Sakura Taisen 2 Song Collection

Out of the four Sakura Wars soundtracks that I own, I really cannot chose a favorite. They are all great in their own right for different reasons. However, I would say that this CD is probably the most well done. First off, it is long. Most arranged CDs are 40-55 minutes, this one is 62. It contains three more tracks than the first one. And it has some of the most memorable tunes I've ever heard.

The CD starts off with the remix of the main theme song. This is the full version of course, unlike the ones on the OST, and it contains singing from Maria, Sumire, and Sakura, as well as speaking parts from the other girls.

The next two songs are Kouran's and Maria's, which are in my opinion the worst of the bunch. They both seem to drag and aren't especially memorable, however, both songs are well done for what they try to be. The next song is Sakura's, a very intimate and light song that reminds me somehow of spring. There's a very beautiful oboe in the background that supplements Sakura's voice nicely. Following Sakura is Kanna's song. It's a great '50s style rock song with a great melody and great accompaniment, and like the two songs with Kanna on the first soundtrack, she sounds like she's having great fun with it.

Unlike the slow "Etude" of the first Song Collection, Iris's song is medium speed and - more importantly - suits her voice especially well. She really gets into it too. Sumire's song is a nice tango, not as good as the two on the first CD, but still a nice song.

At this point, there's a break in the sequence, and a song is sung by the "3 Sisters" - Tsubaki, Yuri, and Kasumi. This one is a Big Band type piece with another great melody, and they just have lots of fun singing it. The interplay between the three girls is great.

Next comes an image song sung by Kouran, with the other girls providing a backdrop. It's pretty short however. Kaede's song is another slow one, and has a lot of interesting sound samples mixed in to create a very new age sort of feel.

The first of the two new main girls, Orihime, has a song that will take you back to the Baroque. It's very pretty, with a nice instrumentation, including oboe, clarinet, and harpsichord. Reni's song returns to the new age feel, and it has a wonderful circle of fifths chord progression in it that's sure to keep you humming for some time to come.

One of my favorite parts of Sakura Wars 2 was the Christmas episode, and this CD has the complete version of the song sung in that episode. I would consider this song to be the gem of a four CDs. It has verses sung by each one of the eight girls. It's over seven minutes long. And the melody does not disappoint in any way. If there's any reason to get this CD, this is it. The song itself is a mix of '80s style pop (but much better) and beautiful choir singing. It's one of those you can just listen to over and over without getting bored.

The final song on the CD is of course the ending song. It's got one of the happiest melodies I've ever heard, and it's a worthy finish to a great CD. Once again, all eight girls have parts in it.

Again, this CD is one of my absolute favorites. With a wide variety of styles and great melodies, and great singers, it's one I listen to over and over. I recommend it to anyone who likes vocal collections, even if you've never heard any Sakura Wars music.