Space. I’ve been obsessed with it growing up and still continue to be filled with awe any time I look into the clear night sky. There are also songs in which I’m instantly transported to space. John Williams’s Star Wars music, Holst’s The Planets, etc.
Video game music does an amazing job of immersing you into whatever game you’re playing. Whether you’re gallivanting through Hyrule on horseback in Ocarina of Time or fighting pirates on Monkey Island, there’s always some sort of soundtrack that can accompany it. Have you ever played one of these games on mute? It just doesn’t have the same effect.
The song I chose for this week’s Music Monday I actually listened to way before playing the game it’s from. The track for this week is Gusty Garden Galaxy from Super Mario Galaxy!
Super Mario Galaxy was one of the first Mario soundtracks to be done with a full orchestra, which is a big deal. A music nerd myself, I also grew up listening to many different types of what most would call “Classical” music. The fact that there were now games that seemed to crossover made it so surreal to me. I would listen to this song so much as it was probably one of the most popular songs on the soundtrack!
The melody of this song is so memorable as well. The strings and other instruments carrying the melody have an almost lyrical nature to them as the guitar speedily strums and the bass carries on the movement of the piece. As I close my eyes listening to this song, I can picture myself flying through space and speeding past the stars.
As I drove to and from work today, the song was on my mind. I opened up my Nintendo Music App and played an extended 30 minute version of Gusty Garden heading to work. There’s something about the song that also bubbles up emotions to me so it probably wasn’t the best that I’m driving to work and tears are welling up (happy tears, mind you). On the way home I listened to one of those compilations of where Gusty Garden has shown up in games. It shows up in a LOT! The melody shows up in like three different songs in Galaxy 1, then a few times in Galaxy 2, then in the Mario and Sonic games and Mario Kart games, among others.
The song most recently was included in the Super Mario Galaxy Movie, which I was able to see this past weekend. (No spoilers, but it was amazing)
Brian Tyler did an amazing job of taking the tracks and movie-izing them, just as he did for the first Illumination Mario movie (which ALSO HAD THE GUSTY GARDEN SONG IN THE CREDITS)
For someone who didn’t grow up with a Wii and didn’t play Galaxy until he was older (although I did play Galaxy 2 in college after one of my friends let me play on his console), I deeply respect what was done with this soundtrack as a whole…even moreso with Gusty Garden.
Here are a few good remixes that I’ve found as well of Gusty Garden:
8-bit Music Theory even did a great video dissecting Gusty Garden as well:
What are your thoughts on Gusty Garden Galaxy? Let me know in the comments or out over on the Bundy’s Bear Cave Discord!
