When I hear the name Mannheim Steamroller, I immediately think
Christmas. After all, this is the group whose distinctive electronica
arrangements of Christmas classics are inescapable come December,
particularly at retailers. However, seasonal music is not all they do. I
was surprised to find that one of their more unusual projects is Mannheim Steamroller Meets the Mouse, a collection of Disney songs.
If
I were to listen to these songs out of context, I would most likely be
able to guess that they were the work of Mannheim Steamroller, since
they have such a unique sound. Several of the selections, most notably
the peppy Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious, actually seem like
they would fit well in the Main Street Electrical Parade. They're fun,
funky takes on Disney classics. The drawback is that the compositions
sometimes have extended openings veering so far from the original that
it takes quite a while to recognize the song. I especially found that to
be the case with the rather gothic opener, Chim Chim Cher-ee, and the adventurous-sounding The Ballad of Davy Crockett.
Of
course, if you're going to have an album of covers like this, it's
generally better to do something unique with them. It seems like the
group had a lot of fun with these arrangements, particularly in terms of
ambient noise. Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah, for instance, has warbling birds in the background, while Heigh-Ho includes several interesting percussive instruments meant to evoke digging in a mine. I think the coolest track may be Under the Sea,
which incorporates seagulls, surf and bubbling noises, to say nothing
of the reggae-ish instruments that tackle the melody, though Reflection, the longest track, gives it a serious run for its money with its Asian instrumentation and gently running water.
One of the most experimental tracks is When You Wish Upon a Star, which weaves itself around the melody of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. I'd never really noticed the similarities between the tunes, but they complement each other quite well. The other is Hakuna Matata,
which bears only a passing resemblance to the actual song and basically
just turns the title phrase into a sort of ceremonial chant accompanied
by tribal rhythms.
More straightforward are You've Got a Friend in Me, which has a rather bluesy feel to it, and Go the Distance,
which feels appropriately epic without including any really unusual
instruments. The saxophone surprised me a bit, but it works well for the
fairly brief segment in which it appears. Mickey Mouse March,
which closes the album and is only the second to include vocals, is
probably my least favorite track; I like the song, but this rendition
sounds so mournful that it ends the album on a bit of a sour note.
Still,
the album on the whole is lots of fun. I know there are some who find
the musical stylings of Mannheim Steamroller annoying; if you don't like
their Christmas music, I doubt you'll like this. However, if offbeat
renditions of familiar classics appeal to you, meet Mannheim Steamroller Meets the Mouse. You'll be glad you did.
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