UltimateDisney.com Presents:
Walt Disney Records - Summer 2006 CD Roundup
Nine new Disney albums reviewed, including Cars, Pirates: Dead Man's Chest, and Tarzan: Broadway soundtracks
Whether you're like movie studios and consider Memorial Day Weekend the start of the season or like scientists and view June 21st as the official launch, there's no denying it now: summer is here. And despite the Back to School sales currently being advertised, it's not going away anytime soon.
Summer is traditionally a time when producers of media lighten their output to stores. With the holiday rush several months off, DVD studios rely primarily on films that spent the winter months in theaters. This year's was a particularly light crop and Buena Vista Home Entertainment's offerings are sparse until the end of August. With the warmest weeks of the year bringing vacation and outdoors time to those young and old, common sense seems to dictate not to waste a title's crucial first few weeks of availability on summer, when indoor shopping is more about the air conditioning and the forgotten essentials than it is about impulse buying and movie marathon material. Still, the movie theater is another story entirely and the past five weeks have given Walt Disney Pictures its two biggest hits of the year in Pixar's Cars and Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, which seem destined to become the nation's two highest-grossing of all summer films.
As usual, the output of music branch Walt Disney Records is on the same page as the rest of the Mouse House. One-third of the nine subjects in this roundup come from Cars or Pirates. Four others are holdovers from the end of spring: the tween-friendly Disneymania series spins on in two new entries, underperforming CGI flick The Wild gets its obligatory soundtrack, and High School Musical -- the made-for-TV movie-turned-mammoth media sensation -- gets revisited in a two-disc Special Edition soundtrack coinciding with its DVD debut. Rounding out the lot are a soundtrack to the latest Disney movie-turned-Broadway musical (Tarzan) and the lone bone tossed to preschoolers (a soundtrack to Playhouse Disney's "The Doodlebops").
Rather than rob you of another moment of your precious summer time, you are invited to discover the good, the bad, and the in-between in this, our latest installment of Disney CD reviews...
Click to jump to an individual review:
Disneymania 4
Disneymania 4 | Disney Karaoke Series: Disneymania, Volume 2 | The Wild: Original Soundtrack
High School Musical: 2-Disc Special Edition Soundtrack | Cars: Soundtrack | Lightning McQueen's Fast Tracks
Tarzan: The Broadway Musical | Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest Soundtrack | Rock & Bop with the Doodlebops
Running Time: 50 minutes / Release Date: April 4, 2006 / SRP: $18.98
1) "A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes" - Disney Channel Stars
2) "Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah" - Miley Cyrus 3) "If I Never Knew You" - The Cheetah Girls 4) "Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf" - B5 5) "Reflection" (Remix) - Christina Aguilera 6) "I'll Try" - Jesse McCartney 7) "Look Through My Eyes" - Everlife |
8) "Candle on the Water" - Anneliese Van Der Pol
9) "You'll Be in My Heart" - Teddy Geiger 10) "Yo Ho (A Pirate's Life for Me)" - Jonas Brothers 11) "Some Day My Prince Will Come" - Ashley Tisdale 12) "Bahama Roller Coaster Ride" - Baha Men 13) "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" - Sara Paxton 14) "Super Cali (BoiOB Version)" - Orlando Brown 15) "Monkey's Uncle" - Devo 2.0 |
Disney's pop cover project for its expansive musical repertoire is back in Disneymania 4, a release that holds more steadfastly to the pop sound than the previous productions and serves up a mostly less interesting song list from a mostly Disney Channel-bred celebrity roster. The majority of the tracks predictably fall into the "just okay" category -- they're nice to listen to but not so memorable. Of course, there are the real stinkers, inspiring an entirely unintended kind of Disneymania.
A couple of songs deserve mention of their uniquity. Devo 2.0, an odd group of kids dedicated to emulating the sound of '80s fad band, Devo, deliver a rendition of "Monkey's Uncle" in their signature style. It's neither great nor terrible, but it's interesting for sure. There's also a remix of Christina Aguilera's "Reflection," which was included on the original soundtrack to Mulan, the first Disneymania, and the artist's debut album. Its inclusion on this disc rather than the recently-released DisneyRemixMania is confusing, especially since it's a far better remix than anything that actually made that album's cut, but it adds value here nonetheless.
