Thank you for this. I feel like the remaster did not do justice to the original, and it's a bit too light and airy. There's also something special about the deep bass.
My mind is blown as I realise I almost prefer the more harsh, staccato sound of the original PS1 score to the more filmic and lush Reignited tracks. It sounds less like live rock music and more like the kind of tunes you can make with keyboard samples. It’s almost childlike, but still sophisticated. Copeland seems like such a cool guy~
The funny part (to me) is Stewart could have made the soundtrack sound less midified if he wanted to, since he was making music for a game on a compact disc. He was just having way too much fun going down the route he was on, and I'm sure it was because it sounded childlike, since he did the Amanda show theme song, a kids show, and other such things.
Dang, I am so with you on that. I definitely prefer the original OST. I literally bought all those games on day one.😂 The first 3 had such amazing music. Stewart Copeland is a great composer.
This soundtrack changed my life. As a kid I loved so much of Copeland’s melodies and when I grew up and started playing guitar I noticed that most of my favorite music from him were Lydian. Now I’m in love with Lydian. In the later game Spyro YoTD.
I loved the original Spyro trilogy so much as a kid. I had no idea what mixolydian was for the longest time; whenever I heard it growing up I would always say "hey, that's like Spyro!" One of the first songs I wrote I discovered the flat 7th and incorporated it, wanting to "sound like Spyro." Thank you Stewart Copeland... and thank you Alex for this kickass video!
I am such a huge fan of this soundtrack, and I thought I knew all the trivia, but that Amanda Show fact completely flew under my radar until now and my entire world is shook!
As a kid I would always get the urge to boot up Spyro right after watching the Amanda show and didn't quite know why. It took a little bit for me to figure it out but one day I was playing Wizards Peak right after the show and it just hit me that it sounded a bit too familiar. The next day I waited for the Amanda show, listened closely to the credits and then immediately booted Spyro and went into wizards peak again and then everything made sense. Of course as a kid my next line of reasoning was that the Amanda show plagiarized it and just changed it up a little so no one would notice. Little detective me was too smart to fall for it through lol. When I had access to the internet as a teen is when I learned the full truth.
I remember being 8 or 9 years old listening to the Amanda show theme and saying to anyone who would listen that it sounded like Spyro! When I got older and heard that I was right, it became my favorite fact lmao
My preference for Progressive Rock as my favored music genre is a bit of an ironic coincidence of the fact that my dad is a huge Moody Blues fan (one of the early major Progressive Rock bands) and so played a lot of classic Moody Blues music in the house while I was growing up, and me playing *A LOT* of the original Spyro trilogy with its Progressive Rock soundtrack.
I always felt like The Police sounded like the Spyro soundtrack, which was the first game I really played besides Mario Kart. Turns out, it's the other way around and now I know why. Great video!
Absolutely fantastic video! Copeland's work on the Spyro-series always fascinated me. Apart from his frequent use of the mixolydian scale, he also used a ton of polyrhythmics. A good example being one of my favorite Spyro-tracks, Dark Hollow. It follows a strict 6/8-beat with a melody built upon 16th's in 4/4.
Aw. You left out the best part of that PlayStation Underground clip of Stewart Copeland explaining how he composed the music for Spyro. After talking about transposing the chords from one to four, he leans over to the camera and goes, "They pay me for this!"
@@rinzaigigen2640 Hey, officer! There are snares still present in some of these songs, just not used as frequently in the measures as common for a lot of western music. While “lack” and “omit” mean *almost* identical things by dictionary definition, to omit something would imply that you were not using it almost completely. A snare is still present and, therefore, is more “lacked” than “omitted” in the context with which I was using the word. Hope that helps, grammar police, please don’t give me a ticket.
I don't have much knowledge about music theory, but for some reason I love watching videos about it. Spyro is my childhood in a nutshell and the soundtrack still feels magical to me. You truly did an amazing job explaining it like I'm 5! Oh, and the editing is god tier. The way you used the game's landscapes and objects to illustrate it is genius
I really really like the editing and visuals you have on this. It's easy to just take them for granted, but they all look nice, creative, smooth, engaging and all that. The content itself is fascinating and a trip down memory lane as an original Spyro player, but I also wanted to point out how awesome the little bits you add are. Great stuff man.
Rewatching the video with the original OST I noticed a lot of little neat editing touches, and I've discovered even more on a third viewing. Love the attention to detail and the nod to Balloon Park.
I only played the first Spyro, and only a few hours of it, but to this day, I feel such a sense of nostalgic bliss from this game. It's difficult to explain, but everything seemed so right. Such as the way Spyro controls, and feeling the controller rumble strongly to running and fire, just seemed so fitting and satisfying in a way that no other game really captured. The cartoony graphics just worked, and then the music and voice acting brought even more life to the game. It was never one of my most favorite games, but still somehow found a place in my heart.
Spyro is my absolute favorite game of all time & the music has so much to do with my nostalgic love for it after all these years. As someone who grew up in band & choir, & now a vocal musician & writer myself, this was so interesting to me. Loved every minute of this amazing analysis😭🙌🏽
The way Copeland voices what would otherwise be percussive rhythm (like you mentioned with Dry Canyon especially) almost seems to add such a driving sensation to the mood of a song! This was excellent, Alex! It’s one of my favorite games and favorite OSTs
Your analyses aren't just in-depth, but they're incredibly insightful. This is the second video I've watched of yours where I had a "hey, I experienced that too" moment. The first was in your SM64 when you mention that the descending notes represent Bowser's presence. The second was when you mention the "taunting" notes when you miss the jump. I don't remember the exact moment when I had those realizations, but I distinctly remember experiencing both of those as a kid. Your acumen for detecting the intent behind music is mind-blowing.
