This week being Thanksgiving here in the States, I feel the much overdue need to extend public thanks to my Soundtrack Central compatriots for all the various favors, stuff, and niceties you've provided me over the years.  I try my best not to forget a gesture of kindness, no matter how small or insignificant it seems, so I sure hope I haven't left anyone out.

So, join me.  Throw a shout-out of appreciation to your pallys, your homies, your peeps, your mangs..... here at STC.

---

To Crash, for that lot of CD-R trades that included Super Smash Bros. Melee and Bambee's Fairytales.  I had a tough time finding Fairytales for the longest, and your CD-R tied me over till then.

To Brandon, for that copy of Shiratori's Cross My Heart and Shoko Minami's "Somebody Loves You" download from years back.  Not to mention your unrivaled knowledge of J-pop artists; you've helped me track down Techie's albums, something I never thought I would ever do.

To Abrahm, for that upload of Alph Lyra/Boogie Ohyama vocal arranged version of the Street Fighter 2 Staff Roll theme, "Ready To Fight!"  It's one of my most favorite VGM pieces ever.  In fact, I'm listening to it right now in anticipation of SSFT2 HD's release.  Likewise......

To GoldfishX, for that upload of the Complete File instrumental version of the SF2 Staff Roll.  And for introducing me to the delight of Jikkyou Powerful Baseball music. ;)

To Crystal, for tipping me off about the Japanese CD release of Disney's Enchanted.  Got it, love it. ^_^

To Carl, for that nifty Gyakuten Saiban Vanilla Sky Recorder CD, and other various GS-related uploads.  Hey, no "objections" there.  Also, I'm just a tad hazy here: that disc recording of Ikaruga, was that me to you, or you to me?

To the_miker, for that upload of Chocobo's Mysterious Dungeon rendition of Just Over Those Hills -- and getting out those first few samples from FFIX way back when.  Your pioneering spirit has had an infectious influence on me. 

To SquareTex for composing/sequencing those Judy Crystal midis for me.  Still make 'em part of my usual eurodance listening routine, I do.  They're amazing.  Hell, Seth, you're amazing.

To Virtual Boot, for providing that rare Pocket Fighter Remix / Capcom Sports Club album download.  The track Toyhouse is an instant classic in my book, and yet another that's made it part of my regular playlist of faves. 

To James O, for those PSOne copies of DDR 5th Mix and Extra Mix.  But I'm still mad as a hornet for that awful screaming face internet prank you played on us. >_<;

To Wanderer, for the unreleased "How The Grinch Stole Christmas" promo CD; it is now an official holiday soundtrack staple in my collection.  Also, for being the primary film music guy to converse with around here. :)

To Qui-Gon Joe, for providing that initial upload of the Metal Gear Solid Main Theme (MGS3 Version) back in 2004.  You have no idea how powerful those urges to hear a brand new version of the MGS Main Theme are.  You satiated that one particularly potent urge that time. 

To Amazingu, for being a fellow cat fan - which makes you an A-List person.  And for that initial rip of the Super Mario Galaxy OST earlier this year; it made those few days before my copy came in a lot less agonizing. ;)   

To shdwrlm, for being my music rhythm gamer-in-arms; we are truly the devoted few.  You've been too awesome with the Dancemania sharing, too.

To Jodo Kast, for that massive lot of VGM soundtracks you sold me from a while back; I *still* haven't gotten through to listening to all of them.  Also, a big non-spidery hug for that upload of the Double Dragon II Arranged Album and Dragon Ball Z Super Butouden 3 Arranged Album.

To jmj20320514, for past friendly rivalry (it was friendly, wasn't it?), introducing me to Deception, and those sweet PC-Engine/Dreamcast games.

To Shoe, for those various Resident Evil and Fatal Fury CDs.  And for appreciating those laborious game rips I'd done of Ape Escape 2 and 3.

To longhairmike - though indirectly, you sold a Belinda Carlise CD lot on eBay at once, of which I'm now in possession of.  It made a fantastic gift.  ;)   

To Stephen, for that great price on the Grandia III OST.  :) And old-time friendship. 

