Consistently impressive orchestral arrangements for one of the early classic JRPGs.
Editor's review by Adam Corn (updated 2022-07-12)
Grandia was one of the more notable JRPGs back during its release for Saturn and Playstation, though the series has slipped a bit into obscurity in the decades since. VGM Classics hasn't forgotten it though, and has given the soundtrack the same very solid orchestral arranged treatment it recently gave the Suikoden II soundtrack from the same era. Unlike with Suikoden, I have no familiarity with Grandia's OST, but that hasn't kept me from being just as impressed - maybe even more so - with "Symphonic Tale: An Unforgettable Journey (Music from Grandia)".
Going purely by the music the album largely covers the tropes of a classic adventure. "Prelude ~ Boyhood" sets the tone for a young protagonist beginning his journey, "Voice from the Spirit Stone" has a mythical quality fitting for a fantasy RPG, "Morning of Departure" is filled with a sense of adventure, "The Starry Beach" and "Love and Parting" have a pretty sentimentality perfect for JRPG storytelling scenes, and "Rebirth of the World" ends it all with triumph.
It's all very traditional orchestral fare and is impressively well arranged and performed throughout, with even weaker tracks like "The Wall to Overcome" and "Storyteller from the Past" still being keepers. Conversely, the immensely dramatic "Greed" is the only track that stands out to me as being not just good but flat-out great. Still, for fans of orchestral adventure a full 60 minute album that spans much of the JRPG musical spectrum with not a single mediocre track is nothing to sneeze at, and for fans of the OST I would venture it's a must-own.