Amazing Video. I knew the I to IV was a staple of spyro's soundtrack, but I didn't realize JUST how prominent it was! Also, the editing/presentation was awesome.
It's funny you say that you don't often hear people hum the bass line in Dry Canyon, because I hum that bass line literally all the time. It's just so catchy!
you really have some amazing editing skills and also creative as fuck mind to use spyro gems and animations to animate the notes. absolutely wonderfully made video, hats off to you my dude. collab with 8bit music bro. you have a real knack for identifying what makes soundtracks interesting. i love how you saw the dominant chord as mocking spyro and its a similar effect it has on me, the music is just so simple yet somehow unpredictable in terms of form, i love it too much
I'm so happy to see this! I love learning about how my favorite music works. Learning what makes Spyro sound like Spyro, this was great and I hope this video does well. I love seeing you branch out even though it may not be as popular as Sonic. I'm excited to see what else you have in store.
I’ve always been absolutely enthralled with the Spyro soundtrack ever since I was a kid and grew up playing the games. Thanks so much for shedding some light on how the great man did it!
Excellent to see some music analysis from my favorite game of all time, you really knocked it out of the park with the editing: all the creative ways you overlayed tidbits from the game to visualize the music theory was top notch. Thank you again for another wonderful music theory video, these videos are *_super_* helpful to look at when you're having trouble figuring something out during composition, or just want a refresher on how a composer achieved that _certain_ something you're trying to pull off.
Holy moly. So THAT'S why the flight levels have a unique sound that, in the context of Spyro, puts me in the mood for aerial adventure over the usual more terra-firma ones. and THAT'S why each level "feels" right music-wise, from the chill rolling hills of Artisans (my favorite and my choice for "if I could call the Dragon Realms home, where would I pick?") to the surely scorching (& freezing) canyons of Peace Keepers, to the whimsical cloud-based domains of the Dream Weavers. I'm not musically inclined enough to truly understand the art/science of music theory - but I can understand it on a surface level. i've always loved video game music, from the 8-bit computer sounds of the NES to the great HD-recorded orchestras of today. Great explainer that shed a lot of light on why Spyro, since I discovered his series, has been one of my favorite oases. ~ Mesyn
I love this analysis. That said, I find it interesting that you chose to use the reignited compositions rather than the originals considering the slight but noticeable differences between his original compositions and the remade ones.
I actually started playing through the spyro games for the first time the other week. The score was a huge standout, it's really good and this video just helps me appreciate it more.
as much as I've played these games across my life, I never could quite pin down what made the music sound like "spyro music". this analysis demystified that a bit
"He even found a way to make it work in the first level, man!" Wow I never noticed it sounding so harsh. I almost cried after that sentence. Anyways this my favorite music theory video by you! I watched the original version and now rushed the reignited version in 5 minutes! You are really getting better at explaining, even though you didn't include any lore!
Impeccable editing & presentation 👏 Felt like it more than made up for my gaps in musical literacy. Thanks for peeling back the curtain on one of my favorite OSTs of all time!
great episode! Spyro was never my thing really (didn't grow up with a Ps1), but I always admired the flow of the game, which obviously the music contributes too! learned a lot again, thanks for that! also the "first level, man" hit me hard after the Sonic Frontiers episode. sounds like a great channel meme or catchphrase or something like that. you don't have to put up the red light! keep up the great work and i'll always come back and even rewatch.
I’d really love to see videos on the other 2 original Spyro Trilogy Games (I’m sure a lot of people would too as well). The soundtrack alone to those games absolutely altered the course of my life and remains so impactful on me (the games themselves meant and mean so much to me and my brother in every way. As if they are far more than just video games). Insomniac really caught lightning in a bottle with those, while they are other brilliant games out there, there’s nothing quite like the Original Spyro Trilogy.
How is this video under a thousand views? The presentation and editing is so great that I’m surprised the view count is this low! You’ve earned yourself a new subscriber, keep it up.
Thank you! Yeah, this channel has more than half its videos on Sonic music, so those tend to get the higher numbers, however as you can see I've been branching out into other game series too, which has been a blast. Did this video get recommended to you by the algorithm due to the Spyro topic maybe? If so, then that's a great sign!
This is one of my favorite game soundtracks ever. Stewart Copeland is one of my musical heroes, so I'm excited. Haven't even watched the video yet, just leaving a comment. Edit: just finished the video. Including various interviews and the like was awesome.
Loved this video, so many fond memories playing it. YotD soundtrack is seared into my brain. Thanks for this vid it was awesome learning the theory behind!
A big THANK YOU man. I waited for a video like this for years. I'm a lifetime fan of this soundtrack and a drummer and producer too. Great video and great explanation as well
I randomly came across a mid-2000s Cartoon Network series called 'The Life and Times of Juniper Lee'. After watching one or two episodes I then recognized a familiar style in the show's musical score that Stewart Copeland is known for. I waited until the credits at the end, and sure enough there he was; the show's composer. This man definitely gets around.
Very interesting video, thank you! Spyro has been such a big part of me growing up and I love the playfulness in the music. I can recommend Lorne Balfe´s music for the franchise sequal Skylanders. Beeing 20y old at the time I never played Skylanders but the soundtrack has been a steady choice ever since 2011.