---

I think some thank-yous addressed to the VGM community as a whole are in order, too.  First, a huge thanks to Adam Corn, for hosting such a great site like Soundtrack Central, and maintaining it with excellent regularity.  Thanks, too, to folks like Chris, Ramza, Arcubalis, and Chudah for running their respective websites.  To Datschge, for the awesomeness that is SPCs, and to Neil Corlett, oddigy/Amber, and Lawrence Lin for the equal awesomeness that are PSFs.  You guys are true contributors to the digital preservation of video game music.

And finally, a big thanks to the rest of you here on these boards, for being generally fine folks to deal with.  STC wouldn't be half the place it would be if not for you rad regulars.

Even tho Canadian thanksgiving already came and went, I'd give thanks to everyone here on this board too.  You're funny and intelligent and a great place to lurk and hang. 

I can't believe you still remember that, Angela... =p

Ha, I guess pseudo-thanks would go to miker, who sold me the Complete File (I just wanted the book!). I was definitely not expecting the staff roll song to be there.

Minna-san, arigato!

Consider the source--we all you a great debt of thanks for what you and your briefcase has provided as well! This old floating head tried to do his part for the board, so I'm glad you appreciated it, not to mention remembered! (In fact, it reminds me that it's getting to be that time of year for Toy House... and the Home Alone 2 score you turned me on to!)

I won't try to match Angela's eloquence, but I'll join her in extending my thanks to the forum at large. You've collectively exposed me to great music I might have never discovered on my own, and this place still remains my calm, quaint and civilized watering hole after so many years.

I appreciate the non-spidery hug, as a spidery hug would no doubt conclude my existence.

  I suppose it's more logical to start from the beginning, and I have to give thanks to Adam for making this site, which was my initiation into the world of vgm albums. Kevin Murphy was the first person I met at this website, back in early 2000. Unfortunately, I can't thank him for anything, as he sent me a CDR that skipped like a rock on a low viscosity surface. I shortly thereafter met Carl via Cloud's Villa and we've traded extensively over the years; I've known him the longest, for 8 years now.

I guess my first inclination would be not so much to thank some of the people on these boards, but rather apologize to them for not making frequent contact or just not replying to mail altogether some times...
It's not malice, but an extremely hectic schedule and a rather underdeveloped short-term memory, I'm afraid.

That said, I'd also like to thank everyone here for being generally great people, even if I don't always agree with all of you. Thanks for always being civil and friendly everyone!

On a more personal Note:

Adam - Thanks for the site and keeping it up for well over a decade now! Sorry we never got to meet at the Smash Bros Concert back in 2002, even though we were both there at the same show. Don't really know what happened there, but it was probably my fault :S

Abrahm - I don't think we've ever directly communicated, but you have somehow imprinted yourself in my memory as being the only person who actually really liked the Marvel vs. Capcom 2 soundtrack back when the game was first released, and that left you with a "Cool Guy" Stigma, as far as I'm concerned. So yeah, thanks for having good taste I guess

Angie - Yeah, the cat thing is like a "Coolness + 100%" perk, isn't it?
Also, thanks for helping me figuring out how to make my own recordings way back when, don't know if you still even remember but we had an ever-so-brief exchange of E-mails once (*^-^*)
Looking forward to meeting you on Xbox Live/PSN someday

Carl - Thanks for always being patient and totally cool to me. And thanks for the translation opportunities you've given me! You're probably one of the most passionate people I know about VGM, and that's saying quite a lot on these boards.

Daniel K - For being a fellow Silent Hill fan and North-European (does Holland even count as North Europe!? I honestly don't know, haha) I have always been rather partial to Swedes, since I honestly have never met one that wasn't friendly and amusing to talk to (and I've met quite a lot actually). You are certainly no exception, although it's been aeons since we ever exchanged mail, if you even remember.

Jodo Kast - I know I'm usually not the most receptive towards your posts, but your Spider Stories have been very informative and entertaining, and actually made me actively look up information about Brown Recluses and the like. Thanks for making me a marginally smarter person!

SonicPanda - For being a fellow Megaman Freak, which puts you on my A-list as well. Weren't you also a cat person?
Also thanks for sending me CD-R's of a whole bunch of Megaman Music long before Capcom had ever bothered to put OSTs together. I think that was like, 2001 or something. You Rock!