The average and awful aside, there are a few tracks here that really stand out as grade-A efforts, fully representative of what Disneymania is all about. Included in that list are Jesse McCartney's stellar take on "I'll Try" from Return to Never Land, "A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes" by the Disney Channel (Circle of) Stars, and the rockin' "Yo Ho (A Pirate's Life for Me)" by the the Jonas Brothers, a sort of Good Charlotte-for-kids band. Finally, there's Anneliese Van Der Pol taking on Helen Reddy's Oscar-nominated "Candle on the Water" from Pete's Dragon. The drastically different sound takes a little getting used to but turns out to be a real winner. Not only does the "That's So Raven" star have a surprisingly gifted singing voice, but she manages to make the song (one of Disney's finest) her own. It's always nice to see the Disneymania albums go for something a little less mainstream. The first three Disneymanias edge out the newest one on the quality scale, but these four songs plus about seven other decent tracks make it an acceptable enough follow-up, even if the continuing drop in quality in this series is disheartening.
UD Rating: � out of 5
Disney's Karaoke Series: Disneymania, Volume 2
Running Time: 59 minutes / Release Date: April 4, 2006 / SRP: $9.98
Instrumental Versions:
1) "Under the Sea" (solo: female) 2) "Proud of Your Boy" (solo: male) 3) "Strangers Like Me" (solo or duet: female) 4) "Colors of the Wind" (solo: female) 5) "A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes" (solo: female) 6) "The Tiki, Tiki, Tiki Room" (solo or duet: female) 7) "Beauty and the Beast" (solo: female) 8) "A Whole New World" (duet: male and female) |
Vocal Versions:
9) "Under the Sea" (as sung by Raven-Symon�) 10) "Proud of Your Boy" (as sung by Clay Aiken) 11) "Strangers Like Me" (as sung by Everlife) 12) "Colors of the Wind" (as sung by Christy Carlson Romano) 13) "A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes" (as sung by Kimberly Locke) 14) "The Tiki, Tiki, Tiki Room" (as sung by Hilary Duff) 15) "Beauty and the Beast" (as sung by Jump5) 16) "A Whole New World" (as sung by LMNT) |
The latest installment in the flourishing Disney's Karaoke Series, Disneymania, Volume 2 should not be confused with the actual Disneymania 2 CD. In fact, the songs included here come mostly from the third Disneymania release. In case you aren't yet sure on just what Disneymania means, it's the name of a popular series (and increasingly, a franchise) of Disney cover songs by pop artists. Each of the eight tracks are presented in instrumental form (plus background vocals) followed by vocal versions beginning with track #9. Don't get too excited, though... they aren't the same artists who appeared on the original Disneymania albums but, rather, replacement singers who sound quite a bit like them. Of course, when used in a compatible karaoke machine and television set, the disc's CD+G technology will display on-screen lyrics and other graphics. For the unequipped, a lyrics booklet is included inside the case. The song selection here is pretty strong and the retail price is low, so those who enjoy karaoke (and this one seems especially prime for the tween market) should find it to their liking.
UD Rating: � out of 5
The Wild: Original Soundtrack
Running Time: 47 minutes / Release Date: April 11, 2006 / SRP: $18.98
1) "Real Wild Child" - Everlife
2) "Good Enough" - Lifehouse 3) "Big Time Boppin' (Go Man Go)" - Big Bad Voodoo Daddy 4) "Really Nice Day" - Eric Idle and John Du Prez 5) "Tales from The Wild" - Score 6) "You Can't Roar" - Score 7) "Lost in the City" - Score |
8) "To the Wild" - Score
9) "Alien Shores" - Score 10) "The Legend in Action" - Score 11) "The Mythology of Nigel" - Score 12) "The Ritual" - Score 13) "Found Our Roar" - Score 14) "Really Nice Day (Finale)" - Eric Idle and John Du Prez |
More than any other film in recent memory, The Wild was plagued by negative comparisons to another film.
High School Musical: 2-Disc Special Edition Soundtrack
Running Time: 56 minutes / Release Date: May 23, 2006 / SRP: $18.98
Disc 1 (Soundtrack)
1) "Start of Something New" 2) "Get'cha Head in the Game" 3) "What I've Been Looking For" 4) "What I've Been Looking For (Reprise)" 5) "Stick to the Status Quo" 6) "When There Was Me and You" 7) "Bop to the Top" 8) "Breaking Free" 9) "We're All in This Together" 10) "I Can't Take My Eyes Off of You" 11) "Get'cha Head in the Game" - B5 |
Disc 2 (Karaoke)
1) "Start of Something New" 2) "Get'cha Head in the Game" 3) "What I've Been Looking For" 4) "When There Was Me and You" 5) "Bop to the Top" 6) "Breaking Free" 7) "We're All in This Together" 8) "I Can't Take My Eyes Off of You" |
Disney's smash hit TV movie, High School Musical has already birthed one CD soundtrack release (not to mention an entire franchise on the rise) but as with any Disney success, it's been reissued in a timely fashion. In support of the High School Musical DVD release, a 2-Disc Special Edition of the movie's soundtrack made its way to stores in May and this latest edition is the subject of this review.
