Using the telephone ringing sound as an instrument is peak synth music; the creativity with samples and experimentation is the thing the sampling keyboard (which is basically what was used for the entire OST) was built for.
I always love the visualizations you come up with when describing various elements of songs. “Sounds like robots doing work in the background” is so perfect, yet I’d never have thought of it.
I would listen to the Past version obsessively when I was younger. The level highlights progression the best as well, since you get a view of that beautiful Arizona-esque canyon in the background that's non-existent in the Present.
I loooved this zone! I'm always surprised how many people don't like it because of its gimmick. I always thought, it's an amazing change of pace I have never seen in any other game before or since! And of course the music did things to my young brain, and I still like "wacky" music like that today lol
The problem is that the way it is designed results in replaying the same little upper level sections over and over and over again. It’s incredibly frustrating and repetitive, and the best way to avoid facing that is to play EXTREMELY slowly and carefully, something that feels especially bad in a Sonic game.
I think playing Sonic CD when I was a kid unconsciously made me develop a strong sympathy for House French. Whenever I’m listening to Phantoms Revenge, I always feel comfortable and remember of my times playing this game…
Yet another incredible breakdown! That talk about house music and Streets of Rage 2 was brilliant. The US "hard labor" future goes SO HARD! Probably my favorite track in the game. As far as a "why" is concerned for the US future tracks, the way I interpret it is the efficiency of the factory is what they're basing the soundtrack off of. The good future is "hard work" because the machines are running at full capacity, whereas the bad future's tempo is noticeably slower, and the guitar noodling represents the blaring chaos of the factory breaking down into loud nonsense.
Yeah the good future, while not as obviously joyous as the jp version, is more subtle as it is supposed to be triumphant and shows the factory at "peak condition" because Robotnik's influence has been removed. The bad future, in contrast, is supposed to be desolate and rotting apart because Robotnik has overused and abandoned the place and the song gives off that feeling. It is a bit strange that he didn't really try to point it out or notice it. Otherwise I enjoyed the video.
@@diegohoyos4049 If you hear the extended version ofthe good future theme on the Sonic Boom Soundtrack, the less joyous tones get a bit more stated. To some extent, the more ominous aspects are to foreshadow the game's upcoming climax As for the bad future, The US Soundtrack loves mournful Bad Future themes (See Palmtree Panic and Quartz Quadrant for examples)
I don't think the US future themes were swapped. The Bad Future has a slower tempo, and the bassline alongside the vocals and machinery are very depressing. The first half of the song sounds so empty and desolate compared to the Good Future and Present, which were both upbeat melodies. Just shortly before the Guitar, you have alarms, which are much decayed and withered compared to the Good Future's alarms at the end. The guitar solo itself is dark and not of what Wacky Workbench used to be, which was a productive factory. Now it's a mostly abandoned factory that is rotting away as indicated by the background art. The Good Future starts off with an upbeat bassline, funky guitar, and a generally more positive tone than both the Present & Bad Future easily. It sounds like a new day in an improved and remodeled Wacky Workbench, showing off that futuristic personality of the track. Just before the part in the middle, there's a "HERE WE GO" vocal that transitions to a victorious, productive, and heroic chord progression. The crystals in the background signal that the future made at Wacky Workbench was a successful, and that guitar fits in with the feeling of accomplishment of saving yet another area of Little Planet from Eggman (just like the guitar solo in Tidal Tempest Good Future). The part at the end just shows how much more futuristic and industrial Wacky Workbench is. The reason why it sounds like hard work is because Wacky Workbench is a factory. It has been, and always will be a factory, even in the Bad Future, which in this future, the machinery is polished and updated instead of the unpolished and jagged sounds of the ruined factory of the Bad Future.
Honestly, that's how I see it too. The bad future track represents a worn-down and forgotten version of the present Wacky Work Bench. One of those majorly abandoned factories you'd find in a "rust belt" city. The good future's track represents a well-maintained factory running at 100% efficiency.
I do think the JP soundtrack is way better (not to imply that's a controversial opinion or anything), but I really gotta hand it to the US sound team. Despite having an incredibly tight deadline and no means of communication with the game's director, what they ended up producing is still quite competent. The fact that it turned out as well as it did with so much going against it is seriously impressive.
Personally, I really don't see the US future themes to be a music swap or "mislabeled". The Good future has hard labor sounding instrumentation sure, but the cheering followed by an upbeat and awesome guitar riff give off that good feeling/future vibe in my eyes. It's hard work in the factory, but the workers seem to enjoy their job. And while the bad future has those Hawaiian chanting in the background, they sound like they're saying "Why?" Like as if they are asking sonic why he'd let this place fall into disarray. And while the guitar has high energy (at least high energy for a slow tempo'd song), it sounds melancholic. Almost like it's trying to bring joy into a place that has been left to rot.
I think Alex dismisses the wacky workbench themes really badly. They're two of my favorite tracks in the US Soundtrack. I assume its either to do with not having the full versions (since the two songs have extra portions cut from the in game music, both of which are found on the Sonic Boom album and both are AMAZING), or that Alex is projecting the Japanese philosophy for the soundtrack onto the US one where it doesn't fit. The later is particular present in the badfuture given that the US Bad Futures are with few exceptions are quite Mournful Pieces. Also the Good future is way too upbeat to be a bad future, it literally yells "LETS GO" before the melody begins
I know it sounds oh so easy to knock the US soundtrack everytime, but it has merits, despite not being what you've envisioned. And the guitars on the bad future US give the desolated chaos.
