This post is a little overdue, but I hope you'll still enjoy it just the same. If you play video games, then you've probably heard of a game called World of Goo that was released last fall on various computer operating systtems and also on the Wii. The game has been extremely well received and has won numerous awards. Unfortunately, I can't say too much more about it, mainly because of the fact that I still haven't played it (although I will soon - as I was preparing this post, I got an email informing me that the Wii Points I won in the last Tetris Party tournament are ready to be claimed, so I finally have enough points to buy the game). On the plus side, though (and much more relevant to this blog), the entire soundtrack to the game can be downloaded for free from the website of Kyle Gabler, one half of the team that made the game.
The appropriately titled "World of Goo Beginning" opens the album. After a brief, dramatic sounding choral intro, the song's tempo picks up and the mood changes to a very Danny Elfman-like feel; the majority of the rest of the album's songs fall somewhere between these two extremes. "Brave Adventurers" has a very nice melody which is also found in "Ode to the Bridge Builder". "Regurgitation Pumping Station" alternates between slow, jazzy sections and faster sections that sound like spy music. "Screamer" is a short but very sweet song with a dark feel to it and a guitar sound that reminds me of Eddie Van Halen's work on "Respect the Wind" from the Twister soundtrack. "The Last of the Goo Balls and the Telescope Operator" is another song that is short, but very beautiful and melancholy.
Gabler has provided notes about many of the songs which are worth taking the time to read, as they often reveal funny, interesting, and downright amazing information about the songs. Without spoiling anything, my favourite tidbits involve how the choir sound in "Burning Man" was achieved, where the drum sounds in "Best of Times" come from, and the warning that comes with "Red Carpet Extend-o-matic" (which, despite being based on one of my least favourite types of music, is insanely catchy and one of my favourite songs on the album).
What's truly great about this soundtrack is how well the music stands on its own - as I mentioned above, I still haven't played the game, yet I've listened to the soundtrack dozens of times. So even if you haven't played the game, it is still well worth checking out. Happy listening!
URLs:
http://kylegabler.com/WorldOfGooSoundtrack/
The appropriately titled "World of Goo Beginning" opens the album. After a brief, dramatic sounding choral intro, the song's tempo picks up and the mood changes to a very Danny Elfman-like feel; the majority of the rest of the album's songs fall somewhere between these two extremes. "Brave Adventurers" has a very nice melody which is also found in "Ode to the Bridge Builder". "Regurgitation Pumping Station" alternates between slow, jazzy sections and faster sections that sound like spy music. "Screamer" is a short but very sweet song with a dark feel to it and a guitar sound that reminds me of Eddie Van Halen's work on "Respect the Wind" from the Twister soundtrack. "The Last of the Goo Balls and the Telescope Operator" is another song that is short, but very beautiful and melancholy.
Gabler has provided notes about many of the songs which are worth taking the time to read, as they often reveal funny, interesting, and downright amazing information about the songs. Without spoiling anything, my favourite tidbits involve how the choir sound in "Burning Man" was achieved, where the drum sounds in "Best of Times" come from, and the warning that comes with "Red Carpet Extend-o-matic" (which, despite being based on one of my least favourite types of music, is insanely catchy and one of my favourite songs on the album).
What's truly great about this soundtrack is how well the music stands on its own - as I mentioned above, I still haven't played the game, yet I've listened to the soundtrack dozens of times. So even if you haven't played the game, it is still well worth checking out. Happy listening!
URLs:
http://kylegabler.com/WorldOfGooSoundtrack/
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