Unimpressed By Tangled's Music? Give the Soundtrack a Few Spins and See the Light...

When Tangled, Disney’s 50th animated feature, came out last year, I heard a lot of negative comments about the music. While not all of the songs had the instant stickiness of some of those from the glory days of the Disney Renaissance, I thoroughly enjoyed each one, and I See the Light replayed in my mind – and on my computer – countless times in the weeks that followed. I read that master composer Alan Menken hoped to achieve a blend of medieval music and 1960s folk rock, which happens to be my favorite genre, so I guess I was predisposed to like it. At first, I did find the poppishness of some of the numbers, particularly Rapunzel’s first big song, a little discombobulating, but in the end, I think it really works, and in addition to the excellent character songs with lyrics by Glenn Slater, we’ve got an absolutely enchanting score from Menken that I could listen to again and again.

Something That I Want - I’m starting at the end here because I want to get the end-credits number out of the way. As has generally been the case with Disney movies since they began to include these radio-ready closers, I find it less engaging than the rest of the songs but still enjoy it well enough. Written and performed by Grace Potter, it’s a very upbeat song with peppy percussion largely provided by clapping. The song has a tween pop feel to it and covers the same basic territory as the movie’s big love song as she describes two people searching for themselves and finding each other, though it’s less romantic in nature and more generic. Still, it sums up the basic gist of the movie well. “I want something that I want, something that I tell myself I need, something that I want and I need everything I see.”

When Will My Life Begin? - This song starts off the album, and it’s a lively number whose guitar-heavy pop sound makes it sound almost as fit for radio as the end-credits track. The guitar riff reminds me a lot of Peter Gabriel’s Solsbury Hill. I don’t know if the homage was intentional, but the songs seem to have a thematic connection as Gabriel wrote that song while embarking upon a solo career and Rapunzel, played by the honey-voiced Mandy Moore, longs to break out of her monotonous life in the tower and forge a new path. Plus, we have the comparable imagery of city lights and the glowing birthday lights that Rapunzel longs to see. The manic feel of this song is an indication of all the pent-up energy Rapunzel has built up in 18 years of never being allowed to go outside, though I must say that for a gal who doesn’t get out, she certainly accomplishes a lot during the day. “And so I’ll read a book or maybe two or three. I’ll add a few new paintings to my gallery. I’ll play guitar and knit and cook and basic’ly just wonder, when will my life begin?”

When Will My Life Begin? (Reprise 1) - This track, half as long as the first but much more sedate, isn’t in the movie but nicely captures Rapunzel’s inner turmoil. She doesn’t want to be ungrateful, but she really would like to get out of the house. Slight guitar and violin accompaniment is all that’s needed here to accentuate her yearning. “I’ve got so many things I should be thankful for. Yes, I have everything except, I guess, a door…”

Mother Knows Best - As soon as I heard this song from stage veteran Donna Murphy, I thought of Master of the House from Les Miserables. Along with a similar tempo and melody in places, it’s a comical villains’ song that revels in taking advantage of others. Mother Gothel, the ancient woman who raised Rapunzel and requires her enchanted hair to survive, doesn’t openly gloat that she is taking advantage of her, but her smug tone is evidence enough. Murphy pours all her dramatic flair into this one as Gothel puts on a show for Rapunzel, swinging wildly between condescension, dire concern and crippling guilt inducement. If Marie from Everybody Loves Raymond could express herself in song, the results might sound very much like this. Here we quickly establish the twisted psychological hold Gothel has on Rapunzel as she swiftly switches between insulting and coddling her. The most Broadway-sounding of the tracks, with an extra section excluded from the movie. “Go ahead, get trampled by a rhino. Go ahead, get mugged and left for dead. Me, I’m just your mother, what do I know? I only bathed and changed and nursed you…”

When Will My Life Begin? (Reprise 2) - Now we’re back to Rapunzel for the final repetition of her longing-for-adventure theme. About halfway between the first two in length and tempo. Much of the track is simply instrumental and a good chunk of the lyrics is just a list of all the stuff she can do now that she’s outside. The first half is quite hesitant, but exuberance takes over once she reaches the ground. “Just smell the grass! The dirt! Just like I dreamed they’d be! Just feel that summer breeze – the way it’s calling me. For like the first time ever, I’m completely free!”