Yeah its still fitting it feels like the bad futures were meant to be more a you messed up but you can fix this even though i like the japanese just saying you fucked sonic YOU FUCKED
Agreed on that. I think people just instinctively gravitate towards it because it was unavailable in one region, and it seems more coveted. Both are pretty good I'd say.
14:32 I've always interpreted that noodling as the guitar impersonating a power drill or some other power tool. Since I guess that's what they thought of including when they heard "workbench" was in the name of the stage.
I'm glad I'm not the only one who thought that the US' Futures were switched, hehe. Wacky Workbench is one of my favorite stages; I've been waiting for this one.
what? the good future clearly has an upbeat positive tone and vibe to it and depicts a factory in working order while the bad future is so empty depicting a worn down out of shape factory. both are better than the jp futures thats for sure
As one of the very, VERY few wacky workbench enjoyers, this video really was worth the wait, but I do have one LARGE nitpick. Yeah, it's pretty obvious the american soundtracks were clearly mislabeled in the final game, even the sonic the hedgehog boom album versions confirm this, HOWEVER the only tracks that should swap places imo are the present and good future with eachother, bad future is fine as is imo. While JPEU bad future is supposed to be a nuclear meltdown or something like that, US one seems to be trying to emulate a more calmer, creepy/sinister feeling of exploring an abandoned yet still operational rotting factory, with a *wacky* bounce floor and a vibe straight out of a scooby doo chase scene, so basically cartoony horror. To be fair, I didn't really feel that way the first time I listened to it by myself, but just brushing it off as a 7th week deadline effort is simply unfair tbh (especially in comparison to certain other zones in the US soundtrack). Other than that, no complaints from me. All I need now is a metallic madness video and my life will be complete... for a while.
I think the soundtack triumphantly Screaming LETS GO with recurring star jingles kind of declines either of your theories. The way I see it, Badfuture is catchy yet Mournful to highlight the decay of the bad future (a thing done a lot in the US tracks, while the Good Future's upbeat and celebratory, with the ominous aspects in its extended cut being a reminder that, while you have done good, you are now onto the games climax (especially as I think it might share musical paralells with Startdust Speedway's Future themes, but I dont know if that is me imagining things.
Looking thru the comments on these videos, there's a lot of noise telling/asking you what to do next, how to change, etc. You dont seem like the kind of person that needs to be told this, but do what you think is best for you to continue/grow. These videos are obviously a labor of love and i think thats a big part of the end result. Keep it up!
imagine having a youtube channel this amazing. great work as always. the music of these OG sonic games has had such a positive impact on me. And a pallet swap i made of this zone served as a digital happy place I had as a kid.
@@juliewinchester1488 I used Irfanview, idk if its still a thing now, but there was some menu option to swap around the RGB values. Made everything gold with blue bannisters
What made me fall in love with Wacky Workbenches bad future is when the beat drops and you can hear robotic voices in the background, almost like the badniks are talking to each other about how to defeat Sonic or the zone itself is communicating.
Alex Yard, can you PLEASE make Music Theory videos on the entirety of Sonic 1+2? They both have such legendary songs and would make such great video topics!
While I actually really enjoy the US themes for this zone (especially the present theme), I do have to say your criticisms are very much valid and I have to agree with them, I also wouldn't be surprised if the good and bad future themes really were swapped. That said the Japanese OST definitely fits the zone far better, but the US soundtrack will always have a place in my heart since that's what I grew up with. As always, great video!
After thinking about it for a bit. You might be right about the mislabeling of the US OST. However, I believe that it was actually the present and good future tracks that were mislabeled. The "good future" track strikes a balance between hopefulness and uncertainty. The "present" track however, is cheery and upbeat throughout. As if the "workers" are wholeheartedly enjoying themselves. More fuel for the fire? On the "Sonic Boom" album (the official OST for the US version), the track that is now known as the "Good Future" variant is only labeled "Wacky Workbench." The "present" track is labeled "Workbench Workout." Pretty odd. That same album features expanded and more detailed versions of the US tracks that go unused in the game.
Awesome video! I have no idea what's being said half the time but I'm along for the ride. Funny you're doing Wacky Workbench as I just made a piece celebrating Sonic CD's 30th set in Wacky Workbench! I grew up with the US soundtrack and I quite like the present track but the whole OST definitely sounds made in 7 weeks haha!
Me personally, I always saw the past as "Another crazy day working on the workbench, bouncing materials up and spinning the cranes around." The long repeating measures representing the worker's lunchtime. Also, to me the Bad Future is more of a "INTRUDER DETECTED! INITIATING LOCKDOWN, MAXIMUM SECURITY ENGAGED." feel. I don't think a theme should be implying a place is gonna blow if it isn't actually blowing up, a little weird to do so.
It’s so amazing how people can interpret these musical narratives in totally different ways. You interpret the melodies of the good future as robots doing odd-jobs in the background, while I imagine Willy Wonka-style machinery buzzing and whirring in sync with each other. You’re introduced to the stage as something harsh, regimented and grown-up, before it’s totally flipped on its head into a land of childlike fantasy and make-believe, with melodies that sound almost comical in their quirkiness. If the Present was a hostile workplace for stressed-out labourers, the good future is where work becomes play and adults become children again.
Bouncy Bench was always, unironically, my favorite level in Sonic CD. And honestly, while the critiques of the US soundtrack are absolutely valid, it do still slap tho.
