Agreed. The sweep arpeggios are spot-on, but the tapping section that follows is slop.

Hmm, is there something wrong with me when all those samples sound very sweet to my ears.

Adding a "nay, but I still want to hear the rest".

This is far from the aural sex I was hoping for from a full-blown Rockman rock arrange. Actually makes me appreciate the original in all its' 8 seconds of glory all the more.

I'll probably end up getting this, if only because I've nothing else better to get right now. I've pretty much hit all current releases for RPGs lately, so...

The samples I've heard so far have been good.

Not caring alot for the tracklist, though; Yamato and Cut, as do the entire MMI & VI soundtrack rank on the least memorable for me, with VI being less memorable than I. I don't really remember either though, to be honest.

11 damn tracks is pretty short, for delving into a library of 6 games, especially when they're not even covering a whole lot of my own favorites.

...

Favorite Tracks:

II: Bubble, Wood, Flash, Metal, Password

III: Snake, Spark, Gemini, Password

IV: Bright, Dust

V: Charge

That'd probably make up my ideal tracklist for a general arrange.

...

I hope the Techno Arrange is done in a DJ/Club/House/Raver style; I'd go wild, especially if they renditioned Mans Metal and Flash.

Though, considering that it's Hosoe, I guess I ought to expect something more progressive.

I just wish they'd get a tracklist up for that one.

...

So, Capcom, when are you gonna give us a Street Fighter boxset, eh?

Ask and thou shall recieve: http://www.gmronline.com/info.asp?CatNumber=KDSD-00174

GMR's really getting good with getting tracklists earlier...especially when no one else has them.

Well, at least I got half of my wish...getting the tracklist. Gah, no Metalman and no Flashman make Bernhardt something-something.

I guess if Hosoe does a good job arranging those, it won't be a lost cause, but I'll still be disappointed that certain potentials weren't pursued.

A little nitpick, that tracklist was already told in Techno Arrange's thread few weeks ago. :P

Still, no samples yet, what's with that. Or no new samples for Rock. :(

Just a reminder, folks, the album is to be released tomorrow.

Listening to the CD right now, two tracks in and so far I'm more than impressed.  Way better than the samples made it out to be.  More thoughts later.

FYI for those hoping the liner notes would break down who composed which tracks, there's nada.  Doesn't even credit the composer groups we know and love at all.  Poor Chanchacorin and Yuukichan's Papa..

-Mike

Wow, you got yours fast! What's the instrument and arranger rundown?

http://home.nycap.rr.com/mterry/rock.jpg

-Mike

Very cool to see Hasegawa on there.

Listening to it right now too (skipped class today just to get it), and even though I'm not even a big fan of most MM battle themes, the Boss Mix medley is already really good!

This is all I wanted it to be!!

So, the album contains arranged tracks and the original 8-bit versions, correct?

Yes.

Thank you.
*scratches album off list*

I can name a few other reasons why you might want to scratch this one off your list, too.

Does anyone around here like any arranged CDs at all anymore, ever?  The samples from this sound pretty good to me.  Then again, I'm the type that actually prefers to be able to recognize the original themes in image albums to somebody arranging the hell out of them so they're barely what was in the original game.

I like a lot of arranged CD's, especially ones that stay true to the original material...This doesn't belong with them. For an official CD (especially one that's Rockman-focused and rock), I'd say this album borders on unacceptable.

I'm listening now and I can't believe how laughably bad some of these sound. They feel downright tipsy compared to the smoothness of the originals. The originals are there, but mostly just as straight uninpired (and often slowed-down) covers. Um, I guess there are solos there, but it's kind of like saying there's music on the CD...Not something that bears mention. Hey, there's even that one riff Iwao likes to use from XX that shows up a couple times! Guess that makes up for all the lost harmonies from the original and excuses the wall of shitty backing riffs throughout a good number of the album. I can't believe this is the same guitarist from Heavy Rock Tracks. I can hear the XX similarities, but even then, I never found XX's music boring or unlistenable, two adjectives that I find apply here. I'm not expecting Yngwie Malmsteen here, but come on...This is pretty damn timid.

I've listened twice and so far, the only tracks that have made a positive impression are the ones for Yamatoman and Tomahawkman (and on the latter, the organ makes me positively cringe when it comes in). Metalman and Dr. Wily MM2 have a couple moments that make them somewhat passable. Everything else I'd say isn't even on the same planet as the originals.

I'm glad someone else mentioned this. The lack of speed in some of these songs - like Cut Man - really hurts them to the point they're almost lethargic. I don't know why I think this, maybe it's because of all that speed "metal" I've listened to and this is a "rock" arrange, but to have some some actual speed in these compositions wouldn't have killed them.

Well, since you have a good understanding of my musical listening habits,  I'll trust that when I ask of an album opinion from you, you will know exactly what to bring to my attention. heh

But thanks for helping me save a few dollars.

Just got this today, and I can say without reservation that this CD f'n SHREDS!  The samples had me a tid worried, but they don't do this puppy a lick of justice.  It's really and truly awesome (imho).  It's reminiscent of the style of metal used in the SEGA ROCK albums, with a little BLACK MAGES thrown in (but without the hideous vocals, thank goodness), with lots of organ and synths.  Plenty of tempo and rhythm shifts, too, so it doesn't get too monotonous.  Of course, some tracks are better than others, but overall it's a gem.  Definitely my favorite VGM CD of the year.  Tommy, GET THIS!  You won't be disappointed.

