Get Equipped
Encyclopedia
Get Equipped is a studio album
by The Megas
, recorded in December 2006 to December 2007 and released in January 2008. The album contains cover version
s of music from the Capcom
video game, Mega Man 2
. It uses almost every song found in the original game, excluding the intro and boss fight music. Every song except the first and third contain lyrics
written by the Megas that expand on the original video game's story.
This is the band's first album. Previously the band released demo CDs
entitled "Demo Get" with different covers on them at shows and events.
The band made an acoustic version of the album, named Get Acoustic
, which was released February 4, 2010.
constructed in order to lay down the tracks for their first and future albums.
The album focuses on the story found in Mega Man 2
. The new compositions feature original lyrics and new sections which blend seamlessly with the original compositions.
The band kept track of sales for the 50 states in the United States on a map, filling each state with the color blue once the album was purchased by someone in that state.
The album was made available for purchase on their official website and when performing live shows.
The artwork on the front of the album shows a Mega that represents Mega Man in front of stylized monsters that represent the 8 Robot Masters featured in the game. The inside art shows The Megas
on the inside cover and figures that represent the 8 Robot Masters surrounding a figure of Mega Man behind the CD. The rear art shows an exploded technical illustration of the arm cannon that Mega Man
uses.
.
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
by The Megas
The Megas (band)
The Megas is a Los Angeles based independent video game cover band based on the Capcom franchise, Mega Man. They differentiate themselves from artists who have played Mega Man music in the past by adding original lyrics and composing new sections which blend seamlessly with the original compositions...
, recorded in December 2006 to December 2007 and released in January 2008. The album contains cover version
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
s of music from the Capcom
Capcom
is a Japanese developer and publisher of video games, known for creating multi-million-selling franchises such as Devil May Cry, Chaos Legion, Street Fighter, Mega Man and Resident Evil. Capcom developed and published Bionic Commando, Lost Planet and Dark Void too, but they are less known. Its...
video game, Mega Man 2
Mega Man 2
Mega Man 2, known in Japan as , is a platform game developed and published by Capcom for the Nintendo Entertainment System. It is the second installment in the original Mega Man series. The game was released in Japan in 1988, and in North America and PAL regions the following years. Mega Man 2...
. It uses almost every song found in the original game, excluding the intro and boss fight music. Every song except the first and third contain lyrics
Lyrics
Lyrics are a set of words that make up a song. The writer of lyrics is a lyricist or lyrist. The meaning of lyrics can either be explicit or implicit. Some lyrics are abstract, almost unintelligible, and, in such cases, their explication emphasizes form, articulation, meter, and symmetry of...
written by the Megas that expand on the original video game's story.
This is the band's first album. Previously the band released demo CDs
Compact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
entitled "Demo Get" with different covers on them at shows and events.
The band made an acoustic version of the album, named Get Acoustic
Get Acoustic
Get Acoustic is an acoustic remix album of The Megas debut album, Get Equipped, released digitally February 4, 2010. After the release of Get Acoustic, The Megas were mentioned in the official Capcom blog, making it their second time...
, which was released February 4, 2010.
About the album
Get Equipped is a product of Dr. Light Studios, a studio that the MegasThe Megas (band)
The Megas is a Los Angeles based independent video game cover band based on the Capcom franchise, Mega Man. They differentiate themselves from artists who have played Mega Man music in the past by adding original lyrics and composing new sections which blend seamlessly with the original compositions...
constructed in order to lay down the tracks for their first and future albums.
The album focuses on the story found in Mega Man 2
Mega Man 2
Mega Man 2, known in Japan as , is a platform game developed and published by Capcom for the Nintendo Entertainment System. It is the second installment in the original Mega Man series. The game was released in Japan in 1988, and in North America and PAL regions the following years. Mega Man 2...
. The new compositions feature original lyrics and new sections which blend seamlessly with the original compositions.
The band kept track of sales for the 50 states in the United States on a map, filling each state with the color blue once the album was purchased by someone in that state.
The album was made available for purchase on their official website and when performing live shows.