Never thought you were actually gonna do a Wacky Workbench music theory video lol. Another great video nonetheless! Besides Terminal Velocity from Sonic Colors, Wacky Workbench has my favourite music in the entire franchise, especially the US soundtrack, so im glad you decided to make this video in the first place. Can't wait for the next video! :D
Another great video. One small thing though is that they chose the music direction after going to European raves. Sonic CDs soundtrack is clearly far more inspired by European dance music than chicago house music which was mostly ignored in it's own country. There's a reason somebody was able to fake a 'leaked unused Sonic CD track' to thousdans by simply uploading an old Italo House track to youtube with a Sonic CD picture.
Great editing and explanations as usual, I really like how you interpret parts of the theme as representing elements of the level. I hope you can do Metallic Madness next!
Ah, Wacky Workbench. My favorite overall set up. Reminds me of that one Crystal Waters song, and like that song, Sonic's almost "Homeless" in a constant offness. (This series is so fun by listening in headphones) (The US themes reminded me a lot of Phineas and Ferb)
Nice I was just wathcing one of your videos on repeat because I love your interpretations and work and just then I see a new one about the magestic sonic cd soundtrack. Thanks for sharing this educative and super enjoyable content I really love these videos cant wait to see in a future your video about metallic madness.
Sonic CD was my first "real" computer game, back in '98. The family PC had a copy of Voyetra Audiostation included and I discovered that it could read the game disc like an audio CD. Played that thing so much I'm surprised the CD still works. Female vocals going "SHINING DEBT, SHIN DING DEBT" have lived rent-free in my head for my entire adult life and I regret nothing. Japanese audio is cool too I guess.
Spencer Nielsen did an excellent job on the US music for the era of time. SonicBoom is better than toottoot. Wackworkbench bad future shows how dismal the place is due to screwing up.
Sonic boom? Eh It honestly boring instrumentaly and lyricaly Like they just stole the Catchprase "sonic boom" from the original soundtrack and then they spammed it through the whole song with the ladys moaning in the background or wtv And it not called toot toot It *_✨✨You can do anything✨✨_*
I feel like you're unfairly dismissing the US soundtrack, even if the different timelines don't share the same motifs, the music still fits, good future sounds hopeful and ideal while having an ambient industrial sound to it to remind you that it's a factory/warehouse and the bad future while somewhat upbeat has an underlying sinister feel to it with the bass, the abrasive guitar shredding reminiscent of loud, dangerous machinery and the way everything descends towards the end of the track.
while its no where near as prevalent as it use to be in the fandom theres some circles where its popular to bash (or underrate) the us ost. but there was a time where even suggesting its on par with the jp ost was cardinal sin
Whilst this place hosts probably my least favorite level music in the game, along with being the worst area, I do enjoy the past theme, it’s just too good
Feh, Was hoping for more analysis on the US tracks that absolutely slap on their own regard and all I got was pedantic PAL Bias Was hoping for a neutral approach to both OSTs like you did in the past
Also going by the track names in STHBoom its likely that Good Future was swapped with Present if anything Bad Future sounds perfectly fine if you ask me, its has an intense v>bvii that totally gives it a dark funk vibe And the Good Future we got has a perfectly decent "stoicism" and clean "orderliness" to it compared to the chaotic funk of the Bad Future They deserved more than being written off as if they dont fit
Yeah. I feel like the US OST doesn't get the attention it needs in those videos. I think they deserve more screen time, because they get very little. I can sense bias towards the two soundtracks, but I am not going to be the judge of that.
This is one of the few levels where I prefer the US songs by a wide margin. I understand the intent of the JP composition, but the happy funk of the American version helps offset the pain of missing a jump and being launched up and set back by half a minute.
I really hope, that you'll don't end up praising Bad Future Stardust Speedway, after what you said here, because even though it is a banger - it's in no way fits for Bad Future of the zone
I think I straight up prefer the American Wacky Workbench music to the Japanese in a vaccum, but it definitely seems like some files were mixed up or something.
They weren't. I think the Good Future's weird machinery was meant to be a loop point. Of course that's my perspective. It's just that I personally tried to loop the whole song by using that part as the last bit, and it worked quite well. Palmtree Panic also has a section like that, though it's a filler. Perhaps that "ambience filler" was one of Spencer's stylistic choices when it came to the American soundtrack.
I don't hear your comparisons for Good/Bad Future. With Good Future I hear the brightness cords against the rhythmic tools in a nice harmony with each other (whether musically or not is beside the point, been a long time since I was a trombone player so I'll leave the finer mechanics to you) Bad Future has the heavy industrial guitar with funk style bass and chorus chants. I don't really get a Luau vibe out of it (but there's a genre of music I'm not at all familiar with) a lone chime of a work bell ending the day but it starts again. There's a sadness chord that's counter to the Bad Future which counters the brighter hopeful cords I hear in the Good Future. How people can say the tunes are mixed is beyond me.
Same here. The Good Future is more functional with it's machinery, and the chord progression during the middle is quite victorious and cheerful whereas the Bad Future has more clunky machinery, and the guitar solo is too dangerous for a Good Future.
I LOVE Wacky Workbench so much!!! The past version of the song is the best song in the whole game! 2nd is the past version of Stardust Speedway, prove me wrong…
Once I was playing Sonic CD on PC, and my brother heard the past version song of this zone. I remember him saying that it sounded like porno music. Not sure if anyone else ever made that observation, but I'd like to imagine the reality where past Wacky Workbench was used in a Cinemax late-night movie.