I’ve Got a Dream - Disney has a curious tradition of raucous bar songs. This lively number is firmly in the tradition of such rowdy sequences as The Happiest Millionaire’s Let’s Have a Drink on It, Pete’s Dragon’s I Saw a Dragon and Beauty and the Beast’s Gaston. Instead of one person being the focal point, this song really gets everyone in on the act as all of the Snuggly Duckling’s intimidating-looking pub thugs reveal the deepest desires of their hearts. Funny, sweet and oddly inspiring, the accordion- and piano-heavy ditty has a bit of a ragtime feel to it. In addition to Moore and Zachary Levi, we’re treated to the spectacle of Brad Garrett and Jeffrey Tambor waxing melodic. This track is pure fun. “Can’tcha see me on the stage performin’ Mozart? Tickling the ivories ‘til they gleam? Yes, I’d rather be called deadly for my killer show-tune medley ‘cause way down deep inside, I’ve got a dream.”

Mother Knows Best (Reprise) - Gothel returns with this reprise about half the length of the original. There’s a darker, more dangerous tone to the song this time around, and grandiose music surrounds Murphy’s scathingly sarcastic vocals, at one point echoing a key musical phrase in the score of Beauty and the Beast, which Menken also composed and nods to several times in the film. Gothel is beginning to feel truly threatened, so she ramps up the theatrics here as she plots a way to recover the source of her longevity. “Rapunzel knows best! So if he’s such a dreamboat, go and put him to the test! If he’s lying, don’t come crying. Mother knows best!”

I See the Light - Ah, my favorite track – and one of my favorite Disney songs ever. Even though you’re only getting half the effect here without the visual spectacle of the floating lights, this is an absolutely gorgeous song. The gentle acoustic guitar, occasional harp and magical woodwinds carry this duet of self-discovery and love to greater heights. I’ve heard comparisons between this and Aladdin’s A Whole New World, and they’re fitting, since both involve a young couple on an adventure, learning more about themselves and the world and falling for each other in the process. They also both rhyme “here” with “crystal clear.”

For me, though, the song that sprang to mind first was The Greatest Adventure, the Glenn Yarborough-sung theme to Rankin and Bass’s The Hobbit. “Who sits by the window will one day see rain,” that song cautions, spurring Bilbo Baggins out of the comfort of his home into the journey for which he is destined. When Rapunzel started in with “All those days watching from a window,” my mind snapped to attention. Moore breathes an air of innocence into Rapunzel’s words, while Levi infuses his with dazed regret. Both have experienced a revelation. It’s a powerful moment and a powerful song. I’m sad it didn’t win the Oscar. “And at last I see the light, and it’s like the fog has lifted. And at last I see the light, and it’s like the sky is new. And it’s warm and real and bright, and the world has somehow shifted. All at once, everything looks different now that I see you.”

Healing Incantation - This shortest track on the album is very pretty with minimal accompaniment providing a slightly mystical touch. Rapunzel is used to singing this song repeatedly for the benefit of her “mother,” but here she initiates the action, and there’s an earnest solemnity in her voice as she works her magic upon her traveling companion. “Flower, gleam and glow. Let your power shine. Make the clock reverse; bring back what once was mine.”

Flynn Wanted - Now we’re into the purely instrumental tracks. This one is filled with a sense of frantic pursuit, with the brass particularly standing out and making me think of proud palace horse Maximus tracking his thieving prey like a bloodhound.

Prologue - Eerie and fairy tale-like as we hear Gothel recite the flower rhyme, with her voice growing progressively younger, followed by an adorable tiny tyke version of Rapunzel’s recitation. Short but sweet.

Horse With No Rider - Another song of hot pursuit, this one incorporates a sense of wonder and mystery and leads naturally into Escape Route, which includes a fun instrumental tribute to Mission: Impossible about halfway through and a jazzy lounge sound toward the end.

Campfire - This contemplative track includes hints of a couple of the main songs as Rapunzel and Flynn enjoy a quiet moment together. The Celtic-flavored flute makes an especially lovely addition here, reminding me a bit of James Galway’s work on the Return of the King soundtrack. Later on, meanwhile, this one puts me in mind of the prologue to Fellowship of the Ring.

Kingdom Dance - This very Irish-sounding number is pure joy, with sprightly flutes, fiddle and tambourine making it hard to resist getting up and dancing yourself. It’s just so lively, especially once the hand-clapping begins and the pace quickens. Kinda makes you want to break this one out at a large gathering of people.

Waiting for the Lights - Another quiet moment between Flynn and Rapunzel as she waits for the fulfillment of her long-held dream. Gentle guitar, harp and piano come together for this mellow, reflective track that erupts into a burst of glory when the lights finally begin to appear.

