Beauty and the Beast Soundtrack 1991 vs 2017

When 2017 ends the Beauty and the Beast remake will be remembered as one of the biggest movies of the year.  Grossing over 503 million dollars and having spent an estimated 160 million dollars, this is without a doubt a very successful movie financially.  Even with the movies success, there is still a lot of debating about whether the 1991 version, or the 2017 version is better.  The biggest debate is over which movies soundtrack was better.  In this post I am going to give my two cents on that debate. 

The first thing I would like to talk about is what's good in the 1991 version.  The 1991 version is very solid and well organized.   Alan Menken did a fantastic job composing and writing this soundtrack.  Musically, the orchestra is very good and just as catchy as the vocals in some of the songs.  Two examples that come to mind are Belle and Tale As Old As Time.  Both songs start off with very catchy intros that hook you before the vocals even come in.  This is something is very overlooked when people talk about this movies soundtrack.  While the vocal work is amazing and certainly worthy of the praise it has received, without well constructed music to go with the vocals, the songs won't flow and could derive into a sloppy mess.  Like I said, the vocal work is fantastic and very well executed.  Everybody gives it their all, their singing voices are authentic with no work done to in production to enhance their voice.

My favorite songs of this version are Be Our Guest and Tale As Old As Time.  Jerry Orbach does a great job vocally in this song.  He has the most fun sounding voice out of everybody else and he showcases it very well in this song.  The way he pronounces the lyrics in this song is a one of a kind and out of everybody else, he is the only one who can do it this way.  The music is also very fun and catchy.  The rhythm patterns in this song really play well to Jerry Orbach's voice and add to the fun feel this song goes for.  Tale As Old As Time is a good ballad that really brings the movies story together.  Lyrically, this song does a great job of summarizing the movie in a way that the listener can really take it in and enjoy.  The music for this songs is more simple then Be Our Guest, but it is still very memorable and really gets you into the song before the vocals start.  Vocally, where Jerry Orbach could only sing Be Our Guest, Tale As Old As Time is that for Angela Lansburry.  She carries this song very well and out of everybody else, she is the best fit for it.  Her voice fits the theme and mood very well, and really enhances the listener to take in the lyrics.

When it comes to the 2017 version they really tried to expand the soundtrack.  They added some more songs and in some cases stretched out the original ones.  Overall, the cast does a good job singing in this movie and really carry the songs well.  Luke Evans and Dan Stevens really deliver well on their songs and add a good spin that separates it from the original.  However, while certainly adding new elements, they do a lot to stay true to the original movie as well.  Considering the big task they had to live up to the original, they did pretty well.  

My favorite songs of this version are Gaston and Evermore.  Luke Evans does  a great job singing in this version, he sounds confident and really gives it his all.  As far as the music goes, I actually like it better in this version then in the original.  It does a great job building up and getting louder and adding more energy as the song goes on.  Then, in this version they added that instrumental section where the orchestra really takes off and lets loose and it sounds really energetic and well structured.  By far my favorite song musically in this version of the movie.  Evermore is a great addition to the soundtrack.  Lyrically, it does a good job of telling what is going through the beasts mind and how he realizes what he has been missing all his life.  Dan Stevens does a great job vocally, he sounds good and really captures the mood well.  The orchestra in this song is very good.  The energy from the music and the big orchestra sound really impacts the listener and helps to really drive the message into the person listening to the song.  

When it comes to mistakes in the 1991 version they really are few and far between.  They did a lot to make sure they got it right and for the most part they did.  The only noticeable mistakes that pop out to me is that sometimes the cast might try a little to hard and in a few songs, they added some dialogue that was simply filler and wasn't needed.  Gaston in the original sounded a little over the top a few times and while I get that has to do with his character it was still distracting and could take away from the experience.  With the filler, in a few songs like the Mob Song, they through dialogue in the middle of the song to stretch it out and I feel like it wasn't needed. Other then that, the mistakes aren't too bad.

