort of continuity with the previous game. It has nothing of the spiritual-depth of the Xenogears and Xenosaga I OSTS. Honestly, the Nietzsche-inspired title (trans: “Beyond Good and Evil”) sounds a lot menancing than the music is.

Namco, please persuade Mitsuda-sensei to return for the next installment (which will be uh…2006? 2007? :() He really is the link to the series’ continuity.

Subjects: Music 音楽

Mood: Raves and Rants

Tags: CD, Mitsuda Yasunori 光田康典, Nietzsche, soundtrack, Xenogears, Xenosaga