Walt Disney and Music

Walt Disney is a legend in America and the world.  He is considered the man who took animation to the mainstream and rightfully so.  With his iconic movies like Sleeping Beauty, The Jungle Book, and Snow White, the first ever full length animated movie.  Walt Disney was ground breaking in animation and was the one who proved that you could do more then just 5 minute shorts and could do great stories with it.  One of Walt Disney's biggest boosts to his fame is how he used music in his movies.

Part of the reason that music was so important to Walt Disney was because that was the only audio he had to work with at first.  See, back in the 20's films were just starting to come out of the silent movie era thanks to The Jazz Singer in 1927, "which was the first movie to have synchronized sound". Before that, the only way to keep your audience engaged was with music.  Granted it typically wasn't much, many times it was just a piano being played in the theater while the movie was on, but because there was some form of audio to go with it, the audience kept their attention on it. Animation was no exception, music was the audio driving force to keep the audience is attention.

When The Jazz Singer came out, Walt decided to use this new technique of synchronized sound to create his Steam Boat Willie.  Now, while this short had more sound effects then in the past, music was still what kept the audience engaged because it had a flow that kept the show moving forward.  Without music, the short would have been more dull and less interesting.  For Walt though, he never really saw this as a problem, in fact he saw more opportunity in it and it became a staple in his shorts and movies.

In 1937 Walt Disney made Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.  This movie is credited for being the first full length animated movie.  Along with that, this movie was also the first in something else.  It was also the first movie to make its soundtrack commercially to the public.  The soundtrack contained 8 songs on the soundtrack and for the first time, people could purchase it.  The downside for Walt though was that since he did not have his own music company at the time, the rights for the songs went to Bourne CO.  Disney wouldn't have their own music label until 1949.

Even though Walt Disney didn't owned his own music, it didn't stop him from making it a major part of his movies.  He would continue his musical formula in his follow up movie, Pinocchio in 1940.  Just like Snow White, Walt worked to make catchy music stuck out just as much as the animation.  The film would end up winning an academy award for best score, and the song, When You Wish Upon a Star, would become a Disney Anthem.  Even today, this song is still a Disney staple that is recognized all over the world.  

After Pinocchio, Walt decided to take a new approach and instead of making music revolve around his movie, he made his movie revolve around music.  This would lead to the creation of one of my favorite Disney movies, Fantasia.  Fantasia is a series of shorts where Walt took classic big orchestra songs and made animation to go with the songs in the movie.  This movie would have some classic scenes such as "A Night On Bald Mountain", a dark song about demons partying in the night.  It was then followed by the beautiful, peaceful "Ave Maria", a peaceful song that Disney used to illustrate darkness being defeated and a new sun rising from it.  The most popular song though is " The Sorcerer's Apprentice.  This scene was considered to have the best combination of all the other scenes.  The song was good, the animation matched the song perfectly and the concept with Mickey Mouse wanting to learn magic would be what got people to say that Disney is magical. 

 

Sadly, shortly after Fantasia, World War 2 broke out and this created many problems for Walt Disney.  in order to gain support for the war, the government turned to entertainment to make propaganda to make people hate the Nazi's and Japan.  Walt Disney was not exempt from this.  However, unlike how some people say that Walt was a willing participant in making this propaganda, that really isn't true.  What really happened was that the government came and took control of his studio. The animators were to make nothing but shorts depicting the war. To add on to Walt's problems, he wasn't allowed to release any full length movies.  The only movies he could release were Packaged Films.  These were basically collections of old and some new shorts.  One of these packaged films actually contains one of my favorite shorts, Father Noah's Ark. A short musical story about Noah and the Ark.  

One of the packaged films that contained new shorts was Saludos Amigos.  This movie was a series of shorts inspired by Latin American countries, including Argentina and Brazil.  Along with the locations, Walt also used a lot of their music as inspiration for this film.  The most famous scene in this movie is Aquarela do Brasil.  This short has a short but very catchy song used to illustrate the parrot, Jose Carioca, teaching Donald Duck about South America.  Surprisingly, this movie would go on to wing 3 academy awards.

