Embrace the Magic of Disney's First Soundtrack With Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

When I think of my favorite Disney soundtracks, I tend to gravitate toward the 1990s, with a side trip to the 1960s for the wonderful Mary Poppins. However, great music has been a part of Disney all along, as early as Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, so I recently took that first soundtrack, which had been lovingly pieced together and remastered, out of the library and gave it few spins.

Naturally, this 26-track album has a rather old-fashioned sound to it, with lots of woodwinds and strings helping to set the arboreal tone, sometimes beauteous, sometimes perilous. Many of the instrumental tracks, such as the eerie Magic Mirror, ominous Queen Theme and whimsical Let's See What's Upstairs, are quite short, while others, like the half-comical, half-alarming There's Trouble A-Brewing and the dark I've Been Tricked, pass the four-minute mark.

The Overture serves as a lovely preview to the rest of the album, while the organ music in Chorale for Snow White, the last purely instrumental track, is fittingly mournful. One of my favorite pieces of music is Why, Grumpy, You Do Care, the flutey tones of which sweetly accompany a wonderful moment in the film that demonstrates the effect this innocent young woman has had on the grumbly Grumpy.

The relationship among those seven endearing bachelors and the naïve princess is the heart of the movie, even more so, really, than the true love that awaits at the conclusion, and the tracks that explore the dwarfs' personalities and reactions are a lot of fun. These include It's a Girl, the longest instrumental track; the upbeat Hooray! She Stays; and the gentle Pleasant Dreams.

Snow White's instrumental tracks reflect her naivety and the beauty of the woodland that surrounds her. Far into the Forest starts off bucolic before turning panicky, while the harp-drenched Just Like a Doll's House is pure delight. By contrast, the tracks involving the queen are unsettling. A Special Sort of Death prickles with malice, while Makin' Pies goes from pretty to urgent as an innocent activity takes a dark turn that culminates in the short but distressing Have a Bite.

While the score by Paul Smith and Leigh Hairline makes for great listening, it's the songs by Frank Churchill and Larry Morey that really capture one's attention. I'll admit that the extremely high voice of Adriana Caselotti as Snow White grates on me a bit at times, but I still enjoy her songs. Animal Friends / With a Smile and a Song and Whistle While You Work complement each other perfectly, demonstrating her ability to be upbeat in the face of challenges and establishing the tradition of Disney princesses to whom animals are magnetically attracted.

Someday My Prince Will Come is a romantic classic, and I like I'm Wishing / One Song even better, though that's mostly because of Harry Stockwell as the prince, whose melodious ditty returns as part of the lush finale, Love's First Kiss. All the romance in Snow White is incredibly simplistic and idealized, of course; she and the prince fall in love instantly without knowing a thing about each other. Still, for what it is, I like it.

Still, I prefer the songs of the dwarfs, given voice by Roy Atwell, Pinto Colvig, Otis Harlan, Billy Gilbert, Scotty Mattraw and Eddie Collins. The distant, malevolent queen never gets to sing for herself, but the dwarfs express themselves quite freely, and their comical, good-hearted camaraderie is my favorite part of the movie and soundtrack alike.

Heigh-Ho is probably the song that has permeated the public consciousness most completely - not so much the earlier, sound effects-laden discussion of their work in the mines, but the cheery chant that accompanies their departure. The largely instrumental Bluddle-Uddle-Um-Dum (the Dwarfs' Washing Song), led by Atwell as Doc, includes lots of silly noises and a great Grumpy moment as his companions force him to clean up for dinner. More silliness follows in the gleefully nonsensical The Dwarfs' Yodel Song (the Silly Song), which allows most of the dwarfs a moment in the spotlight.

This album also includes two tracks omitted from the movie, both of them involving the dwarfs. Music in Your Soup makes a natural follow-up to the washing song as the dwarfs sing their way through dinner, slurping and clanging all the way. The sound quality is definitely sub-par on You're Never Too Old to Be Young, the last track on the album, which starts with the yodeling from the yodel song. This one is a lot of fun and reminds me of Dr. Seuss's You're Only Old Once! Unlike the other deleted song, however, I really can't see it fitting into the movie. For one thing, it really is geared toward seniors, who will best appreciate all the specific ailments mentioned here; for another, it seems an odd song for them to be singing to Snow White, though I suppose the point would be to assure her that they know how to party despite all their creaks. I think this would have made a fun stand-alone short, and I don't think there would have been much reason to have Snow White in it at all.

While there are Disney soundtracks that rank higher on my list of favorites than Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, this is still an excellent album that captures an essential piece of Disney history.

Singing Nuns Are Tons of Fun in the Sister Act Soundtrack

In a season two episode of the NBC action-comedy Chuck, Morgan reveals that in middle school, Chuck’s older sister Ellie was a big fan of the movie Sister Act. While her fondness for the movie seems to have waned – and maybe was never as pronounced as Morgan indicated – I will readily admit that when I was in middle school, it was one of my favorite movies. It’s been nearly 20 years since its release, but listening to the songs from this uplifting Whoopi Goldberg comedy about a lounge singer who revitalizes a reclusive convent while in witness protection is still sure to put a smile on my face.

Lounge Medley - This medley of songs sung by Deloris and the Ronelles is pretty cheesy. The three of them are clearly bored and rushing through it, and the audience is far from enthralled. Heatwave is the most annoying of the songs and the only one we don’t hear again. The other two give us a taste of what we will experience later, and the tepid delivery here stands in stark contrast to the infectious energy of the latter renditions.

The Murder - This instrumental track is a mix of dark percussion and jazzy piano, with blaring brass signaling danger. Occasionally it has a threatening feel to it, but despite the sense you get of a hot pursuit, it’s really more fun and peppy than the title would suggest. Getting Into the Habit is another instrumental track composed by Marc Shaiman. A rather whimsical number, it’s marked by woodwinds and strings, with just a hint of trombone and a jingle of an alarm clock. Toward the halfway point, it becomes very pretty, an indication of the serenity and meaning Deloris is about to find in this unexpected new life hiding out at the convent.

Deloris Is Kidnapped reprises the jazzy piano and brass from The Murder, while wailing electric guitars and swift violins add to the sense of peril. Again, a bit of a dangerous feel, but more fun than alarming. The final instrumental track, Nuns to the Rescue, is lively, reveling in the array of exciting sights and sounds that greet the sisters when they arrive in Reno to rescue Deloris. The longest and most entertaining of the instrumental tracks, it includes a bit of dialogue from Maggie Smith as the stern Mother Superior, who admonishes them to “Try to blend in.” The music accentuates just how absurd that request really is. There’s a definite sense of overstimulation and clashing cultures that comes across, along with the feeling of a chase. My favorite of Shaiman’s compositions.

Rescue Me - This bouncy track is the first on the album that is the original version of a Motown song rather than a new rendition. The 1965 Fontella Bass hit accompanies the scene of Deloris doing menial chores around the convent to keep her out of trouble. It’s very fitting for the scene, considering how miserable she is at this point, and it also helps to emphasize the type of music that is so prevalent throughout the movie. Other classic Motown hits featured throughout the soundtrack include Etta James’ Roll With Me Henry and Gravy, a 1960s hit by Dee Dee Sharp that amusingly accompanies the sisters’ covert outing at a bar.

Just a Touch of Love - This is a more modern song that accompanies the sisters getting out into the neighborhood and actively helping the impoverished residents. On the long and repetitive side with electronic sound effects and growly vocals giving it an 80s vibe. I like the message, though I’m not crazy about it from a musical standpoint. I prefer the end-credits song, If My Sister’s in Trouble, an upbeat song about standing up for your friends that seems very fitting for the spirit of community that pervades the convent, especially after Deloris’s arrival.