Return to Mother - This mournful track reminds me of some of the music in the season six LOST episode Across the Sea, which seems fitting since Gothel reminds me so much of the central character in that episode. Threads of antiquity and despair mingle in this disquieting piece.

Realization and Escape - Starting out quiet, this one explodes into grandeur as Rapunzel remembers the past so long hidden from her. The track turns dire as she confronts Gothel about her new knowledge, with ominous percussion having a particularly harrowing effect. Comical moments, particularly a few seconds of what sounds like a Russian dance, mark the final part of the track as Flynn makes his unconventional escape from prison with some help from a motley crew of lovable thugs.

The Tear Heals - The longest track by more than a minute and a half, this one reminds me very much of Transformation from Menken’s Beauty and the Beast soundtrack, which makes sense since the contents of the two scenes have so much in common. At about the four-minute mark, it also reminds me powerfully of one of LOST’s most tender friendship themes. Immediately after this, Rapunzel returns for a final shaky recitation of the incantation, followed by a thrilling orchestral return to I See the Light and concluding with a slow acoustic guitar rendition of the flower theme. This is the track that feels like the finale.

Kingdom Celebration - About half a minute shorter than Kingdom Dance, this one feels more whimsical, with the instruments comically alluding to the various pub thugs now living out their dreams. The melodious burst of sound at the end concludes the instrumental portion on a high note.

The Tangled soundtrack is one that, for me, anyway, seems to get better with each successive spin in the CD player. The rich fantasy tradition from which the movie itself draws is just as evident in the music, and I truly think this is right up there with the best that Menken has done. And that is saying a lot.

Tangled: "All At Once, Everything Looks Different Now That I See You"

There’s an iconic moment in Disney’s Beauty and the Beast in which Belle, frustrated by the constraints placed upon her in a tiny town whose residents don’t understand her, runs out under an expansive sky, flinging herself in the grass and sending a shower of dandelion seeds dancing on the breeze. “I want adventure in the great wide somewhere,” she confesses. In Tangled, Disney’s brand-new animated musical starring Mandy Moore and Zachary Levi as the confined Rapunzel and the golden-hearted bandit who rescues her, we see the innocent beauty with the magnificent tresses experience a precise echo of that moment. She has just touched actual ground for the first time since she can remember and is ready to embrace the world.

Tangled is the story of a sedentary girl who is kept in check by the woman she believes is her mother, a girl who has learned to squelch any adventurous stirrings, which can only lead to trouble. Like LOST’s ultimate bad mother, the ancient woman who kidnapped the infant Rapunzel insists that she is protecting her, as well as the miraculous gift of her gleaming, healing hair, which she would rather hoard than share. The sweet young woman with the enormous emerald eyes mostly complies uncomplainingly, but it hasn’t escaped her notice that every year on her birthday, a parade of lanterns dominates the night sky. Could they have a connection to her? Might they serve as a bridge that will lead her to that indefinable something whose absence has always gnawed away at her?

Enter Flynn Ryder, a rough-and-tumble rogue who really isn’t. Rapunzel shows off her skill with a skillet, and not in the cooking sense, when he comes calling; this unconventional weapon proves very handy throughout the course of the film, and poor Flynn becomes quite intimately acquainted with it. The “Flynn” seems to recall Errol, the definitive Robin Hood and ultimate dashing hero. But in the wake of their disastrous meeting that recalls Shannon and Joseph’s introduction to each other in Ron Howard’s Far and Away, we come to understand that he is actually rather bumbling and unassuming when he lets his guard down. Of all the characters, he is the most expressive - with the possible exception of tiny chirping chameleon Pascal, who has the advantage of shifting colors to better broadcast his mood.

After he agrees to free Rapunzel so she can go follow the lanterns to their source on the night of her birthday, both begin a process of self-discovery as she learns to let go of fear and embrace new experiences and he searches inside himself for an aspect of his personality long buried. All the while, they draw ever closer to each other, culminating in a gorgeous duet, the film’s most luminous segment, during which it seems that all of their dreams are coming true, even ones that they had no idea that they had in the first place. “And at last I see the light, and it's like the fog has lifted. And at last I see the light, and it's like the sky is new. And it's warm and real and bright, and the world has somehow shifted...” A stunning scene. And who knew Zach Levi was such a fantastic singer?