Once the war ended, Walt was able to get to doing what he loved doing most,  great animated musicals.   The movie, Cinderella would his first post war animated movie.  This was the first movie that was published musically under Walt Disney Records.  By this time, Walt Disney finally secured his own record label that gave him full rights and full control over his music.  This soundtrack would produce some classic Disney songs such as "A Dream is a Wish Your Heat Makes", and the popular, Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo.  Clearly, the Walt Disney Everybody loved was back. 

After Cinderalla, Walt continued to make great musical movies until his death in 1966.  The last movie that he oversaw was "The Jungle Book".  The Jungle Book is a movie with many classic songs including, "I Want to Be Like You", and Trust in Me. However, the biggest song off this soundtrack is "Bare Necessities".  This song has become a Disney staple you hear all over Disney radio and referenced in Disney Parks.  Walt Disney did a great job on his last project and this soundtrack shows that.

As you can see, Walt Disney wasn't just a man who was innovative in terms of animation, he also knew how to make music work for his movies very well.  He had a lot of appreciation for music and ended up creating a classic formula.  This is formula that is still being used in Disney movies today such as Tangled and Enchanted.  While there are other great animated musicals outside of Disney, Walt Disney developed this formula and if any of these other movies makers are being honest, they were inspired by Disney.  RIP Walt Disney, you truly were a man of many talents.  

   

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.  

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.

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.  

     

Fantasmic, a Disney Master Piece

Disney has done a great job through out its history of composing great music, not just for the movies, but for the live shows as well.  One of the shows that always sticks out in my mind would be Fantasmic.  While Fantasmic is certainly a visual master piece, it is visuals that are driven by the music it is part of.  Without good music, Fantasmic wouldn't be able to flow well and as a result not be appealing.  Fortunately, this an area that Disney executed very well. 

The credit for the composition and arrangement of Fantasmic's music goes to Bruce Healey.  Bruce joined Disney back in 1973, and has since written music, not just for Fantasmic, but for many areas of Disneyland and Disneyland Tokyo.  Bruce was born in St. Louis Missouri on March 11, 1950, shortly after that his family moved to Southern California where he grew up.  Growing up, he learned everything about music he could, from learning to play instruments such as keyboards and percussion, to learning composition and arrangement.  Then finally in 1973, he landed a career of being a composer for Disney.  Ever since then, he has composed music for Disney theme parks, and some sing along songs.  

Fantasmic has many stand outs, musically, that are very impressive.  One of the most noticeable ones is the Fantasmic theme song itself.  The intro is very catchy and energetic and as a result gets you hooked into the show right away.  Another great music stand out is the rock twist on the heffalumps and woozles song from Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day.  The guitar in that song is great and does a great job of creating a new take on it, while at the same time staying true to the original.  One of my personal favorites is the entire villain section.  Bruce does a great job on putting his own twists on certain songs that really makes them stand out.  The way he arranges that section is also worth noting.  Everything sounds smooth and every transition sounds spot on and not out of sync.  

Out of all the shows in Disneyland, Fantasmic is a must.  Not only is it visually impressive, but the music is some of the best that Disneyland has to offer. If you take a trip to Disneyland you have to check Fantasmic out.  Sadly, you cannot get the entire show in recorded format.  However, the theme song is available on ITunes.  You can also get the theme song by buying one of the Disney Classic Music Collections.  

Top 5 Disney Ride Soundtracks

When it comes to theme parks and their rides one of the most important components of those rides is the music and sound effects they use on them.  While you may not need it for thrilling roller coasters, you certainly need it for the slower rides and themed rides.  One reason you need music in rides is because without it the ride feels weird and uneasy.  Another reason is because, if you don't feel uneasy, then you get board.  Music and sound effects play a big part in a rides entertainment factor and without it theme park rides are not as entertaining.  This time around, I will give the top 5 ride soundtracks from the iconic Disneyland.

