Musical themes in the Monkey Island series
From Monkey Island wiki
Monkey Island's soundtracks have been considered extremely impressive and influential. Michael Land has been involved in the soundtracks of all five games, acting as the principle composer for four of the games - recieving credit in The Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition and Escape from Monkey Island.
The Monkey Island games are noted for their heavy use of tropical music genres which reflect the games' setting, these include some reggae, dub, calypso and other similar genres. However the games have also included traditional and often heavily moving orchestral pieces. Despite their impressive audio output, singing has only been heavily featured in The Curse of Monkey Island, which featured the series first and only full song performance A pirate I was meant to be.
The first and second games used an entirely synthesized musical output with the first game having a traditional, rudementary MIDI compositions and the second a more refined one which used the iMuse sound-system (programmed by Michael Land). Since the third game all of the games have featured real, live instrumentation.
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The Secret of Monkey Island
The original versions of the game used internal speaker and simple MIDI instrumentation. Later CD versions used enhanced MIDI instrumentation to give the soundtrack a more forceful sound. The soundtrack was later recreated with real instruments for the The Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition.
The Monkey Island Theme
The iconic Monkey Island theme was featured for the first time in this game. The first game features an extended organ introduction which eventually explodes through crescendo like sound into the proper theme. Each game features a different variant of this theme as its introductions and pieces of its melody are also used as incidental musical cues.
Chapter Screen
Variants of the Chapter Screen theme are heard in all five games. Most notably in The Curse of Monkey Island each Chapter Screen theme has a distinct added musical element which reflects a theme in the chapter itself.
Scumm Bar Theme
A steady mix of lighter flute and heavier horn melody. This theme has not appeared in other consequent soundtracks despite considered iconic in this game.
The Voodoo Shop / Voodoo Lady's Theme
A dark bass and flute theme used in the Voodoo Lady's shop. The theme is also used with a more intricite instrumentation in Monkey Island 2 after which the theme was altered somewhat for the third game.
LeChuck's Theme
This theme is also used in various arrangements in future games. A low trombone theme played with a semi-fast tempo which seems to enhance LeChuck's evil but at the same time comical nature, the percussion is handled with xylophone like sounds.
Guybrush and Elaine / Love Theme
Used in various compositions in later games (though absent in The Curse of Monkey Island). Begins with a sweeping violin intro and moves to a calm Frech Horn melody. Used for the first time when Guybrush and Elaine are together at the Mêlée docks.
Stan's Previously Used Ships
This game uses a unique and more suave Stan theme which has not been heard in any consequent game. It has an upbeat sound which utilizes multiple horn-instruments. The theme can be heard at the ship yard on Mêlée Island.
Cue 2
A 16 second musical cue, part of the game's code but which doesn't appear in any part of the game. This cue has a creepy sound which seems to indicate it might have been original intended to be used in a scene involving LeChuck. No reason for leaving the cue out of the game has ever been officially claimed. It was none-the-less recreated for the games' Special Edition and is part of the game's code even though it can't be heard in the game proper.
Monkey Island 2: LeChuck's Revenge
The Monkey Island Theme / Opening Themes & Introduction
This version of the theme begins with a dark, low orchestral hum and a bass-line before being joined by an organ and the actual theme which is played on flute. This version of the theme notably features a brief chaotic drum and organ solo which is followed by the bass-line being played solo before the theme melody playes for the last time. The solo coincides with the monkeys dancing in the credits sequence. This theme ends on a low note which leads directly to the serene Introduction theme of Guybrush on the beach on Scabb Island.
Largo LaGrande
A jazzy melody played on low horns and appears whenever Largo is present in Part 1. The melody stops appearing in Part 2 where LeChuck's theme is more prominent. Due to the character having no appearances in future games this theme does not appear in most of the future games. In The Siege of Spinner Cay chapter of Tales of Monkey Island Guybrush briefly whistles the melody to himself.
Stan's Previously Used Coffins
The more recognisable horn and percussion heavy theme which features an organ backing and appears in all of Stan's later appearances. The opening chords emulate the melody of a funeral march before the more upbeat theme itself kicks in. This intro appears also in The Curse of Monkey Island but is downplayed in later games where Stan's business no longer deals with the deceased.
The Bone Song
Heard during the sequence where Guybrush's parents dance as skeleton. An upbeat big band style dance number. Even though the game does not feature singing per se the Bone Song does feature actual lyrics (later used as a hint in the game).
LeChuck's Lament
An extremely slower, darker and more sinister variant of the LeChuck theme which plays up his resurrection as a zombie. This version of the theme is heard less frequently than the more upbeat orchestrations.
The Curse of Monkey Island
Introduction & Main Titles
Features a calypso style introduction when the camera zooms in on Monkey Island during the beginning. This variant of the Theme Song features dramatic orchestration with flutes and steel drums. The main theme is also referenced in game by Edward Van Helgen who claims it was the deviously catchy tune which his crew happened upon during a journey.
Voodoo and Things
Though this theme features the same bass-line as the original Voodoo Shop theme the melody is more rounded and not as heavy. This version of the theme has been used in all consequent appearances by the Voodoo Lady.
A pirate I was meant to be
The series' first full instrumented and vocalized song number featuring Guybrush, Cutthroat Bill, Haggis McMutton and Edward Van Helgen. The song is also part of the gameplay where the player must select the correct lyrics in order to make the pirates stop singing. An upbeat song with comical lyrics which deal with pirating and also fueled by Guybrush's sarcasm. The song later appears in a new version on the Manatee toy in The Siege of Spinner Cay in Tales of Monkey Island.
Sword Fighting, More Sword Fighting, Even More Sword Fighting, And Yet Some More Sword Fighting, Winning/Losing a Swordfight
A series of orchestral themes ever increasing their intensity, used during Insult Sword Fighting in Part 3. The Winning a Swordfight theme was also used during the second major cutscene in Escape from Monkey Island.
Escape from Monkey Island
The Monkey Island Theme / Main Titles
This variant is very similar to the theme of the previous game and is in fact an alternate take on it. This version is part of the extended end credits theme for the previous game and only heard at the very end (the credits fade out before it can be heard as the final end scene of the game is shown).
Scumm Bar
This game features a markedly different version of the Scumm Bar theme which features various percussion instruments and an accordion. The theme is watered down for various incidental cues in other parts of the game.
Monkey Kombat
A mix of tropical whistle and flute sounds set to a fairly steady drum-beat. Used during Monkey Kombat sequences. The victory theme also features more contemporary sounds to coincide with Guybrush's dance moves.
Tales of Monkey Island
The Monkey Island Theme
Tales of Monkey Island uses a scaled down full version of the melody for the beginning of The Launch of the Screaming Narwhal. The theme is simplified most likely due to the lower production budget available for Tales.