3:28 This BGM is one of my favorites... The Red Books of this game are incredible. I had the opportunity to buy the game at the time, and the quality of the BGM it has was incredible. In some ways it surprises me that PCMs are so great at composition. For a long time I only knew the US version of the game... Years later I listened to the Red Book BGM of the Japanese versions and I was impressed by the difference. And I understood why the PCMs of the USA version are the same as the Japanese one. There are no similarities to the Red Book BGM USA... Today I like both Red Books BGM, but I like the Japanese ones a little more! 💪
Alex if you ever come to make a starlight music theory I want yo say from my part that the main chorus from the beginning till the trumpet seems to praise you for making it this far. And when the trumpet comes along it tells you "your almost there" and that it encourages you to move on.
I don't agree with your take on US tracks here. In bad future as an example, besides "Hawaii Chant" there is this fun moment, that I think would amazingly fit into good future setting (Bm Dm while playing repeated Minor thirds on what sounds like a choir Synth (you know - a perfect fit, for Good future)) Or in Good future, while yes, I agree - it's way too mechanical and minor for it to count in to a good future, but like... You skipped the entire everything else that made this song, though? From Solo of synth, to Bells that are ringing in response (it wouldn't even take long, since this song (just like other Good Future songs US) is short, containing basically those two sections) It's ironic, that you had more to say about "Collision Chaos US" the only set of songs, that are the most bland out of all US tracks, while basically skipping majority of portions in US tracks, summering them up as "Lol, US soundtrack bad"
I appreciate your in-depth analysis on this particular games soundtrack, this music In this game alone inspired me to study how my favorite songs are written. I hope you analyze Metallic Madness eventually 😅
![PASULOL รามเกียรติ์ ตอนที่ 4 นนทกพบรัก [Ramakien Ep.4: Nonthok in love]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/tMUQgmZzf_A/mqdefault.jpg)
Using the telephone ringing sound as an instrument is peak synth music; the creativity with samples and experimentation is the thing the sampling keyboard (which is basically what was used for the entire OST) was built for.
i know right, this shit is so wacky. XD
I always love the visualizations you come up with when describing various elements of songs. “Sounds like robots doing work in the background” is so perfect, yet I’d never have thought of it.
That hotel mario impression was spot on I almost thought it was sampled from the game
"You know what they say: if you hear a major 3 on bass, look for the 1."
I would listen to the Past version obsessively when I was younger. The level highlights progression the best as well, since you get a view of that beautiful Arizona-esque canyon in the background that's non-existent in the Present.
Me too. I liked to spin around to it.
I loooved this zone! I'm always surprised how many people don't like it because of its gimmick. I always thought, it's an amazing change of pace I have never seen in any other game before or since!
And of course the music did things to my young brain, and I still like "wacky" music like that today lol
The problem is that the way it is designed results in replaying the same little upper level sections over and over and over again. It’s incredibly frustrating and repetitive, and the best way to avoid facing that is to play EXTREMELY slowly and carefully, something that feels especially bad in a Sonic game.
@@Waffletigercat did you play it like Sonic 2 or 3?
I mean it's for the same reason bad, as why people think Sonic Unleashed Night levels is bad.
Heck, some people dislike the careful platforming in Marble Zone.
@@asmodeus58XX because it's SLOWWWWWWW
I think playing Sonic CD when I was a kid unconsciously made me develop a strong sympathy for House French. Whenever I’m listening to Phantoms Revenge, I always feel comfortable and remember of my times playing this game…
I'm greatful that Sega gives the player the option to switch between the two soundtracks in Sonic Origins.
that's been there since 2011
Guys they may be 14 give them a break
@@Ballerr785 Not anymore, those are delisted.
@@RAFMnBgaming false???
@@RAFMnBgaming**laughs in android**
Yet another incredible breakdown! That talk about house music and Streets of Rage 2 was brilliant. The US "hard labor" future goes SO HARD! Probably my favorite track in the game. As far as a "why" is concerned for the US future tracks, the way I interpret it is the efficiency of the factory is what they're basing the soundtrack off of. The good future is "hard work" because the machines are running at full capacity, whereas the bad future's tempo is noticeably slower, and the guitar noodling represents the blaring chaos of the factory breaking down into loud nonsense.
Bad future shows Robotnik's meddling,
Still a shitty ost. US track doesn't have anything to with the level
Yeah the good future, while not as obviously joyous as the jp version, is more subtle as it is supposed to be triumphant and shows the factory at "peak condition" because Robotnik's influence has been removed. The bad future, in contrast, is supposed to be desolate and rotting apart because Robotnik has overused and abandoned the place and the song gives off that feeling. It is a bit strange that he didn't really try to point it out or notice it. Otherwise I enjoyed the video.
@@diegohoyos4049 If you hear the extended version ofthe good future theme on the Sonic Boom Soundtrack, the less joyous tones get a bit more stated. To some extent, the more ominous aspects are to foreshadow the game's upcoming climax
As for the bad future, The US Soundtrack loves mournful Bad Future themes (See Palmtree Panic and Quartz Quadrant for examples)
Did you know: that rhythm you pointed out in Aqua Lake, is a slowed down version of the same rhythm that appears in Under Ground Zone's background.
I don't think the US future themes were swapped.