I'd love to see videos for Spyro 2 and 3 as well. I don't know if the ambient home world tracks would give much to talk about, since they're pretty simple musically, but I'd find it interesting anyway, and I love the way you explain music theory.
1. One of the most iconic parts in the entire game (a game which is my favourite of all) is gliding to the locked chest in Dry Canyon just as the drums drop out. 2. The pentatonic scales and Mixolydian progressions always make me think of Spyro. When I started writing music, I was using those techniques subconsciously and thinking of this soundtrack. 3. For my Electronic Music final, I decided I would cover "Scorch". The chorus has a blues progression, but the power chords are all diminished fifths: the Devil's Interval!! I didn't think that you could *do* that. Breaking rules is fun!! 🎵 *[({R.G.)}]* 🐉
One thing I'm surprised you didn't mention is how the I7 is continuously acting as a secondary dominant: setting up the IV chord. It's one of the reasons why whenever I compose something using Mixolydian, I always feel the urge to go to the IV chord.
As a complete Spyro noob, I must say that I have a newfound appreciation for Stewart Copeland's atmospheric vibes. Now excuse me while I binge the rest of the OST. And maaaybe pick up the game while I'm at it. Thanks again, Mr. Yard!
This hits so many of my weird niche interests. 4:30 - Well then you've never ridden past me on my BMX on the way to music theory class in college, now did you?
Hey! I've been watching your videos, and I must say they're addicting. I feel like its only natural to have a music analysis on Crash Bandicoot, since it goes with Spyro like bread and butter. I love the upbeat and zany tunes in the games that give a sense that Crash is on a crazy adventure and running for his life, whereas the relaxed songs in Spyro indicate that he's more in control and unafraid. Love how you explained how the music tells a story and reveals character. I would also love to see more Zelda, especially MM. Oh, and I would love more Mario music like Lethal Lava Land. Will be on the lookout for anything else you come out with.
I've not so much knowledge about music theory stuff, but ur video is awesome! U have so many little suitable animations in it and this makes the topic very fresh and cool ^^ The balloons with the chords, the running spyro on this rooftop, the gems in this row, so cool!!! AND so its clear that u are a very into Spyro - not each guy on youtube made it so, so my respect. So thanks for this great video, i didn't the whole The Police related stuff
Thanks so much! I didn't try Spyro until the Reignited Trilogy, and really enjoyed it! Sometimes I stream it and was looking to get a stream in the near future.
Fuck yes.. Firstly I really hope you can continue breaking down all of the sonic 3 and knuckles music (and sonic 2 as well if youre down!) but im really happy to see Spyro getting some recognition. This is one of the best PS1 titles
Holy moly! This just made my day!! Thanks for the shoutout, and thanks for the informative video. I'll be sure to come back to it when I try to work out some Spyro-ish music! :D
Haha glad to hear it, and thank you for posting that Spyro dancing clip! I know it's not the point, but the music you included in that video was so funny and perfect lol
Finally, another Spyro music video! Thank you! Copeland builds an entire world on the ground with the mixolydian scale. However, it is important to note that he frequently uses chromaticism, especially the small third frequently appears before the major third. Additionally, the major seventh and augmented fourth occasionally occur. It is still considered the mixolydian mode because these chromatic notes resolve themselves later on. The mixolydian mode is often associated with the dominant seventh chord, but Copeland uses the mode in a diverse harmonic manner. In addition to seventh chords, he also includes quart-sixth chords and a lot of suspended chords except when the melody plays the third of the scale. I would say that a pure seventh chord is more of an exception than the rule. The chords that he builds on a root note often alternate. Copeland's composition is not limited to just one type of chord, but rather a harmonious mix of various chords that elevate the piece as a whole.
THIS IS SO GOOD i have had all the original trilogies OSTs saved to my phone since i was like 15. listen to them all the time and even tab out basslines with my own bass from time to time. only thing you're wrong with is I actually do hum the spyro tracks aloud very often! id love to see more breakdowns of the level music just for the sake of it.
14:11 as a kid, I noticed right away that The Amanda Show theme song sounded like Spyro's music. This sparked my obsession with finding more music by Stewart Copeland.
This is an awesome video, well done! My favorite part of Spyro music is when triple and quadruple meter happen simultaneously. I forget what this is called, but you hear it in songs like Dark Hollow and Cliff Town.
This is such an interesting video, having made music in this style it's interesting to see certain parts of it put under the microscope. Would love to see you cover the second and third game's soundtracks!
Spyro was one of my everythings during ye olden times! One time me and my eldest sister kept our PS2 on for like a week straight so we could 100% Spyro 2 (Of course, you couldn't save PS1 game data to a PS2 Memory Card!) I actually had a near death experience during that time. Don't try to eat Doritos and drink smoothies at the same time, kids! The music in Spyro games is something that I always liked, but never really appreciated, or had stuck in my memory. However, I would know a Spyro song if I heard it! The Amanda Show trivia bit at the end totally blew my mind, though. If you're going to keep branching out to other series... Please get into Patapon! I've been totally obsessed with it recently, and the gameplay and music are just so awesome! They even tie into each other, too! I just think it's something you'd take an interest to! Awesome video, as always!
I like how toasty and the main theme have the main theme have the same notes verbatim but are in different keys. Plus I didn’t even notice that misty bog didn’t use a snare.