Josh

AN, if you like this and are looking for "teh shred", I highly recommend picking up "Metal Kombat for the Mortal Man" as well. That's more of what I was looking for when I got this one (speed, much less organ, awesome and long solos, cleverly integrating the melodies and improv sections) I can't even begin to compare the two...

http://www.myspace.com/vgmetal

Still trying to digest this thing, but the only track that's grown on me in any capacity is Tomahawkman...And I liked that one from the get-go, so go figure. It's not perfect, but it keeps the energy of the original nicely and is just good, clean fun.

I don't know what it is about this album, I've listened to it a few times but outside the boss medley (some of those parts are crunchy) nothing seems to stick for me. My friend seems to enjoy it a hell of a lot more than I do; maybe I'll pass the album along to him as a christmas gift.

Thanks for the recommendation, GoldfishX.  Love those GWAR-like costumes!

I agree 100%. I was also thinking, while listening, why has it taken 20 years? Alph Lyra (Capcom's sound team) made a lot of arrange albums back in the 90s, especially focusing on Street Fighter II, but largely ignored the Rockman series. The music in SFII is good, but Rockman has more music and it is unquestionably superior. It's possible that because SFII ruled the arcade scene, it got more attention from Alph Lyra.

Josh, after reading your comment I decided to listen to the rip I have of this a few more times and it's starting to grow on me. The more I listen, the more I want to go home and break out my axe and shred! It's on my to-listen to list for the rest of the day, so if I enjoy it more I'll end up picking it up with the other arrange album when I order it over the next couple of days. Thanks for the nudge.

I'm planning on doing up a full-fledged review on the album soon after the album has sunk in for about a week of listening.

I don't think my feelings are alien about this album reflecting those of the rest of you here on STC. While I'm trying to accept it for what it is but above all, I can't help thinking the production was indeed rushed and handled by the wrong staffers (what gives Tohru Iwao the biz to handle Rockman?!). Basically, the arranging, while competently done, are paced too lethargic, the selections are questionable, and the arranges are painfully flat, largely undersatisfying and uninspired.

As a huge Rockman fan since the early 1990s, the games and music have been largely responsible for why game music runs my audible life. I for one, had high expectations and hopes but accepting what I got out of this album (for what it is), it's wallowing in mediocrity.

That works, although I don't have too many issues with the selection itself (I WAS looking forward to "Get a Weapon" before I heard how it was arranged). In all honesty, I'd have taken a collection of straight-forward and accurate covers of the originals and would have been satisfied, but this album didn't even deliver that...

Heh, that song grew on me a lot. I likey.

I adore Iwao's previous work, although that was strictly in a performance capacity and not arrangement. That only made it hurt that much more that the result was pretty terrible. His technique on this album is sloppy, frequently off-time and even out of tune! I find it pretty unacceptable.

So, after renewing my musical appreciation of Mega Mans 1-6 by playing through the games, I've now decided to sit down and rediscover the mountains of arranged albums out there.  Arrange Rock Version is my first.

Gotta say, I'm enjoying the hell out of it.  Iwao puts together a nice set of faithfully reproduced melodies played up by punchy guitar leads, keyboards/synths that accompanies rather than deters, and solos that are impactful yet concise.

Like everyone else, I have my own foot-long list of songs I would have loved to see, but I'm more than content with what we got.  Working under the album's short track number constraint, Cut Man is most certainly my first choice for MM1, while Metal Man and Dr. Wily 1 for MM2 follows suit.  Dr. Cossack 2 is pitch-perfect for MM4, and I'm pleased that the only truly great piece from MM5 (Dr. Wily) made the cut.  Huge props for the MM6 Tomahawk Man/Yamato Man double-whammy, the latter of which wins for best track on the album.  Both Title and Boss Mix medleys are solid fare, while Get A Weapon picks up the slack for Shadow Man as the better representative for MM3.

I'm somewhat baffled by the comments about the speed of the arrangements.  Lethargic?  Really?  I suppose if you're going in expecting shred levels of speed, perhaps, but they're honestly not that much slower in tempo than the original tracks.  And the ones that are more moderately paced actually get points in my book for accentuation.

Flaws?  43 minutes of arranged material is comparably short.  At best, it's a nice, lean length that's just long enough for enjoyable listens straight through; at worse, it makes one wish that they had snuck a couple more choice selections in there.  They also could've given the refrains leading into the outros a little more pizzazz, instead of simply carbon copying it from the beginning.

Wow, it has actually been 2 and a half years since this thing came out. I will admit the medley tracks had gained some entertainment value, but going cold turkey from the originals to this was still not a pleasant experience in the least (Metalman especially...it's listenable somewhat now, but I would have seriously snapped this CD into two if I had owned a real copy of it and heard this off it). For reference, I don't think anything here comes close to the rockier stuff on Rockman 10's Image Album (Desert Commando, Nitro Rider and of course, Abandoned Memory and Against the Pressure...Fireball Strike is different from the original, but I've gotten attached to the arrange after awhile).

I'm curious what your take on Chiptuned Rockman is. Now THAT album got my attention in a much more positive way.

There are better fan arranges out there than what's on here.

I still like the Rockman Rock Arrange, as well as the Techno Arrange, which I finally heard this year. Chiptuned is delightful as well.

The only complaint I have for the Rock Arrange is the same as with many arrange albums. A vast void devoid of pits.