Petty Music Critique

[Half-dude]

I feel like the music they use during Xen, while being good quality music, really doesn't fit stylistically. It doesn't fit Half-life which we all know uses more strange techno/electronica mixed types of music.

But it also doesn't miss what we're seeing on screen. I'm not being biased, I had a buddy of mine who's never played Half-Life before watching me play the BM Xen sections and he just said himself that the music seems very unfitting to what we're seeing on screen.. with all the female vocals going on.

[Wapplino]

Aside from it "not fitting Half-Life", how does it not fit Xen? Please elaborate.

[Half-dude]

Originally posted by YayDude123:

Aside from it "not fitting Half-Life", how does it not fit Xen? Please elaborate.

Listen to it and tell me if it makes you think. "Man wandering around on an alien astroid in the middle of a nebulous void" Or "Man being attacked by a giant crab testicle" Does it fit the mood? Honestly if they just took out the female 'ooohs' and 'aaahs' I think it'd make a big improvement.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8S22AEtiLsI&list=PLqWbjZ_t9qDlY08FPwztA2wXoil0mzusM&index=2&t=0s

[Opti87]

The music for Gonarch's lair seems to fit quite well.

[(N☆G) Jackal ★JJ★]

Originally posted by Half-dude:

Originally posted by YayDude123:

Aside from it "not fitting Half-Life", how does it not fit Xen? Please elaborate.

Listen to it and tell me if it makes you think. "Man wandering around on an alien astroid in the middle of a nebulous void" Or "Man being attacked by a giant crab testicle" Does it fit the mood? Honestly if they just took out the female 'ooohs' and 'aaahs' I think it'd make a big improvement.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8S22AEtiLsI&list=PLqWbjZ_t9qDlY08FPwztA2wXoil0mzusM&index=2&t=0s

Its fitting to me.

Its a depressing tone for the escape of reality from running into the breach.

Then its reinforced at the same time with amazement. To Gordon this is a mind shattering experience and the song seems depressing and yet also amazed at the new world he is witnessing for the first time.

[✠ sleepnaught ✠]

Disagree, I found the music in Xen to be fantastic and a huge step up from the rest of the game, not that the quality was lacking there either.Joel Nielsen did an incredible job and should be proud of the work he's done. Could not be happier with how Xen turned out, especially the music and beautiful art.

[GamerXT]

yea I agree, it can seem slightly too artistic, especially with all the chanting

[Miguel Adorno]

i really loved the music, and its a great improvement from the original xen , john nielsen did a really great job. to me, it fits with the scene and the art

[Florence]

Xen's music was great, I strongly disagree.

[DIYsandvich]

I thought the music for xen was incredible, but i'm going to be pissed if all the earthbound music get's changed to fit with the style of the xen music (like the music swap that they did in unforseen consequences) The earthbound soundtrack is amazing as is and doesn't need changing

[Half-dude]

Im just saying, the HL series has a very defined style.. go and listen to the soundtracks if you need a reminder. The music in Black Mesa sticks out like a redheaded step child.

[KPH]

Have to agree here, I also have my gripes with OST. I think 90% of the the tracks doesn´t fit the predominant atmosphere. The other 10% are ambient tracks, which works perfectly, for example in Inbound: the music supports the feeling of looming danger and the calm before the storm. Other example is the first track of Xen: it perfectly fits the first contact with the wondrous and alien environments.

I know that some people think that this game is beyond criticism, especially the music and attack pretty much anyone whose opinion differs from theirs even a little. I mean for f**k sake, even the developers don´t think like that! Its It´s not that the music is bad, it´s just that it´s bad for this game.

[IMMORPOSETHING]

I recan’t call a moment in this “mod” when the music actually fits except “welcome to the HEV” I guess.
I mean it’s ok music made by one guy..
But it literally never fits, it’s too edgy.

I would argue it Actually was closest to fit in Xen more then anything, but still fails..
I try not to mind too much

[Rico Raccoon]

Upon further inspection. Original Half-Life 1 music was ♥♥♥♥. Kelly bailey is a talentless hack, don't see why people like him. Okay maybe thats an exageration, but HL1 had no memorable music.

All his music is just ripping off more succesful electro-industrial acts like skinny puppy, front line assembly, cabaret voltaire, or dark ambient acts like Lustmurd, Steve Rich, Tangerine Dream, or progrock of the 70s, etc. Even at times it sounds like rough unfinished techno ♥♥♥♥, that 4 year old could put together (think the music that plays during suit pickup, ugh... so terrible, just one boring pattern) His only REALLY good stuff was Episode One and Two which is where he had found a suiting style for the franchise, with the well produced tangerine dream/prog-rock mixed stuff. But Half-Life 1 and 2? That crap needs to go... srsly. HL1's OST was produced in max a day. imo.

I'm glad Morasky is composing HL:Alyx and not kelly. I have more faith in him.

Joel Nielsen's music is waaaaay better in every way than the OG HL1 ost, his Xen stuff is no-doubt the best stuff he has ever made so far, I'm hoping he'll use his talent for further Crowbar Collective projects.

TL;DR The original HL soundtrack was really rubbish, other than maybe some dark ambient segments. Joel Nielsen and his wife KILLED it with the Xen OST, its so ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ good.

Like If I ever had to find a composer for my next movie project, I'd get Joel Nielsen

Message to Crowbar Collective: Make Joel Nielsen be your in-house composer for future projects, he's perfect!

[Half-dude]

Wow Richo why don't you suck Joel Nielsen's ♥♥♥♥ some more?

I don't know how old you are but I'd definitely say for the time HL1's music was on par. Just a couple years earlier games were still using midi music. It was also music for Valve's debut game.. a game with a troubled development by a studio who didn't know if they'd even be around after the game released. So yeah music probably wasn't the biggest focus for their budget at the time. Yes the music used a lot of stock sounds and riffs and yes I'll admit that most people probably listen to it with nostalgia-headphones. But weather you like Bailey's music or not is irrelevant. He's been the composer for the entire series, it IS the musical identity of the series.

How you can dislike HL2's soundtrack is beyond me though if I'm being honest.

All I'm saying is that if they're remaking half-life they have an obligation to stay true to the source material, despite what CC's fanboys like to say.

Do they have to be Kelly Bailey? No. Do they have to remake the songs beat for beat? Not even that. But at LEAST keep it in the same damn musical genre. Give us those wonderful techno-industrial beats yo!

[Half-dude]

I agree with Khyypio %100, put it in better words then even I could.