Gaming + music theory = good time 100% guaranteed. Awesome video. Hope you do one on original Crash Bandicoot trilogy, music in those games is absolutely fantastic and has a lot of things that can be discussed music theory-wise.
4:22 that is my favorite part of Dry Canyon’s theme. 8:56 I was waiting for you to talk about this part specifically. I’m no music expert but I notice that set of notes in a few of the level themes as well as the title screen theme.
Great video. The 4th degree of a mixolydian scale sounding a little like the root is not uncommon since it is the root of the relative major scale. Also, it's a tad funny how the alternate version is titled "original OST", even though that's probably the best way to communicate the message xD
Really appreciate the effort put into these vids. I’m always learning something new or looking at something differently after each one. Keep up the great work man! Love the sonic vids but this showed any series works, I just want to hear you break down more theory
14:00 >Amanda Bynes and Wizard Peak OMFG IM TEARING UP. As a kid I swore up and down these two were the same song!!! Having a 20+ year old childhood observation in an interest as complex as music theory feels good.
Dry Canyon soundtrack always reminded me of Everybody Wants to Rule The World by Tears For Fears. What a fantastic video which captures a huge part of my childhood. Stewart Copeland is so talented!!
Awesome video. Would love to see a video covering the other two games in the trilogy too! Perhaps make the main videos with the original soundtrack instead of rearranged.
Excellent video. I wonder if this carries over to the other two games that follow. Please do another video highlighting them I loved watching this one. :)
4:40 oh you clearly didn't meet me at 10 years old lol i was humming spyro tracks all the time, perscussion and everything. of course no one knew what i was singing, it only made sense to me haha 8:30 Interesting... The Ratchet & Clank OST also makes abundant use of tritones, and it's also from Insomniac. Really good breakdown of the music theory in Spyro!!
i love this video so much, that part about the backbeat (or lack thereof) blew my mind. please do david beauregard's soundtrack for ratchet and clank next!!! the metropolis theme is so incredibly sci fi / mischievous / halloween and i would love to hear you analyze it. even if you decide not to, you got a sub from me lol
As usual, it's another smash hit video from Alex Yard. While we're doing iconic platformer heroes of the early 2000's, might as well ask about Ratchet and Clank for next video! That game has a funky, groovy, electronic vibe and I'm curious to see how it works so well.
I don't have a background in music, I don't understand half of what he's saying. But I trust that there's a lot of complex details that makes Spyro soundtrack so enjoyable.
Nice observation about the organ (and other instruments in other tracks) serving as the snare beat! Spyro's music is harmonically simple, but rhythmically very rich, as is expected from a drummer (jk) Also you could make the case that, because the IV usually doesn't have a strong pull to the I like a vii or even a ii, Copeland kind of found it right to hang onto the IV whenever he wished. Anyway, nice vid! I enjoy the original soundtrack more than the Reignited one, but other than that you summed it up in a nice way that I'm sure non-musicians will understand how great it is!
I so badly want a Spyro Rhythm game like Kingdom Hearts did with Melody of Memory. This would be so fun to play as well as great practice for learning each song in great detail.
By far the best video game soundtrack ever made. The original soundtrack is far superior to the reignited trilogy with a focus on progressive rock and new wave. The organ and synthesizer stabs and guitar riffs just make it stand out.
If you'd prefer this video to have the original soundtrack, you're in luck!
th-cam.com/video/M3uGtTP_WLk/w-d-xo.html
Thank you for this. I feel like the remaster did not do justice to the original, and it's a bit too light and airy. There's also something special about the deep bass.
Literally came to comments section to complain that this wasn't actually (directly) Copeland's work being shown off. Thank you.
An extra version of the same video? Ur so awesome!
My mind is blown as I realise I almost prefer the more harsh, staccato sound of the original PS1 score to the more filmic and lush Reignited tracks. It sounds less like live rock music and more like the kind of tunes you can make with keyboard samples. It’s almost childlike, but still sophisticated. Copeland seems like such a cool guy~
The funny part (to me) is Stewart could have made the soundtrack sound less midified if he wanted to, since he was making music for a game on a compact disc. He was just having way too much fun going down the route he was on, and I'm sure it was because it sounded childlike, since he did the Amanda show theme song, a kids show, and other such things.
@@christiangottsacker6932also the music in Good Burger 😉
@kingnick6260 I saw that later in life and it was magic
Dang, I am so with you on that. I definitely prefer the original OST. I literally bought all those games on day one.😂 The first 3 had such amazing music. Stewart Copeland is a great composer.
This soundtrack changed my life. As a kid I loved so much of Copeland’s melodies and when I grew up and started playing guitar I noticed that most of my favorite music from him were Lydian. Now I’m in love with Lydian. In the later game Spyro YoTD.
I loved the original Spyro trilogy so much as a kid. I had no idea what mixolydian was for the longest time; whenever I heard it growing up I would always say "hey, that's like Spyro!" One of the first songs I wrote I discovered the flat 7th and incorporated it, wanting to "sound like Spyro."
Thank you Stewart Copeland... and thank you Alex for this kickass video!
This chimes so true with me. Even though I know now the terminology and work in music, I still say “sounds like Spyro!”
I had NO idea a member of the POLICE did Spyro's music! No wonder it is so memorable and iconic. Thank you again for the amazing content!
The founder of the Police
I am such a huge fan of this soundtrack, and I thought I knew all the trivia, but that Amanda Show fact completely flew under my radar until now and my entire world is shook!