Xanadujin - Thanks to you too for being a patient and cool person, even when I'm not. You're the only guy here whom I've actually ever met in person, and I think I could've done a lot worse, haha
Thanks for introducing me to the world of Falcom as well!

And once again, thanks to everyone else for being just generally great!

Angela, you have a very good memory.  haha
What is "old-time friendship"?  Do you mean "longtime friendship," or do I need to renew my membership for "new-time friendship"?  Well, it's always good to see you around on these boards.

I give special thanks to the following, in no particular order:

Angela: For longtime friendship on StC.  She has been on StC for a very long time.  I remember her when she called herself "Sans," and she was very much into DDR and her cat.

Quasi: Although he does not seem to be around these forums anymore, I thank him for access to his music server, so I could sample music.  That helped my buy only the albums I really wanted.

Zane: For buying my CDs.     Fun-loving guy at StC who tries not to take things too seriously.

Brandon: For some great CD transactions, including an unopened Brandish Piano Collection.  He has also been around here a while as well, having previously gone by "Hitori."

Chudah: For starting Chudah's Corner, one of the few other sites that had a wealth of information.

Crash: For a few CD transactions.  He is very generous in giving out CD-Rs for sampling, which helped me make buying decisions.

Zane: no one else was as instrumental in my exploration of VGM as him; great guy
Chudah/Chudah's Corner: wouldn't have met Zane without her site; also for hosting reviews
GoldfishX: for actually knowing who the bands I talk about are and taking various items off my hands now and then
allyourbaseare: again, just having knowledge about certain bands
the_Miker: helped me obtain a few out of reach items
Chris/SEMO: again for hosting reviews and for his comments on my writing.
Ramza: for being my Santa in last year's gift exchange.
Everyone: for their little mannerisms and the things they defend, highlight and bash - wouldn't have it any other way because it keeps things interesting.

Also to anyone that has purchased anything off me (outside one exception)...

How about just thank you STC for many years of being mostly troll free, intelligent discussion. Even if it's always been a pretty small board relatively speaking.

Damn it, Angela. Why you gotta put everyone on the row like dat?

A'ight. We play it yo' way.

Conn is really the only guy I interact with extensively outside of the forums. On several occasions, he's selflessly acted as a middleman between me and online merchants, scoring me various rarities in terms of game AND game OSTs.

However, to simply put him on like this would be a disservice to the excellent community as a whole. I like talking to folks here all the time. One of the best forums on the net, and if Somethingawful.com is to be believed, that is hard to find among the various cesspools that puddle the internet.

You know, it is here that I've rediscovered old loves (Final Fantasy titles, Megaman series as a whole), found new ones (Shadow Hearts, Suikoden), and have sampled wares based on recommendations that I would never have otherwise tried, regardless of whether I would like them or not (Castlevania)

But I think the person we gotta be most thankful to is Mr. Adam Corn, for creating and maintaining this joint, not to mention regularly interacting with his contingent here. He's done a bang-up job of keepin' out scrubs, too. Adam, you're incredible!

This will be fun.

Thanks to Connary for always being cool, introducing me to the Ys series, and letting me chat about religious stuff.

Thanks to Amber and CloudV for introducing me to this message board so many years ago and for teaching me the importance of not capriciously bidding on eBay (though I didn't end up winning it, thank God. That would've been one expensive FF Piano Collection).

Many thanks to Carl for being awesome in many ways. Love almost everything that comes out of your mout...er, keyboard.

Thanks to Jodo Kast for never being a dick, even though it would be REALLY easy to when you're that smart. I love reading your random musings, and you even put up blurry spider pictures for me. <3 And you ALSO talk about Korean horror films which makes me happy.

Thanks to Jeriaska for well over $100 worth of awesome stuff from last year's gift exchange. I wish I could return the favor somehow, but we all know where that ended up...

Thanks to Chris for supporting me in the aforementioned situation.

Thanks to everyone in the community for keeping this board alive. This is one of my favorite boards on the 'net.

Lessee...

Thanks to Chudah for introducing me to Shinji Hosoe, Yasuhisa Watanabe, Manabu Namiki and Akira Yamaoka. Their works are amongst my favs now.