When it comes to the 2017 version they have a few mistakes as well.  This movie also suffers from the problem of adding filler as well.  One form of this is in some unneeded songs, like the Maurice song.  It was one of those songs they didn't need, they could have introduced him without it and ultimately it didn't move the plot forward much.  The other form appears in the form of unneeded dialogue. In the Gaston Song where Lefou tries to spell Gaston's name and says he's illiterate it is mainly used to stretch out the song. It was supposed to be funny but it wasn't delivered well and just makes people wonder why they threw it in there.  The major problem with this version though is vocal effects on Emma Watson's voice.  Emma Watson is a good actress and does a great job acting in this movie but because of the auto tune, it sounds like she really can't sing.  She doesn't sound good in this movie because they tried to hide her voice with auto tune instead of being authentic like a musical should be. To be clear, I don't think this is her fault.  Blame for this belongs to the people in the studio and editing room.  They probably noticed that she wasn't hitting notes correctly and instead having her do another take and push her to be better, they took shortcuts to save time and/or nitpick and try to be perfect.  If they weren't happy with her take they should have pushed her and do another take or get someone else to sing and then have Emma Watson lip sync. It wouldn't have been her singing, but it would have sounded authentic, which a musical like this needs to be.   

Both versions overall are good, but ultimately I have to go with the classic.  One of the reason's is because the original is more solid and more well constructed then the remake.  The remake has a lot of good songs but it doesn't flow as well as the original does and that hurts it a little.  The other is the auto tune on Emma Watson.  Because the auto tune doesn't make her sound good when singing it really hurts the soundtrack.  Considering that she is lead in the beginning and a has at least one more solo song after that, it really becomes distracting as really hurts the soundtrack.  Had the studio not decided to take shortcuts, it could've been much better and may have actually been better then the original. Instead, they took the easy way out and hurt their own product.  Because of that, the original is better.  

Top 5 Southern Rock Songs

When it comes to Southern Rock, it is a genre that is known, but very underrated.  This style of rock was at its peek in the 70's and early 80's.  However, by 1990 most of these bands were reduced to having a cult following.  Even worse is that many of the musicians who got the genre to its peek have past away.  Most recently is Gregg Allman of the Allman Brothers Band.  Some bands such as Lynryd Skynyrd, and the Allman Brothers Band have been able to secure their place in music history, even getting inducted in the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame.  However, many of these bands have been forgotten.  I would like to bring some of these bands and their music to light by giving 5 of the greatest Southern Rock songs.

5.   Jessica by The Allman Brothers Band

While the Allman Brother Band has great vocal songs such as Ramblin Man and Midnight Rider, nothing compares to the band's brilliant instrumental song, Jessica.  Written by the band's guitarist, Dickey Betts, this song showcases the band's unique melodic guitar solo's and brilliant music composition.  The melodic guitar work all through out the song sounds amazing and the slight twang sound creates something that makes this song really stand out.  The other great element to this song is the amazing piano solo.  Chuck Leavell, who joined the band after Duane Allman past away, delivers a great piano solo with a slight jazz feel to it that really took the band in an area musically they haven't really gone to much before.  This is a true stand out song for this band and one you need to listen to.

4.  Train Train by Blackfoot

Blackfoot is without a doubt one of the loudest and most energetic bands of the Southern Rock genre.  In some parts of the world these guys are actually considered a metal band.  With a song like Train Train you can see why.  The song was written by Shorty Medlocke, grandfather of the bands frontman, Ricky Medlocke.  From the catchy heavy opening guitar riff to the slide guitar solo, this song has a ton of great guitar work in it.  Another thing this song does really well is combining the heavy rock n roll and southern feel to truly creates a really unique sounding song that would make them their own unique entity.  No other Southern Rock band has sounded like them before or after this, making them almost a one of a kind band.  A song for Southern Rock and Metal fans alike.

3.   Gimme Three Steps by Lynyrd Skynyrd

Considered to be one of the greatest Southern Rock bands of all time, Lynyrd Skynyrd has a long list of hits and great songs.  One of my favorite songs from this band is Gimme Three Steps.  According to guitartist Gary Rossington, this song is based on an actual event that happened to the bands singer, Ronnie Van Zant at a bar called The Little Brown Jug.  After the event the two men, along with guitarist Allen Collins went home and wrote the song.  This is without a doubt one of the most fun sounding songs I have ever heard, even though the event it is based on is anything but fun.  The opening guitar riff really hooks you and gets you into the song.  Then Gary Rossington bust out that awesome guitar solo, leading into the verse.  Ronnie Van Zant's voice really adds to fun sound this song goes for. The way he sings many of the lyrics in this song and the way he interacts during transitions creates a good fun southern sound that not many singers can duplicate.  All of Gary Rossington's lead guitar work in this song is excellent.  The combination of the string bending with the distortion really works well.  This is one song that is worth being in Lynyrd Skynyrd's greatest hits list.  

