Jive With This One Man Band Cover of “Gerudo Valley”

Musician Phil Savlem gives it his all with a one man band cover of “Gerudo Valley.” He uses over twenty instruments to bring one of Ocarina of Time’s most famous songs to life.

By today’s standards, Ocarina of Time’s original N64 version is not exactly graphically appealing. Despite that, the game still manages to immerse the player in its world and storyline. For me, a large part of that was the music. Composer Koji Kondo and his staff used just the right mixture of genres to create lasting atmosphere in a way the dated visuals could not. “Gerudo Valley” is certainly among the most popular tracks in the series, and has been included in multiple entries of Super Smash Bros. The strumming guitar, horns, and hand claps immediately remind me of swashbuckling movies such as The Mask of Zorro.

It was a sharp move for Nintendo to put “Gerudo Valley” into the fortress stealth section. It is likely that many players were thrown into prison repeatedly while trying to rescue the village carpenters. Usually such restarts can be an annoying break in progression, even rage inducing if one was mere inches from achieving victory before being caught. A killer soundtrack can ease some of this frustration, and encourage players to be bold and try again.

How does “Gerudo Valley” rank for you? Did you dig Phil’s energetic and faithful cover? Tell us about your memories tied to the song in the comments below.

Source: Phil Savlem