5.  Indiana Jones 

One thing I like about this soundtrack is how well it executes a story like feel to it.  This is a soundtrack where even if you are not on the ride and you just listen to this you get a good feel of what the ride will be like and what components will be in it.  Another big plus for this soundtrack is how well it utilizes John Williams's classic score for the movies.  It is pulling mainly from The Raiders of the Lost Ark and The Temple of Doom movies.  While it may only be small chunks from the songs, they flow well and it sets up not just a great ride experience, but a great listening experience as well. The music is available on ITunes bit without any of the voice acting or narration.  Even without that it still capture the magic of not just ride, but the movies as well, buy it.

4.  Soarin Over California

This music is a beautiful orchestra song that makes for both an amazing ride experience and listening experience.  Composed by Jerry Goldsmith, who has composed for movies such as Alien, Rudy, and composed the score for Disney's Mulan in 1998, delivers a score that matches each scene in the ride perfectly and really enhances the experience of the ride.  From the calm feel of going through the Redwoods, and Palm Springs, to the powerful energy of Yosemite and the Navy Carrier, this song captures all that with an amazing flow to make the ride feel smooth.  This is song that doesn't just belong on the ride, but with its great composition it makes for a great orchestra song on its own, I highly recommend buying it on either ITunes, or one of the Disney music collections that includes it.

3. Phantom Manor

While I love the Haunted Mansion ride we have in Anaheim California, I cannot deny the effective soundtrack of the Phantom Manor ride in Disneyland Paris.  One thing I like about this soundtrack is that, while the American  Haunted Mansion is more comedic this soundtrack at times actually makes you feel uneasy and makes you feel like you should be scared at times.  This is an approach I wish the American ride would take a little more.  The first thing I would like to point out in this soundtrack is the excellent narration performed by Vincent Price.  Price does a good job caring out a creepy sounding guide that sticks with you in the ride and plays a huge part in keeping you engaged with the ride.  The second thing is the brilliant musical composition done by John Debney.  The music he composes really helps to create emphasis on Vincent Price's narration, and also creates a very spooky atmosphere that keeps you on edge through the ride.  This Suite is available on ITunes, but you can only get it if you buy the entire Haunted Mansion soundtrack, which is not a bad soundtrack itself.  If you want a physical copy, they sell it in Downtown Disney at the Disney store, or if you are in Disneyland you can pick it up in the park, whether it is California, Florida.  

2. Splash Mountain

The Splash Mountain soundtrack is like a mini album of fun sounding songs.  From the opening How Do You Do, to the classic Zip A Dee Doo Dah, you get good collection of great Disney music.  Each segment of the ride feels like your heading into a music video for each song and the atmosphere is executed well. While there is a story in the ride it isn't the main focus.  This is a ride where the music is the main focus and because it is well executed it makes the ride very enjoyable.  While the movie it is based on may be controversial, the music is still great and I recommend you go on to ITunes and by this soundtrack

1.  The Original Pirates of The Caribbean

The original Pirates of the Caribbean soundtrack is a classic ride soundtrack.  From the classic songs such as Yo Ho A Pirates Life For Me, to all the amazing instrumentals such as the bayou banjo music and Dead Men Tell No Tales section.  This soundtrack is one of the best, if not the best examples of Disney matching the music and sound effects perfectly.  Each scene is memorable and all the different takes on Yo Ho are entertaining and fun to hear.  Disney Studios certainly did an amazing job of not just creating a great sounding soundtrack, but matching it with atmosphere and feel of the pirate times perfectly.  The soundtrack for this ride is available on Itunes, as well as the Disney Store in Downtown Disney, and in many areas of Disneyland itself.  Do whatever you have to, but get it and listen to it