r/commandandconquer • u/MannerAppropriate952 • 3d ago

An ode to Frank Klepacki

Im always playing the c&c´s . But i have recently discovered how awesome the ost from Tiberian Sun is. if you listen actively , its awesome . Lone Trooper and Valve , Gloom . And all the other Tracks ist just worldbuilding out of his Work. . That Dude is Hans Zimmer for Games. Dude needs some Prizes.

50 Upvotes

98% Upvoted

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13

u/Ok-Wall-5100 3d ago

I'm replaying CnC 3 and I realized how glaring his absence is. It doesn't feel quite like a CnC game without him. If you mute that game's painfully mediocre soundtrack and play Tiberian Sun or Dawn's soundtrack instead, it completely changes the mood and atmosphere and elevates the entire game. That's how powerful Frank's work is.

1

u/AznOmega Zocom 3d ago

Which is weird because Red Alert 3's soundtrack is a fucking banger. Sure Frank did some tracks, but a good amount of the combat tracks were not by him and were still awesome.

Say what you want about RA3, but they understood the assignment regarding music.

1

u/Ok-Wall-5100 3d ago

Generals also had a stellar soundtrack, despite not being done by Frank, although obviously lacking his unique style. It makes it all the weirder that CnC3's OST is so dismal. They clearly could find the talent and they spared no expense for the rest of the game. But if that game came out today, I would think that the music was done by an AI. 

1

u/woutva 5m ago

I can understand c&c3 gets complains (its not very memorable, I think I can only recal one or two tracks) but i will never understand the dislike for generals soundtrack. I love franks work, grew up with Act on Instinct, Valves and Hellmarch, but generals soundtrack can be on loop for days and not bore me. I think frank has better individual bangers, but generals OST is top notch.

5

u/CORNELIUS-O-MAXIMUS Nod 3d ago

For the Tiberian Sun soundtrack Frank got help from Jarrid Mendelson. They co-wrote some songs, but Lone Trooper, Gloom and Pharotek are all Jarrid's work. IIRC they hired Jarrid because Frank was struggling a bit with the mission he got for making a non-guitar heavy soundtrack. The first track he wrote for TS was Stomp and what shot down because it wasn't the style they were looking for (but later used in C&C Renegade because it is still an awesome track). After that he decided he needed some outside help, but he was still the lead.

Jarred also did the Ordos Soundtrack for Emperor: Battle for Dune by the way.

3

u/Guarded_Pineapple 3d ago

Gloom and Pharotek are my favorites from the OST. Guess I know who to thank for that!

2

u/Ok-Wall-5100 3d ago

Tiberian Sun's OST is a unique gem. It defies genre and I've never heard anything like it. You can hear the more traditional industrial beats combined with those moody and atmospheric electronics. I think maybe it has to do with a perfect balanced collaboration. Jared's work in Dune doesn't quite match the tone, and neither does any of Frank's other work. I think it's a rare perfect blend between two master craftsmen, and was a huge part of why that game was so memorable. 

2

u/JustVic_92 3d ago

Thanks for posting the full story of the OST and giving credit to Mendelson. It's really a rather sweet story how they worked together (I think it even comes close to a 50/50 between them) to create this masterpiece.

4

u/Personal-Presence-44 3d ago

He’s the best.

4

u/MannerAppropriate952 3d ago

He´s effing awwesome . I hope someone told him . He is up to pair with the Unreal Soundtrack Dude.

1

u/BoffinBrain Are you picking this up? Good. 3d ago

Unreal Soundtrack? As in, the game? Or something else?

2

u/MannerAppropriate952 3d ago

Yeah , the game. All the Tracks are awesome . UT99 is even better

1

u/BoffinBrain Are you picking this up? Good. 3d ago edited 3d ago

Oh yes. A different genre but just as iconic... And really leaned into the MOD/MIDI tech available at the time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mCRibm4kOaE

1

u/MannerAppropriate952 3d ago

Facing Worlds. (Whats up with the Bear?) its awesome

1

u/BoffinBrain Are you picking this up? Good. 3d ago

Haha... Random memes. I found a better video that shows the tracker composition.

1

u/AznOmega Zocom 3d ago

Mhmm.

I kinda wish he and Mick Gordon do a collab one time.

1

u/Erdalion 3d ago

All his work is fantastic. I was playing Kyrandia 3: Malcolm's Revenge earlier this year, and I was awed by the soundtrack. Look up the composer, and guess who it is. Good ol' Frank -which makes sense, since that was also a WestWood game.

1

u/BRO_THOM Tiberian Sun 3d ago

Althought not Klepacki's, my favourite from TS is Pharotek. There's a remix of it on Youtube which is just an absolute banger.

And yeah, the other songs are just amazing! The change up from metal/guitars to industrial electronic IDM was such a great choice.

1

u/Bulky_Hour_1385 3d ago

Did you forget Heroism, maps & the iconic Ion Storm track!

1

u/fucktopia 3d ago

The two video game soundtracks that are in my almost daily rotation are Diablo 2 and Tiberian Sun. I love electronica so TS really works for me. I also love gloomy moody music so that's where D2 comes in.

1

u/Tributylfosfat 1d ago

Agree! But how did he come up with the mid techno transition in Hell March from Red Alert 1? https://youtu.be/OqPl4QrczTk?t=219&is=xoqy_gNENJi1AV8h