As a kid I would always get the urge to boot up Spyro right after watching the Amanda show and didn't quite know why. It took a little bit for me to figure it out but one day I was playing Wizards Peak right after the show and it just hit me that it sounded a bit too familiar. The next day I waited for the Amanda show, listened closely to the credits and then immediately booted Spyro and went into wizards peak again and then everything made sense. Of course as a kid my next line of reasoning was that the Amanda show plagiarized it and just changed it up a little so no one would notice. Little detective me was too smart to fall for it through lol. When I had access to the internet as a teen is when I learned the full truth.
@@AHungryHunkyhey the Amanda show theme was one of my childhood obsessions to figure out lol
I remember being 8 or 9 years old listening to the Amanda show theme and saying to anyone who would listen that it sounded like Spyro! When I got older and heard that I was right, it became my favorite fact lmao
My preference for Progressive Rock as my favored music genre is a bit of an ironic coincidence of the fact that my dad is a huge Moody Blues fan (one of the early major Progressive Rock bands) and so played a lot of classic Moody Blues music in the house while I was growing up, and me playing *A LOT* of the original Spyro trilogy with its Progressive Rock soundtrack.
I always felt like The Police sounded like the Spyro soundtrack, which was the first game I really played besides Mario Kart. Turns out, it's the other way around and now I know why. Great video!
Absolutely fantastic video! Copeland's work on the Spyro-series always fascinated me. Apart from his frequent use of the mixolydian scale, he also used a ton of polyrhythmics. A good example being one of my favorite Spyro-tracks, Dark Hollow. It follows a strict 6/8-beat with a melody built upon 16th's in 4/4.
I don't care what I'm doing; if I see an Alex Yard & Knuckles video, I'm gonna stop what I'm doing and click it.
Aw. You left out the best part of that PlayStation Underground clip of Stewart Copeland explaining how he composed the music for Spyro. After talking about transposing the chords from one to four, he leans over to the camera and goes, "They pay me for this!"
I actually never noticed how much Spyro music lacked usage of a snare. very cool
Not "lacked". *Omitted.*
@@rinzaigigen2640 Hey, officer! There are snares still present in some of these songs, just not used as frequently in the measures as common for a lot of western music. While “lack” and “omit” mean *almost* identical things by dictionary definition, to omit something would imply that you were not using it almost completely. A snare is still present and, therefore, is more “lacked” than “omitted” in the context with which I was using the word.
Hope that helps, grammar police, please don’t give me a ticket.
I don't have much knowledge about music theory, but for some reason I love watching videos about it. Spyro is my childhood in a nutshell and the soundtrack still feels magical to me. You truly did an amazing job explaining it like I'm 5! Oh, and the editing is god tier. The way you used the game's landscapes and objects to illustrate it is genius
I really really like the editing and visuals you have on this. It's easy to just take them for granted, but they all look nice, creative, smooth, engaging and all that. The content itself is fascinating and a trip down memory lane as an original Spyro player, but I also wanted to point out how awesome the little bits you add are. Great stuff man.
Rewatching the video with the original OST I noticed a lot of little neat editing touches, and I've discovered even more on a third viewing.
Love the attention to detail and the nod to Balloon Park.
I only played the first Spyro, and only a few hours of it, but to this day, I feel such a sense of nostalgic bliss from this game. It's difficult to explain, but everything seemed so right. Such as the way Spyro controls, and feeling the controller rumble strongly to running and fire, just seemed so fitting and satisfying in a way that no other game really captured. The cartoony graphics just worked, and then the music and voice acting brought even more life to the game. It was never one of my most favorite games, but still somehow found a place in my heart.
Spyro is my absolute favorite game of all time & the music has so much to do with my nostalgic love for it after all these years. As someone who grew up in band & choir, & now a vocal musician & writer myself, this was so interesting to me. Loved every minute of this amazing analysis😭🙌🏽
The way Copeland voices what would otherwise be percussive rhythm (like you mentioned with Dry Canyon especially) almost seems to add such a driving sensation to the mood of a song! This was excellent, Alex! It’s one of my favorite games and favorite OSTs
Your analyses aren't just in-depth, but they're incredibly insightful. This is the second video I've watched of yours where I had a "hey, I experienced that too" moment. The first was in your SM64 when you mention that the descending notes represent Bowser's presence. The second was when you mention the "taunting" notes when you miss the jump. I don't remember the exact moment when I had those realizations, but I distinctly remember experiencing both of those as a kid. Your acumen for detecting the intent behind music is mind-blowing.
Amazing Video. I knew the I to IV was a staple of spyro's soundtrack, but I didn't realize JUST how prominent it was! Also, the editing/presentation was awesome.
It's funny you say that you don't often hear people hum the bass line in Dry Canyon, because I hum that bass line literally all the time. It's just so catchy!
you really have some amazing editing skills and also creative as fuck mind to use spyro gems and animations to animate the notes. absolutely wonderfully made video, hats off to you my dude. collab with 8bit music bro. you have a real knack for identifying what makes soundtracks interesting. i love how you saw the dominant chord as mocking spyro and its a similar effect it has on me, the music is just so simple yet somehow unpredictable in terms of form, i love it too much
I'm so happy to see this! I love learning about how my favorite music works. Learning what makes Spyro sound like Spyro, this was great and I hope this video does well. I love seeing you branch out even though it may not be as popular as Sonic. I'm excited to see what else you have in store.
