The Legend of Zelda series introduced me to high fantasy, steampunk, and 3D adventure games all at the same time -- so as you might guess, I have a lot to say about the music of Zelda. This had better be good!
17. High Roller's Castle (Georg-Christoph Schlee)
For me, at least, having the hiss and pop of vinyl opening this track sets a distinctive (and very good) mood. From then on we enjoy an improvisational, high-class lounge interpretation of the original Hyrule theme for piano and xylophone. Just like Sunset at Mushroom Castle, I like how this style pays homage to Nintendo's jazzy roots while also sounding rather unlike most of the video games.
18. El Pájaro es la Palabra (Laura Intravia feat. Davey Patterson)
Spanish name, snappy flamenco guitar, seductive colours? Surely this must be Gerudo Valley, right? Nope.
For the second time in a row, we hear it first through a vinyl filter (probably to establish a certain prestige or maturity) but it isn't Gerudo Valley at all, it's Dragon Roost Island!
This theme from The Wind Waker was so good that they included it without changes in Brawl. With such expectations, you expect a certain level of quality from a new version, and this track does not disappoint. Jumping from wind to strings to wind again, with plenty of scene-setting percussion (I particularly enjoy the maracas) El Pájaro es la Palabra makes you want to get up and dance, without getting too energetic and ruining the melody.
Oh and don't forget the bass guitar -- priceless.
19. Behind Pillars of Marble (Chris Hunter)
Now, the polar opposite, this epic track takes some of the series' least celebrated music (Zelda 2: The Adventure of Link is still an outlier and wasn't scored by Koji Kondo) in one of its most exciting forms (the Melee track was my first exposure to it) and plays around for over six minutes. Not much more to say except that they are fantastic melodies shown off in an excellent fashion.
20. Wind in the Sail (Soleviio)
I have to admit that, at first, I wasn't a fan of this very synthy version of The Great Sea from The Wind Waker, but it definitely grew on me. The original is a fun, adventurous piece, so the decisions to go first in a more relaxed, sparkly direction, and then secondly add in an electric guitar, are strange ones. On the whole, it works, but it isn't my favourite interpretation.
21. Mirror of Twilight (Sean Haeberman)
Another great fantasy piece, this time using the extremely fertile ground of Twilight Princess's main theme. Each component of the melodic identity in the theme is given its own style, meaning that rather than just a ride across Hyrule Field, we are treated with royalty, danger, adventure and eventually a very heroic rendition of the original Hyrule theme. It isn't perfect, but it captures the game it's referencing much better than the more experimental Wind in the Sail did.
22. Cucco Revenge Squad (Jonathan Peros)
For a track called Cucco Revenge Squad, you might be surprised to hear the harp-like-guitar sounds often associated with Lake Hylia at the start. However, very soon we get the Dark Mountain theme from A Link to the Past, combined with little filigrees that acknowledge the flamenco and country/Western feel that is always bubbling below the surface of Zelda.
I can't get enough of the Dark World music in A Link to the Past, so combining that with Westerns is a win for me.
23. Saria's Fairy-Go-Round (ZipZipper)
Most of the themes from Ocarina of Time were designed to fit together, so it's interesting to hear one performed inside the wheelhouse of another. Here we have Saria's Song, but at first you might think you're listening to the Song of Storms, given the carnival atmosphere. Your ears don't deceive you; it's just yet another ascending, three-four time melody played in a music box. I think it's pretty fun, if ultimately not as memorable as the pieces that flank it.
24. Beyond the Chasm (Erik Sceri)
With deep colours and several core themes of Zelda tossing around at the start, it's another bait-and-switch with regard to which track is being adapted here. Then, soon enough, we are offered an incredibly cinematic rendition of the Gerudo Valley theme.
Like with Dragon Roost Island, the melody is so good that any adaptation of the original needs to work hard to stand out. And this track certainly works hard -- if it weren't for the slightly awkward time signature change in the middle, I'd award this piece top marks.
My personal highlights are the jaunty, piratical strings that end the A section, the airy pipes in the B section and the subtle but strong brass around the three quarter mark.
25. Tal Tal Ranger (Mesmonium)
What if Zelda were a really, really good Sonic level? Or perhaps this is just what you hear when you're at the Hyrule racetrack. No matter, this track is over in a flash but it leaves a big impression as an argument for why adapting 8-bit music can absolutely rock (or jive, or roll).
26. Tune of Tempests (Stephan Wells feat. Christopher Woo)
Queen Rutela's theme, itself an adaptation of the Serenade of Water, sets a melancholy stage for what is ultimately more action packed than you might expect. It's like something Andrew Lloyd Webber might write for A Midsummer Night's Dream, if it was also an action movie.
Um ... can someone please make that, like, now?
27. Mechanical Steed (Steampianist)
I was always going to be harsh on a track that starts with what might be my favourite Zelda piece ever, the Morricone-inspired The Hidden Village, so let's start with the positives.
The steampunk/weird-West angle works, mostly, since Zelda has always been a little off-kilter, and I always wished that they used trains in a core series title (rather than just Spirit Tracks). I love that the melody itself still gets to shine, and the twangy guitar walks the line of serious and silly quite well.
However -- in the middle section this track takes a left-turn into Kookyville with a theme that I can't place my finger on. It's not poorly done, it just misses the point of the original in my opinion. I don't expect a cool gunslingin' adventure to suddenly turn into vaudeville, but that's kind of what it feels like.
Still, the arranger Steampianist is very talented and clearly had a lot of fun putting this track together, so I'm glad it exists -- it's just like Wind in the Sail, where the style just doesn't do it for me.
28. Dark Horizons (Sam Dillard)
A great way to end the Zelda tracks, with the groundbreaking and epic Dark World theme from A Link to the Past, and a liberal sprinkling of Dark Mountain too. The vocals are a perfect addition, with the other instruments doing their best to elevate what is already excellent material.
The Zelda tracks of Harmony of Heroes are so much fun, whether you're a fan picking up references or just want to listen to some great fan music. Despite some tonal divergences, they do a good job of celebrating the source, as well as being a credit to the musicians who took on such tough work as re-arranging beloved tunes. But there's no stopping, because next time we have a less-well-known series, but with just as beloved music, Metroid.
I can't wait.