Alan Menken is the creative genius behind so many great Disney musicals, most notably Beauty and the Beast; here, along with lyricist Glenn Slater, he shows that he’s still got the magic songwriting touch. The aforementioned I See the Light has instantly taken its place near the top of my list of favorite romantic Disney songs. Others make a big impression as well. I love the poppy, guitar-heavy When Will My Life Begin, which shows us just how busy Rapunzel manages to stay during her perpetual house arrest but conveys her yearning for more, recalling Part of Your World from The Little Mermaid. Moore’s exuberant performance of the reprise is especially affecting. Donna Murphy sounds appropriately villainous in the saucy Mother Knows Best, which reminded me of the raucous Master of the House from Les Miserables.

Meanwhile, the zany but inspirational I’ve Got a Dream is a rousing group number which starts off with Everybody Loves Raymond’s Brad Garrett showing off his surprising singing talent. A bunch of misunderstood misfits confess their innermost desires, allowing Flynn and Rapunzel to chime in as well, and it’s nice to know that the classic rowdy extended barroom song-and-dance number is not a thing of the past. The accordion-heavy tune and quirky lyrics are right in line with such Disney classics as I Swear I Saw a Dragon, Gaston and the slightly less well-known Let’s Have a Drink On It.

The movie, written by Dan Fogelman and directed by Nathan Greno and Byron Howard, is adventurous and romantic and funny all at once, with humor coming from all angles. We’ve got the purely visual humor of tiny Pascal and proud horse Maximus, whose changing relationship with Flynn is one of my favorite aspects of the movie. We’ve got plenty of pratfalls and nifty tricks with Rapunzel’s fantastic hair. There’s witty banter to spare, and all of the voice cast does an outstanding job. I was especially tickled to realize that the gruff captain of the guard is played by M. C. Gainey, known by LOST fans as the scruffy Tom Friendly. Other familiar voices included Jeffrey Tambor as one of the other soft-hearted hooligans Rapunzel and Flynn meet and Ron Perlman as Flynn’s nefarious ex-partner.

I watched this in 3D, and while there weren’t too many moments when I felt like it made a major difference, the movie on the whole is so lush and gorgeous that I’d probably say it’s worth it to spring for the glasses that give you just that much more of an immersive experience. There were many moments in the movie that I found genuinely breathtaking on purely a visual basis, and I definitely think that the attempt to marry the classic fairy tale feeling with more modern graphic techniques worked. I was never distracted by the method of animation; it just made me marvel.

Tangled is an exhilarating movie that takes viewers along for an epic quest as two characters seek a deeper understanding of who they really are. Hints of several previous Disney movies, along with Don Bluth’s Anastasia, linger, but this is a wholly original work with a lot of resonance for anyone who’s ever felt torn between the familiar and the novel. Rapunzel can now proudly stand amongst the previous Disney princesses, and I can breathe a sigh of relief as Disney demonstrates how successfully it can continue to mine fairy tales for compelling material. Contemporary but timeless, Tangled has classic written all over it.

Number 1600: There's Really Something There in Beauty and the Beast

I’ve never been very good at picking favorites, but if someone were to ask me who my favorite Disney heroine is, I wouldn’t even have to think about it. Brave, bookish, compassionate Belle from Beauty and the Beast is the best of the best, and her role in that powerful story of redemption and inner beauty is magical in every sense of the word. She is housed within an utter masterpiece, and one of its most noteworthy aspects is its fantastic soundtrack filled with songs through which characters are expertly revealed. It’s one of my all-time favorite movie soundtracks and a worthy subject for my 1600th post on Epinions.

It begins with the solemn prologue, with all its austere overtones indicative of a fairy tale setting. The haunting melody seems to breathe sylvan antiquity and somber royalty. Ebbing and flowing with David Ogden Stiers’ masterful narration, the music, with its deep, resonant notes and occasional sprightly hints of enchantment, sounds lovely but distant; the beast is not a real character to us yet. He’s an arrogant young man in stained glass, a mere two-dimensional representation of the living, breathing prince he truly is.

This opening track is probably the most memorable of the instrumental offerings, but woodwind-heavy To the Fair, which alternates between quick, lively runs and moments of wistful melancholy with some terrific percussion scattered here and there, is fun and West Wing, whose tone swerves dramatically from melodiously enchanting to dire and dangerous, is fantastic. The Beast Lets Belle Go, which carries hints of Beauty and the Beast theme music, is perhaps the most melancholy of the tracks, an achingly tender moment of farewell full of searing strings, while Battle on the Tower is the most fun, at least to begin with, when it is largely a faster, more orchestral version of Be Our Guest as the Beast’s servants find creative ways to guard their castle, though the tone turns dark and urgent as it follows Gaston’s pursuit of the Beast. Transformation, meanwhile, is simply gorgeous, beginning soft and gentle and taking on a majestic quality as the song slowly builds to the Beast’s long-awaited return to humanity, all the more miraculous given his near-death state a moment before. Both intimate and triumphal and culminating in a final chorus Beauty and the Beast, it’s the perfect way to end the film, and nearly end the soundtrack.

