When Falcom ran their very first run of the "Falcom Millenium Series", one of the many albums they chose to reprint was Falcom Special Box '89. But, to confuse its fanbase even further, they took the 6 8cm set and put it on two regular sized CDs. This is the first of those two CDs. It contains discs 1, 3, and 4 from the original print.

If you were to ask me, "what makes this disc so special?" I would reply, "everything other than Plus Mix." The Plus Mix arrangements are really, really bland. They are synth arrangements, but they sound very similar to their original counterparts. I almost feel like I'm hearing a really old "best of" disc rather than an arrangement at that point. There are added drums recorded, and that's about it. The other two sections, on the other hand, are phenomenal.

It took me years to recognize exactly what it was that I liked about the "Fusion" section. Without a doubt, the opening track is what has one me over. My friends, this song is funky to the core. Listen to the sample now, and take in the glory of it all. Truly, this is the work of a Westerner; David Matthews, whoever you are, thank you!

I have always loved the vocal section. I just wish it were more than three tracks. The best of the three songs, in my opinion, is "Sorcerian." But really, all three are decent, not just for the vocal performance, but for the music in the background as well. Also, all three of these songs have lyrics entirely in English, and they aren't as bad as one would expect. Again, "Sorcerian" shines here by having lyrics that remind us of the game's style.

If only the Plus Mix section didn't dominate half of this album, it would truly be a treat. Among the two discs, this is the better one, because it has two decent sections and one bland section (as compared to the other that only has one decent section). I recommend it to anyone looking to explore early Falcom albums and doesn't want to sell their car to do so. You can usually find either of these two discs for under $20.

Reviewed by: Patrick Gann