The Bad Future has a slower tempo, and the bassline alongside the vocals and machinery are very depressing. The first half of the song sounds so empty and desolate compared to the Good Future and Present, which were both upbeat melodies. Just shortly before the Guitar, you have alarms, which are much decayed and withered compared to the Good Future's alarms at the end. The guitar solo itself is dark and not of what Wacky Workbench used to be, which was a productive factory. Now it's a mostly abandoned factory that is rotting away as indicated by the background art.
The Good Future starts off with an upbeat bassline, funky guitar, and a generally more positive tone than both the Present & Bad Future easily. It sounds like a new day in an improved and remodeled Wacky Workbench, showing off that futuristic personality of the track. Just before the part in the middle, there's a "HERE WE GO" vocal that transitions to a victorious, productive, and heroic chord progression. The crystals in the background signal that the future made at Wacky Workbench was a successful, and that guitar fits in with the feeling of accomplishment of saving yet another area of Little Planet from Eggman (just like the guitar solo in Tidal Tempest Good Future). The part at the end just shows how much more futuristic and industrial Wacky Workbench is. The reason why it sounds like hard work is because Wacky Workbench is a factory. It has been, and always will be a factory, even in the Bad Future, which in this future, the machinery is polished and updated instead of the unpolished and jagged sounds of the ruined factory of the Bad Future.
Honestly, that's how I see it too.
The bad future track represents a worn-down and forgotten version of the present Wacky Work Bench. One of those majorly abandoned factories you'd find in a "rust belt" city. The good future's track represents a well-maintained factory running at 100% efficiency.
I think you missed the part where that comment was a joke
@@mattutter3525 if you hate this comment for talking good of the us soundtrack then cry about it
@@mattutter3525 If that was just a joke, then why does he just make sarcastic comments when it's for the US soundtrack?
@@pablomoreno5366 The irony of your comment will forever be lost on you lol
I do think the JP soundtrack is way better (not to imply that's a controversial opinion or anything), but I really gotta hand it to the US sound team. Despite having an incredibly tight deadline and no means of communication with the game's director, what they ended up producing is still quite competent. The fact that it turned out as well as it did with so much going against it is seriously impressive.
the us ost has grown on me a lot. metalic madness, star dust speedway, and collision chaos especially.
I only like the us soundtrack when the jp soundtrack is not in the picture, I can enjoy it as music, not as a game soundtrack
Personally, I really don't see the US future themes to be a music swap or "mislabeled". The Good future has hard labor sounding instrumentation sure, but the cheering followed by an upbeat and awesome guitar riff give off that good feeling/future vibe in my eyes. It's hard work in the factory, but the workers seem to enjoy their job. And while the bad future has those Hawaiian chanting in the background, they sound like they're saying "Why?" Like as if they are asking sonic why he'd let this place fall into disarray. And while the guitar has high energy (at least high energy for a slow tempo'd song), it sounds melancholic. Almost like it's trying to bring joy into a place that has been left to rot.
He did not mislabel they still fit
I think Alex dismisses the wacky workbench themes really badly. They're two of my favorite tracks in the US Soundtrack. I assume its either to do with not having the full versions (since the two songs have extra portions cut from the in game music, both of which are found on the Sonic Boom album and both are AMAZING), or that Alex is projecting the Japanese philosophy for the soundtrack onto the US one where it doesn't fit. The later is particular present in the badfuture given that the US Bad Futures are with few exceptions are quite Mournful Pieces.
Also the Good future is way too upbeat to be a bad future, it literally yells "LETS GO" before the melody begins
@@Emery_Pallas He drags the entire American soundtrack through the mud. Fucking weaboo, the bastard is.
I know it sounds oh so easy to knock the US soundtrack everytime, but it has merits, despite not being what you've envisioned.
And the guitars on the bad future US give the desolated chaos.
Yeah its still fitting it feels like the bad futures were meant to be more a you messed up but you can fix this even though i like the japanese just saying you fucked sonic YOU FUCKED
Agreed on that. I think people just instinctively gravitate towards it because it was unavailable in one region, and it seems more coveted.
Both are pretty good I'd say.
every WW track is better than every WW jp track, change my mind
@@Z-Mikes00
Yup you should change your mind cuz that a stupid idea
@@DubiousDepthsRadio it really isnt. but ok buddy
14:32 I've always interpreted that noodling as the guitar impersonating a power drill or some other power tool. Since I guess that's what they thought of including when they heard "workbench" was in the name of the stage.
Late, but that's a sick interpretation
I'm glad I'm not the only one who thought that the US' Futures were switched, hehe.
Wacky Workbench is one of my favorite stages; I've been waiting for this one.
Sonic CD Restored addresses that very issue, in its own way. : )
what? the good future clearly has an upbeat positive tone and vibe to it and depicts a factory in working order while the bad future is so empty depicting a worn down out of shape factory. both are better than the jp futures thats for sure
Can you please... PLEASE do Metallic Madness US Present? That tune has mesmerized me for decades! Great job as always!
Wacky Workbench Past actually sounds like something from the 1970's and feels like a disco song too.