Hail Holy Queen - The first performance by Deloris as Sister Mary Clarence, this is an enthusiastic reworking of a time-honored Catholic hymn. At first, it’s very sedate and churchy, with layers of harmony and a generally somber feel to it. After the first recitation, however, the tempo picks up as the sisters start clapping and adding all sorts of unusual flourishes as the piano takes on a rock-and-roll flavor. The voices of Kathy Najimy as boisterous Sister Mary Patrick and Wendy Makkena as coming-out-of-her-shell Sister Mary Robert particularly stand out in this lively number.

My Guy (My God) - For this second major anthem under Deloris’s direction, instead of jazzing up a traditional hymn, she arranges a Motown hit to sound reverent, tweaking a word here and there and giving several different sisters a chance to shine with solo lines. A great showcase for the sisters’ individual personalities. It’s cute and light-hearted, and at the same time, it really does work as a hymn.

I Will Follow Him - This one works even better. The grand finale of the movie, it’s similar in format to Hail Holy Queen, with the first part sounding like a traditional anthem and the second part arranged more like a Motown hit. It feels heartfelt and exuberant, and the grandiose proclamations actually seem better suited to a song about God than about a regular guy. The simple change of the phrase “touched my hand” to “touched my heart” makes the song at once sound weightier, and the talk of deep oceans and high mountains puts me in mind of Climb Ev’ry Mountain, from my other favorite movie involving nuns.

Shout - This end-credits song is just for the fun of it, bringing Deloris, her fellow lounge singers and the sisters together for a lively group number. It’s similar in theme to the other songs they perform, but this time they don’t seem to be trying to turn it into a hymn. They just seem to be having a great time playing around with their voices; it seems like a practice session helping them to learn how to open up. While I prefer the performances that are actually a part of the movie, this one is enjoyable as well.

Every once in a while, I’ll catch a movie in the theater that simply knocks my socks off. Sister Act was one such movie. I didn’t know all that much about it going in, and I found myself both moved and in gales of laughter. The movie also opened me up to the possibilities inherent in songs being given new life beyond their original purpose. Is it any wonder I love the soundtrack?

Kick Off the Summer with the Breezy That Thing You Do! Soundtrack

When I think of great summery bands, the Beach Boys tend to come to mind first, but not far behind them are the Wonders, the fictional quartet at the heart of the bubbly Tom Hanks film That Thing You Do! It’s not just the Wonders, actually; just about every song in that movie evokes a breezy, innocent feeling of sun-dappled days when even Erie, PA, my notoriously snowy hometown, is as bright and cheery as the California coastline. Because the Wonders are based in Erie, I can’t help feeling a surge of civic pride whenever I think of the movie, and when I hear the songs on its soundtrack, I make like Guy Patterson, the film’s central character, and start drumming on any object within my reach. That Thing You Do! inspires that kind of exuberance, and I have a feeling I’ll be listening to it a lot this summer.

Lovin’ You Lots and Lots - Performed by a phony group billed as the Norm Wooster Singers, this bouncy not-quite-two-minutes-long ditty was penned by Hanks himself. I’m especially fond of it in the movie because it accompanies the montage that introduces downtown Erie of the 1960s, but it’s a lot of fun on its own and sounds very much like an authentic song of the era. Hanks wanted to create a song that reflected the bubblegum flavor of so many early 60s hits, and from the string of cheesy metaphors and the repetitive chorus to the whistling and the innocuous instrumental accompaniment, I would say he succeeded. “You are the stars in the nighttime sky.  You are my girl, and I'm your guy.  You got me all tied up in knots, and I’m lovin’ you lots and lots, I’m just lovin’ you lots and lots, I’m lovin’ you lots and lots…”

That Thing You Do - This Adam Schlesinger-penned tune is the title song, the one that rockets the Wonders from Erie obscurity to nationwide fame as they hurtle their way to the West Coast on a tour of State Fairs. In the movie, we hear it in its original form, and it’s morose and whiny, but with the tempo dramatically sped up, it becomes an irresistible dance number. The phenomenon of depressing lyrics with a catchy beat is widespread throughout early pop-rock, so this song fits right in. The percussion makes all the difference here, and the voices scrambling to keep up with the beat can’t help catching the energy. Infectious rhymes, a snappy melody and just a twinge of lovelorn angst make this a surefire hit. “You doin’ that thing you do, breakin’ my heart into a million pieces like you always do. And you don’t mean to be cruel. You never even knew about the heartache I’ve been goin’ through…”

Little Wild One - Another very teeny-bopperish tune, this one written by David Gibbs, Steve Hurley, Phil Hurley and Fred Elringham. It’s a little funny to hear this immediately after That Thing You Do! Here, he seems to be doing the same thing that he’s accusing his girlfriend of in the previous song, and there’s certainly nothing remorseful in his tone. He just assumes that she will welcome him back with open arms when he gets tired of straying. Another song with a strong percussive base and some nice harmonies, and while the members of the Wonders are well past high school, it definitely captures the flavor of teenage melodrama. “With them, I feel like I’m wastin’ my time, while you make me feel like I’m losin’ my mind. Little wild one…”

Dance With Me Tonight - Written by Scott Rogness and Rick Elias, this song amuses me because Music and Lyrics, another fun film that pays peppy tribute to a musical era with instant retro classics, also has a song by this title. They sound completely different, of course, as that movie’s focus is the 1980s, but it makes me smile. The Wonders version is reminiscent of Twist and Shout and other songs in that vein. Pure innocuous get-your-feet-moving fun. “Tell your mama that you’re leavin’. Tell your daddy that we’re gone. Tell everyone in Philadelphia there’s a party goin’ on.”

All My Only Dreams - This mellow Wonders song, also by Rogness and Elias, is more of a solo showcase than a group effort, with the minimal harmonizing restricted mostly to the title line. The plaintive tone is just a shade shy of maudlin; this is a guy who cannot be with the woman he loves. While the precise reasons are unclear, great distances seem to separate them, judging by the imagery that reminds me of James Horner’s Somewhere Out There, the touching duet from An American Tail. A nice slow dance kind of song. “So every night I pray I’ll have you here one day. I’ll count the stars tonight and hope with all my might. And when I close my eyes, you’ll be right by my side.”

I Need You (That Thing You Do) - This mid-tempo Wonders song, written by Rogness and Elias with Linda Elias, plays over the credits and makes a nice sort of bookend to the main song. Again, there’s a bit of a pleading tone, though I’m not sure if we’re supposed to think it’s the same relationship being discussed. Either way, a nice track. “I could search around the world, only to find the only thing I need is you, right by my side.”

She Knows It - This electric-tinged song comes courtesy of The Heardsmen, the band formed by lead singer-songwriter Jimmy after the Wonders break up. I’m not sure when the song is supposed to have been released, but it sounds a bit more recent than the rest, perhaps late 1960s. Another one written by Rogness and Elias, it doesn’t appear in the movie. Enjoyable but not all that memorable. “It’s true, it might take a little while; I’ll be the one that makes her smile.”

