Topic: Unfamiliar with this one...

[Alieo]

I've never owned the first release of D2 for the PC before the definitive collection came out. I was bumming around YouTube to check out the songs on there and found this weird version of Ratzez.

Click the link and skip to 1:49...



What IS that wee-woo-wee-woo part? I've never heard that before? Gives me the mental image of a couple of carousel horses climaxing! EEESHHH!

What I want to know is, is this a legitimate version of Ratzez? Have you guys heard this version before, or is this someone's doing?

[Kaiaatzl]

This was the version on the original D2 redbook (I'm not sure what version Descent Maximum had).  I think Parallax told Ogre to give it something that wasn't in the D1 version .  It definitely sounds like it was hacked in there.

It gives me the mental image of beige lines -- just like the rest of the song... well they are a bit more whitish there.
Ratzez definitely looks wierder and more surreal compared to any other Descent song.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synaesthesia#Sound_.E2.86.92_color_synesthesia
Describes it pretty well.

[Alieo]

Okay, so you're saying the wee-woo-wee-woo's are hacked in there? Because, I looked up track times on Google for Ratzez, and they're all around the length of this YouTube video of it (2:29-2:32). The original D2 Redbook Audio I downloaded from, somewhere (I think it was here!) has Ratzez down for 2:14. 

Interesting... I'll have to "look" at Ratzez like that sometime!

[Kaiaatzl]

No what I meant is it sounds like Ogre (the musician) added it in there without much thought, just to give the D2 version something that wasn't in the D1 version.  I doubt that part was intended with the original version of the song (which is probably the D1 version).
In a nutshell it doesn't flow well at that part -- the transitions are almost nonexistent.  That's probably why it was taken out in the Infinite Abyss version.
And yeah I had the same reaction as you did when I heard that for the first time.  Interesting that it's actually longer than the "extended remix" version.  More arguement for those actually being the original versions.

[Alieo]

Ah, gotcha... thanks... I wanted to know because now that I have a better quality of D1's Ratzez, I needed to know if this version was legit so I can mix them together somewhere at the end of D1's Ratzez.

[-<WillyP>-]

owww... that was horrible!  Didn't know Descent had music that bad!

[Kaiaatzl]

Wait you haven't heard it either?   I like it because of the surreal beige images.  The visual aspect for me is "catchy".  I know where you can get that version as a download but I can't find the page on my bookmarks right now.  Questionable legality anyway.

I wouldn't say the sound is any worse than the D3 level 5 song (which was totally inappropriate for the story but otherwise good).

[-<WillyP>-]

No, I'll probably be crucified for this, lol... but I never cared much for D2, especially the music, and I didn't listen to redbook much, maybe never all the way through, but I don't recall any words in any of them.

[Alieo]

lol @ Willy....

I hated it too at first, but this grew on me... imagine hearing D1's version then THIS at the end. Because, D1 PSX version's may be the longest, it does not have that kicka** climax at the end of, say, the one I'm more familiar with, D2 Definitive Collection. It's just the same old thing... but Imanna mix this in with it right now! Horny carousel horses look out! I'm gonna ride you! LOL JK

[Kaiaatzl]

I think I've figured out Ogre's lyrics at least at the end, and I have the gist of the beginning (Ogre is the Skinny Puppy vocalist so I know it was him and not Mark Walk).  Gramatically incorrect commas, but that's because there were pauses in the vocals.

At the beginning:
I'm not sure but it's something about the speaker bribing you not to kill him.  The music immediately afterwards makes it pretty obvious you didn't take the bribe.

At the climax:

"Stand back, everybody!"
"This one's done a bad job, handling my head!"
"Now I don your head!"
"For a shuttle 'hic' ride!"

So I think this voice is supposed to be one of the robots talking, who comes "back from the grave" as a boss at the end of the level.  The first two lines at the end are talking to the other robots, the last two are talking to you.  The sound at the end sounds a bit like the Red Fatty Boss's "Darth Vader" sound effect and this music was in level 4 (which had that boss).  So now I think it's pretty obvious which robot it is as well.  The main question is: Which robot died and came back as the Red Fatty boss?

Of course, Ogre could just have been on drugs when he wrote it and that would explain everything (he did get addicted to heroin, but I'm not sure if that was before or after Descent).

I actually think Ratzez was one of the better D2 songs, (though that may just be because of the visual component).

The song seems to represent going through D2 level 4, but stops while you're fighting the boss.  That's the other reason I don't think the "whistle" part was originally meant to be in the song: it doesn't fit anywhere into the music's "story".

[VANGUARD]

No, I'll probably be crucified for this, lol... but I never cared much for D2, especially the music, and I didn't listen to redbook much, maybe never all the way through, but I don't recall any words in any of them.

Game was fun but I didn't care for the redbook. The songs weren't bad though.

[Alieo]

@wazzazzle

http://slother31.blogspot.com/2009/08/descent-2-ost-ratzez-lyrics.html

I think this one was just someone's interpretation though. Nothing official.

[Alieo]

Okay, I've completed my mix. I've combined the D1 PSX version of Ratzez with the D2 version of Ratzez.

D1's version began as if it was going to be a "full version" of the song, yet lacks the climax part just before the fade out on D2's version. I simply combined the two and came up with a 4:47 track.

What do you think? Does this sound like it could be the full version of Ratzez that Ogre of Skinny Puppy and Mark Walk intended to release? You be the judge.

http://www.planetdescent.net/index.php?action=mgallery;sa=item;id=297

[Scyphi]

Huh, I had never heard this version either. Must agree, it doesn't quite fit. Although, given that the whole song is a bit bizarre to begin with...

I wasn't a big fan of most of the songs on the D2 redbook, but there are some good ones still.

[NUMBERZero]

I don't like but a few songs from the Redbook. 3 of them are good. Gunner Down is kinda a 4th and it is great until it gets to the wierd screaming part. >: (