As one of the very, VERY few wacky workbench enjoyers, this video really was worth the wait, but I do have one LARGE nitpick. Yeah, it's pretty obvious the american soundtracks were clearly mislabeled in the final game, even the sonic the hedgehog boom album versions confirm this, HOWEVER the only tracks that should swap places imo are the present and good future with eachother, bad future is fine as is imo. While JPEU bad future is supposed to be a nuclear meltdown or something like that, US one seems to be trying to emulate a more calmer, creepy/sinister feeling of exploring an abandoned yet still operational rotting factory, with a *wacky* bounce floor and a vibe straight out of a scooby doo chase scene, so basically cartoony horror. To be fair, I didn't really feel that way the first time I listened to it by myself, but just brushing it off as a 7th week deadline effort is simply unfair tbh (especially in comparison to certain other zones in the US soundtrack). Other than that, no complaints from me. All I need now is a metallic madness video and my life will be complete... for a while.
but it has Hawaii Chant! It makes it a Good future song!
I think the soundtack triumphantly Screaming LETS GO with recurring star jingles kind of declines either of your theories.
The way I see it, Badfuture is catchy yet Mournful to highlight the decay of the bad future (a thing done a lot in the US tracks, while the Good Future's upbeat and celebratory, with the ominous aspects in its extended cut being a reminder that, while you have done good, you are now onto the games climax (especially as I think it might share musical paralells with Startdust Speedway's Future themes, but I dont know if that is me imagining things.
I absolutely love the connection between the music and the level you make reference to.
Shhh, no-one tell him that the footage he used to travel to the past said "Future"
Looking thru the comments on these videos, there's a lot of noise telling/asking you what to do next, how to change, etc. You dont seem like the kind of person that needs to be told this, but do what you think is best for you to continue/grow. These videos are obviously a labor of love and i think thats a big part of the end result. Keep it up!
fun fact: you can play the good future main melody on a dial tone phone
imagine having a youtube channel this amazing. great work as always. the music of these OG sonic games has had such a positive impact on me.
And a pallet swap i made of this zone served as a digital happy place I had as a kid.
A palette swap? How did you make it, what did it look like? o.o
@@juliewinchester1488 I used Irfanview, idk if its still a thing now, but there was some menu option to swap around the RGB values. Made everything gold with blue bannisters
I love the Japan Sonic CD’s music.
What made me fall in love with Wacky Workbenches bad future is when the beat drops and you can hear robotic voices in the background, almost like the badniks are talking to each other about how to defeat Sonic or the zone itself is communicating.
Alex Yard, can you PLEASE make Music Theory videos on the entirety of Sonic 1+2? They both have such legendary songs and would make such great video topics!
The editing in these videos is always top-notch. The smooth transitions between time periods is a good example. Great video as always!
I love the extended present US version, more so than the JP version.
While I actually really enjoy the US themes for this zone (especially the present theme), I do have to say your criticisms are very much valid and I have to agree with them, I also wouldn't be surprised if the good and bad future themes really were swapped. That said the Japanese OST definitely fits the zone far better, but the US soundtrack will always have a place in my heart since that's what I grew up with.
As always, great video!
After thinking about it for a bit. You might be right about the mislabeling of the US OST. However, I believe that it was actually the present and good future tracks that were mislabeled. The "good future" track strikes a balance between hopefulness and uncertainty. The "present" track however, is cheery and upbeat throughout. As if the "workers" are wholeheartedly enjoying themselves.
More fuel for the fire? On the "Sonic Boom" album (the official OST for the US version), the track that is now known as the "Good Future" variant is only labeled "Wacky Workbench." The "present" track is labeled "Workbench Workout." Pretty odd. That same album features expanded and more detailed versions of the US tracks that go unused in the game.
Same thoughts, my guy.
Agree with you on this one
The US Soundtrack is pretty good, but only if you listen to it outside of the context of the game, imo
I do partly agree, that while Bad Future Wacky Workbench US is a nice bad future song, I would concider it a Wacky Workbench Bad future
That's exactly my thoughts on it
I feel like Stardust Speedway US fits pretty well in the game but that’s about it. Too bad you’d probably finish the stage before it gets good though.
Awesome video! I have no idea what's being said half the time but I'm along for the ride. Funny you're doing Wacky Workbench as I just made a piece celebrating Sonic CD's 30th set in Wacky Workbench!
I grew up with the US soundtrack and I quite like the present track but the whole OST definitely sounds made in 7 weeks haha!
TRIPPLE JAZZZ I LOVE YOU BROO IMMA HUGE FAN
Me personally, I always saw the past as "Another crazy day working on the workbench, bouncing materials up and spinning the cranes around." The long repeating measures representing the worker's lunchtime.
Also, to me the Bad Future is more of a "INTRUDER DETECTED! INITIATING LOCKDOWN, MAXIMUM SECURITY ENGAGED." feel. I don't think a theme should be implying a place is gonna blow if it isn't actually blowing up, a little weird to do so.
I always thought it said "3 2 1" not "crazy toy box" i learn smt new every day
The good future JP tune is just so dreamy and euphoric.
Awesome analysis! Would love to see a video on some Sonic OVA soundtracks too, especially Look Alike
omg, yes. South Island, The Land of Darkness, Look Alike. Edge of my seeeeeat.
2:57
Goes to the past with a future sign!
To understand the future, we got to go back in time.. cue the guitar sample, and a wrong-time-period sample.
I love watching these videos because I understand what he’s saying while at the same time don’t understand a single thing
13:18 bro is that a hotel mario reference
I like how the us version a downward motion like sonic is dropping down on the bouncy floor
It’s so amazing how people can interpret these musical narratives in totally different ways. You interpret the melodies of the good future as robots doing odd-jobs in the background, while I imagine Willy Wonka-style machinery buzzing and whirring in sync with each other. You’re introduced to the stage as something harsh, regimented and grown-up, before it’s totally flipped on its head into a land of childlike fantasy and make-believe, with melodies that sound almost comical in their quirkiness.