Mr. Downtown - Sung by the invented Freddy Frederickson, a singer who is supposed to be past his prime at the time the Wonders are embarking upon their tour, this song was written by Hanks, Gary Goetzman and Mike Piccirillo. This brass-heavy song has a smarmy lounge quality to it and almost sounds like it could be the theme of a corny 50s spy show. Quite different from anything else on the soundtrack. “Under the waning moon is danger to be found for the man with the badge in the night, the man with the badge in the night. What's his name? Mr. Downtown…”

Hold My Hand, Hold My Heart - The Chantrillenes, a Supremes-like group who mingle with the Wonders during their tour, provide the only group song on the album featuring only female vocalists. This one is also written by Hanks, Goetzman and Piccirillo, and it’s my favorite of the non-Wonders songs, partly because whenever I hear it I picture the unnamed bass player, the quietest member of the Wonders, standing off to the side mimicking the ladies’ goofy hand motions. While the mental image the title line produces is a tad macabre, I find this peppy song charming. “I want you to say you’re thinkin’ of me those nights when we’re apart. I want you to know when you hold my hand, you hold my heart.”

Voyage Around the Moon - This song by the fictional band The Saturn 5 – the name of which is one of many homages in the movie to the space program, with which Hanks, fresh off of Apollo 13, was deeply preoccupied at the time – is a purely instrumental track. Written by Hanks, Goetzman and Piccirillo, it sounds to me like a cross between beach music and a James Bond theme song.

My World Is Over - Piccirillo has solo writer’s credit on my least favorite track on the album. Diane Dane, like Freddy Frederickson, is a lounge singer type teetering on obsolescence, and she has no qualms about hitting on young singers like Jimmy who are half her age. Simultaneously sultry and sulky, this brass-drenched torch song is repetitive and snoozy. Like the other songs on the album, it absolutely feels like it could have been a hit during its day, but my era is the 60s, and her style just isn’t my cup of tea. “Your love is gone, so for me, my world is over…”

Drive Faster - This is a curious song because it’s by the Vicksburgs, a band that only gets a passing mention a couple of times in the movie. Written by Rogness and Elias, it captures the fascination with fast cars that permeates so many summery songs of the 60s. Musically, the guitar-heavy song makes me think of Johnny B. Goode, while the subject matter reminds me of several Beach Boys songs. A bit of an oddity, but fun. “And let's drive drive drive til we get enough. We're gonna ride ride ride ‘til the sun comes up. Gotta feel that wind blowin' in her hair, and she's mine when I drive faster…”

Shrimp Shack - Written by Piccirillo, this song features the Wonders as Cap’n Geech and the Shrimp Shack Shooters, a ridiculous band in a cheesy Frankie and Annette-style beach movie. Pure frothy instrumental fun with percussion, keyboard and brass, it’s a get-up-and-toss-a-beach-ball-around kind of song that sounds almost as silly as it looks.

Time to Blow - Steve Tyrell and Robert F. Mann share writing credits on this jazzy piano and drums number attributed to Del Paxton, Guy’s personal hero. It’s the longest song on the album by more than a minute, which is rather funny since it’s so far removed from its predominant style. Still, it’s a nice nod to the way that musicians from different genres inspire each other. I’m not that much of a jazz aficionado, but it’s a pleasant song to listen to.

That Thing You Do! (live) - Time for the title song again, this time the version that the Wonders perform on The Hollywood Television Showcase, basically a fictionalized version of The Ed Sullivan Show that’s located in Los Angeles instead of New York. Pretty similar to the first version, but with lots of screeching from the crowds and an overall sense that everyone is overwhelmed by exuberance. The ideal way to end the album. “I know all the games you play, and I’m gonna find a way to let you know that you’ll be mine someday. ‘Cause we could be happy, can’t you see, if you’d only let me be the one to hold you and keep you here with me…”

Yes, this is an album consisting entirely of music from bands and singers who never existed. Yes, if these had been actual hits, it would have been 40-some years ago, not today. Yes, virtually every track is a sappy love song with an extra squirt of cheese. Does any of that bother me? Nope. That Thing You Do! is a perfect album to get my summer off to a chipper start, and the fact that I’m from the same city as the Wonders is just icing on the cake. Tom Hanks, I offer you my hearty thanks.

Remembering the End of LOST With LOST: The Last Episodes

One year ago today, the epic television series LOST came to an end. In recognition of that event, I thought it would be a fitting time for me to review the final soundtrack. LOST: The Last Episodes is a second double-disc soundtrack of music from the show's final season. This album sneaked in under the radar of many fans; even though I assumed it was coming, I didn't find out it had been released until a couple weeks after the fact. For reasons that mystify me, the album only had a limited run of 5000 copies; considering that the finale's music is the culmination of almost everything leading up to it, I would think that this could potentially be the most popular soundtrack of the seven.

LOST: The Last Episodes features music from the final four episodes of the series. Disc one encompasses The Candidate, Across the Sea and What They Died For, while the second disc contains 24 tracks all drawn from The End, the series finale. The liner notes booklet includes multiple photographs from these episodes, along with a list of what tracks go with what episode and a list of musicians in the Hollywood Studio Symphony, grouped by instrument: violin, viola, cello, string bass, trombone, bass trombone, harp, piano and percussion. As orchestrally rich as Michael Giacchino's LOST scores are, it always surprises me a little to see that there is actually relatively little variety in terms of instruments used.

My favorite part of the liner booklet is the commentary by Giacchino and by showrunners Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse. The composer's thoughts are short and sweet, thanking the fans and everyone involved in the show for giving him such a moving creative endeavor. “I will miss LOST for years to come,” Giacchino says. Darlton are more long-winded, talking about the series of endings they experienced as the finale drew near and saying how the most intense one was listening to the symphony record the music for The End. They discuss how everyone in the studio felt the enormity of that session and how they themselves had to duck out because they didn't want to risk the microphones picking up on them bawling like babies. What Giacchino accomplished with LOST is truly extraordinary. “We strove for an ending of our series that was spiritually uplifting,” write Darlton, “and at the end we were the ones who were uplifted by the power and emotion of Michael's music. It was, for us, perfect.”

While the second disc is the true star of this collection, the first is outstanding as well. The Candidate furnishes the first five tracks. The shortest is the perilous, trombone-heavy Cage Crashers, which is immediately followed by the slightly longer and hesitantly lovely Shephard's Why, the first of the Sideways tracks, which are almost unfailingly tranquil. Sub-Primed begins on a softly melodic note as Jack and Claire share a tender moment, but the tone soon turns treacherous as the scene dissolves into a shootout. Eerie chimes and some creepy violin shrieks add to the sense of peril.

S. S. Lost-Tanic is another track that is largely action-packed and dangerous-sounding, as just a glimpse at the title might suggest. However, there is also a deeply emotional element to it as well as it signals a tragic but touching conclusion to one story arc. Life and Death is my favorite of all the LOST themes, so any track that incorporates it automatically earns my favor. Following that is the gently elegiac Flew the Coop, which accompanies a painful Sideways conversation between John and Jack.

The music from Across the Sea is set apart from the rest of Giacchino's themes; as with Ab Aeterno, the music is nearly as self-contained as the episode, though hints of it do carry over elsewhere, particularly where enigmatic Island leader Jacob is concerned. This episode reaches into antiquity to reveal the origins of the centuries-old feud between Jacob and his nemesis. Though we never get a precise date for this tale, most estimates put it at about two thousand years in the past. Hence, the music has an ancient, mythical quality to it that hints at Roman influence.

The track Across the Sea is mystical, then quietly ominous, particularly toward the end, which carries the sense of being in close proximity to danger. Don't Look At the Light is startling as well, but it gives way to a lovely variation on the Across the Sea theme that captures the wonder of what the accompanying scene reveals. A Brother's Quarrel is weighted down with sadness as a fundamental conflict begins to take root in the fertile ground of fraternity. A tragic track.