I’ve always been absolutely enthralled with the Spyro soundtrack ever since I was a kid and grew up playing the games. Thanks so much for shedding some light on how the great man did it!
Excellent to see some music analysis from my favorite game of all time, you really knocked it out of the park with the editing: all the creative ways you overlayed tidbits from the game to visualize the music theory was top notch. Thank you again for another wonderful music theory video, these videos are *_super_* helpful to look at when you're having trouble figuring something out during composition, or just want a refresher on how a composer achieved that _certain_ something you're trying to pull off.
Holy moly. So THAT'S why the flight levels have a unique sound that, in the context of Spyro, puts me in the mood for aerial adventure over the usual more terra-firma ones. and THAT'S why each level "feels" right music-wise, from the chill rolling hills of Artisans (my favorite and my choice for "if I could call the Dragon Realms home, where would I pick?") to the surely scorching (& freezing) canyons of Peace Keepers, to the whimsical cloud-based domains of the Dream Weavers.
I'm not musically inclined enough to truly understand the art/science of music theory - but I can understand it on a surface level. i've always loved video game music, from the 8-bit computer sounds of the NES to the great HD-recorded orchestras of today. Great explainer that shed a lot of light on why Spyro, since I discovered his series, has been one of my favorite oases.
~ Mesyn
Copeland has such a different approach to making music than many others, and i love him and his stuff for it so much!
I love this analysis. That said, I find it interesting that you chose to use the reignited compositions rather than the originals considering the slight but noticeable differences between his original compositions and the remade ones.
See the description and pinned comment containing an alternate cut of this video using the original soundtrack!
I actually started playing through the spyro games for the first time the other week. The score was a huge standout, it's really good and this video just helps me appreciate it more.
as much as I've played these games across my life, I never could quite pin down what made the music sound like "spyro music". this analysis demystified that a bit
"He even found a way to make it work in the first level, man!" Wow I never noticed it sounding so harsh. I almost cried after that sentence.
Anyways this my favorite music theory video by you! I watched the original version and now rushed the reignited version in 5 minutes! You are really getting better at explaining, even though you didn't include any lore!
Impeccable editing & presentation 👏 Felt like it more than made up for my gaps in musical literacy. Thanks for peeling back the curtain on one of my favorite OSTs of all time!
great episode! Spyro was never my thing really (didn't grow up with a Ps1), but I always admired the flow of the game, which obviously the music contributes too! learned a lot again, thanks for that! also the "first level, man" hit me hard after the Sonic Frontiers episode. sounds like a great channel meme or catchphrase or something like that.
you don't have to put up the red light! keep up the great work and i'll always come back and even rewatch.
I’d really love to see videos on the other 2 original Spyro Trilogy Games (I’m sure a lot of people would too as well). The soundtrack alone to those games absolutely altered the course of my life and remains so impactful on me (the games themselves meant and mean so much to me and my brother in every way. As if they are far more than just video games). Insomniac really caught lightning in a bottle with those, while they are other brilliant games out there, there’s nothing quite like the Original Spyro Trilogy.
How is this video under a thousand views? The presentation and editing is so great that I’m surprised the view count is this low! You’ve earned yourself a new subscriber, keep it up.
Thank you! Yeah, this channel has more than half its videos on Sonic music, so those tend to get the higher numbers, however as you can see I've been branching out into other game series too, which has been a blast. Did this video get recommended to you by the algorithm due to the Spyro topic maybe? If so, then that's a great sign!
This is one of my favorite game soundtracks ever. Stewart Copeland is one of my musical heroes, so I'm excited. Haven't even watched the video yet, just leaving a comment.
Edit: just finished the video. Including various interviews and the like was awesome.
Another entertaining & educational video. Made me remember how great Sypro's OST is. Top notch editing!
Loved this video, so many fond memories playing it. YotD soundtrack is seared into my brain. Thanks for this vid it was awesome learning the theory behind!
A big THANK YOU man. I waited for a video like this for years. I'm a lifetime fan of this soundtrack and a drummer and producer too. Great video and great explanation as well
4:54 that was that part from Balloon Park in Sonic 3, wasn‘t it?😂
Kinda has Metal Harbor vibes from Sonic Adventure 2 as well
Definitely Ballon Park, was kinda excited when I caught the reference. 😅
I randomly came across a mid-2000s Cartoon Network series called 'The Life and Times of Juniper Lee'. After watching one or two episodes I then recognized a familiar style in the show's musical score that Stewart Copeland is known for. I waited until the credits at the end, and sure enough there he was; the show's composer. This man definitely gets around.
Very interesting video, thank you!
Spyro has been such a big part of me growing up and I love the playfulness in the music. I can recommend Lorne Balfe´s music for the franchise sequal Skylanders. Beeing 20y old at the time I never played Skylanders but the soundtrack has been a steady choice ever since 2011.
I'd love to see videos for Spyro 2 and 3 as well. I don't know if the ambient home world tracks would give much to talk about, since they're pretty simple musically, but I'd find it interesting anyway, and I love the way you explain music theory.
1. One of the most iconic parts in the entire game (a game which is my favourite of all) is gliding to the locked chest in Dry Canyon just as the drums drop out.
2. The pentatonic scales and Mixolydian progressions always make me think of Spyro. When I started writing music, I was using those techniques subconsciously and thinking of this soundtrack.
