To (almost) every single Final Fantasy OST, there is an arranged counterpart. However, some fail to see what Final Fantasy Symphonic Suite really is. This is the arranged version to the Final Fantasy 1&2 OST (which came on one disc). The music on here came from a live concert recorded in May of 1989, and a limited release was made of it. However, the only version you'll find now is the reprint (the cover above is from the reprint...the limited edition has some black space around an oval encircling the person in the middle of the CD).

Until the day I actually received this CD in my hands, I was positive that it would be impossible for me to find an authentic printing of this CD anywhere. However, I saw a site that listed it to buy and I bought it. I waited 5 months to get it, but it's mine. And guess what...IT'S AUTHENTIC! These days, however, the CD has become more common to find.

The music itself is brilliant. The arrangements are stunning, and if you've played both games you are literally whisked back into older gaming days...Days when you were much younger. This nostalgic feeling works GREAT with the large choir and many stringed and low brass instruments. This CD is the kind of CD one would want to dedicate to their mother. In fact, one did. Mr. Hironobu Sakaguchi, creator of the Final Fantasy series, dedicates this CD to his mother inside the liner notes. If the CD is good enough to be dedicated to the creator of FF's mom, you HAVE to own this CD: there's no denying it. So listen to the samples, realize it's amazing, and buy it!

Reviewed by: Patrick Gann