Review: Grimm (Ost)
This is something I had in mind since I got the CD for my Birthday last year. Now I was asked if I could do it and as I just started to listen to it again - why not? So, if you are not interested in the music behind Grimm, maybe this entry isn't really something for you and I hope I don't waste your time with it.
Soundtracks for TV shows are still rare. True, there are several out there, but as they aren't big sales. It's always gambling for the labels and the network/producers to release them. Mostly requested by fans of the shows they are also mostly for fans of those shows, probably also something for the fans of the composer like the OSTs to the scifi show Babylon5 has a huge fanbase only because of Christopher Franke.
Richard Marvin is an experienced artist with a great amount of work. As he stated himself, he landed the job as composer for Grimm mostly because of Jim Kouf who asked him to send something in during the developing process of the show. Marvin's instincts told him in which direction he had to go - and he got the job. Not the easiest one, is Grimm a weekly show with a lot of music in it. And especially for Grimm the score is essential, producing a lot into the scenes, building up the atmosphere together with the sound-department.
The Soundtrack includes the music from the first two seasons, with both opening titles (season 2 with the first, extended version that was shortened later) along with the End Credits (Aunt Maries Theme). There's also an Inlay-card included with a lot of information about the show and the compositions and some rare showed pictures. The music quality is standard in digital stereo. The tracks themselves, as mentioned above, including both seasons in 29 tracks at all. With a running time for about 78 minutes the score is one of the larger soundtracks out there. For fans, interested in original scores, the OST is something they really should lay their hands on.
Only one little failure I detected while listening, but it's explainable if you know how Richard is doing the score for Grimm: The Track No. 5 Call of the Wild is mislead as it's the score for Monroe's and Angelina's lovescene during 1.06 Three Bad Wolves. According to the tracklist No. 5 is listed to 1.03 BeeWare. A small failure, more amusing than disturbing.
So, what are you listening to if you decide to listen to this score at all? To the background music from the episodes. There are mostly key-scenes or scenes from late season 2 (5 tracks alone from 2.22 Goodnight, Sweet Grimm). Nontheless you feel like you are in the middle of those episodes while listening to the music. Even better, as you get the music unfiltered you can listen to the music itself. Unbelievable but true that Richard is composing with computer only, mostly, as he referred himself, he's improvizing and using a lot of layers and synthesizers. So, it's even more a miracle that they only had one mistake during the production process to this score.
The unusual instruments used for Grimm like the waterpipes, all the different drums and flutes, even the strings, this all is working in perfection together and forming a little world on its own in your head while listening to the music. The epic dimensions on tracks like Monroe's Fight in 1.12 Last Grimm Standing or Nick fighting the Baron during 2.22 Goodnight, Sweet Grimm are more clearly, the same for the romantic Never stopped loving you from 2.21 The waking Dead or the awkward moment during 1.10 Organ Grinder when the Spice Shop is introduced during Monroe trying Buying Gallbladder. One thing that blew my mind a little was the end of Juliette Awakes from 2.02 The Kiss as I'd never heard this end of the score during watching the episode.
So, worth it or not? For fans this OST is surely a Must or a Should Have as you get the epic music from the episodes. The score itself is as beautiful as it is during the episodes. The inlay card with some informations about the show may be not that worthy for experienced fans but the rare pictures on the other hand are something you are looking forward to. At least the running time for about more than an hour is something you can also looking for. So, yes, it worth it. Grimm OST by Richard Marvin is one of the better soundtracks out there.