Make Like a Tree, the longest of the Across the Sea tracks, explores the family dynamics among the trio at the heart of this episode. A sense of danger intermingles with affection as two complex relationships reach a critical moment. Mother of a Plan, my favorite track from this episode, carries on the mythical quality as it underscores a scene that will have profound echoes in the final two episodes. However, it's the scene that follows that impacts me most as it depicts the aftermath of a horrific attack and the mingled sorrow and rage that accompany its discovery.

Mother of Sorrow is oppressive and mournful, the backdrop to the chain reaction of violence sparked by the incident depicted in the previous track. This gives way to Love Is Stronger Than Death, which remains sorrowful but also has a thread of beauty to it. Piano, otherwise neglected in this episode, ties the antiquity of Jacob's tale in with the grander story of the modern-day castaways.

From Across the Sea's seven tracks, we move on to the eight tracks in What They Died For, which are mostly reflective and peaceful. This begins with Cereal Experience, which finds Jack in gentle conversation first with Claire, then with Kate, which ends on a note of alarm as they resolve to destroy their powerful enemy. This sense of danger continues with The Four Amigos as Jack, Kate, Sawyer and Hurley plot how to attack their daunting task, but Walk and Talk and Aah! is more reflective, with hints of mystery as the castaways' camaraderie yields to an appearance of the enigmatic Jacob.

Hide and Snitch is brimming with peril as the primary remaining antagonist comes into contact with a contingent of survivors. The trombone especially adds to the brooding feel of the track. A Better Ben has a beautiful beginning in the Sideways before returning to the Island, where Ben has one more devious trick up his sleeve.

What They Died For has an epic feel to it that hearkens back to Across the Sea but more prominently features the main theme of the series. This mingling of Jacob's story with theirs provides one of my favorite pieces of music on the first disc. The echoes of Across the Sea continue with Jack's Cup Runneth Over, which parallels the moment captured in Mother of a Plan. Get Out of Jail Free Card concludes this disc with a mix of the enigmatic and the fun. There's a strong sense of amusement and adventure in this track, which is a cheerful note to end on.

Really, though, we're just getting warmed up, since The End still lies ahead. Disc two begins with Parallelocam, a delicate, slowly swelling track that echoes the season six premiere as we see what each major character is up to in the Sideways and on the Island. Leaver-age has a contemplative feel to it, with the strings emphasizing the mysterious nature of Desmond's quest and Jack's new brand of leadership.

The quietude continues with The Stick With Me Speech, which is enigmatic and sprinkled with the plucking of a harp. Hurley's themes are among my favorites, and here we taste both his affection and his humor before diving into the adventurous walking music. Ultrasonic Flash celebrates Jin and Sun's love with a purely romantic track that mixes their theme with the stirring arrival music that will come up many times throughout the finale.

Fly By Dire is the first truly startling-sounding track, but even that doesn't last long, moving quickly from a sense of foreboding into one of excitement. Next up comes the track with the title that prompted a big grin from me when I first saw it: Down the Hobbit Hole. Referencing Alice in Wonderland and Lord of the Rings in one fell swoop? Nice. I predicted that there would be a moment in the finale comparable to the J. R. R. Tolkien's Mount Doom climax, so it was gratifying to see something with such striking visual similarities. This is an action track, but it's more suspense and emotion than pure action, and several themes are expertly interwoven.

Dysfunctional Setup is another emotional track, this one reuniting two halves of a romantic pairing that few viewers were very invested in. Still, the affecting, strings-heavy music makes the couple seem more legitimate than it otherwise would. Mystery and danger abound in the adventurous-sounding The Well of Holes, while Pulling Out All the Stops explores similar territory before ending on a dire note amidst a sea of shrieking violins and trombones. Similarly, Blood From a Locke is super-short and panicky.

Claire is the focus of Our Lady of Perpetual Labor, sharing her big Sideways moment with Kate and Charlie. The piano and strings blend gorgeously here as we witness three awakenings within the span of a four-and-a-half-minute-long track. The gentleness of the harp on the arrival theme feels especially fitting for Claire. It ends on a rather dire note, though, just as If a Tree Falls begins on one, with jungle-flavored percussion adding to the sense that time is running short. That sense of pervasive peril continues with Locke v. Jack, which eventually slows down to feel less alarming and more heroic.

Can't Keep Locke Down is another Sideways revelation scene, and as such it is richly melodic and orchestrally dense. Locke's name is incorporated into the title of a dozen tracks over the course of seven albums; this is the last, and it's easy to imagine his smile while listening to it. The Long Kiss Goodbye is centered mostly on Island activity, particularly a long-awaited smooch between Jack and Kate, though the midsection also incorporates Sawyer's theme as he encounters Sun and Jin in the Sideways. Some action here, but primarily emotion, with a particularly affecting conclusion.

Half as long and more consistently moving is We Can Go Dutch, the scene that gives us the pay-off from Juliet's cryptic conversation with Sawyer in the season premiere. Kate Flashes Jack is shorter still but comparably heart-tugging up until the ominous final seconds. Violins and harp complement one another well in the gentle Hurley's Coronation, one of my favorite tracks. The peculiar percussion toward the end adds to a sense of wonder without feeling creepy.

The Hole Shebang, one of the longest tracks, was included in the first season six soundtrack as a bonus. This accompanies the final climax of the Island's storyline, combining intense action and soaring emotion. The simply titled Aloha encompasses several endings and beginnings at once, conveying a sense of absolute euphoria. The longest track on this album or any other LOST soundtrack is Closure, which combines several prominent themes, including those of Ben, John, Hurley and Jack, as these characters find closure on the Island and off. A magnificent piece of music, with Hurley's section particularly touching me.

Jumping Jack's Flash, by contrast, is one of the shortest, but it is no less richly melodic or emotionally satisfying. It's only a minute long, but it's incredibly cathartic as he is the last character to have this type of experience, not to mention the central character in the series. Even more gorgeous than the preceding track. Finally, Moving On takes us out of the series. This, too, was included in the first season six soundtrack, which was a nice bonus because this track, above any other, seems to magnum opus of the entire LOST saga. While I wouldn't have minded a slightly higher concentration of Life and Death, I love the blending that occurs here, with the most powerfully emotive motifs intermingling. Giacchino really had to knock this one out of the park, and I think he did. Incidentally, if you look online, you can find an alternate version of this track. As best as I can tell, it's the same until the four-minute mark, at which point the ukelele kicks in. It only plays for about a minute, giving a playful flavor to the middle of the track that seems indicative of Hurley. It makes for an intriguing alternative, but the slightly more solemn main version definitely feels like the right choice for the actual episode.

After Moving On, the “bonus track” Parting Words (Drive Shaft), the full version of the song that Drive Shaft and Daniel play together at the concert in the Sideways, feels a bit jarring. After all, it's an electric guitar-heavy rock anthem augmented by classical piano, and while those last four tracks might easily lure one into sleep, this one will yank you right back out again. Still, it's neat to be able to hear the song properly and match it up with other parts of the score, and the rather raucous nature of the song makes it seem as though it's entertainment at a party in celebration of the series.

A written review is a poor medium in which to express the sheer brilliance of the work done by Giacchino and the Hollywood Studio Symphony. A picture is worth a thousand words, and so is an exquisite musical phrase. Have a listen to this album if you get the chance. Many people were not pleased with the way LOST ended, but everyone I've talked to seems to agree that Giacchino's score is superb. This final soundtrack is the most peaceful one of the lot, with tenderly touching tracks dominating the second disc. I've never known a television show whose score is as integral to its story as LOST's is; it helped set the cinematic tone from the opening moments of the series, and the show would not have been so dramatic or cathartic without it. One year ago today, LOST ended, but something tells me that Giacchino will be enhancing television and cinema alike for a long time to come.

