Secret of Evermore Complete Soundtrack :: Review by Z-Freak

	Album Title:	Secret of Evermore Complete Soundtrack
	Record Label:	SquareSoft
	Catalog Number:	SQ207
	Release Date:	October 1, 1995
	Content:	1 CD - 29 Tracks
	Purchase:	Buy at eBay

Overview

In 1995, Square USA started to work on their own RPG, known as Secret of Evermore. Having the 'Secret of' title prefix, many were thinking this would be the sequel to the highly appreciated Secret of Mana, but, to the surprise of everybody, it turned out to be a completely different game. Many discredited it as a Secret of Mana rip-off, Square's worst ever, etc. Unfortunately, it was subsequently ignored and forgotten. The game really didn't deserve such a reputation, as it had a few innovations never seen in the genre beforehand. One of them was the music. While most areas were devoid of melodious themes, they still had some ambience usually represented by real-life sounds. They wanted to insert a bit of realism and I didn't see anything wrong with that concept. Secret of Evermore was also the only game by Square to not be composed by anyone from Square's Japanese team. Instead, they hired a gifted young American composer by the name of Jeremy Soule. Soule, only 20 at the time, was about to make himself known worldwide, for good or bad. Fortunately, those open-minded enough to tackle the game and beat it discovered how important the music was in this game.

Track-by-Track Reviews

1) 10 Print "Hello World"

This is the first of eight arranged tracks. This track has heavy orchestral influences. It starts off with a few piano keys, then it explodes with trumpets, percussions, and such. It has a very epic feel throughout. However, I really can't relate this piece to any of the original songs.

2) Variations of Castle Theme

Some piano goodness is found here. It starts off slowly, but it quickly gains speed in tempo and pace. It makes me think of a piano concert, as it continuously changes. I'll go out on a limb here and say that these are arrangements of Ivor Tower and Ebon Keeps castle themes.

3) The Secret of Evermore

Wow!!! Here's a nice jazz-like track. It mostly has piano keys and a bit of saxophone mixed in together. I can't relate it to an original track, but it sure shows off Soule's amazing talent for orchestral music.

4) Ancient World

This one is a bit bland. It's an ambient track that has wind blowing. Unfortunately, it is not very melodic.

5) Greek Temple

Yes!!! This arrangement is faithful to the original. The percussion and flute really give off a feel of mystery and are quite enjoyable.

6) Pirate Theme

Another faithful arrangement, this theme was played in the pirate town in Antiqua. The drums and flute are what really give a feel of independance as they represent the friendly pirates who seem to do fine without requiring aid from the town up north.

7) Ocean Theme

Ah yes, one of the more beautiful ambient themes. We get a very quiet but lovely melody backed up by soothing gushing water sounds. It's quite relaxing as you explore the shores next to the pirate town.

8) Merchant Theme

A really great guitar-based track. This one seems to welcome you into listening, just as a merchant offers you to see his wares in case you'd be interested.

9) The Queens

OK, from now until the end, we are left with the selected Original Soundtrack tracks. This one was used when you meet with the Queens of Ivor Tower and Ebon Keep respectively, the guitar plays the main melody, while flutes and synth back it up. It was simply fitting.

10) Flying

The theme used when — what else — you have access to Tinker's flying contraption. As you travel the small overworld map, looking for landing spots, this theme would either bore you to death or entrance you with its insightful melody. Fortunately for me, it was the latter.

11) Greek Temple

This theme was used in the temple in which one of the Diamond Eyes was held. Listening to this theme makes me think of how I've searched about for clues on how to solve the puzzle to unlock the last room. The piano and flute really gets to you if you give it a chance — it can inspire you to find solutions for your problems.

12) The Scientist

This theme was used only when you meet up with Professor Ruffleberg or had a cutscene with one of Carltron's robot clones. It leaves the listener wondering what caused Carltron to go bad. A mysterious theme for a mysterious foe.

13) Introduction

Believe it or not, this theme alone convinced me to give Secret of Evermore the chance it deserved in order to beat it. It plays during the demo as it shows a few sequences of the game and gives the names of the main staff (Jeremy Soule included, of course). As it begins, the piano and synth really get to you as you see Wonder Boy and Super Mutt exploring through various regions of Evermore.

