Musing on Music.

I recently acquired Civilisation IV, and have been playing it in that addictive way that turn-based empire-buildling games grab me. It's a great improvement on the disappointing Civ 3, in that diplomacy actually works now, and I'm grooving on some of the streamlining stuff they've done (e.g. 'health' - kicks arse).

With it came a 'soundtrack CD'. I don't know how limited release it is, but the EB guy chucked it in for free with the game, so what the hey.

The music's mostly leader themes, which by and large are not really supposed to distract from the interactions with the various leaders, but to add atmosphere. They're meant to stay in the background, I guess, and it shows.

But there is one track on there that owns me. Holy fucking hell. I get goosebumps listening to it, and thanks to the wonders of CDex I listen to it a lot.

The track is called 'Baba Yet', apparently - and if you wind up not getting the soundtrack but getting the game, it's the music played over the main menu (i.e. after the intro cinematic but before the dive into next-turn madness). For those of you with no intention of getting near the game, it's got a very african feel to it - choral music, with orchestral backing. And somehow, not knowing what the words mean, it's just so uplifting. Like you've fought hard to survive the night, vanquished what was threatening you and then watching the sunrise. It's like the opening of a chapter that it's an achievement just to begin. Like I said, this song owns me so hard it sold me off and bought me back.

Quick Google Update: Doing a quick search, I've discovered that the proper name of the track is, in fact, 'Baba Yetu', and can be downloaded from here. For free. So please, do it. It's apparently the Lord's Prayer in Swahili ("Lord's Prayer" = "Our Father", "Pater Noster", etc). Which is kind of cool. So see if you get owned, too.