Thanks to GoldfishX to getting me into Falcom and hard rock VGM in general.

Thanks to Ramza to getting me digging out of the fammiliar FF brandname... I emailed you once about Romancing SaGa 3, thanking you for your review that got me to buy the album, remember that ?

Thanks to Jodo Kast for selling me a bunch of obscure/rare/old albums back in the day.

Thanks to Carl, Zane and The_Miker for being just plain awesome all around !

Lastly, thanks to all other STC members that make this place interesting to browse and being able to have intelligent discussions

Hahaha, this place is such an Old Boys Club For Internal Admiration. People sure like to scratch each other's backs around here.

Just an observation, not intended to be anywhere near malicious. I love this place too, been here for soon 11 years, and each time I try to make a conscious effort to leave once and for all, there's always something that lures me back somehow.

Thanks to Amazingu for the shout-out (you're pretty cool too!). Don't intend to make a list of my favourite posters or anything like that, I'll just say that despite disagreements now and then (OK, pretty often, to be honest), I do like most people here, and its the only online forum I've even remotely liked. I do occasionally bring my real-life habit of playing Devil's Advocate into my online persona, but hey, what's a discussion-forum without some good-old honest dissent?

Heh, I can't imagine that being said in anything other than an uber-kawaii Japanese school-girl voice...

...that doesn't make me weird, does it?

Ecchi! ;p

For some reason, I always picture someone like Marth (from Fire Emblem/Smash) doing it.

lol, Daniel, you've probably mellowed out too much over the past few years. Other than the one thread from awhile back, it's been pretty quiet.

And yeah Ashley, since you got me into Edguy, which served as a precurser to a lot of power metal, plus the fact that the stuff has a lot of the qualities I look for in VGM...I can't help but learn a few names. I wish it's what a lot of modern VGM sounded like.

Considering that I've been averaging daily visits for 10 years straight, this is basically my internet HOME. Thus I hereby claim prime shelf space in STC's virtual refrigerator (and/or liquor cabinet).
Thanks Adam.

Oh, and Angie, that Ikaruga disc was from Darkheim to you and then you to me.  And Daniel, since the "Cheers" Bar was where everyone knows your name, STC must be where everyone pats your back, eh? haha.

As long as everyone here keeps showing up, so will I.

Wow, that was quite a while ago.  But you didn't have to thank me for it.  Honestly, I don't mind sharing an MP3 or two if I'm asked.  Still, I should return the thanks to you for leading me to the original Josephine track I requested a long time ago.  And hey, you're one of the few here who actually doesn't have a problem with I Am The Wind!  Back off, haters; it's still one of my favorites. 

Thanks, but... I'm a 'cool guy' now?  Nah, that's not me.  I can't be cool. 

I still love the MvC2 soundtrack (again, back off, haters), and I'm still cursing Capcom for not giving us an official soundtrack release.  Before I knew about Galbadia Hotel, I had to settle for other, crap-quality music rips.  I eventually got hold of the PS2 version of the game and ripped the music myself and converted them to MP3s.  I think I still have the original sound files, too.  But yeah, it's still one of my favorite soundtracks.  Though it may be too jazzy for the hectic and flashy fighting in the game, it stands very well on its own.  I never could get into the game itself, but I still listen to that music today.

There are a ton of people I can thank here at STC.  So, I guess I'll just cop out and give a general thanks to everyone.  I've been a part of this site for more than ten years (my review of the 19XX OST is still cringe-worthy, by the way).  It hasn't grown into a juggernaut of a site like OCRemix and the like, but that's a big reason why I like it here.  It's a smaller, more closely-knit community, and that allows us to be more 'personal' with each other without feeling weird about it.  And when I want to know what's new and going on in the game music world, STC is always my first stop.  There are knowledgeable people here that I can't find at any other, similar site.

So yeah, I thank everyone here, past and present members, for all the game music greatness... the CD-R trades, the obscure/rare soundtracks, the sample files, the MP3s, etc.  And, of course, it wouldn't have happened without Adam Corn, who gave us this place to discuss all the things we like (and dislike) about the music. 