2.  Cant You See by Marshall Tucker Band

The Marshall Tucker Band were at the peek of their fame in the 70's.  With songs like Searchin' for a Rainbow, This Ol Cowboy, and Fire on the Mountain, this band has a huge catalog of great songs that makes them one of the most underrated bands of the genre.  One of the biggest songs and rightfully so is the classic Cant You See.  While Doug Gray normally is the bands singer, this song is sung by the bands lead guitarist, Toy Caldwell.  This song clearly demonstrates that Toy Caldwell is also a great vocalist, with a baritone voice that really works for this song.  The instrumental sections of this song is also worth noting.  The flute used in the intro is a great build to the opening guitar solo.  Another interesting thing about this song is Toy Caldwell's guitar playing.  While most guitar players play with a pick, he plays with his thumb.  This is a very unique style of playing I haven't seen anyone else do.  Another unique thing is does is that instead of a whammy bar he bends the string at the guitar's bridge.  Toy Caldwell is also great at bending the strings when he is soloing.  Bending a string on a guitar incorrectly can really make a solo sound weird and out of place, but Toy Caldwell knows how to do it good and as a result makes one of the most unique guitar solos in Southern Rock.

1.  There Goes Another Love Song by The Outlaws

  

The Outlaws are without a doubt the most underrated of all the Southern Rock bands.  There Goes Another Love Song is one song that really showcases this bands musical talents best.  The first thing I would like to point out is Hughie Thomasson as a singer.  The guy has a really unique voice that naturally works well with the Southern Rock genre.  His unique vocals really stand out in this bands music and it something that really helps this band get recognized when you hear them.  Billy Jones also does a great job as a supporting vocalist in this song.  However, the real element that makes this song unique is the guitar playing of Hughie Thomasson and Billy Jones. These two guys should have gone down in history as one of the greatest guitar duos of all time.  While Billy Jones was more of  a distorted guitarist, Hughie Thomasson was a clean guitarist.  You can tell this in the guitars these guys are playing.  Billy Jones is playing a Gibson Les Paul with Humbucker pick ups.  This gives a naturally more distorted sound that is more heavy sounding.  If you look at Hughie Thomasson, he is playing a Fender Stratocastor with Single Coil pickups.  This set up gives off a very clean sound that is lighter.  These two guys take very different set ups, yet they blend them together so well.  Hughie Thomasson uses his clean sound to create a cool twang sound that his guitar gives off when he is soloing.  Billy Jones and his distortion to create some cool sounds when he plays fast, and when he is bending the distortion really enhances that bend to create unique sound not common at the time.  These two guys are great guitar players and deserve much more credit then they have gotten.  While this is my favorite song from this band, they have a huge catalog of great music.  Check them out on Spotify or Pandora and if you like, don't hesitate to get their music.  

Taeyeon Make Me Love You Review

Taeyeon is best known as a singer and the leader of  one of the biggest KPop girl groups in the world, Girls Generation.  Girls Generation is a house hold name in Korea and has developed a good following through out the world. Taeyeon had decided to make a solo record in 2016 and it was met with huge success. Selling millions world wide and going past 100 million views on YouTube.  She recently decided to make another solo record and one of the singles she released off that record was Make Me Love You.  

The first thing I would like to point out about this song is Taeyeon's voice.  This girl is an amazing singer and in my opinion, this is one her best songs vocally.  She demonstrates the great range she has and she also does a good job of singing English naturally.  Some KPop artists have an accent when they sing English and it really sticks out.  With Taeyeon, she doesn't have that and as a result the song sounds more smooth.

The music is not bad, but it could improve a little bit.  The main reason I think that is that it doesn't sound complete.  The only instruments in this song are programmed drums and Synthesizer.  With only 2 instruments the music sounds a little dry.  If they added bass and guitar, like in a live performance she did, it would sound more full.  Check out the live performance shown below to see what I mean.

