3xLP vinyl release by Gary Malkin, with additional cues by Dan Alvarez, Jeff Beal, Michael Boyd, and Pete Scaturro
I’m going to be completely transparent here, this review was quite the undertaking. Not in any technical way, no. The massive mission that was sitting down to articulate Terror Vision’s very impressive 3xLP release of the original broadcast soundtrack to Unsolved Mysteries was only a chore because of a simple fact: I have been absolutely terrified of the show and its music since 1987 when, as a six year-old, I made the mistake of watching the pilot upon its NBC premiere. It’s the fear that made the program so effective, the terror and dread to each episode and its multiple segments that caused an entire generation (followed by generation after generation) to be scared witless but enthralled, the mysteries and reenactments piquing the collective interests of true crime aficionados around the world.
The stories and mysteries found within the program were scary as all hell, but what really elevated the material and caused each segment to be a masterclass in tension and dread can be traced back to not only the storytelling and terrifying reality of that the crimes weren’t closed, but in the haunting and absolutely petrifying score. Right from the show’s main theme there is something so captivatingly eerie that by the time the story begins you’re already holding the blankets up to your eyes. The score’s ability to transport its listener into the world in which each story lives is unparalleled and, with the 125+ cues Terror Vision included in this deluxe release it’s akin to being transported back into those experiences of watching what is, without a doubt, the scariest television ever made.
Primarily scored by Gary Malkin, with additional cues by Dan Alvarez, Jeff Beal, Michael Boyd and Pete Scaturro, the cues found within the 3xLP release serve as less than your traditional score, but more like a library of dread. Every version of the infamous theme is alive and well, as are cues that defined multiple episodes. The usage of eerie piano, hollow synth, and a vibe that, upon listening, will never leave your head, is one for the books, but the whole collection is striking.
The series of cues that comprised the “Tallmen’s Ghost” episode are absolutely fear-inducing, as welcoming piano and keyboards slowly turn into something very unsettling, adding to the fear the episode already delivered. This is further explored in the “Tatum House” cues, full of what Unsolved Mysteries excelled at: giving its listeners/viewers something of an underscore nightmare. The score knows when it needs to be subtle, but even when it takes that route there’s an ominous quality to how soft and nail-biting the show can be. Malkin knew his job well, and there’s something so unsettling to the music he and his collaborators created. It’s a collective group of cues that are not only scary as hell, but also hold a timeless quality to them. When that keyboard finger work begins, you know you’re about to need a change of underwear and there isn’t a single cue found within this release that ever feels like a product of its time.
Through the release’s 125+ cues, you find yourself recounting those sleepless nights, those nightmares the show gave us, and the excitement laced with pee-your-pants moments that Unsolved Mysteries was so good at delivering. Between this release and the recently released Original Broadcast Soundtrack for Freddy’s Nightmares, the crew at Terror Vision are really nailing the scary-as-hell obsession so many of us hold, dying to see just how much we can scare ourselves. With the music of Unsolved Mysteries, those self-scares are guaranteed.
About the Author: Harper Smith is a film composer and journalist from California. When not writing about films and the music found within them, they release instrumental music as RainyDaysForGhosts and their debut book, Faith, Doubt, and Existential Horror (an analytical look at William Peter Blatty’s Faith trilogy) is hitting shelves next year via Bear Manor Publishing.