all good things come to an end
The end of Arcane. – Featuring 2 musicians I met on The Canadian train.
I watched the end of the animated series Arcane last week with my dad. A true work of art on par with Avatar: The Last Airbender and the Spider-Verse, much has been said about the animation and storytelling on the show. But my favourite part of the show is the soundtrack (music being a musician’s favourite? who would have guessed!!). The first season’s finale featuring Sting on vocals and Ray Chen on violin left a mark on me and I decided to cover it before the second season premiered.
I find it incredible how integrated the Arcane universe is. If you listen closely, you will find echoes of certain songs in the instrumental score. For a show that isn’t a straight musical, this is only possible with the music supervision and scoring departments collaborating closely in ways that is surprisingly, not always a given in a film/TV production, no matter how big the budget is.
I also love the passion of Mako (a.k.a. Alexander Seaver) in talking about his work on the series, his video breakdown of “What Could Have Been” was very helpful for me while I was arranging my cover. I hope he makes similar videos for the new songs, and with some of them challenging for most global streams on Spotify, I’m sure I’m not the only one looking forward to it.
Two of the stand-outs on the soundtrack for me are the songs that aren’t in English, “Ma Meilleure Ennemie” by Stromae and Pomme (which I’m planning to cover at some point), and “这样很好 (Isha’s Song)” by Eason Chan (which I’ve already covered).
Did you watch Arcane too? What songs on the soundtrack were the standouts for you?
{ 3 drops of golden sound }
I’ve been posting retrospectively about my trip to North America on Instagram and remembered these two gentlemen I met on The Canadian. 4 days and nights on one train, sharing meals and common areas, has a way of getting even the most introverted of people to open up to each other in ways they might never do back home.
“How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)” by Eugene Smith
Originally performed by Marvin Gaye
Warm, riotous and a wealth of incredible stories, Eugene was the first person I found myself seated next to at lunch. With his long silver dreads and a staff for a walking stick, I couldn’t help thinking of Gandalf from Lord of the Rings. When not ordering a Bailey’s with his coffee and delighting everyone with his stories, I’d find Eugene humming a tune while playing the kalimba, reading quietly at his seat or scribbling away in a notebook. A local blues legend who spent his younger years travelling and making his mark in the music industry, Eugene now enjoys a slower life on Vancouver Island. Hear more from the man himself here.
“Thief in Town” by Stephen King
Yes, like the writer, which made it a little difficult for me to find him online because the other Stephen King also dabbles in singing and guitaring on the side. This Stephen was on The Canadian as part of VIA Rail’s Artists-on-board programme, with food and accommodation provided, he performed 3 shows a day across different cars. A Newfoundlander armed with a set of original songs, Bob Dylan tunes and some traditional folk songs, Stephen helped keep us entertained throughout the journey and also, joined me in crashing the first-class cocktail bar at the back of the train on our last night onboard.
Pilot by Westbound Station
favourite tracks: “Kogi”
Zach Brown was one of the faculty members at Blue Ridge Fiddle Camp, the lone cello instructor in a sea of fiddlers. He also doubled as a bassist for camp performances. Most cellists are capable of exuding beautiful emotion from a melody but Zach does it while also laying down a rhythmic groove with his chopping skills. The other members of the band Westbound Situation are just as innovative in their playing of instruments traditionally used in bluegrass. If you liked “Kogi”, I’d highly recommend giving “Tulip Time” a listen as well.
If you’ve made it this far, thank you for reading and I hope to see you again at the end of the month! Here’s a picture of my cat who I’m really glad to be able to squish again (yes, that’s an upright piano he’s sleeping on).
LoL,
rae