D82 wrote:Speaking of the film's songs, though I still like them, I think I don't find them as good now as I did at first. At least, I haven't been listening to them much lately. But, I don't know, maybe it's just that I did it too much at first and I got tired of them. Or most likely, it's a result of being quite disappointed with the movie, given that it's more or less after I saw it that I stopped listening to the soundtrack.
Most of the songs were enjoyable but nowhere near as good as the songs of the original. The songwriters were unable to reach the musicality, exuberance, and wit of the Sherman Brothers' work but I suppose that's too high a bar for anyone. They made a respectable effort though.
D82 wrote:If I had to rank the songs, I think I would do it more or less like this:
1. Nowhere to Go But Up
2. Can You Imagine That?
3. (Underneath the) Lovely London Sky
4. The Place Where Lost Things Go
5. Trip a Little Light Fantastic
6. A Cover Is Not the Book
7. A Conversation
8. The Royal Doulton Music Hall
9. Turning Turtle
Here's my ranking (excluding reprises):
01. Can You Imagine That
Catchy, upbeat, and jubilant enhanced by a great performance. The instrumental version found in the overture is also great.
02. Nowhere to Go But Up
Uplifting and memorable. Including an instrumental sample of "Let's Go Fly a Kite" was a nice touch. It reminded me of "Human Again" in certain places.
03. (Underneath the) Lovely London Sky
Simple and melodic with a nostalgic tinge, hampered by the vocals. I recommend listening to the
French,
Italian,
Spanish or
Portuguese version whose singers are much better and help improve the song.
04. A Conversation
Intimate and affecting that heavily relies on a performer's acting chops. Ben did a great job with it.
05. Turning Turtle
Fun, funny, and outrageous. Meryl keeps surprising me with her range.
06. The Place Where Lost Things Go
Pleasant but bland and forgettable.
07. The Royal Doulton Music Hall
A decent but unremarkable entry.
08. Trip a Little Light Fantastic
Overlong, tedious, and derivative.
09. A Cover Is Not the Book
Plain horrible. Obnoxious, ostentatious, and tasteless. And there's anachronistic, self-indulgent rapping in it. Need I say more?