Escape to Scotland With More Music From Braveheart

Today marks the release of Heritage, the first Celtic Thunder album to consist almost entirely of traditional Irish and Scottish music. I pre-ordered it, so it’ll probably be a couple of days before it lands on my doorstep. In the meantime, I’m getting my Celtic fix with More Music From Braveheart, the gorgeous Scottish-flavored soundtrack composed and conducted by James Horner and performed by the London Symphony Orchestra and the 1st Battalion Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders. Additionally, in a rather unusual move for a soundtrack, several tracks incorporate dialogue from the movie. It’s a follow-up to the original soundtrack, which I really ought to get my hands on one of these days. James Horner is one of my favorite composers, and I find his scores especially irresistible when he turns his attention to Celtic themes. Like his Titanic soundtrack, More Songs From Braveheart is a soul-stirring masterpiece.

Most of the tracks on this album incorporate dialogue, so if you plan to see the movie but haven’t yet, I wouldn’t recommend listening to this. However, some tracks will give you the flavor of the score without any potentially spoilerish speechifying. Outlawed Tunes on Outlawed Pipes is the first purely instrumental track, and the bagpipes, the instruments most readily associated with Scotland, weave a plaintive melody that in two short minutes effectively conveys the sense of longing felt by the beleaguered Scots, with faint drum beats hinting at the fierce battle to come. The brief Scottish Wedding Music has a fun, jaunty jig feel to it that dissipates into discord, while the whistle-heavy Prima Noctes feels mysterious and borderline mournful. Vision of Murron is quiet and melodious, with just a hint of the main musical theme, which is visited much more explicitly in the tender For the Love of a Princess, which is probably my favorite of the instrumental tracks despite the lack of bagpipes.

Point of War / Johnny Cope / Up in the Morning Early is a medley of traditional bagpipe music with a lively tone to it, sounding like something one might hear at a military tattoo. Similarly, The Road to the Isles / Glendaural Highlanders / The Old Rustic Bridge by the Mill is a bagpipe showcase, starting out on the slow side, then becoming almost playful before turning into a more solemn march that fades out. Scotland the Brave is one of the most instantly recognizable bagpipe songs out there, so it’s nice to have it here, and it’s performed well, though it feels like a bit of an afterthought, as do Leaving Glenhurqhart and Kirkhill, the final tracks on the album. These five tracks are all performed by the Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders and consist entirely of bagpipes and drums.

The two characters most represented on the album are William Wallace, portrayed by Mel Gibson, and Robert the Bruce, played by Angus McFadyen. One of only two dialogue tracks that doesn’t include either of them is the creepy ”The Trouble With Scotland”, in which Patrick McGoohan as King Edward the Longshanks gives a 40-second spiel, free of accompanying music, announcing the plan to institute the custom of Prima Noctes in an effort to breed the Scots out. The other is The Legend Spreads, a pipe-heavy track in which various Scotsmen discuss the wild stories cropping up about William Wallace, the unassuming farmer-turned-fierce freedom fighter.

Robert the Bruce provides narration on four tracks. Prologue: “I shall tell you of William Wallace” is a haunting piece of music that starts off the album, and McFadyen’s quiet narration sets the stage for the epic tale to follow. His narration continues with The Royal Wedding, which starts off with him speaking before yielding to somber choral music. ”After the beheading” includes Robert’s reflection on William’s immediate legacy. Its stirring whistles continue into ”You have bled with Wallace!”, to be eventually replaced with triumphant-sounding pipes.

William shares the spotlight with other characters on several tracks. The Proposal, which introduces the film’s poignant main theme, is the only one to include Catherine McCormack as Murron, the love of William’s life. Romantic and playful, their dialogue and the gorgeous music that accompanies it is an oasis of simple joy in the midst of a terrifying time and is probably my favorite track. Conversing With the Almighty features dialogue only as William meets up with Stephen, Hamish and Campbell, men who will become staunch allies.

”Why do you help me?” is another music-less track and features a short, murmured conversation between William and the sympathetic Princess Isabelle, played by Sophie Marceau. She returns in ”Not every man really lives”, which begins with a conversation culminating in one of the film’s most memorable lines and before giving way to the music. Tender and wistful, the track rivals The Proposal for sheer loveliness. On ”The prisoner wishes to say a word”, he shares a bit of the limelight with the man holding him captive before bellowing out the word “Freedom”. The music surrounding this proclamation is achingly poignant.

Like Robert, William has four solo tracks. The first is ”Scotland is free!”, the shortest track, which includes no music and merely features William shouting his defiance to the English lords trying to exert their control over the Scottish people. By contrast, ”Sons of Scotland!” is the longest track at over 12 minutes in length. The instrumentation is varied, with the low rumble of war mingling with the high beauty of the ideals for which William and his countrymen are fighting. Around the three-minute mark, William begins speaking, starting off on a light note but building up into one of the most stirring rallying cries ever to turn up in a movie. The speech itself, which ends with the movie’s ferocious tagline of “They may take our lives, but they’ll never take our freedom!”, only lasts two minutes, but the bagpipe-heavy segment that follows it captures the epic nature of the battle that ensues. ”Unite the clans!” is another brief, non-instrumental track which finds William trying to talk Robert into taking on his rightful leadership position. The last track specifically tied to the movie is ”Warrior Poets”, which has William narrating the outcome of the Scots’ final surge against the English.

Anyone who enjoys Celtic music should appreciate the beauty of James Horner’s score, particularly the standout instruments. Tony Hinnegan plays the kena and whistle, Ian Underwood is in charge of synthesizers, Mike Taylor plays the Bodhran pipes and Horner himself plays the keyboards. As I wait for Heritage, I’m content to let Horner and his crew of talented musicians sweep me off to the Highlands.

Number 1900: Every Day Is a Jolly Holiday With Mary Poppins

If you were to ask me to compile a list of my favorite movies, I'd hem and haw as I always do when any question of ranking or superlatives comes up. I'd protest that I couldn't possibly produce anything definitive, that my favorites change all the time, that I've seen far too many films, most of which are pretty good. But eventually, you'd get a few titles out of me, one of which would indubitably be Mary Poppins. Like the magical nanny for whom it is named, the movie is practically perfect in every way, in large part because of the brilliant songs created by Robert and Richard Sherman. I can't think of too many worthier subjects for my 1900th post here on Epinions.

Overture - A beautiful piece of instrumental music incorporating the songs from the film. Gives you a little taste of what's to come, with a more orchestral spin on the tunes. I often find overtures a tad tedious, but I never mind sitting through this one.

Sister Suffragette - Glynis Johns is a delight as the mousy Mrs. Banks; this song is her one big moment in the spotlight. I love the way she also gets the cook and housekeeper enthusiastically involved in her rousing stand for women's rights. It includes the hilarious line "Though we adore men individually, we agree that as a group they're rather stupid," which seems to be the position of an awful lot of people, judging by the way nearly every commercial on television makes men out to be morons. What makes the song - and the sense of condescension in that line in particular - so funny is the fact that as soon as Mrs. Banks is out of the moment, she's hurriedly stashing away her sashes for fear of "infuriating" her husband.

