Daryl's Library - Final Fantasy CDs

20020220
Music From Final Fantasy

FF 20020220 Concert

First pressing:
SSCX-10065-6
(released 5/9/02 by DigiCube)

Squaresoft catalog number:
SSCX-10065-6
(released 5/9/02 by DigiCube)

Square Enix re-release:
SQEX-10030
(released 7/22/04)

Alion International Records: ALCA-8036/7

Smile Face International Records:
KA-002-003

2 discs, 25 tracks total
Total playing time: 1:46:25
Tracklist

Liner notes translation

Buy from Gamemusic.com
Buy re-release from Play-Asia
Buy re-release from from CD Japan

Contains music as performed at the Final Fantasy concert that was held in Tokyo on Feb. 20, 2002 (hence the CD's name). Rikki ("Suteki da ne") and Emiko Shiratori ("Melodies of Life") were among the special guests. Because this *was* a concert, you can hear the audience clapping. DigiCube had a picture gallery on its site, but it was shut down when the company went bankrupt. I really wish I had been able to save some of the pictures.

The second CD is a "CD extra" that has footage from the concert. Just put the CD into your computer's CD drive and it should immediately play. The footage includes video of people setting up equipment for the concert; an interview with Nobuo Uematsu; short interviews with the emcees, the conductor, pianist Aki Kuroda, Rikki, and Shiratori; and some footage of the concert itself.

First pressing:

Front, back
Disc 1
Disc 2
Comes in an opaque white, standard-sized jewel case; the inside tray flips up to hold both CDs. The obi wraps around the top of the jewel case, then around the entire back and three sides of the jewel case. The liner notes contain the tracklist in mixed English and Japanese (kana); a message from Uematsu; lots and lots of pictures from the concert all throughout the liner notes; lyrics to "Suteki da ne"; mixed English/kana lyrics of "Melodies of Life" to match the version that Shiratori sang at the concert; and orchestra credits.

Squaresoft version:

Square Enix version:

Front, back
Disc 1
Disc 2
Comes in a regular-sized jewel case; the inside tray flips up to hold both CDs. The obi wraps around the left spine and covers the entire back side of the jewel case. The back of the album is clear and does not have a back cover, so you can see the CDs inside. Interestingly enough, this version does NOT include the concert footage. Barring any corrections or slight changes that might have been made to the text that I didn't catch, the liner notes and music are the same as the original SS version. The only real differences are the new catalog number, the removal of Squaresoft information, and addition of Square Enix info.

Alion version:

Front, back
Disc 1
Disc 2
Comes in a regular-sized jewel case; the inside tray flips up to hold both CDs. The obi is a regular-sized one that shows only a portion of the back cover. Disc 2 DOES have the concert footage, although playback is choppy at times. The liner notes' style and content are the same as the SS version, except that all company names have been removed from the credits.

Smile Face version:

Front, back
Disc 1
Disc 2
Comes in a regular-sized jewel case; the inside tray flips up to hold both CDs. The obi is a regular-sized one. Disc 2 DOES have the concert footage, although playback is choppy at times. The liner notes have the same content as the SS version, but the order of the pages has been changed: First comes the tracklist on the first 2 pages, and then on the following pages, Uematsu's message on the left facing page while the concert pictures are on the right facing page (in the SS version, it's vice versa). Then come the song lyrics and orchestra credits. It does NOT have the page of regular credits that include the producer, recording engineers, etc. Also, it does NOT have the first page of photos of the concert stage.

***

Disc 1: 12 tracks, 53:23 ***

1 Tuning 1:08

2 Liberi Fatali (FF VIII) 3:33

3 Ai no TEEMA (FF IV)
(Theme of love) 5:03

4 MC-1
These tracks are the emcees talking. 3:31

5 Final Fantasy I-III MEDOREE
(Final Fantasy I-III medley)
Medley has: FF1 airship theme; FF1 Matoya's cave; FF3 Elia Maiden of Water; FF2 chocobo theme; FF2 Rebel army theme 8:25

6 MC-2
Personally, this one sounds pretty stupid. I'm not sure if I'd want to know what was going on. 3:43

7 EARISU no TEEMA (FF VII)
(Aeris' theme) 5:21

8 Don't Be Afraid (FF VIII) 3:42

9 TINA no TEEMA (FF VI)
(Tina's theme) 4:48

10 MC-3 4:25