Lyrically this is a love song about the journey to be in a good relationship.  The first verse is about being lonely and longing for someone. The chorus is about finding that person and being happy. Then the second verse is about living out that relationship.  This song basically tells a story and that is what I like about this song lyrically.  Normally most love songs are strictly about the feeling, and don't go into finding that relationship.  Because Taeyeon decided to go down the story direction it really makes this song unique.

This is one of Taeyeon's best solo songs and certainly worth recognition.  Even though the music sounds a little inclomplete, it still works pretty well and Taeyeon's voice really carries this song.  Lyrically, it doesn't go down the traditional love song structure and really makes this song unique.  I give Make Me Love You a 4.5 out of 5.

Disney Fantamic Updated

Recently, I did a post on the Disney Fantasmic soundtrack and how awesome it was.  Well, as you know by now they have brought it back and they changed it.  This of course raises the question? How does it compare to the original?  That's the question I'm going to answer. 

The first thing I like is that they kept the theme song from the original which is great. That theme song was really catchy and really stood out in the show and in my opinion, was something that they couldn't replace and I am glad they didn't.  The other thing I like is how they didn't really change the arrangement of the villain section.  That was another section I thought was really well done.  It was eerie and was a section where the music alone put you in a scary place, without the visuals. I appreciate that they decided to keep these classic elements in the soundtrack .

This brings us to the changes of the soundtrack . One of the first changes I would like like to bring up is the Jungle section. Originally, that section was a slow build up to the elephant section. It was supposed to prepare you for a more energetic song coming up. This new section starts off energetic write out of the gate.  It starts out with the intro to The Circle of Life song and then switches between building up for a new song and being energetic.  One part of the new jungle section I did like was the instrumental version of Hakuna Matata.  This is a great new take on the song but it still does justice to the original.

Another change I like was the Alladin elements they added. The way they incorporated the Friend Like Me song was excellent. The way that Mickey was interacting in the song was a nice addition that didn't take away from the song at all.  The Whole New World song was also a nice addition that worked really well.  It fit in smoothly and didn't feel out of place.

There is a change I got mix feelings on though.  That change is switching out the Peter Pan section for Pirates of the Caribbean.  Now if it was just the music and nothing else, I would say Pirates of the Caribbean was an improvement.  However, they also incorporate dialogue that is supposed to make this section of the soundtrack funny and comical.  That is where this section falls.  The dialogue spoken in the Peter Pan section was funny and always made me laugh. With the Pirate section it is not as funny and kind of comes off as they tried too hard.  With better music but not great dialogue I am neutral on this change.  It isn't great, but doesn't kill the experience either.

The one change that I am not happy about is what they did to the elephant section of this soundtrack.  The original had a great rock feel with the guitar and band playing with the guitar and it was an awesome musical experience.  It put a great twist on the song and was a twist you didn't forget.  With this new version, they instead threw in synthesizers in place of the guitar and it doesn't give the same feel.  They still keep the same background band and the two don't mix.  As a result, it sounds more artificial and doesn't have the same magic and the original did.

Aside from the elephant secion, this soundtrack is still awesome. Overall, they kept the parts that mattered and added some great new elements.  I highly recommended checking out this soundtrack if a recorded version comes out.  If you are at Disneyland in Anaheim Califoria, then you need to check out the Fantasmic show.  The visuals are great and the music really captures those visuals. Is it a perfect change from the original, no, but it is still awesome and is worth checking out.

Linkin Park One Step Closer Review

Sadly, we lost the great Chester Bennington yesterday. He committed suicide by hanging himself.  His death has shocked not just the rock and metal scene, but the entire music scene as a whole.  Chester had written many of the classic so gas Linkin Park has produced but of my favorite songs from this legendary band is One Step Closer.

Musically this is one of the heaviest songs of the bands catalog. The guitar in the intro is intense and one you can't help but to head bang to.  Then Chester's voice comes in.  This song really demonstrates Chester's vocal talent and show cases the range he has.  Durint the verse he gives a very he gives a very mysterious, dark sounding voice. Then in the chorus he busts out those long loud notes that he is able to hold for a good amount of time.  Some people don't know hard it is to hold notes that long, that trully a very talented skill to have as a singer.  

Lyically this is a very dark song.  The lyrics convey the mindset of someone who is being talked down to by other people.  How the anger builds up from people being condescending towards you and how people struggle to hold in that anger.  I really loves this song lyrically because not only does it come from a real place, but this is a topic a lot of people can relate to.

