This is a game I've always wanted to play, but never had a chance. The thing with me is, I never really liked the Guitar Hero craze, complete with the Fisher-Price-Baby's-First-Guitar PS2/3 controller. I realize not everyone is able to operate the extremely complicated six-string instrument called "the actual guitar" but spending money on a fancy plastic miniature good for only one game is maybe a little beyond my comprehension. Now, Gitaroo-Man is how I actually imagine the music simulation video-game. All you need is a pad.
Okay, let's talk some music. The soundtrack is a mixture of the trademark Japanese light-hearted rock, with some trademark Japanese light-hearted electo-sound and The Legendary Theme. I can't really tell you how, but in most cases the commercial Japanese music has this very distinctive joyful, "don't take it too seriously" feel. The chords are not too sad, the melody is very lively and simple and the singing... Bleh, maybe my brain is rotting, but I just can't accept Japanese singing, sorry, I can't. :-) Things get even worse, if they throw in some English words like "Oh, baby, baby..." Well, whatever. Listen to Soft Machine and 21st Century Boy and see how you like them yourself.
Twisted Reality is pretty much what the rock-part of this whole disc is all about. Simple and strong, I believe this would be pure joy to play with your garage-band friends as a warm up. Once you do that, go ahead and play the wild Tainted Lovers next. And call me!
The electro part is pretty much covered by maybe VOID, a great usage of guitar in a crazy world of synthesizers. Speaking of great guitar usage - Born to be Bone will blow you out. I've never heard Latin music and techno in one song. Works great!
One little fill-in before I get to the true glory of this disk. Resurrection, which I believe is the final boss duel theme in the game is just... smooth. Drives right into your bowels and warms them up immediately. One simple chord sequence repeated over and over with every necessary rock instrument present, and the single guitar buzzing around like a mad hornet in a jar.
Ah, the beautiful Legendary Theme (I mean the acoustic version)... This is the song that I've first heard, fallen in love with and can't really live without playing it on my own guitar every now and again. The scene in the game is very fitting - the protagonist playing the tune to his girl next to the little campfire. Wouldn't be quite possible in the real life, because the song is played by two guitars, but who cares? If you haven't heard it, go ahead and search it out of youtube and listen (I'm sure about five hundred videos of people playing it will pop up as well). I guess one may start learning how to play guitar just after hearing it...
Okay, a quick summary. Gitaroo Man OST is full of curious musical experiments backed up the excellent instrumental workshop. As such, I would recommend it to every guitar, base or drum player out there as a moment or refreshment from the mainstream; and to you, my dear fellow gamers, I recommend it just the same.
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