3. For my Electronic Music final, I decided I would cover "Scorch". The chorus has a blues progression, but the power chords are all diminished fifths: the Devil's Interval!! I didn't think that you could *do* that. Breaking rules is fun!!
🎵 *[({R.G.)}]* 🐉
*P.S.:* You watched his documentary "On Drums", now didn't you?
One thing I'm surprised you didn't mention is how the I7 is continuously acting as a secondary dominant: setting up the IV chord. It's one of the reasons why whenever I compose something using Mixolydian, I always feel the urge to go to the IV chord.
As a complete Spyro noob, I must say that I have a newfound appreciation for Stewart Copeland's atmospheric vibes. Now excuse me while I binge the rest of the OST. And maaaybe pick up the game while I'm at it. Thanks again, Mr. Yard!
You're in for a treat!
If you want to hear what Copeland actually did, listen to the original PS1 OST. The Reignited OST is a cover of it not done by him.
@@Ajz092 Will do👍
This hits so many of my weird niche interests.
4:30 - Well then you've never ridden past me on my BMX on the way to music theory class in college, now did you?
Hey! I've been watching your videos, and I must say they're addicting. I feel like its only natural to have a music analysis on Crash Bandicoot, since it goes with Spyro like bread and butter. I love the upbeat and zany tunes in the games that give a sense that Crash is on a crazy adventure and running for his life, whereas the relaxed songs in Spyro indicate that he's more in control and unafraid. Love how you explained how the music tells a story and reveals character. I would also love to see more Zelda, especially MM. Oh, and I would love more Mario music like Lethal Lava Land. Will be on the lookout for anything else you come out with.
I'm really enjoying this bigger scale music theory videos, like this one and the Sonic Frontiers video.
Great work in this video! I’ve actually never played a Spyro game (unless you count Skylanders) so learning about this music was really interesting.
Thanks! I am new to the series, having picked up Reignited just a year ago. It won me over quickly!
I eagerly anticipated your breakdown of anything to do with the Spyro soundtrack and it was beyond worth the wait. Great video!
I've not so much knowledge about music theory stuff, but ur video is awesome!
U have so many little suitable animations in it and this makes the topic very fresh and cool ^^
The balloons with the chords, the running spyro on this rooftop, the gems in this row, so cool!!!
AND so its clear that u are a very into Spyro - not each guy on youtube made it so, so my respect.
So thanks for this great video, i didn't the whole The Police related stuff
Thanks so much! I didn't try Spyro until the Reignited Trilogy, and really enjoyed it! Sometimes I stream it and was looking to get a stream in the near future.
This is fantastic. Thank you so much for making these videos.
4:36 hey don’t call me out like that I legit find myself idly humming spyro basslines all the time
Fuck yes.. Firstly I really hope you can continue breaking down all of the sonic 3 and knuckles music (and sonic 2 as well if youre down!) but im really happy to see Spyro getting some recognition. This is one of the best PS1 titles
Holy moly! This just made my day!! Thanks for the shoutout, and thanks for the informative video. I'll be sure to come back to it when I try to work out some Spyro-ish music! :D
Haha glad to hear it, and thank you for posting that Spyro dancing clip! I know it's not the point, but the music you included in that video was so funny and perfect lol
Finally, another Spyro music video! Thank you! Copeland builds an entire world on the ground with the mixolydian scale. However, it is important to note that he frequently uses chromaticism, especially the small third frequently appears before the major third. Additionally, the major seventh and augmented fourth occasionally occur. It is still considered the mixolydian mode because these chromatic notes resolve themselves later on. The mixolydian mode is often associated with the dominant seventh chord, but Copeland uses the mode in a diverse harmonic manner. In addition to seventh chords, he also includes quart-sixth chords and a lot of suspended chords except when the melody plays the third of the scale. I would say that a pure seventh chord is more of an exception than the rule. The chords that he builds on a root note often alternate. Copeland's composition is not limited to just one type of chord, but rather a harmonious mix of various chords that elevate the piece as a whole.
THIS IS SO GOOD i have had all the original trilogies OSTs saved to my phone since i was like 15. listen to them all the time and even tab out basslines with my own bass from time to time. only thing you're wrong with is I actually do hum the spyro tracks aloud very often! id love to see more breakdowns of the level music just for the sake of it.
14:11 as a kid, I noticed right away that The Amanda Show theme song sounded like Spyro's music. This sparked my obsession with finding more music by Stewart Copeland.
Wonderful analysis! Loved the hard work put into keeping spyro's style into the explanations! Subbed :)
i was just searching for good spyro music analysis and then you upload! amazing
Thank you! You may have also found the video "10 ways to make your music sound like Spyro," which has some pretty useful info in there too!
@@AlexYardZone Exactly what I was watching before this video
@@AlexYardZone that would be me! Good stuff here by the way mate, solid video.
This is an awesome video, well done! My favorite part of Spyro music is when triple and quadruple meter happen simultaneously. I forget what this is called, but you hear it in songs like Dark Hollow and Cliff Town.
This was awesome ^^ Spyro is my favorite franchise and the music from Spyro 1 has always been my favorite ^^
This is such an interesting video, having made music in this style it's interesting to see certain parts of it put under the microscope. Would love to see you cover the second and third game's soundtracks!
Spyro was one of my everythings during ye olden times! One time me and my eldest sister kept our PS2 on for like a week straight so we could 100% Spyro 2 (Of course, you couldn't save PS1 game data to a PS2 Memory Card!) I actually had a near death experience during that time. Don't try to eat Doritos and drink smoothies at the same time, kids!