The artwork on the front of the album shows a Mega that represents Mega Man in front of stylized monsters that represent the 8 Robot Masters featured in the game. The inside art shows The Megas
The Megas (band)
The Megas is a Los Angeles based independent video game cover band based on the Capcom franchise, Mega Man. They differentiate themselves from artists who have played Mega Man music in the past by adding original lyrics and composing new sections which blend seamlessly with the original compositions...
on the inside cover and figures that represent the 8 Robot Masters surrounding a figure of Mega Man behind the CD. The rear art shows an exploded technical illustration of the arm cannon that Mega Man
Mega Man (character)
Mega Man, known as in Japan, is a cybernetic video game character, and the main protagonist of what has been referred to as the original Mega Man series developed by Capcom since 1987. The pixel art for the character was created by the designer of the original game in the series, credited under...
uses.
About the music
The album is unique because the ideas for the song are based on the music used in different parts of the game for Mega Man 2Mega Man 2
Mega Man 2, known in Japan as , is a platform game developed and published by Capcom for the Nintendo Entertainment System. It is the second installment in the original Mega Man series. The game was released in Japan in 1988, and in North America and PAL regions the following years. Mega Man 2...
.
- Track 1 - "The Beginning of the End" - Wily's Castle
- The song played as Dr. Wily's Castle is introduced to the player.
- Track 2 - "I Want to be The One" - Dr. Wily 1-2
- Although this song is used toward the end of the game, in the album it is an introduction song that explains the story.
- Track 3 - "The Message From Dr. Light" - Level Select
- Dr. Light explains why he created Mega Man, and tells him that he made him in his image.
- Track 4 - "A Fate Forged in Steel" - Enemy Selected
- When a Robot Master is selected by the player, the song is played while displaying the Robot Master.
- Tracks 5-13 These songs are based on the background music for the Robot Master listed in parentheses and that Robot Master's unique personality.
- Track 5 - "The Annihilation of Monsteropolis" puts the spotlights on Airman, and how his weapon pushes everyone away from him, and his loneliness drove him to wanting to destroy mankind.
- Track 6 - "Metal Dance" focuses on Metal Man, who is overly confident in his skills and level, and anxiously awaits Mega Man's arrival.
- Track 7 - "Carved from Mighty Oak" is somewhat similar to the "Metal Dance" song in terms of content. Woodman believes Mega Man will not be able to stop the robot war or defeat him, ruler of the woods.
- Track 8 - "Promise of Redemption" is the song of Bubble Man, who is determined to fight and destroy Mega Man. Not because he wants to do so necessarily, but because he is looked down upon and considered the weakest robot by his peers, and himself.
- Track 9 - "Man on Fire" consists out of the thoughts of Heat Man, who explains that he fights out of revenge for "the fallen" ones, and he wishes to destroy Mega Man in retaliation and revenge.
- Track 10 - "Blue Like You" could be considered the love song of Flash Man, who wants to stop time so Mega Man will be "his, forever".
- Track 11 - "The Quick and the Blue" is, unlike the other tracks, not sung by Quick Man, but rather about the imminent battle that will take place between Quick Man and Mega Man. Quick Man also reveals that he is painfully aware of his upcoming defeat at the hands of Mega Man. This song has somewhat of a "showdown" touch, often heard in spaghetti-westerns.
- Track 12 - "Programmed to Fight" is the final song of the Robot Masters, and the main Robot Master in this song is Crash Man, who reveals that unlike the others, he does not wish to fight Mega Man at all, and decides to aid him by fighting his own program and allowing Mega Man to defeat him to obtain his weapons. This is believed to be a reference to Crash Man's AI in the game: he will generally avoid attacking unless attacked first.
- Track 13 - "Lamentations of a War Machine" is the song of Mega Man after the Robot Masters and Wily have been defeated. He, in the true Mega Man-series fashion, questions his existence and why he has to fight. The song played at the end of the game after clearing the game.
Track listing
Personnel
The ones who rock for justice are:- Rev. Breeding — vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
, guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, epic speeches - E — vocals, guitar, rock poses
- Gregatron — bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, backing vocalsBacking vocalistA backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists... - Mikey Hell — drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, tattoos, wailing guitar solos
- This album was recorded December '06 - December '07 in the bowels of Dr. Light Studios in Los Angeles... er, Monsteropolis.
- ProducedRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
by The Megas - MixedAudio mixing (recorded music)In audio recording, audio mixing is the process by which multiple recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and effects such as reverb may...
by Joe Marlett - Art and layout by Josh Breeding and Greg Schneider
External links
- Official site of The Megas
- The Megas on MySpace - The band's MySpaceMySpaceMyspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
page, where some of the songs from the album can be listened to. - Get Equipped on the band's bandcamp page.