The Life I Lead - The first song is Mrs. Banks' anthem of self-assurance; this is Mr. Banks', and it pops up in various forms as he is forced to reassess his role as the man of the house. He would like to think that he is the king of his castle, but he's about to find out that being a distant monarch means he has no idea about and no control over what's happening with his family. His obliviousness as his wife tries to tell him that the children are missing is priceless. David Tomlinson sings the march-style song with a wonderful clipped precision that establishes his character as a man driven by routine and a sense of privilege.

Perfect Nanny - Karen Dotrice and Matthew Garber are absolutely adorable in this movie, and this song showcases their talent as it gives Jane and Michael an opportunity to give their input as to what they are looking for in a nanny. Since the nannies always leave because of conflicts with the children, it seems it would be prudent to take their suggestions into consideration. I love how formally they write the advertisement, incorporating words such as "disposition" and "dominate" - while, still in the sweetest of tones, threatening abhorrent behavior if their requests are not met. The gentle lullaby-like accompaniment gives their voices, especially Dotrice's, a chance to shine, and the ad itself is, of course, what summons Mary Poppins in the first place, so in that regard, it's one of the most important moments in the movie.

A Spoonful of Sugar - One of the catchiest songs in the movie, and one of the biggest reasons I've always cursed the fact that no matter how I try, I absolutely cannot snap my fingers. Why can't it be "Clap! The job's a game"? Nonetheless, this song helped me through many a dreary room-cleaning exercise, and it's one of the most entertaining sequences in the movie. Just listening to it on the soundtrack, you can visualize all those elements of the disordered nursery zooming into their proper places. It's a bit of a throwback to Whistle While You Work, with magic making the job easier instead of a host of forest animals - though that industrious robin serves as inspiration to the children. This is the first time in the movie we get to hear Julie Andrews' melodious voice, and it's only appropriate that she should be in cahoots with a songbird. With Mary Poppins, nothing is run-of-the-mill. Who knew that cleaning up could be so much fun?

Pavement Artist (Chim Chim Cher-Ee) - Over the last few years, I've read a lot of complaints about Dick Van Dyke's inconsistent accent in this movie, but I never noticed it when I was younger, and even now that I've listened for it and can see what people mean, it doesn't bother me much because Van Dyke is just so fantastic. Bert, like Mr. Banks, has a theme song, and the jolly one-man-band / pavement artist / chimney sweep / kite seller alters the words depending on his occupation of the moment. I would love to shake hands with Bert.

Jolly Holiday - My parents once performed this song together. It's such a wonderfully joyous song, and the closest thing to a love song in the rare Disney film where romance is a subplot only hinted at and never really resolved. This is the only point in the movie during which Bert and Mary have some alone time, and there's a sense of very old friends picking up where they left off, simply basking in the pleasure of each other's company. Bert is more overt about it than Mary is, but when his sincere sentiments coupled with goofy antics give way to her more sophisticated response affirming her affections, it's terrific to see a glimpse of Mary, usually so calm and in control, as someone who can be swept off her feet. And the sublimely silly penguin dance beats Happy Feet hands down.

Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious - This other most recognizable song from the movie has given the world a word to trip over for the past 40 years. In sixth grade, I wrote a play for my class, and one of the things the main character had to do over the course of the play was spell this word. I played the main character... and that's a lot of letters to keep track of! Speaking of big words, this song also introduced me to the word "precocious." It's a lively group number that's great for sing-alongs, and I love the asides in the movie by random characters, especially the cowering fellow who "said it to me girl, and now we girl's me wife - and a lovely thing she is too!"

Stay Awake - Good ol' reverse psychology. Coupled with this incredibly soothing melody, it winds Jane and Michael down from their thrilling day, forcing them to succumb to unwanted slumber in their impossibly soft beds. There was a time I didn't like this song much, since it serves a similar purpose to Feed the Birds but isn't nearly as compelling, but Andrews works wonders with a lullaby, so I really don't mind it. Just a smidge less engaging than the rest, though.

I Love to Laugh - How can you not get the giggles while listening to Ed Wynn chortling his way through this deliriously goony song? As someone who is pretty prone to random, excessive giggling, I've often wished that it actually had the anti-gravity effects presented in this scene. Alas, I just have to imagine that part! Wynn is hilarious here, and I never get tired of Van Dyke's verse expounding upon different styles of laughter. As usual, Mary is the straight man in all of this, and she tut-tuts with disapproval when Uncle Albert, Bert and the kids go zooming up to the ceiling, but she allows the merriment to go on long enough for a graceful mid-air tea party before bringing the Bankses and the Berts down to earth.

A British Bank (The Life I Lead) - Mr. Banks resumes his kingly anthem as he tries to express his disapproval about all the frou-frou Mary has been filling the childrens' heads with. But Mary quickly takes over the reins (and the reign), putting words in his mouth - and rather sarcastic words at that ("When gazing at a graph that shows the profits up, their little cup of joy should overflow!"). Clearly Mary thinks Mr. Banks is a little too fixated on finances, but her main point here is arranging for the children to spend some time with their father, which they so desperately desire. At first Mr. Banks is delighted that they seem to be on the same page, and then he's confused, wondering how he wound up agreeing to this unplanned Bring Your Children to Work Day. What a subversive trick Mary has managed to play! Mr. Banks is starting to realize his lack of influence in his children's lives, a crucial step toward his eventual epiphany.

Feed the Birds - This was always my favorite song of the film, and I've never stopped loving it. The melody is gorgeous, as are the visuals of the birds swarming around St. Paul's Cathedral and the theme of compassion as good stewardship, especially in a Christian context. ("All around the Cathedral, the saints and apostles look down as she sells her wares. Although you can't see it, you know they are smiling each time someone shows that he cares.") In 2001, I fulfilled a long-held dream by climbing the steps of St. Paul's, tuppence in hand. Unfortunately, there was no bird woman there to sell me bird food, and most of the feathery folk seemed to be hanging out at Trafalgar Square that day. But it was still an exciting moment for me. This song is a perfect illustration of God's eye being on the sparrow and of the exhilaration of sharing with those in need.

Fidelity Fiduciary Bank - Not only is Van Dyke brilliant as Bert, he is outstanding - and almost unrecognizable - as the ancient, wobbly, wheezing senior Mr. Dawes, the eldest of a gaggle of fusty old men who serve as Mr. Banks' superiors. This is quite an eye-opening experience for the Banks children, and it's easy to understand how they could be so intimidated by all of these old, grim-looking men closing in on them with the encouragement of their own father. They try to get Michael excited about the prospect of investing his money, but they are so out-of-touch with their own childhoods that they have no idea how to talk to children on their level. "Affluence," "propriety," "self-amortizing canals," "established credit," "foreclosures," "private enterprise," "amalgamations"... What a bunch of gobbledygook when all Michael wants to do is feed the birds! A terrific illustration of the divide separating Mr. Banks from his children.

Chim Chim Cher-Ee - Leave it to Bert to make everything better. After the traumatizing morning at the bank, what a relief it is to spend the afternoon in the company of someone with little money to his name who knows how to have a great time wherever he goes! Oddly, though it occurs late in the film, this is Bert's main theme, with earlier incarnations of it building up to it rather than branching out from it. Like Mr. Banks, Bert sings about his satisfaction with his life, and in his case, it remains intact no matter what happens throughout the movie. Bert is a very flexible and easy-going guy; grateful for his freedom, he helps the children to understand some of the pressures working upon their father.

Step in Time - An incredibly long dance sequence that's much more fun to watch than to merely listen to. The rooftops of London, the glittering lights, the fancy tricks with the chimney smoke, the exuberant choreography... This one, stemming directly from the previous track, is pure - and rather pointless - fun. It's sort of like a square dance, with all of the instructions being called out, and because it is so repetitive and visually oriented, it loses the most in the transition from movie to album.