With great guitar riffs, great lyrics, and Chester's fantastic vocals this was a great debut song for Linkin Park and would play a huge role to secure the bands place in music.  Chester without a doubt played the biggest part in this songs rise to fame with his amazing vocals.  He was a great singer and will be remembered as a great singer for all time.  Thanks for all the great music you gave the world Chester, RIP.  I give One Step Closer a 5 out of 5.

Purple Stone Panic Panic Review

Purple Stone is a relatively young, new visual kei band out of Osaka Japan.  They started in 2013 and have since gone through many changes since they started.  At first they were more of a hard, heavy band and has changed into more of a party rock band.  This change is made very clear in one of the bands newest singles, Panic Panic.

The first thing I like about this song is the vocals of the singer, Keiya. While I don't think he is the greatest singer in the world, he still sounds good and his voice works very well for what this song is going for.  The guitar work of Gak isn't bad but it is also nothing special.  The riffs that he plays throughout the song sound good, but are also pretty simple and very repetitive.  I am not a big fan of the techno elements in this song, but those elements are not overbearing and they work with the tone this song is going for.  Another thing I am not a big fan of is the programmed drum track they use in this song.  While it doesn't sound bad, I feel like the song would be much more powerful if they were using real drums instead of programming.  Overall, the music is not bad, but it is isn't super unique either.

Lyrically, this song fits the party feel this band is going for.  The songs lyrics are simple, yet catchy, being simply about having fun and partying on Halloween.  I am not personally a huge fan of party lyrics, I feel they are easy, cliche, and in many cases written because the record label told you to rather then coming from a real place in your life.  Having said that, I am not going to get on this bands case too much about the lyrics, because this an artistic move on their part and not because the record labels were looking over their shoulders telling them what to write.

Overall this is a good song but not a great song. The vocals are good and while the guitar sounds good it is very simplistic.  If they added a guitar solo in the songs it would have really helped the guitar stand out more.  This band also needs to get a drummer.  The drum tracks work, but if they get a drummer, their music will sound more powerful and add more energy.  However though, I still liked listening to the song and found it entertaining.  While I wont be in a rush to go buy it, I still appreciate it and would listen to it whenever it comes on.  I give this song a 3 out of 5.    

Nightmare Before Christmas, Joyful and Scary

Nightmare Before Christmas has become a classic in Disney's movie archive.  Having spent 18 million dollars on it and getting a 75 million dollar return, this is truly a great Disney success story.  This movie also has one of the most classic Disney songs of all times, This is Halloween.  This is Halloween is without a doubt the movies biggest songs.  It has been considered by many a Halloween staple and has been covered by many band and artists such as Marilyn Manson, Panic at The Disco, and many other bands world wide. However, while This is Halloween is an amazing song, there are so many other great songs this movie has to offer.  With that, lets dive into the Nightmare Before Christmas soundtrack.

Composed and written by Danny Elfman, this movie's soundtrack has dark, creepy music while at the same time containing fun, cheerful songs.  What's great about this soundtrack is that despite having some many songs that are polar opposites they still sound great and they still flow.  The main reason for that is that Elfman keeps it simple.  The majority of the songs are not over the top yet catchy to where everybody can appreciate them.  This really has to do with the fact that the concept of combining Christmas and Halloween together is complex in and of itself.  When you try to combine two elements that are total opposites you can really just ended up creating something that gives people a headache and turn them off to it.  Tim Burton knew this when he was writing this movie and Danny Elfman made sure to carry that when he wrote this soundtrack.  Elfman decided to keep it simple so that people could enjoy the concept more then the individual songs.

 While a lot of soundtracks also focus on the concept heavily as well, they typically try to incorporate their own sound and tricks into the songs to make them unique.  You see this in many John Williams, Randy Edelman big orchestra soundtracks, or musical soundtracks such as Tarzan written by Phil Collins and Lion King written by Elton John.  The reason they can do that is because the concepts they are working with are very focused and as a result they have more room to experiment with musically.  Danny Elfman didn't have that and as a result couldn't be to experimental.  However, the fact that was able to make the songs catchy is a huge accomplishment when you have so little room to be creative.

