1 |
True
Love's Kiss - Amy Adams |
2 |
Happy
Working Song - Amy Adams |
3 |
That's How You Know - Amy Adams |
4 |
So Close - Jon McLaughlin |
5 |
Ever
Ever After - Carrie Underwood |
6 |
Andalasia |
7 |
Into
the Well |
8 |
Robert
Says Goodbye |
9 |
Nathaniel
And Pip |
10 |
Prince
Edward's Search |
11 |
Girls
Go Shopping |
12 |
Narissa
Arrives |
13 |
Storybook
Ending |
14 |
Enchanted
Suite |
15 |
That's
Amore - James Marsden |
ALBUM REVIEW:
If you are already a proud owner of Disney soundtracks like
“The Little Mermaid”, “Beauty and the Beast”
and “Aladdin”, then this latest soundtrack from
the animation honcho deserves a place on your CD rack as well.
Get ready to re-live the good old days of positively upbeat
songs and score by the Oscar winning duo of Alan Menken and
Stephen Schwartz.
There
is simply nothing not to like about this 54-minute album.
The moment it opens with the familiarly grand “True
Love’s First Kiss’, you are transported to a fairytale
land where anything is possible with a dose of imagination.
A lovely princess, a dreamy prince and singing animals make
this track a fitting opening to the soundtrack. “Happy
Working Song” will make you laugh with its cheeky poke
at traditional Disney-styled songs, while “That’s
How You Know” is a catchy big number that is begging
to be choreographed and put on stage. Also, do not miss the
funny “That’s Amore” at the end of the disc.
We know James Marsden (Hairspray) could sing, but the real
pleasant surprise here is Amy Adams, who sings like a true
blue Disney princess – check out those soaring vocals!
Two
contemporary pop tunes round up the song section in this album.
Jon McLaughlin’s melancholic voice will melt the heart
of any die-hard romantic in “So Close”, while
Carrie Underwood’s powerhouse vocals are an apt for
the upbeat “Ever Ever After”, which is included
as a bonus music video on the album.
“Happy
Working Song”, “That’s How You Know”
and “So Close” have been nominated in the Best
Original Song category at the upcoming 80th Academy Awards.
We are hoping the award goes to either one of them (please
don’t pull a Dreamgirls on us!), bringing back to the
golden age where Disney songs reigned the category.
The
Menken-composed score had less luck with the Oscars because
it was deemed ineligible for a Best Original Score nomination
because the Kevin Lima-directed movie has a predominant use
of songs. However, that did not stop us from loving the music
score on this soundtrack. The soothing “Andalasia”
kick starts the score section beautifully, before other well-orchestrated
tracks like the suspenseful “Nathaniel and Pip”
(listen out for the “Beauty and the Beast” theme),
the adventurous “Prince Edward’s Search”
and the dramatic “Narissa Arrives”. Running over
the movie’s end credits is “Enchanted Suite”,
which rounds up the movie soundtrack’s various themes
nicely.
This
fanatic reviewer has seen the movie three times, and have
spinned the soundtrack in his player at least thirty times,
and each time he was left speechlessly enchanted by the magic
of Disney soundtracks – it’s time you fall under
the spell too.
ALBUM RATING:
Recommended Track: (3) That's How You Know - Amy Adams
Review
by John Li
|