Round 2, Pairing 17: "Aerith's Theme (FFVII)" vs. "Forever Rachel (FFVI)"

[Dave]

Vote (http://www.squareenixmusic.com/uematsu.php) or face (http://www.squareenixmusic.com/uematsu.php) instant death (http://www.squareenixmusic.com/uematsu.php). :) Comment, too. :)

[TheShroud13]

Man, another pairing that doesn't mean an awful lot to me ;_;

"Forever Rachel" because I don't hate it. It's not a matter of it getting tired either, I hated "Aerith's Theme" from the first time I heard it. It's overly sentimental, and simplifies the Aerith character so musical blehness.

[migglie]

I'm going to lean on the side of Aeris, mostly likely for nostalgia reasons. Throwing aside the fact that I could die happy never having to listen to it again, I can stand back and see its simple charm. Clearly the two both set out to recreate very simlilar themes of love and loss, I find that Aeris is more successful . Not sure why. Probably the aforementioned nostalgia at play.

[Brittany]

I know most people are tired of Aerith's theme, but I still think it is very beautiful and full of emotion. Forever Rachel has always seemed kind of bland to me.

[Neo Locke]

Forever Rachel means a lot to me, so it definitely gets my vote.

[Black Mamba]

Aerith's Theme. Why? Because I'm a fanboy ;_;

[migglie]

NL and BM: Judging by your avatars, your votes don't surprise me one bit!

[Resk]

A very tough vote. I'm a big fan of both tracks, so... *randomly chooses* and we have.... Aeris' Theme :)

[Totz]

"Forever Rachel" all the way!

Btw, this is one track that is just begging for a decent orchestration ;_; Stupid Aeris has 2 arrangements and has had, like, what, billions of appearances. No fair.

[Solartide]

Death = the Uematsu contest? Oh no!

[jampot]

Tough one, I love both of these pieces.
Aerith may have the virtue of the other by about 7 minutes, but that's not why I like it. It just has an incredibly strong melody, and although the orchestration is slightly suspect in this original version, it cannot compromise the beautiful melody.

[Aryires]

I don't get it. I just don't. What the hell's wrong with Aertih's theme? The fact that it's been heard again and again due to its popularity -or the popularity of the character it describes- doesn't say much to me. Yes, perhaps the originality of the piece has faded over all of its appearances and yes, a lot of people probably got bored of listening to it so many times, but that doesn't affect its quality! Maybe it's not as elaborate as other themes -in fact, its melody is quite simple- but it conveys a very strong sentimentality -so I guess it should be just a matter of taste. My personal opinion is that it doesn't only matter how complex or elaborate a music piece is, but also what sentiments it carries over to the listener, and how well it manages to do that. I, for one, love sentimental themes (isn't Forever Rachel also sentimental?) and this one is one of my top favourites. Does this make me a fanboy? I don't know, and I really don't care. I geuinely like this piece, and I'm moved every time I listen to it.

Forever Rachel is also a theme I like very much, although it's not one I've listened to a lot. It's very warm, welcoming and subtle, and at the same time melancholic and just a bit sad at times. I really really like the strings and the feeling of fullness they give to the piece (in contrast with Aerith's Theme, the strings of which don't seem to have as strong an effect in its background as Rachel's), and this makes it hard for me to decide where to give my vote. The two themes are close in their number of votes, so it's not a question of voting for the underdog in this case.

*Thinks a LOT*
*Changes mind a dozen times*

I've decided to give my vote to Rachel. This piece recieves less attention than it deserves -it is really a wonderful piece of music. Please forgive me if I've been over-protective with Aerith's theme or too aggresive in expressing my point of view, but I'm just tired of the negative criticism it gets due to its popularity and its number of appearances, aside from its actual quality. Or perhaps I'm just being subjective because I like it, I don't know...

Oh, and I agree with Totz, Forever Rachel should get a live instruments orchestration. It deserves it.

[Dave]

This was such a close call!

Aerith's Theme (FFVII) 51.28 % (20)
Forever Rachel (FFVI) 48.72 % (19)

Votes make all the difference. :)

[Neo Locke]

NOOOOOOOooooooooooooooOOOOOOOOOoooooo..... Rachel was ahead by one last I checked... ;_;

[Dave]

Same here, but when I refreshed, Aerith had gained two. I never voted, but it would have gone to Forever Rachel anyway.

[insertnamehere]

DAMMIT i missed it and i was going to vote for foerever rachel.