The soundtrack itself, contained on Disc 1, is a fun one.
The original High School Musical soundtrack featured two karaoke tracks as disc-closing bonuses. The Special Edition pulls those onto the second disc, where they are joined by six new karaoke tracks. These additions and some very snazzy disc art and packaging are the only changes that the Special Edition and its second disc introduce. The karaoke cuts are what you would probably expect: instrumentals and background vocals that are enhanced with CD+G technology so that the use of a compatible karaoke machine and a TV will produce lyrics on screen. Alternatively, the lyrics are printed in the liner notes, along with a double-sided mini-poster (the primary cast/movie logo on one side, Zac Efron and Vanessa Anne Hudgens on the other) and a quickly-expiring code for a free ring tone of "Get'cha Head in the Game." Inexplicably, "Stick to the Status Quo" isn't featured in instrumental form, making it the only major song to not be included.
Other than avid fans of karaoke, those who already own the first High School Musical soundtrack have very little reason to upgrade. For newcomers, the packaging and six bonus tracks do add some value, though probably not enough to justify the Special Edition's higher list price. All 19 tracks could have fit on one disc, but reserving the karaoke songs for a separate disc make listening to the soundtrack itself a little less painful...it's just too bad that the B5 cover couldn't have been moved over there with them.
UD Rating: � out of 5
Cars: Soundtrack
Running Time: 52 minutes / Release Date: June 6, 2006 / SRP: $18.98
1) "Real Gone" - Sheryl Crow
2) "Route 66" - Chuck Berry 3) "Life is a Highway" - Rascal Flatts 4) "Behind the Clouds" - Brad Paisley 5) "Our Town" - James Taylor 6) "Sh-Boom" - The Chords 7) "Route 66" - John Mayer 8) "Find Yourself" - Brad Paisley 9) "Opening Race" - Score 10) "McQueen's Lost" - Score |
11) "My Heart Would Know" - Hank Williams
12) "Bessie" - Score 13) "Dirt is Different" - Score 14) "New Road" - Score 15) "Tractor Tipping" - Score 16) "McQueen and Sally" - Score 17) "Goodbye" - Score 18) "Pre-Race Pageantry" - Score 19) "The Piston Cup" - Score 20) "The Big Race" - Score |
The soundtrack to Cars, Pixar's seventh warmly-received blockbuster in as many tries, provides a mix of the familiar and the new. Fulfilling the former are eleven tracks of score composed by Randy Newman, the man behind the music of Pixar's first four films. As seems inevitable for most movie composers, Newman's work here has strong overtones of his earlier Pixar output, especially Toy Story, though its rock flavorings occasionally suggest a "road movie" more than what the first all-CGI flick became and its quieter moments point to a movie far more solemn than Cars is. Without the industry leader's dazzling CGI visuals accompanying it, the score comes up a bit short of the artist's best compositions. Far more surprising is that the remaining nine tracks are lyrical songs, easily surpassing Pixar's previous high and sharply contrasting with the purely instrumental album for The Incredibles, the studio's preceding hit. If Randy's return reintroduces expectations for the studio's music, the vocal lineup shatters them. The nine generally good tunes range from old favorites (Chuck Berry's classic "Route 66" and The Chords' delightfully doo wop "Sh-Boom") to present-day pop icons (Sheryl Crow's energetic opener "Real Gone" and John Mayer's rockin' "Route 66" cover), with two penned and performed by country phenom Brad Paisley offering a shaky change of pace. The disc's highlight is Rascal Flatts' bouncy new recording of Tom Cochrane's early '90s chart-topper "Life is a Highway", which needn't stray from the original to please in big ways. Rounding out the menu are Hank Williams' "My Heart Would Know" (an odd detour from the Newman melodies) and "Our Town", a new tune sung by James Taylor but unmistakably written by the Randster, whose last Pixar outing earned an Oscar.
