Many apologies for missing one day! I stayed up all night typing the 2011 flashback post and completely forgot about our weekly section. It won't happen again, not in the near future! Anyway, a quick one.
When the Saints Go Marching In (聖者の行進)| Version |  |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Taiko PSP 2, Taiko DS 3 | x4 (143) | x5 (164) | x7 (321) | x8 (537/430/412) |
| Taiko Wii 5 | x4 (143) | x4 (164) | x7 (321) | x8 (537/430/412) |
| Taiko PSP 2 (2P) | x4 (141/141) | x5 (164/164) | x7 (321) | x8 (537/430/412) |
Taiko PSP 2, Taiko DS3, Taiko Wii 5, CD Full Combo
194
none
jazsajThe first two PSP Taiko games are well-known for being homes to a great many Classic songs, both on the UMDs and downloaded ones, and many of them remain exclusive to the portable console. What Namco has been doing is releasing them one by one onto new platforms and the arcade slowly, but most of them with a limited scope of reach. Ruslan and Lyudmila Overture, Jupiter, Nocturne Op.9-2, to name a few. This one was no exception.
When the Saints Go Marching In is another universal song which almost everyone around the world knows, with simple lyrics and a bouncy melody which was easy to follow and sing along to. What most people don't know is that there's a sadder, slower version of the song used in funeral marches in the olden days. The more upbeat version we know is called the 'Dixieland' version, which would be used in the same funeral march but after the coffin is buried and everyone is marching back home. The number was made popular in the 1930's by Louis Armstrong as a contemporary pop song despite its origin as an American gospel song, and it has since become a standard for jazz and pop artists everywhere. The exact origin of the song remains unknown however.
While sung by many different people over many different decades, Namco takes it down a less traveled direction and turns When the Saints are Marching In into a hip-hop song complete with American rapper, which even until today is one of their most unexpected of remixes ever made, and one of the most divisive ones. You'll find some people who find it interesting and some who find it completely disgusting. The song is bilingual, with a Japanese person taking up the main vocals and singing about festivals and Taiko, and the aforementioned rapper talking in English in the background lamenting how hard it is to learn Japanese and find his way around. However both these people are one and the same; Mississippi-born K.D.Brosia, who has actually been in Japan a lot more than the lyrics would suggest. Click the link above to find out what I mean.
For an 8* notechart, the song is unusually fast and runs the gamut from 1/12 clusters to 1/16 clusters and back again, which can be tough to manage especially in the highest route on Oni difficulty (the difference in note total between Master and Advanced/Normal is also very high), and in some parts of the song, almost outstrips similarly fast-paced 1/12 songs like Ra Morena Kumonai. This is definitely a chart that will keep you on your toes trying to stay in the Master route! This hip-hop rejig has never been seen outside of portable consoles and remains rooted to PSP and DS.
Next week's entry will be on a Saturday as usual.