Thank you Angela for remembering me, and thank you for doing those Chimp Escape 2 & 3 soundtracks that i still listen to.

Hope you and everyone else here who celebrates it has a Happy Thanksgivin'!!

I'm flattered to get a mention at all, and like to extend it to YK and KungFuFurby who still keep the SPC updates coming, as well as Knurek for being the man keeping huge sites like Hoot Archive and 2SF archive up to date all on his own.

Maybe so.

By the way Carl, I haven't forgotten about that Shadow Hearts soundtrack you gave me for free back when I was in dire financial straits (many years ago). Now and then the thought pops up in my head that I should compensate you for that even though you said no compensation was necessary, but I never can decide what to get. Just money would be so bland, I'd rather send a CD, but what do you get a VGM god who's already heard everything out there?

Ahh yes, that little recording session of FFIX had a big impact on me as well.  I remember feeling so privileged and excited to be able to hear that awesome music before the soundtrack release and before the game even made it out of Japan.  You'll have to thank my modded PS1 for that too, though.

Heh you're pseudo-welcome man!

Always glad to help out someone who shares my passion for collecting such great music, even when it does seem impossible to find sometimes!

To be compared to such awesome people like Carl and Zane is an honor itself, as both of them have inspired me in enormous ways over the years.

I'm thankful for everyone here, and definitely to Adam Corn for keeping STC going strong for such a long time.  I'm in the same boat as Carl when it comes to STC.  It's been my VGM "home page" for like 10 years now.  I'm not kidding when I say this.. my interest in game music would most likely not be as strong as it is today if it weren't for these forums.  I may not post as often as some of you do but I read every single post.  Plus, I can't count how many rare and awesome CDs I've purchased over the years from you guys in the Marketplace forum.

Note that I've had five glasses of wine today so if any of that sounded corny, please disregard.  "Thanks"

-Mike

Like a lot of other people have said so far, STC is my VGM "home base" and is the one forum that I visit frequently that feels like home to me. Over the past few years I've met a lot of people through this board, and I'm really grateful that I've had the opportunity to get to know so many cool people that share the same passion and interests that I have. I've met a lot of people here that I consider friends, even if I haven't met most of you face to face... yet! The influence, inspiration and information that I get from the posts and discussions here are invaluable, and thanks to all of you I have heard a ton and have learned a lot more.

So, thank you, Soundtrack Central: for being a great place to hang out, for putting up with my posts, and for having a wealth of posters and visitors that all have their own opinions and personalities. I wouldn't want to share my tofurkey with anyone else. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.

Daniel, well if you ever feel like wanting to return the favor somehow...
I do find it interesting to get some kind of "local item" from other countries when I trade with folks overseas.  Even if it's some little touristy item, just something that would represent what you'd come across (or think is cool) about your town of Gothenburg or Sweden in general.

Hmmm... I'll think of something.

Thanksgiving is past and Christmas cheer/madness upon us, but just wanted to post to say I'm thankful for people being thankful!  It's nice to feel appreciated.

Thanks to everyone - both the regulars and the occasional posters - for coming here to chat about music and just hang out, and for being gracious enough to stay around despite the occasional bout with spam/trolling (of which there has been thankfully little of lately).

Lastly biggie, biggie thanks to everyone who has contributed reviews, samples, and the like over the years.  Without those, these forums may have never happened in the first place.

So yeah, thanks for everything and I hope to see you guys around here in the years to come

No problem, especially since I don't even remember that. Which of Techie's albums did you get? 夏ゆきの雲 was a bit of a disappointment for me, so I never got any others. By the way, my offer of Minami's other albums still stands if you haven't gotten them elsewhere--maybe we could work out a trade.

And it's not that I don't feel honored, but why am I the only one who got a link?

As for me, I'd like to thank Amber, for risking expulsion by using her school's network to distribute pirated music to me. Also Cloud V and Quasi, for similar indiscretions.

As for people who haven't broken the law for my pleasure, I'd like to thank Adam Corn for setting up this site and introducing me to game music in disc form, Daniel Kalabakov for reinforcing my treasured stereotypes about Swedes, SonicPanda for the phrase "And even then only with oven mitts on," Jodo Kast for being...Jodo Kast, Carl for something or other, I'm sure, though I don't remember exactly what, and a whole bunch of other people for various transactions and informative posts.