UD Rating: � out of 5
Other Cars Tie-ins:
Radio-Controlled Super Tow Mater Cars "Dirt" Racetrack Set Cars: Radiator Springs Adventures CD-ROM Shake 'n Go Mater toy More Cars Books: Cars: The Junior Novelization Cars: Ultimate Sticker Book (Review) |
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The Art of Cars
160 pages, hardcover Chronicle Books Review |
Cars: The Essential Guide
48 pages, hardcover DK Books Review |
Fast Talkin' Lightning McQueen
large-scale talking car toy 15 stunts/tricks and >30 phrases Review |
Power Wheels Lightning McQueen
sound effects and voice phrases rechargeable battery system recommended: ages 3-6 |
Learn to Draw Cars
Cars: Read-Aloud Storybook Cars: Little Golden Book Cars: Join the Pit Crew |
Lightning McQueen's Fast Tracks
Running Time: 37 minutes / Release Date: June 6, 2006 / SRP: $12.98
1) "My Wonderful Car" - Lyle Gudmunsen
2) "Black and White Thunderbird" - Jaime Babbitt and Britt Savage 3) "Road Trip" - Tom Hambridge 4) "You Can't Catch Me" - Joy Lynn White 5) "Rocking Little Roadster" - Gunnar Nelson 6) "On the Road Again" - Kevin Montgomery |
7) "My Old Yellow Car" - Gordie Sampson
8) "Hot Rod Hybrid" - Pat Buchanan 9) "I Got a New Car" - Tom Hambridge 10) "Pick Up Truck" - Mark Johnson 11) "My Old Car" - Johnny Neel 12) "I've Been Everywhere" - Webb Wilder |
Rarely a studio to miss out on merchandising possibilities, Disney made sure there was room among the onslaught of tie-in merchandise for a second Cars album.
Tarzan: The Broadway Musical - Original Cast Recording
Running Time: 58 minutes / Release Date: June 27, 2006 / SRP: $18.98
Act I
1) "Two Worlds 2) "You'll Be in My Heart" 3) "Who Better Than Me" 4) "No Other Way" 5) "I Need to Know" 6) "Son of Man" 7) "Sure as Sun Turns to Moon" 8) "Waiting for This Moment" 9) "Different" |
Act II
10) "Trashin' the Camp" 11) "Like No Man I've Ever Seen" 12) "Strangers Like Me" 13) "For the First Time" 14) "Who Better Than Me" (Reprise) 15) "Everything That I Am" 16) "You'll Be in My Heart" (Reprise) 17) "Sure as Sun Turns to Moon" (Reprise) 18) "Two Worlds" (Finale) Bonus Track: "Everything That I Am" - Phil Collins |
Those surprised at Disney's choice to reconfigure Tarzan as its latest Broadway effort most likely are not alone in their confusion. For starters, the film is not a musical in the traditional sense of the word. Sure, there are songs (and good ones at that), but aside from some very brief exceptions, they are sung by Phil Collins, as a sort of all-seeing yet unseen narrator. Phil does not appear in the stage production (though the bonus track allows him his own rendition of "Everything That I Am," Tarzan's ballad of self-discovery), but his original songs do. These are accompanied by some new ones, for which Collins is credited with composing both the music and lyrics. Surprisingly, having one creative voice behind all the music doesn't result in uniformity. The new numbers don't quite fit with the sound of the existing tunes, which themselves, while aptly performed by the talented cast, do not seem well-suited for a stage environment. In particular, "Trashin' the Camp" feels much out of place in the middle of a Broadway production. Likewise, Jane's first song ("Waiting for This Moment") is silly to the point of being mildly disturbing, as she lists of an abundance of plant species and calls them her beautiful friends who "want to know me too." Even so, it is hard to judge a production which seems to rely heavily on elaborate sets, costumes, and staging by the soundtrack alone, as listening to selected segments at home can never compare to viewing a performance live. All that said, the disc offers a lot of cheesiness, but then what Broadway hit -- the greatest included -- is ever completely void of cheese?
UD Rating: � out of 5
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest: Soundtrack
Running Time: 58 minutes / Release Date: July 4, 2006 / SRP: $18.98
1) Jack Sparrow
2) The Kraken 3) Davy Jones 4) I've Got My Eye On You 5) Dinner Is Served 6) Tia Dalma |
7) Two Hornpipes (Tortuga)
8) A Family Affair 9) Wheel of Fortune 10) You Look Good Jack 11) Hello Beastie 12) "He's a Pirate" - Ti�sto Remix (Bonus Track) |
Like the film itself, the soundtrack for Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest is more epic in scope than its predecessor. Just as Klaus Badelt did before him, Hans Zimmer has unsurprisingly managed to capture the world of piracy in a series of instrumentals and in doing so, the essence of the movie as well. The wave-like motion of the rhythm and crescendos perfectly articulate the film's sea setting. Much of the music is dark, brooding, and thunderous, which can wear a little thin after 50 minutes on CD. Fortunately, the film's respites from action provide welcome variation, particularly in "Dinner Is Served" and "Two Hornpipes (Tortuga)," not to mention the oft-recalled Pirates theme.
