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.

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.