While the song This is Halloween may be the biggest hit off this soundtrack, there are many good songs that this movie has to offer.  Another good song is Kidnap the Sandy Claws.  This song is in my opinion the creepiest on the soundtrack.  With the creepy singing voices of the kids and the lyrics describing what they want to do to Santa when they catch him, this song is super dark.  The most creepy part of this song is actually the La La La part at the beginning of the song.  The creepy voices of the kids makes you feel uneasy more then some adult voices.  It actually feels more scary to hear this intro on Nightmare Before Christmas Haunted Mansion then the normal one, it is that effective.  This is a song not to over look.

My favorite song off this soundtrack though is the song that introduces the Christmas concept called What's This.  This is the first joyful song we hear on the soundtrack and while it comes out of no where initially it still fits perfectly with the scene it is associated with.  The lyrics perfectly explain what is going on through Jack's head as he is investigating this new land he has discovered and it makes you want to explore with him.  The music is in my opinion the more catchy then most other songs on this soundtrack.  The reason I think that is because way the music and voice flow together well and creates the most unique sound in this soundtrack.  The burst of energy during the verse really catches your attention and hooks you in a way most other songs don't in the soundtrack.  This is one song that is a must for me.

What makes this soundtrack so great is that even though it is simple it is still very catchy and enjoyable.  Danny Elfman does a great job being creative even though he didn't have a concept that allowed him a lot of creative room. This a case of being able to do more with less and delivering one of the most famous soundtracks in Disney history.  I highly recommend buying every song on this soundtrack and actually buying a physical CD if you find one.  With simple, yet catchy music, this one soundtrack you need to check out.  

     

Quest for Camelot Soundtrack, A Mixed Bag

When it comes to the Quest for Camelot movie, it is considered by most people to not be that great a movie.  From a story that isn't memorable to a protagonist that isn't considered that great, the movie did not do well at the box office.  Warner Bros. spent 40 million dollars on the movie only to see the movie gross 22 million dollars, not a success story by any stretch of the imagination.  However, one thing that people did take away from the movie and talk about was the movies soundtrack.  Depending who you talk to it was either a master piece with great songs, or was a sloppy mess that made no sense.  For me, it is somewhere in the middle.

The first thing I would like to point out is that this soundtrack does have some very good songs.  The one that everybody remembers is The Prayer by Celine Dion.  This song would become a big hit for Celine Dion, it was played on many radio stations, and covered and performed by many singers.  During the movie they show it during the chase scene where the main protagonist, Kayley is escaping.  Due to the fact that is supposed to be the mother singing, they cut out the male vocal section that is sung by Andrea Bocelli.  I view it as a brief introduction to the song, so that when you listen to the full song you get a better experience.  Both singers do a fantastic  job and the flow is smooth to create a very relaxing and pleasant experience.

The second song I would like to address is my personal favorite song, I Stand Alone, sung by Bryan White.  Bryan White does a great job singing in this song, he sounds great, he sounds energetic, and he really pours all he has into the song and delivers a great performance.  The music is a great orchestra set that sounds big and powerful and really adds to the energy of the song.  This song is used for the character Garrett to explain to Kayley why she can't join him on his journey.  The visuals shown in the movie are great.  It goes well with the music and doesn't really derail you from it.  Some people get on the movies case for showing all the special plants with no explanation, but I don't let that get to me.  I personally view it as a music video within the movie as has been done with many Disney animated movies of the time.  Some that come to mind are Be Our Guest from Beauty and the Beast  and Son of Man from Tarzan.  These scenes have a real music video feel to them, but it doesn't take away from the movie.  

However, while this movie has some good songs, it all has a lot of songs that are not great and some that are bad.  One song that I really don't like is Ruber's Song.  Gary Oldman is a good actor but the guy cannot sing.  He tries but he comes off as obnoxious and annoying in some parts, while in other parts he sounds like he tries to hard and he cant deliver the melody well.  Another song I really don't care for is If I Didn't Have You.  The first problem is that musically, this song sounds really out of place.  While the majority of the soundtrack has more of orchestra or soft song that fits the time period the move is set in, this song is set in more modern times and it doesn't blend well. The vocals in the song are not great, these guys clearly cannot sing and don't deliver well on the melody.  I get that it is supposed to be a comical song, but even a comical song has to have a good melody and with out that the song isn't funny and doesn't make me laugh.