The music in Spyro games is something that I always liked, but never really appreciated, or had stuck in my memory. However, I would know a Spyro song if I heard it!
The Amanda Show trivia bit at the end totally blew my mind, though.
If you're going to keep branching out to other series... Please get into Patapon! I've been totally obsessed with it recently, and the gameplay and music are just so awesome! They even tie into each other, too! I just think it's something you'd take an interest to!
Awesome video, as always!
I like how toasty and the main theme have the main theme have the same notes verbatim but are in different keys. Plus I didn’t even notice that misty bog didn’t use a snare.
Thank you! This is wonderful!!!!!
Masterfully done can't wait to watch the OG soundtrack now.
Gaming + music theory = good time 100% guaranteed. Awesome video. Hope you do one on original Crash Bandicoot trilogy, music in those games is absolutely fantastic and has a lot of things that can be discussed music theory-wise.
He gets me. Dry Canyon is my favorite track hands down. That bass line is too dang good. Ugh. 😌👌
cyclist analogy was awesome, this channel is always full of surprises haha
4:22 that is my favorite part of Dry Canyon’s theme.
8:56 I was waiting for you to talk about this part specifically. I’m no music expert but I notice that set of notes in a few of the level themes as well as the title screen theme.
Great video. The 4th degree of a mixolydian scale sounding a little like the root is not uncommon since it is the root of the relative major scale.
Also, it's a tad funny how the alternate version is titled "original OST", even though that's probably the best way to communicate the message xD
Really appreciate the effort put into these vids. I’m always learning something new or looking at something differently after each one. Keep up the great work man! Love the sonic vids but this showed any series works, I just want to hear you break down more theory
14:00 >Amanda Bynes and Wizard Peak
OMFG IM TEARING UP.
As a kid I swore up and down these two were the same song!!! Having a 20+ year old childhood observation in an interest as complex as music theory feels good.
Your editing is amazing man.
8:13 that actually made me think of the Good Burger movie intro then you mention it at 13:58 DUDE!
14:05 As a spyro kid and an amanda show kid this was the biggest mindfuck when I found this out 15 years later
Dry Canyon soundtrack always reminded me of Everybody Wants to Rule The World by Tears For Fears.
What a fantastic video which captures a huge part of my childhood. Stewart Copeland is so talented!!
"Still gettin' paid!" XD Copeland is just the coolest.
Awesome video. Would love to see a video covering the other two games in the trilogy too! Perhaps make the main videos with the original soundtrack instead of rearranged.
Excellent video. I wonder if this carries over to the other two games that follow. Please do another video highlighting them I loved watching this one. :)
it's been awhile... but DA 🐐 (no 🧢) IS BACKK🔥🔥🔥🔥
4:40 oh you clearly didn't meet me at 10 years old lol i was humming spyro tracks all the time, perscussion and everything. of course no one knew what i was singing, it only made sense to me haha
8:30 Interesting... The Ratchet & Clank OST also makes abundant use of tritones, and it's also from Insomniac.
Really good breakdown of the music theory in Spyro!!
I actually did a remix of Angel Island from Sonic 3 as a Spyro track and incorporated many of these techniques! Love the Spyro content!
this video was so amazing keep up the great work 😁
i love this video so much, that part about the backbeat (or lack thereof) blew my mind. please do david beauregard's soundtrack for ratchet and clank next!!! the metropolis theme is so incredibly sci fi / mischievous / halloween and i would love to hear you analyze it. even if you decide not to, you got a sub from me lol
As usual, it's another smash hit video from Alex Yard. While we're doing iconic platformer heroes of the early 2000's, might as well ask about Ratchet and Clank for next video! That game has a funky, groovy, electronic vibe and I'm curious to see how it works so well.
The soundtrack is so well crafted!
Awesome video I learned a lot and gained love for the soundtrack
I don't have a background in music, I don't understand half of what he's saying. But I trust that there's a lot of complex details that makes Spyro soundtrack so enjoyable.
Nice observation about the organ (and other instruments in other tracks) serving as the snare beat! Spyro's music is harmonically simple, but rhythmically very rich, as is expected from a drummer (jk)
Also you could make the case that, because the IV usually doesn't have a strong pull to the I like a vii or even a ii, Copeland kind of found it right to hang onto the IV whenever he wished.
Anyway, nice vid! I enjoy the original soundtrack more than the Reignited one, but other than that you summed it up in a nice way that I'm sure non-musicians will understand how great it is!
Thank you very much! And the description has a link to an alternative edit of this video using the original OST.
I don't know anything about music theory whatsoever. But very intrigued by the Devil's interval
I love StewCo's Favorite-Art-Teacher-in-the-School-District energy
Yesss totally. He really is a ham, can't go 30 seconds without launching into a bit!
Stumbled over this by accident. What a great video! Please, pleeaaase do Crash Bandicoot 3 at some point aswell!
I so badly want a Spyro Rhythm game like Kingdom Hearts did with Melody of Memory. This would be so fun to play as well as great practice for learning each song in great detail.
This man doesn't miss
Great video, really enjoyed watching, just wouldve prefered more of the OG tracks
By far the best video game soundtrack ever made. The original soundtrack is far superior to the reignited trilogy with a focus on progressive rock and new wave. The organ and synthesizer stabs and guitar riffs just make it stand out.
Great review! Loved that Balloon Park reference 😉 I’m still partial to Sonic!