CoN 25th Anniversary: 1997-2022
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R1: #2 To Far Away Times (CT) v. #15 Black Dream (CT)

 
Which song is your favorite?
To Far Away Times [ 6 ]  [40.00%]
Black Dream [ 9 ]  [60.00%]
Total Votes: 15
  
Posted: 11th November 2017 15:40

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An all-Chrono Trigger matchup begins with this #2 seed, To Far Away Times. With all of the incredible music in CT, it stands to reason that the ending theme would show up here. No matter what ending you collect from the game, you'll be treated to this track over the credits; similar to other ending themes in the competition, it borrows liberally from the game for which it is the coda to create a medley of styles.

A better match for the previous track's reassuring feel one might not be able to imagine; Black Dream is a moody, dark track that plays, yes, during the game's final assault on the Black Omen (whenever you might feel like doing that in time). Same composer, same game, very different feel, and that's what game soundtracks are all about, right?
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Posted: 11th November 2017 15:40

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Listen Here!
To Far Away Times: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lfUYZmydl8I
Black Dream: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cfi_F4YPA6s

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Posted: 14th November 2017 14:23

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The ending theme of CT is one of the weaker songs in my opinion, and other games' final tracks surpass it typically.

Black Dream all dayyyyy.
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Posted: 14th November 2017 16:01

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The ominous first 16 seconds of Black Dream get me every time! And then it transitions into this odd lounge jazzy bit that still somehow fits its place in the game. CT doesn't get any better than this, imo.

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Posted: 14th November 2017 20:15

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I nominated both these tracks and this is what happens.

To Far Away Times gets really good partways into the track, when it gets to that secondary melody, and then later transitions from Db major to D minor, and then requotes the main theme near the end in an unforgettable sequence in the form of the 1000 A.D. overworld theme. It's just really pleasant to listen to.

This particular recording of To Far Away Times seems to include Marle's theme at the end, specifically in the "Crono & Marle ~ Far Off Promise" version. I'm not sure whether that should count for anything, since the SPC version doesn't include it, and it's...honestly not really part of the track, so I'll just ignore it. (Besides, the "Epilogue ~To Good Friends~" version is better.)

Still, though, the sheer impact of the track is less than that of the coldly-evil "Black Dream", the theme of the game's de facto final dungeon. I always found it curious how this theme wasn't threatening in a "hot" way -- it's not like you're descending into the fires of hell to fight the ultimate evil, with a highly dramatic final dungeon theme (compare FFIV's short-intro Red Wings variant (I personally renamed that track "The Core"), FFV's "Searching the Light", or FFVI's "Last Dungeon"). Instead of the typically thick textures and dramatic stylings, "Black Dream" opts for an ominous sparseness, doing an even better job at this than "The Prelude of Empty Skies" from FFV. Instead of filling the area richly with intimidation and emotions leading up to a final confrontation, it is cool and elegant, to the point of seeming soulless -- a bit of a contrast to, say, the Tyrano Lair music which is much more like a conventional final dungeon track. (And perhaps it works because the confrontations earlier in the game were all so heated, but the true evil in the story is a soulless monster and its allies.)

My vote goes to Black Dream.

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