The final track is the phenomenally popular radio version of the title song, as performed by Celine Dion and Peabo Bryson. This is the first time I remember Disney releasing a different version of a song more suitable for the airwaves than the one included in the film. Perhaps it even influenced later songwriting choices, since the next few films all include songs that work equally well when taken out of context. This is a lovely duet that introduced the world to Celine Dion, and Angela Lansbury’s film version makes a gentle, melodic backdrop to Belle and the Beast’s big ballroom scene, encapsulating the theme of the movie in a few well-chosen words. It’s all about forgiveness, redemption, striving to become a better person, and the movie’s beautiful exploration of these topics is something to love indeed. But it’s always been my least favorite of the movie’s songs, partly because both the spinning of the room and the phrase “tale as old as time” give me vertigo and partly because it’s so detached. All of the other songs reveal the personalities of those singing, and with the exception of the short but spirited soliloquy of Belle (Reprise), they all involve several different characters. Next to those action-packed numbers, this legato ballad just seems a little too sedate.

Not so Be Our Guest, which Disney has often used as its theme music since the movie came out. This whirlwind of a flashy show, a spur-of-the-moment offering by castle workers who are desperate for someone to entertain, is a showcase mostly for the talents of Jerry Orbach as the seductive, hospitable Lumiere and Angela Lansbury as grandmotherly Mrs. Potts. The choreography of this scene is so clever that you’re missing half the fun if you’re only listening to the album, but it’s still one of the highlights. Orbach and Potts come together again and are joined by David Ogden Stiers for Something There, a sweet, reflective song that basically does the job of Beauty and the Beast but captures the transformation of the Beast’s personality and his relationship with Belle as it happens. Paige O’Hara and Robby Benson’s observations of each other are especially telling, and it’s nice because this is the last time we hear Belle sing and the only time the Beast sings at all.

Richard White, whose bombastic baritone voice is a joy to listen to, gets to do more singing as the nefariously narcissistic Gaston than just about any Disney villain I can think of. He has a starring role in four different tracks, most notably Gaston, a rousing, hilarious song in which his right-hand man LeFou (Jesse Corti) leads his buddies at the bar in an ode of appreciation to the most popular muscle-bound hunter in town. It doesn’t take long to improve his spirits, and soon he’s back to his smarmy, boastful self, perfectly capable of coming up with a dastardly plan in the quieter Gaston (Reprise). The whole rowdy bar scene reminds me of I Saw a Dragon in Pete’s Dragon, particularly once the seemingly delirious Maurice bursts through the door and is treated as a blathering idiot. I can’t help but wonder if this alcohol-drenched scene would fly in a G-rated movie today, but I love it.

The menacing The Mob Song is also terrific and much more of a traditional villain song. Gaston has gone from being an obnoxious annoyance to Belle beloved by the rest of the town to an indisputably cruel rabble-rouser bent on revenge for a dream that was never really in his grasp. His goal is no longer to marry Belle; it’s to kill the one who managed to claim her restless heart. This is a terrifying moment in the film, but it’s brilliant.

My favorite track, however, is the exceptional opening number, into which the prologue segues. It begins with the soft trilling of woodwinds meant to evoke birdsong, and we meet Belle with O’Hara’s soft but gorgeous voice beckoning us into her “little town full of little people.” She complains of sameness and boredom, but there sure is a lot happening in Belle, where the whole village turns out to weigh in on the problem of this unusual girl. Rather like The Sound of Music’s How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria? but more frenetic and mean-spirited, it becomes deliciously complicated as all the townspeople chatter at once as an oblivious Belle moves dreamily through the streets and a determined Gaston goes to impressive lengths to pursue her. The song serves as a wonderful introduction to Belle, Gaston, LeFou and the town in general, and I consider it the real masterpiece of the movie.

Alan Menken and Howard Ashman created a work of enduring brilliance in this soundtrack, and it makes me sad to realize how early Ashman’s outstanding career was cut short. Meanwhile, Menken continues to produce excellent songs, but I think this album will always stand as my favorite of his achievements.

Beauty and the Beast. Pure enchantment.