Round 2, Pairing 9: "Living by the Sword (FFIX)" vs. "The Successor (FFVIII)"

[Dave]

Hello all. I've put tonight's contest up a little earlier than usual. Vote here (http://www.squareenixmusic.com/uematsu.php).

[Solartide]

Living by the sword, for a name that sounds so cool, it's so disappointing...

[Aryires]

"Living by the Sword" is one of my favourites among the FFIX OST. As a rule, I love theatrical themes, and this one can be nothing other than that, considering it is used in "I Want to be Your Canary". It has a nice happy adventuring feel that I find most enjoyable.
However

"The Succesor" is far more stirring and emotional! Even though I was inclined to vote for Living by the Sword initially, as I kept listening to The Succesor I had a total change of heart! Such an ominous rendition of "Fithos Lusec Wecos Vinosec", so sweet a melancholy following it, and the redemptive end of the piece... I wholeheartedly give my vote here, and have no regrets about it.
Speaking about votes...

What's going on today? By the time these lines are written, only six people have voted! (and they were just two before I voted!) That's not so surprising though, if you consider only 27 members have visited today... I won't believe that people have lost their interest in the forums, that would be most foolish. But I do fear loss of interest in the contest. If it comes to a stop due to inadequate participation I will be most disappointed, as it was this contest that drew me to enlist as a member of Squaresound then, an SEMO now in the first place...:( I can only hope that today's lack of events was purely coincidental. *crosses fingers and hopes for the best*

[Resk]

Have to go for Living by the Sword. The Successor is nice, but in this match up, nice isn't enough.

[TheShroud13]

I can't say I like either all that much. EDIT: Felt that way until "Successor" got all the way through, now it's fairly well recieved in my mind.

"Living by the Sword" has always struck me as very bland. Perhaps it is its proximity to "Vamo Alla Flamenco", but it just feels so devoid of personality. This piece is my one big complaint with FFIX's play sequence.

"The Successor" escapes a dreary intro into an affecting piece that transits between moods very smoothly and ends up really provoking an emotional response for me. My only complaint with the piece is that I don't like the opening few bars and their restatement later in the piece, it's an otherwise wonderful track.

[Don]

My vote goes to "The Successor." The piece just brings memories of the past to mind. While "Living by the Sword" is nice, it's slow intro doesn't appeal to me as much as the latter part of the song. With this in mind, I made my decision.

By the way, is it me, or are these pair ups becoming harder and harder to choose between?

[Black Mamba]

"Living by the Sword" is boring, so boring I don't remember it from FFIX at all.... "The Successor" is quite a unique piece coming from Nobuo. Although it does take a while for things to get moving, its definitely much better then "Living by the Sword" imo.

[Totz]

I don't see what's so special about "The Sucessor" and I also can't understand the "Living by the Sword" hate. :(

Vote for FFIX.

[McFate]

"The Successor", no doubt about it. "Living by the Sword" is an okay theme, but I liked the Successor the very first time I heard it in the game - it's a great ending theme.

[Dave]

Ironically, it seems like "The Successor" is going through, and I'm certainly all for it. It's much the better theme, and shouldn't be put amongst the others which have failed to make into the third round so far! :)

[Dave]

The results:

The Successor (FFVIII) 70.00 % (21)
Living by the Sword (FFIX) 30.00 % (9)