The disc closes with a remix of "He's a Pirate," the closing track on the Curse of the Black Pearl soundtrack. The two versions have very little in common and the remix sounds something like techno in distress. You can bet that if Tortuga had a night club, the Ti�sto Remix of "He's a Pirate" would be their biggest hit, what with the bits of dialogue and sword clashes that are thrown into the mix. Outside of the pirates world, however, this track feels entirely pointless and out of place and is best when ignored. It's worth noting that mega-retailer Best Buy includes two additional remixes as bonus tracks... if they're anything like this one, you're probably safe sticking with the general retail edition.
The Black Pearl soundtrack will better please those looking for a few Pirates anthems but Dead Man's Chest is an equally satisfying production. The many filmgoers already won over by the film will find that the Dead Man's Chest soundtrack stays true enough to the original while thankfully treading exciting new ground.
UD Rating: out of 5
Other Pirates Tie-ins:
Dead Man's Chest Pirates Dice & Cups Dead Man's Chest: Nintendo DS game The Legend of Jack Sparrow CD-ROM game Dead Man's Chest wall poster Pirates Monopoly board game Pirates Battleship Command game Pirates Chess (Collector's Edition tin) The Game of LIFE: Pirates Edition Jack Sparrow mini-bust |
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Pirates of the Caribbean:
The Visual Guide 80 pages, hardcover DK Books, 2006 |
Pirates of the Caribbean: From the Magic Kingdom to the Movies 144 pages, paperback Disney Editions, 2005 |
Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl Soundtrack CD score by Hans Zimmer |
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest Movie Storybook 64 pages, hardcover Disney Press, 2006 |
More Pirates Books:
Dead Man's Chest: Movie Storybook Dead Man's Chest: Ultimate Sticker Book Dead Man's Chest: Mad Libs Dead Man's Chest: Junior Novelization The Curse of Davy Jones book Island of the Pelegostos book |
Rock & Bop with the Doodlebops
Running Time: 35 minutes / Release Date: August 1, 2006 / SRP: $12.98
1) "We're the Doodlebops"
2) "The Pledge" 3) "Wobbly Whoopsy" 4) "Look In a Book" 5) "I Want to Be Bigger" 6) "Get on the Bus" 7) "Hey Moe" 8) "The Bird Song" 9) "Count to Ten" 10) "Queen for a Day" 11) "Getting Along" |
12) "Gibble Gobble"
13)"My Friend" 14) "Write a Letter" 15) "Tap Tap Tap" 16) "Faces" 17) "When the Lights Go Out" 18) "Cauliflower" 19) "Keep Trying" 20) "Together Forever" 21) "Thank You" |
Like the cast of "The Wiggles", another successful musical children's show which airs early mornings on The Disney Channel, the stars of "The Doodlebops" believe in bright colors. But whereas their Australian counterparts draw the line at vibrant turtlenecks, "The Doodlebops" go all the way, with skin and hair that match their loud garments. Perhaps it was that kind of full-body dedication to the craft which led Walt Disney Records to secure the American CD rights to the musical stylings of DeeDee, Rooney, and Moe, the 3-member rock band, while The Wiggles were relegated to tiny Koch Records. In any event, this 21-track album (the first U.S. audio disc devoted solely to the gang) comes nine months too late for any Internet-savvy, Doodlebop-hungry parent who will have already picked up Universal's Get on the Bus album, released last fall in Canada (the independently-produced series' home). For anyone else who's a fan, Disney's album fills the void nicely and adds two tracks ("Gibble Gobble", "Cauliflower"), while losing none. The songs cross a fair number of styles (some blues, jazz, and a touch of hip-hop shape the all-encompassing pop/rock label) and range from the silly to the transparently educational, but what they all have in common is a pleasantly groovy sound that is sure to encourage singing and dancing along.
UD Rating: out of 5
Roundup posted July 11, 2006. CD reviews written by Aaron, Luke, and Renata.
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