Search - Jun Senoue :: Sonic Heroes - Official Soundtrack

Great, great, great, great, great!!!!

Delamaine | Seattle Eastside | 11/22/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"What can I say? We bought the GC version of Sonic Heroes for my 4-year-old son and the tunes were so catchy that I bought the CD for me. I love it, and "Team Chaotix" is the BEST!"

Less than expected, more than given

Delamaine | 02/19/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"While some songs on this soundtrack were a slight let down, there are many good points when it comes to this soundtrack. The songs are catchy, have a beat, and show variety. However, the lack of soft vocal songs can be pretty hard on others who would like to hear some relaxing, emotional ballads.



The main theme is very catchy, with a neat instrumentation to accompany the vocals. When accompanied with the opening sequence, they fit together hand-in-hand.



"We Can" is our theme of friendship (Or Team Sonic's). It's all about working together, never giving up, and always going forward. Everything a young child needs to see in life has been packed into this song. ^^ It's upbeat, the vocalist has sung other songs in the Sonic series, such as, but not limited to, "It Doesn't Matter".



"Follow Me" is Team Rose's theme, which is supposedly sung by Amy Rose, so it's basically about her love for Sonic. It's not very pretty - just your regular pop-ish love song. As usual electric guitar work helps this song. :) The singer has a nice, strong voice.



"This Machine" is Team Dark's theme, a synthesized-sounding song with very nice, mysterious vocals. It's percussive and the sythensizer adds a lovely metallic ring to it, reminding you somewhat of mechanical behemoths sheltered in a lab.



"Team Chaotix"...No Sonic soundtrack is complete without a rap song! This is, as it states, Team Chaotix's theme. The sounds that accompany the rapping are odd...But of course, it's not JUST rapping. There are some vocalized parts in which they actually sing. It's easy-going, loud, and not for those who don't like obnoxious rhythms. :P



"What I'm Made Of" is loud, which is what you can expect in 'last boss battles'. The vocals are slightly raspy sometimes since the guy seems to be stretching to the limit with his attempted 'shouting across a football field' effect. o__o;



Overall, this soundtrack is sure to get you going - and this is only the vocal tracks I reviewed. Very diverse music, but very similar in a way. I recommend this soundtrack to those who just like



listening to songs that actually SOUND different. ^^;"

Not Jun Senoue's best, but best Sonic vocals yet

Antraxx | 10/12/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This album is actually a truncated version of the original soundtrack from the game. It includes the most important stuff, like the main stage themes and the vocal character themes, but, like most American-published game soundtracks, the thing is stuffed onto one disc and sold at a low price; so some of the cutscenes and a few of the boss themes were left out. Also, unfortunately, some pieces only run through once, and so sound too short.



What IS there, is probably sufficient enough for any casual Sonic or game music fan. All of the stage themes are present; (Except the tutorial, "Seaside Gate"), and the instrumental highlights would be: the incredibly catchy, synthy bright-rock of, "Grand Metropolis", and, "Power Plant", (which hearken back to the oldschool-Sonic tune style); the happy-go-lucky, pinball-sounding, "Casino Park"; then there's the refreshing, dark, and moody, "Hang Castle", and "Mystic Mansion"; and the dooms-day, finale, "Final Fortress." The bonus-stage musics from, Naofumi Hataya, are excellent, as well, and she brings her own fresh flavor to the mix, yet still comes off as "Sonic".



But where those pieces EXCEL, others from Senoue-san, and team, just don't ever seem to get off the ground. There are many stage-tunes that just come off more as riffs or jingles, rather than complete compositions. The culprits would be the likes of: "Rail Canyon", "Frog Forest", and "Bullet Station". These songs run so short, and simple that they often grow repetitive (granted, they DIDN'T in-game, but that's when you had something to do other than just LISTEN). I mean, I know that Senoue-san has done that sort of thing in the past, ("Radical Highway", from Sonic Adventure 2 (SA2), and some of the final levels of Sonic Adventure), but the problem HERE is that the "riffs" just aren't as catchy. I often find myself skipping these songs to get to the really good stuff. And, I really just DON'T like, "Lost Jungle": Too weird and random.



But the crowning achievements of this "go-round", would most definitely be the vocal arrangements, (they're why I BOUGHT the cd). While technically less songs, overall, than say, SA2, these pieces are generally more thought-out and performed better. "Follow Me", theme of Team Rose, is easily one of the most professional in-house game vocals I've ever heard, and certainly within the Sonic franchise. It could easily be mistaken for something straight from the radio. Kay Hanley, who also did some songs for, the "Josie and the Pussycats" movie, sings the piece so clear, and with this subtle "bite" in her accent. It totally fits Amy Rose, especially. Then there's the totally AWESOME, "This Machine", performed by Julien-K, which is this dark-alt-rock masterpiece, (reminds me a little of Nirvana), that delves into the complications of being created by a mad man (theme of Team Dark. The chorus is just brilliant!). "Team Chaotix" serves up an infectious beat and chorus transisiton, and, "Sonic Heroes" gets the whole party started with Johnny Gioelli flare. (It also has been extended nicely from it's game version).



The only weak spot in the vocals would be, "We Can", theme of Team Sonic. The tune is actually very good, but the mismatched vocal ranges between Tony Hanrell and Ted Poley leave the piece sounding shrill, and the voices almost break-up at points, due to the high notes. The lyrics are love-'em-hate-'em, and I personally have no problem with them, (they're especially good morals for your kids). Overall, the song is still good, but can be unprofessional at parts.



(I can' comment on, "What I'm Made of", because I haven't beat the game, and so refuse to listen to it until I do)



Overall, I recommend this album; especially to Sonic fans. Jun Senoue still has the magic to produce some of the most foot-tapping, memorable instrumentals and vocal arrangements in the VGM world. It's just that he's not as consistent with that quality all the way through. Honestly, some parts of the OST feel rushed. But where it shines, it SHINES, and the vocals are solid enough to warrant the admission (unless you don't like Sonic vocals in general)."