I think I worded it "old-time" because we haven't been in touch for quite a while.  We should rectify that, so yeah, it would be considered a renewal of sorts. :)

Actually, I was more specifically referring to that wave rip recording of the Gamecube version's soundtrack.  When I think about it a little more, I believe that one went straight from me to you.

High-five, baby.  We've got class, what can I say?

Ah, there was a reason for that, and that reason simply being that there's more than one Brandon here on these boards.  Didn't want to confuse any one of ya. ;)

As far as Techie, I've got both 夏ゆきの雲 and Platinum Republic.  To be honest, I don't find them to be extraordinarily great albums, but I just adore Honma's voice so. I do enjoy Republic's more upbeat flavor more, though.

Ha! You have some strange stereotypes about Swedes then. Most Swedes are calm and cool and have good diplomatic skills, none of which have been my primary strengths on this forum.

C'mon everyone, group hug!

Seriously though, everyone here has been more than friendly and cordial and it's my very esteemed honor to be among the group here.  A big thanks to those who bought my CD's from me and for everyone keeping VGM alive.  It's a really nice feeling to log onto my PS3 or 360 and see the same people there (I'm looking at you the_miker and Angela).  Happy holidays everyone.

Oh, and a BIG thank you to Hitoshi Sakimoto for Breath of Fire V, Final Fantasy XII, and Valkyria Chronicles, having just discovered the man this year.

I only joined relatively recently so I still don't know who many of you are. However, I really like this forum for reasons other people have mostly already said and I really think it is the pillar of the Japanese game music community. I definitely have quite a few people I'm really grateful to or have stood out:

KujaFFman and Dragon God for helping me to really delve into game music beyond the Final Fantasy series back a few years ago.

Herrkotowski, Harry, Cedille, and Dragon God for being major inspirations for me keeping up SEMO in various stages of its life.

Ashley, Jon, Zane, GoldfishX, Crystal, FuryofFrog, Revoc, and Angela for their awesome contributions to SEMO.

Carl, Crystal, Squaretex, Dragon God, seanne, and the_miker for kindly sharing rare music with me.

Daniel, GoldfishX, Dais, Cedille, and Bernhardt for keeping me entertained (usually in a good way) and making me feel relatively mellow.

Qui-Gon Joe for being supportive when I made my grand entrance having a flame war with Bernhardt.

Zane for being such a nice guy and always making pleasant responses to my long emails!

Adam, Chudah, Arcubalis, Rimo, and Ramza for their big contributions to the game music community through their respective sites.

Funny little love fest going on here.

I guess globally I'll say thank you to the community here that's kept the place rolling for a decade, with a surprising number of its original members.  Back in ages past I posted as strohmie and still have some (godawful) reviews in the archives here.  So most of all thanks to Adam Corn for keeping this place going for as long as it has.

I haven't forgotten you! Haven't seen you around in a long time, though. Gotten tired of game music? Or just very busy? Anyway, nice to see you around again.

Also, anyone heard anything from Ryu? Haven't seen him around for a while either...

I want to give a big thanks to...

Dragon God for introducing me to Supersweep. Our favorite composers from Supersweep may be different, but we both agree it's all good!

Carl, Zane, Chris, and Dragon God for sharing some awesome music with me over the years.

Chris for putting up with my delays in review submissions on SEMO lately and for putting up with me when I visited him in England.

Rimo for hosting some of my reviews and asking Ari Pulkinnen some of my questions in his interview for VGM Rush.

Arcubalis for putting up some awesome articles on OSV.

Angela for friending me on the PSN, even though we haven't played any games together yet (that must change!).

A big thanks to everyone else! I may not know you quite well yet, but hope to do so in the coming years.

  I've been in and out of it of late mostly because of work.  Unfortunately working at a Japanese company (Honda) sucks the time away from listening to Japanese music.  I did recently go on a gamemp3s binge and download about twenty hours of music I hadn't heard to see if anything's come out that I like, at least.

You're..... the dude who wore that bra one time, right?

Damn my picture-perfect memory.