If the Present was a hostile workplace for stressed-out labourers, the good future is where work becomes play and adults become children again.
It's quite rare to find theory videos that are not only informative but also entertaining. Love what you're doing, keep it up!
Bouncy Bench was always, unironically, my favorite level in Sonic CD.
And honestly, while the critiques of the US soundtrack are absolutely valid, it do still slap tho.
Never thought you were actually gonna do a Wacky Workbench music theory video lol. Another great video nonetheless! Besides Terminal Velocity from Sonic Colors, Wacky Workbench has my favourite music in the entire franchise, especially the US soundtrack, so im glad you decided to make this video in the first place. Can't wait for the next video! :D
maybe one day we will see Music Theory: Sonic CD's Dubious Depths
I always heard “3 2 1” instead of “Crazy Toy Box”
Wacky Workbench Past is my favorite out of all the sonic cd tracks dam this video slaps
Another great video. One small thing though is that they chose the music direction after going to European raves. Sonic CDs soundtrack is clearly far more inspired by European dance music than chicago house music which was mostly ignored in it's own country. There's a reason somebody was able to fake a 'leaked unused Sonic CD track' to thousdans by simply uploading an old Italo House track to youtube with a Sonic CD picture.
Great editing and explanations as usual, I really like how you interpret parts of the theme as representing elements of the level. I hope you can do Metallic Madness next!
This is why I love Sonic CD. The music is just that good for both US and JP.
I love how this zone looks
Ah, Wacky Workbench. My favorite overall set up.
Reminds me of that one Crystal Waters song, and like that song, Sonic's almost "Homeless" in a constant offness.
(This series is so fun by listening in headphones)
(The US themes reminded me a lot of Phineas and Ferb)
Fun fact: In the first Penguins of Madagascar DS game, there's a submenu called Wacky Workbench.
loved the crash course in rave stabs
That was a sweet way to get time travel by using the peel out to bounce off the badnik. Kudos.
Nice I was just wathcing one of your videos on repeat because I love your interpretations and work and just then I see a new one about the magestic sonic cd soundtrack. Thanks for sharing this educative and super enjoyable content I really love these videos cant wait to see in a future your video about metallic madness.
I am loving all of this and i seriously hope this goes all the way up to the 3d era of sonic music
Sonic CD was my first "real" computer game, back in '98. The family PC had a copy of Voyetra Audiostation included and I discovered that it could read the game disc like an audio CD. Played that thing so much I'm surprised the CD still works.
Female vocals going "SHINING DEBT, SHIN DING DEBT" have lived rent-free in my head for my entire adult life and I regret nothing.
Japanese audio is cool too I guess.
Spencer Nielsen did an excellent job on the US music for the era of time.
SonicBoom is better than toottoot. Wackworkbench bad future shows how dismal the place is due to screwing up.
Sonic boom?
Eh
It honestly boring instrumentaly and lyricaly
Like they just stole the Catchprase "sonic boom" from the original soundtrack and then they spammed it through the whole song with the ladys moaning in the background or wtv
And it not called toot toot
It *_✨✨You can do anything✨✨_*
I feel like you're unfairly dismissing the US soundtrack, even if the different timelines don't share the same motifs, the music still fits, good future sounds hopeful and ideal while having an ambient industrial sound to it to remind you that it's a factory/warehouse and the bad future while somewhat upbeat has an underlying sinister feel to it with the bass, the abrasive guitar shredding reminiscent of loud, dangerous machinery and the way everything descends towards the end of the track.
while its no where near as prevalent as it use to be in the fandom theres some circles where its popular to bash (or underrate) the us ost. but there was a time where even suggesting its on par with the jp ost was cardinal sin
I prefer the US bad future over the jp one as it presents a factory under a dictator in disrepair and not about to collapse in on itself.
I really like how the past themes a section is only in that version while the b section is the same melody as the preseant a section
You make an interesting point about the future versions being swapped.. May need to look into that more.
theres a lot more uplifting moments in the us bad future than the us good future, and vice versa, so this could actually be true
Can't wait till you do the other three sonic cd levels. These are brilliant
PalmTree Panic, StarDust Speedway, and Metallic Madness?
@@possumorb3770 yep
Whilst this place hosts probably my least favorite level music in the game, along with being the worst area, I do enjoy the past theme, it’s just too good
Feh, Was hoping for more analysis on the US tracks that absolutely slap on their own regard and all I got was pedantic PAL Bias
Was hoping for a neutral approach to both OSTs like you did in the past
Also going by the track names in STHBoom its likely that Good Future was swapped with Present if anything
Bad Future sounds perfectly fine if you ask me, its has an intense v>bvii that totally gives it a dark funk vibe
And the Good Future we got has a perfectly decent "stoicism" and clean "orderliness" to it compared to the chaotic funk of the Bad Future
They deserved more than being written off as if they dont fit
Yeah. I feel like the US OST doesn't get the attention it needs in those videos. I think they deserve more screen time, because they get very little. I can sense bias towards the two soundtracks, but I am not going to be the judge of that.
Your videos are just so well-researched with music theory - and not just classical or jazz. Stellar editing and explanations!