A Man Has Dreams / The Life I Lead / A Spoonful of Sugar - Here, Bert continues his work of trying to heal the rift in the Banks family by reminding Mr. Banks how precious his children are and that he will never regain the time with them that he is losing. It's a beautiful human moment for Mr. Banks, who up until this point has tried so hard to appear dignified. His reflection on shattered dreams is devastating, but Bert's response is downright heartbreaking. It seems a little strange that Mr. Banks should be confiding in this chimney sweep, but such is his desperation and Bert's naturally sympathizing disposition that the barriers come down in this touching, dirge-like medley.

Let's Go Fly a Kite - Thankfully, there's one more song after that, so we don't end on such a downer. Indeed, what could be more up than flying a kite? At last, Mr. Banks has met his children halfway, and they can all enjoy the day together, knowing that they have turned a new corner in their relationship. Though this song signals Mary's departure, the song feels much more joyous than its equivalent in Pete's Dragon, in which Elliot the dragon makes his exit, never to return. At least with Bert faithfully waiting for Mary in London, it seems likely that she will come back someday; in the meantime, the children will be too busy basking in their father's newfound priorities to spend much time moping over the loss of the most remarkable nanny they'll ever have. Mary has done her job, with a lot of help from the always affable Bert. All is well.

That sense of contentment washes over me anytime I hear one of these remarkable songs. Quite possibly my all-time favorite Disney movie, Mary Poppins hinges largely on the mastery of the Sherman Brothers and the musical talents of its cast. "When the day is gray and ordinary," sings Bert, "Mary makes the sun shine bright." What a marvelous way to brighten up your day!

Mulan Brings Honor to Its Creators

When Enchanted came out last year, one of the things that excited me most about it was the fact that it would be a musical. I adore Disney musicals, and they've been sorely lacking in that department lately. The '90s was an incredibly rich time for this, however; one of the last in that decade-long winning streak was Mulan, an atypical film about young Chinese woman uncomfortable with the role society is forcing upon her who finds out what she's really made of when she enlists in the army, disguised as a man, to spare her ailing father the duty.

There is great beauty in Jerry Goldsmith's score for the film, with all its rich textures and Asian motifs. Mulan's Decision starts off pensive, with lilting, fluty tones that give way to pulse-pounding excitement as the song progresses. The ominous Attack at the Wall prickles with danger, and intensity builds in The Huns Attack, with its distinct instrumentation and march-like rhythms. Suite From Mulan and Blossoms are both notable for the range for expression and the haunting melodies that linger after the song ends, while the poignantly elegiac The Burned-Out Village is perhaps the most moving of the instrumental tracks.

Ever since Beauty and the Beast, Disney always had to have a radio-ready tune or two to stick with the credits. Here, it's True to Your Heart, a peppy ode to self-assurance performed by 98 Degrees and Stevie Wonder, and Christina Aguilera's version of Reflection, the film's most popular song, performed by Lea Salonga in the movie. Just about all of the songs, composed by Matthew Wilder with lyrics by David Zippel, contain at least a nugget about wanting to be true to oneself, but this anthem really hits the message home with all the power balladry it can muster, making it a song frequently heard in American Idol auditions, teen beauty pageants and the like. "When will my reflection show who I am inside?" It's an intriguing question that plagues many - especially, it seems, teenage girls - and Aguilera sings the heck out of it, though as always, I prefer the in-the-moment movie version.

Eddie Murphy is the chief source of comic relief throughout the film, but Mulan's army buddies offer their share of humorous moments, particularly in A Girl Worth Fighting For, in which the guys enthusiastically daydream about the kind of gal they'd love to have waiting for them when they get home. This lively group song performed by Harvey Fierstein, James Hong, Jerry Tondo, Matthew Wilder and Salonga (who, as Mulan, tries unsuccessfully to convince the lads that smarts and guts are as desirable in a woman as good looks and cooking skills) is rowdy but sweet despite its rather patronizing tone. These guys don't yet realize what Mulan is capable of, nor that she is a woman; when they find out, they'll gain a little better appreciation for womankind. It's a lovely light moment that takes a sudden dip into tragedy as it concludes.

Its bookend song is You'll Bring Honor to Us All, performed by Salonga, Beth Fowler and Marnie Nixon, in which Mulan's mother and various other women try to coach Mulan on the standards of grace and beauty she must adopt in order to score a fine catch of a husband. The accompanying film sequence is both funny and frustrating, since Mulan clearly is not meant for the mold the women in her community try to fit her into. "Men will gladly go to war for you," they tell her; they hope that she will be, as the above-mentioned song states, "a girl worth fighting for." I got flashbacks to this song as I watched the first-season episode of LOST in which Sun, the daughter of a Korean business tycoon, is pressured by her parents to doll herself up for a husband she doesn't want. There's also a hint of Fiddler on the Roof, with all the focus on tradition and matchmaking.

All of the songs are cleverly written and give us good insight into the characters, but my favorite has to be I'll Make a Man Out of You, young army leader Shang's whip-'em-into-shape anthem for his sluggish troops. It doesn't hurt that Donny Osmond does the singing; his voice, as he so amply demonstrated in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, is a powerful instrument, and listening to him belt out this half-snarky, half-inspirational song is almost as good as hearing his wistful tones on Close Ev'ry Door, my favorite Andrew Lloyd Webber-Tim Rice collaboration. Osmond conveys a perfect mix of derision and pride as this young man strives to create a cohesive unit and thereby prove himself worthy of his lauded father's legacy. With an irresistible melody and memorable lyrics (, this is the one that will always keep me in the Disney store a few extra minutes if it happens to pop up on the screen just as I'm leaving. "We must be swift as the coursing river... / With all the force of a great typhoon... / With all the strength of a raging fire... / Mysterious as the dark side of the moon."

A stirring movie about a warrior "princess" whose heart and spirit rival Eowyn in The Lord of the Rings, it contains hints of romance but far less than the typical animated Disney feature. The soundtrack accentuates the movie's themes of courage and self-awareness, while the instrumental portions have a unique flavor reflective of the Ancient Chinese setting. Mulan doesn't seem to have achieved quite the classic status of Disney's early-90s batch, but as a movie and as a soundtrack, it's spectacular and well worth a viewing and a listen.

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.

Return of the King a Soundtrack as Enchanting as the Film Itself

The Voice of Middle-earth

One of the most satisfying aspects of the Lord of the Rings film trilogy is its score, through which Howard Shore developed the themes running through the films with the intricate textures of his music, evoking the rich tapestry of Tolkien’s world with breathtaking skill. Listening to the music on its own, it is easy to visualize the characters and situations that accompany it; in context, it provides more than a backdrop. Playing as vital a role in the success of the film series as the New Zealand’s majestic landscapes, it provides the voice of Middle-earth.

Most of this third soundtrack repeats and builds upon themes already established in the first two. We have the pastoral hobbit music, which makes brief appearances throughout the soundtrack before dominating the final two instrumental tracks. More predominant is the music of Rohan, a theme mixing valor and despair through the plaintive strains of a fiddle, and the tentatively triumphant theme used to indicate moments of great bravery. Here, too, are the dark, pounding choruses of the orc hordes and Sauron himself and the ethereal Elven choirs, not to mention the Gondorian theme characterized by Sir James Galway’s wistful flute. Most tracks interweave despair with hope, evil with good, building up the tension that will finally explode during the climactic tracks.