14) Puppet Song

This track only plays during the Puppet Drama show held in Ivor Castle. I've never really paid attention to the lines in the act. And I've found the music a bit annoying. So no further comments here.

15) Mini Boss

This one I really like for some reason or other. The tribal drums make up most of the theme, which reminds me of Junya Nakano's work in Threads of Fate. By the end, we get a synth-like harp passage that diversifies the theme. No matter what, I've always found this theme perfect for short skirmishes.

16) Greek Temple II

This theme is used in the same temple as "Greek Temple," but it was used in the upper floors if I'm not mistaken. Anyway, this theme is there to get you cracking to start to solve the riddles in order to find the first pair of Diamond Eyes.

17) Cecil's Town

This quiet piano-based theme is used in Ebon Keep's town, where Final Fantasy IV's Cecil currently resides and gives you your bazooka. Anyway, it was excellent to express the solitude in the town as it was abandoned, save for him.

18) Over The Waterfall

Nope. I'm not seeing this one at all. So let's head to the next one.

19) The Rat's Chamber

A creepy ambient theme, used in the abandoned Ebon Keep Castle before you face the Verminator. It mostly has wind like sound effects and spooky passages, but it fits the area perfectly.

20) White Castle Town

Played in Ivor Tower's Town, it got me thinking of how the medieval setting was really attractive. This theme is mostly played with a piano and flutes, but, like the setting, it's really enchanting, and it leaves one in awe when they first visit this area.

21) Quick Sand Field

Oh yeah. This was used in that damn field in Prehistoria where I often had to start over from scratch (map-wise), as I kept getting caught in those darn quick sand. Still, the wind effects and spooky ambient music was enough to portray the isolation and the despair of a desert filled with undead turtles.

22) Dark Castle

This title is misleading, as it's neither evil nor sinister. It's a beautiful piano-based track used in Ebon Keep's castle once Verminator is defeated. I used to stand there for a few minutes, just listening to the theme.

23) The Tinkerer

The theme for Ebon Keep's inventor, Tinker. Xylophones make up most of the melody and show the care-free attitude of Tinker, never one to worry and always optimistic in every situation.

24) White Castle

This is the theme to Ivor Tower's Castle. It's a lot more lively than Ebon Keeps. The acoustic guitar passage makes me think again of the medieval feel in the area, which, for some reason, I liked.

25) Freak Show

A drum-, flute-, and piano-based theme. It was used in Ivor Tower's main attraction. Take a wild guess, why don't ya? It sounds almost arabic at points, to show that the freak show was a foreign business.

26) Dog Maze

This is the music that played when Super Mutt, as a poodle, had to navigate through a complicated labyrinth of air vents within Ivor Tower's castle in order to rejoin Wonder Boy. It sounds sad, but it also has a glimpse of hope as you eventually make it out of the maze.

27) Final Boss Music

A fast-paced and nerve-racking theme, it easily got the point accross as you were fighting the many creations of Carltron, including his gatling-gun toting robot. While it doesn't seem to have any change in the melody and pace, it's still a novelty in terms of final boss themes.

28) Ending Music

I'm not sure on how to describe the ending theme. It seems as if it's partially drowned by loud wind effects, which represent the collapse of Evermore. But it was perfect to portray the feeling of sadness as all the Podunkers had to leave immediately or Evermore would be destroyed.

29) The Return

The creepy intro, the wind effect and creepy music is enough to make the listener imagine what happened in the 1960's that made things go wrong with Professor Ruffleberg's experiment.

Summary

Should you buy this soundtrack? Umm. Actually, you can't. This soundtrack was a limited item offered to those who pre-ordered Secret of Evermore from Square USA back in 1995. So, by now, it's incredibly hard to find. Since this was an American release, eBay is the only place you'll find it. It doesn't appear often, but, when it does, it usually goes for $100+. I'd only recommend hunting it down if you really want to hear Soule's beginning in the VGM industry. Recently, Jeremy Soule has scored Star Wars: Knights of The Old Republic. Between that project and Secret of Evermore, Soule has made one huge leap. So far, his credits include over thirty games, such as Icewind Dale, Neverwinter Nights, Dungeon Siege, Morrowwind, etc. Jeremy Soule is a name to look forward to. If only he'd return to Square (now Square Enix) and contribute to a Final Fantasy title. Imagine how good that could be! Just imagine.