This is one of the few levels where I prefer the US songs by a wide margin. I understand the intent of the JP composition, but the happy funk of the American version helps offset the pain of missing a jump and being launched up and set back by half a minute.
finally someone else who feels this way
I really hope, that you'll don't end up praising Bad Future Stardust Speedway, after what you said here, because even though it is a banger - it's in no way fits for Bad Future of the zone
> be wacky workbench zone
> be wacky
This is one of my favorite levels and songs of Classic Sonic. Specially the Bad Future. I love exploring Eggmans, robot facilities
ive been on an absolute binge listening to the sonic cd soundtrack over and over. these videos are helping me get my fix
-liz
the Sonic CD theme "you can do anything" I thought it was called Super Sonic Warrior O_o
Very good production quality on this video! A clear explanation and fun to watch :-).
Sure can't wait for the Stardust Speedway video! Considering how much I love both the US and JPN.
I think I straight up prefer the American Wacky Workbench music to the Japanese in a vaccum, but it definitely seems like some files were mixed up or something.
They weren't. I think the Good Future's weird machinery was meant to be a loop point. Of course that's my perspective. It's just that I personally tried to loop the whole song by using that part as the last bit, and it worked quite well. Palmtree Panic also has a section like that, though it's a filler. Perhaps that "ambience filler" was one of Spencer's stylistic choices when it came to the American soundtrack.
I don't hear your comparisons for Good/Bad Future. With Good Future I hear the brightness cords against the rhythmic tools in a nice harmony with each other (whether musically or not is beside the point, been a long time since I was a trombone player so I'll leave the finer mechanics to you) Bad Future has the heavy industrial guitar with funk style bass and chorus chants. I don't really get a Luau vibe out of it (but there's a genre of music I'm not at all familiar with) a lone chime of a work bell ending the day but it starts again. There's a sadness chord that's counter to the Bad Future which counters the brighter hopeful cords I hear in the Good Future. How people can say the tunes are mixed is beyond me.
Same here. The Good Future is more functional with it's machinery, and the chord progression during the middle is quite victorious and cheerful whereas the Bad Future has more clunky machinery, and the guitar solo is too dangerous for a Good Future.
I LOVE Wacky Workbench so much!!! The past version of the song is the best song in the whole game! 2nd is the past version of Stardust Speedway, prove me wrong…
0:25 This sounds like Metallic Madness
This was the one i was waiting for. The music in WWZ is so good
I'd love more analysis on the 8-bit counterparts
Once I was playing Sonic CD on PC, and my brother heard the past version song of this zone. I remember him saying that it sounded like porno music. Not sure if anyone else ever made that observation, but I'd like to imagine the reality where past Wacky Workbench was used in a Cinemax late-night movie.
The bad future jpn hits hard
Dude thanks for the tutorial on that demon voice, I remember that being used in Yu-Gi-Oh Abridged lol
Weird how it took quite a while for this video to release, but it was worth the wait!
You can stop justifying every reason for me to love this soundtrack and keep it as my favorite sir ahahha
but the US soundtrack sounds awesome
It does indeed
Everything America touches turns to sh*t
Argue all you want: Wacky Workbench Past is the best past theme in Sonic CD
Stardust speedway
and ppz
3:28 This BGM is one of my favorites... The Red Books of this game are incredible. I had the opportunity to buy the game at the time, and the quality of the BGM it has was incredible. In some ways it surprises me that PCMs are so great at composition. For a long time I only knew the US version of the game... Years later I listened to the Red Book BGM of the Japanese versions and I was impressed by the difference. And I understood why the PCMs of the USA version are the same as the Japanese one. There are no similarities to the Red Book BGM USA... Today I like both Red Books BGM, but I like the Japanese ones a little more! 💪
Alex if you ever come to make a starlight music theory
I want yo say from my part that the main chorus from the beginning till the trumpet seems to praise you for making it this far.
And when the trumpet comes along it tells you "your almost there" and that it encourages you to move on.
I understand zero of that geek music talk but still something made me stick to the end.
Amazing as *fucking* ever Alex
Had a great day and this notification was a cherry on top 😄
I've heard a theory that Green Hills Zone's music was intended to be the title theme, back when Sonic CD was being planned as the 16 bit Sonic 2.
The voice of Wacky Workbench bad future jp in the last brute sound say: "crazy toy box" but is putting off
6:58 6 HOUR ENERGY DRINK?!?!?!
When Alex Yard uploads it’s always a good day.
These videos are really exciting!! Hope we can get stardust speedway soon
I love these videos so much!!! Could you please make one for palm tree panic?
i thought of this exact video idea today. maybe i can just predict the future.
I always felt the US Good Future was supposed to indicate a safe, happy, technologically advanced workplace
I don't agree with your take on US tracks here.
In bad future as an example, besides "Hawaii Chant" there is this fun moment, that I think would amazingly fit into good future setting (Bm Dm while playing repeated Minor thirds on what sounds like a choir Synth (you know - a perfect fit, for Good future))
Or in Good future, while yes, I agree - it's way too mechanical and minor for it to count in to a good future, but like... You skipped the entire everything else that made this song, though? From Solo of synth, to Bells that are ringing in response (it wouldn't even take long, since this song (just like other Good Future songs US) is short, containing basically those two sections)
It's ironic, that you had more to say about "Collision Chaos US" the only set of songs, that are the most bland out of all US tracks, while basically skipping majority of portions in US tracks, summering them up as "Lol, US soundtrack bad"
I appreciate your in-depth analysis on this particular games soundtrack, this music In this game alone inspired me to study how my favorite songs are written. I hope you analyze Metallic Madness eventually 😅