Track List

1. A Storm is Coming
2. Hope and Memory
3. Minas Tirith
4. The White Tree
5. The Steward of Gondor
6. Minas Morgul
7. The Ride of the Rohirrim
8. Twilight and Shadow
9. Cirith Ungul
10. Anduril
11. Shelob’s Lair
12. Ash and Smoke
13. The Fieldsof the Pelennor
14. Hope Fails
15. The Black Gate Opens
16. The End of All Things
17. The Return of the King
18. The Grey Havens
19. Into the West

I won’t review each of the individual tracks here, but I will give particular attention to those which had the most powerful impact on me. The whole of the soundtrack, indeed of this and the prior two soundtracks, builds up to tracks 15 through 18. In the first two, evil is unleashed with unmatched ferocity, yet the pervading aura of gloom and doom provided by the booming choruses and percussion gives way to moments of hope and victory accentuated by Galway’s flute and Renee Fleming’s soprano. These tracks resound with great and terrible majesty, making way for the final two, which bring resolution to the most beautiful themes in the trilogy.

“My Friends, You Bow to No One”

The nearly 10-minute-long title track begins on a hushed note with a return to the themes of courage, hope, and Gondor itself before yielding the floor to Viggo Mortensen, whose regal Elvish chanting gives a nice authentic flavor to Aragorn’s acceptance of the throne. Then it is the haunting chords of the elves themselves as Arwen and Aragorn reunite. But it is the theme of friendship which resonates most strongly here, the stirring melody featured in The Breaking of the Fellowship which I consider the main musical theme of the entire trilogy. It is whenever this theme reappears that the heart truly swells. Here, as it intermingles with the whimsical hobbit motif and the magisterial tones of Aragorn, the theme provides the support for his thrilling acknowledgment of the hobbits’ contribution to the quest, a gesture as simple and grand as the halflings themselves.

”We Come at Last to the Breaking of our Fellowship”

One of my favorite film finales is the ending scene of Ghost, which features a gentle orchestral version of Unchained Melody to accompany the image of Sam being engulfed in light and, after a touching farewell, making his way into the next life. Such is the scene here, although it is more than one theme being developed. Hints of the courage theme and the elegiac strains following Gandalf’s fall creep into The Grey Havens, but for the most part the track makes a very tender, hesitant transition from In Dreams into this film’s end-credits anthem, Into the West.

While there is an undercurrent of sadness, the pervading sense is one of acceptance and peace. Gandalf now leaves his friends on his own terms, imparting comfort in a scene as placid as his first departure was tumultuous, while Galway’s whistle acts as a whisper on the wind, summoning Frodo to a land far beyond the burdens this life has placed upon him. And so he follows, to meet the sunrise with his mentor, his dear uncle, and the noblest of elves, but carrying with him the undying love of Merry, Pippin, and most especially Sam.

”Death is Just Another Path”

Of the three songs that grace the credits of each volume of Lord of the Rings, Into the West is my favorite. A companion to both The Grey Havens and In Dreams, the song, performed by Annie Lennox, hearkens back to Gandalf’s heartening words to Pippin as they watch the enemy’s monstrous battering ram pound its way into the city. Having experienced death first-hand, Gandalf is uniquely qualified to give the comfort Pippin seeks. We cannot say for certain if the wizard speaks from this authority or has merely woven a beautiful web of words in which to entrap his young charge’s terror, but faith that he speaks the truth carries us until the end of the film, when we, too, can see it just beyond the horizon into which Frodo is about to sail.

I’m still not clear if the words address Frodo directly, in this particular instance, or are meant to apply generally, towards all those who fell over the course of the films in the struggle to defeat evil and all those who will eventually come to this journey themselves. I lean towards Frodo because, after all, this is the conclusion of his quest, and because he and Bilbo are unique among hobbits in their inclusion on the Elven ships departing West. The song’s courageous undertones seem particularly suited to these weary but intrepid travelers. Yet the film leaves us with the powerful sense that while Frodo has taken an unusually direct path, those distant shores are not for him and Bilbo alone.

”Why Should Your Songs Be Unfit for My Halls?”

I realize I have gone out of order here, but that is only appropriate given the surprising nature of this track. As inspiring and beautiful as those last three tracks are, they also provide exactly what I anticipated. I expected a glorious conclusion, a sweeping return to all of the trilogy’s loveliest themes, particularly In Dreams, and a haunting aural actualization of the Grey Havens with all its emotional import. No less did I presume the final end-credits song would focus upon Frodo’s departure from the Havens. My expectations were gorgeously met, but it was The Steward of Gondor that left me open-mouthed, in no small measure because it caught me completely off-guard.

After the extreme diminution of his role in Towers, I wondered if Pippin might be lost in the shuffle in Return. I decided to trust the scriptwriters to allow Sam to carry the day - and Astin, I knew, would rise to the challenge - but I wasn’t even certain what I wanted out of Pippin besides more air time than Towers allowed him. Although I fell instantly in love with Boyd’s cheeky portrayal in Fellowship, the depth and sincerity he brought to Pippin in Return astonished me, and the scriptwriters’ decision to give him some of the most powerful scenes in the film left me deeply impressed.

This track finds Pippin in the service of Denethor, depraved Steward of Gondor. In the face of the lord’s grief over the death of his son Boromir, Pippin rather rashly offers himself in payment of the debt left to him when Boromir saved his life. The finality of this decision causes him to stumble as he pledges lifelong allegiance to Denethor, whose unkindness to his remaining son shocks Pippin. The lord is decent enough to the hobbit, but watching him gorge himself in his empty hall as his son rides to near-certain death leaves a bitter taste in Pippin’s mouth. Adrift in the midst of this grotesque grandeur, finally aware of how bleak the future of Middle-earth looks, he receives the request of a song from his new lord and master.

We have seen Pippin sing before, once in the extended edition of Fellowship and once near the beginning of this film. Both times, it’s a rowdy drinking song which includes dancing on the table by him and Merry. We get the sense that Denethor finds Pippin amusing, and he probably intends to use him more for a court jester than anything else, so it is most likely this type of entertainment that he seeks from his young servant. But as so often is the case in literature, it is the “fool” who speaks most wisely here.

We sense that Pippin’s hesitation stems not only from a sense of inadequacy but a reluctance to accept the full burden of knowledge of the horror about him; once he puts his fear into words, there can be no going back to the bliss of ignorance. The two and a half minutes leading up to his performance are the aural equivalent of a looming thundercloud about to burst until the unsteady advent of Boyd’s dulcet tones which echo funereally through the hollow halls of Minas Tirith. The words are Tolkien’s, from an old walking song written by Bilbo, and the Celtic flavor suits Boyd’s exquisite accent perfectly. The lament is made all the more powerful in the film by phenomenal editing, which turns the song into an elegy for Faramir’s doomed troops.

Boyd’s stirring a capella delivery of the song imbues each word with such weight that we truly get the sense that the enormity of the war has all come crashing down on Pippin in this single scene. The word “edge” in particular carries a bone-chilling quality, reflecting Pippin’s fear that the end of all things is at hand, while “fade,” the heartbreaking final word which he is barely able to verbalize, carries with it the intensity of his love for the Shire, which he now believes he will probably never see again, even if, against all odds, the quest should be successful. He is an innocent swept up in matters far beyond his control, and his wistful vocals allude to all those whose simple lives have been interrupted and endangered by the catastrophe of evil.

The inclusion of this stunning track alone is enough to recommend the album by, not to mention the Kleenex-worthy final three tracks. But the entire soundtrack is a masterful work which eases the long wait until Return makes it onto DVD. A must-have for anyone moved by the film.