      

One of the biggest problems with this soundtrack is how some of the songs don't impact the story to help move it forward.  Some songs don't match the scenes they are in and some come out of nowhere.  This is a problem because a musical is supposed to be like a concept record that tells a movies story through music but so many songs are mismatched, or made pointless by the next scene that the concept flow is lost.  One example is the scene that prayer is used in.  This is a soft song used in an action scene where Kayley is being chased and having weapons shot at her.  This is a scene where we should feel tension, not relaxation, and as a result the song doesn't hit the way it should.  This is also a problem with Ruber's song.  You don't really see the song coming and while watching you start to ask yourself if it is really necessary. This also happens with Through Your Eyes.  Through Your Eyes is not a bad song but because there was not set up for it and it came unexpectedly you don't really appreciate it like you should.  

This is not a totally bad soundtrack.  Like I said earlier, there are some really good songs on it.  However, with there not being a good flow and some bad songs, it really takes away from the soundtrack making it not have as big an impact on the movie as many Disney movies it was competing with did.  Many of these songs would be great on their own but as a soundtrack they don't hold up.  With this soundtrack it all depends what you are looking for.  If you are looking into this for some good songs, then you will be happy, but if you are looking for a soundtrack with a good flow you are going to be disappointed.    

   

Top 5 Metal Covers of Pop Songs

When it comes to pop music and metal most people think the two genres don't mix.  Many pop fans say that metal is loud angry music that sounds obnoxious.  Many metal fans say that pop music is sellout music that is for making money and has no soul.  However, this hasn't stopped some metal musicians from taking famous pop songs and putting their own spin on them.  Here are my top 5 metal covers of pop songs.

5. PonPonPon by 331 ERock 

ERock is a YouTube metal guitar player who normally puts a metal spin on video game and anime songs. This time, he did a cover on the famed Jpop  song from Kyary Pamyu Pamyu and delivered a great instrumental cover.  He does a great job on hitting the right notes on his guitar playing to remind what he is covering, but he also throws in a good amount of his own solo's and parts that makes the song his own.  If you want to get this song, it is available on ITunes.  He also has tabs for this song you can buy if you are interested in learning how to play this.  

4. Smooth Criminal by Alien Ant Farm

Alien Ant Farm's cover of Michael Jackson's Smooth Criminal is considered one of the best covers of all time.  Many people have even said that this version is better than the original.  While that claim is up for debate, to deny that this is a great cover is being dishonest.  Alien Ant Farm not only added a nu metal sound to the song, but by doing that they also added a lot more energy to the song.  Alien Ant Farm really succeeded in keeping the song sounding fun, but by adding heavy guitar and a more energetic chorus they really makes this song unique from the original.  This song is available everywhere from ITunes, to CD Baby, to Amazon, get it.

3.  A Thousand Miles by Cole Rolland

Cole Rolland is another YouTube musician who has put a metal spin on many different kinds of songs.  One of my favorite from him is his cover of A Thousand Miles originally done by Venessa  Carlton. Cole's guitar playing is great and really captures the melody of the original well.  The way he plays the song by adding a metal sound and adding his own parts to it really makes this song his own.  The way he executes the melodies is really impressive, making this one song I highly recommend.  This song is available on ITunes and if featured on Spotify as well.  

2. Lollipop by Framing Hanley

 

This a true case of a band taking a song and truly making it their own.  This is a case where you can listen to both versions of the song and they sound almost nothing like each other.  Framing Hanley replaces almost all the rap and hip hop with melodic vocals and replacing the drum machine and looping music with a hard rock, metal sound that really makes this cover different from the original.  While the cover is obviously no where near as popular as the original, this song is still worth listening to.  Check it out on YouTube or Spotify and if you like it, buy it of ITunes, Ebay, or Amazon.

1. Imagine by A Perfect Circle

With this song, A Perfect Circle took the peace sounding Imagine by John Lennon and turned it into an eerie, creepy song that makes you feel more like your in a horror movie than a peaceful paradise.  While John Lennon set his version in a potential paradise on Earth, A Perfect Circle chose to focus more on the problems going on in the world and the horrors of those problems.  The message may be the same in both versions but the way that message is presented could not be more different and that is what makes this such a great cover.  Not only did the band manage to take this song and make it their own, but they were also able to change the presentation of the message as well, which is not common in covers.  This song is available on ITunes, Ebay, Amazon, and many other cites, don't wait, buy it.