Album Rating: 4.5
As a dedicated fan and supporter of the "Nintendo 64 = best system" crew, I feel the need to point out one massively overlooked and underappreciated aspect of one of the greatest games on the greatest system. This soundtrack not only captures the feel and joy of Mario 64, but also manages to stand on its own two legs... supposing it had legs. Yes, it seems this has eluded the ears of those experts and snobs, but never fear, Mario will captivate you and send you into a musical stratosphere of sorts.
First, there is the introduction. "It's a-me, Mario." And then the music starts. A reinterpolation of all that is good about the simple, yet highly toted, original Mario theme. From there, you get deeper and deeper into the beast that is this 36 song soundtrack. Many do not know this, but many songs here can also represent biblical concepts and even satanic ones. A trained ear and open mind are, of course, required, so if you think Tchaicovsky or Chopin were geniuses, you should be safe. Once you hit song 19, minimalist electronic noises come at you seconds at a time and manage to sound more cohesive and, let's face it, expertly crafted than Edgard Varèse's Poème électronique. If that doesn't give you some clue as to the intelligence and skill of this album, nothing will, I'm afraid.
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