Music Fridays # 60: Music of Altantica (With DisneyOtoko)

Tim: Hello everyone and welcome to a special Music Fridays. Today I'm taking a look at 4 songs that come from us from The World Altantica. Now I've decided to make this a tad more fun and instead of just focusing on Music from the film, I'll be taking a look at one song from the film, one from the play and  one that was introduced to me thanks to DisneyOtoko's Mermaid Month and a song that was cut from the film.. Speaking of   DisneyOtoko, doing a Mermaid Music Fridays, I felt it right to have him on here to join me to talk about these songs. DisneyOtoko, thanks for joining me.

Jack: Thanks for having me Tim it's good to be back on A Look at Disney and I believe that this is my first Music Fridays Yay!!! Now as we all know one of the iconic things about the Little Mermaid film is its music by the legendary duo of Alan Menken and the late Howard Ashman. Disney knew that the songs and music were one of the primary keys to the movie's success and if they wanted to keep the Atlantican universe alive they would need exceptional music as well as Jodi Benson's beautiful singing voice to go with their future projects. This tradition was carried out by having the animated series be an occasional musical, the release of the two albums I reviewed for Mermaid Month, the two sequels, and even Kingdom Hearts 2 had musical mini games for better or worse depending on the fan. Alan Menken returned to Mermaid when it was being adapted to the stage and wrote a few new songs with lyricist Glenn Slater. The quality of the music and songs have varied depending on the project. Let's look at a few now.

Part of Your World

Tim:  Our first song is one of my personal favorites from Mermaid.   True,  people may label this as an "I Want" song but  I have always been of the belief that these songs can serve a purpose as to give us insight into our characters and it is just so much fun and I don't even need to mention how gorgeous, the voice of Jodi Benson is.   This is a fabulous song and just so much fun and it's not hard to see why it is one of the most remembered from this film.   

Jack: My second favorite Disney song of all time!!!! Most "I Want" songs were usually said in a calm "as a matter of fact" fashion. They were good, but didn't really drive home the idea of how much this character wants the dream to come true. Here this song is filled with passion and emotion and we not only see and hear, but we feel how much Ariel wishes to find her place in the world around her and her heart is pointing her toward the land. We see that passion and how much she wants to be in our world. The song is strong and over the top when it needs to be and it's subtle when it needs to be. The lyrics by Howard Ashman are absolutely exquisite that just capture the character and her thoughts, feelings and motivations extremely well. It is an excellent song and character theme. Let's not forget Glen Keane's beautiful animation that goes with the song. Every gesture, facial expression and nuance of Ariel is absolutely PERFECT. I love the way that Ariel looks up at the surface during the finale of the song because she looks up at the sky the same way we all looked up at the sky dreaming we could be astronauts experiencing a world outside our own. This is one of the greatest musical and animated sequences I've ever seen! I also love the reprise as well because that is when Ariel's dream to live on the land becomes stronger than ever! I also personally identify with the final set of lyrics of the reprise because I was saying those lyrics about Disney. I knew from that moment that I wanted to be a "Part of Disney's World". I wish to work at the parks. So yeah do you think I'm in love with this song?

Tim: So happy you brought up the reprise which I love and it is just beautiful.  I totally get the feeling of wanting to be part of Disney's world.  I know that I've had that feeling many a time.   The ending shot is just so gorgeous here.   It just feels grand and epic.   

Tim:  For our next song, we go from film to stage as we take a look at the song...

If Only 

Tim:  Now I've never seen the stage play but I want to and yes, this may seem like another "I Want" song but I like it and I think it works well.   Now I think I should add some context here if I understand correctly, Ariel sings after she is on land but it is meant to be her thoughts and hearing Eric sing his parts are really good too.  Now I know it may seem redundant to have another "I Want:" song but I feel that this serves it's purpose and has a different focus and has a different meaning and is more or less about wanting relationships to work.  Now I first learned of this song through Cin Wicked's review of it.     He wasn't a fan of it too much but from what I heard, I decided to track it down and give it a listen myself and I ended up enjoying it. Is it perfect? No, but I think that it's a good listen.

Jack: Like Tim I've never seen the show so feel free to correct us, but I think the song is good, but it doesn't stop it from being completely useless and pointless in the grand scheme of things. The emotions that the characters express in this song are already established very well in the story and there were scenes in the film that expressed it through dialogue and much better. The scene in the film where Triton says "What have I done" that takes care of his role. Sebastian's role in the song is in the scene where he gives in and decides to help instead of always siding with Triton. That was another great scene where Ariel makes the irresistible face and the crustacean caves. We already know how Ariel feels I mean having her sing even if it's in her head is still missing the point of that section of the story. Let the actress rely on facial expressions and body language more. Also there's this complete filler plot point of Eric having a ball to choose a bunch of princesses which is also pointless and it's been done before. Swan Princess anyone? Eric suffers the most in this song and considering that he doesn't have much going for him as is that's pretty bad. This song completely takes out the great scene in the movie where Grimsby comes up to Eric and says that he shouldn't be pining over a dream girl that may not even exist and if she does he probably won't meet again. He says here you have a beautiful, sweet young lady who's obviously nuts about you and genuinely likes you and you're pining over away a dream girl. After Grimsby leaves Eric says to himself that Grimsby is right and he throws the flute that he's been playing Part of Your World on into the water and he starts to head towards Ariel's room to pursue the relationship and then Ursula/ Vanessa shows up and hypnotizes him. This song makes Eric constantly pine over his dream girl and doesn't have that development of an otherwise bland character. That in my opinion is very wrong. Good song or not it just doesn't work and is utterly pointless!


What's It Like To Be A Mermaid






Tim: As stated,  one of the songs, that I've chosen,  DisneyOtoko have already taken a look at during Mermaid Month have taken a look at on his review of Songs From The Sea Album review.    One of my personal favorites from you by the way.   Now this song is unique   in that some ways, it reminds me of Part of Your World but instead of Ariel  wondering about our world,  she is trying to answer the young girl who wrote the letter's question about what life is like as a mermaid and the idea is fun but while I like the lyrics, the  sound and the way, it is sung seems a bit bland to me.  It's not a bad per se but rather it's just there.    At best, I find it forgettable.  






Jack: Well I love this song and I love that album to death. This may not be my favorite song on that album, but I love it. I don't think it's bland at all it is a great song to truly kick start the self contained story of the album. It's a very easygoing song just a like a day at the beach and everything is going just right. Let's not forget about the great theme that the song shows. It creates a comparison of the merworld and the human world and it shows that there really isn't a difference between them. I stand by what I said in Mermaid Month. Great song.


One Dance






Tim:  I always love discovering these cut songs. It's like finding buried treasure.  For instance one of my favorite Disney songs is the song Proud of Your Boy which was cut from Aladdin.  As for this one,  while I like it, it just doesn't gel with the character of Ariel as well as Part of Your World.   In no way, is it a bad song  but compared to the songs that were used in the film, it  really doesn't standout.  I like simple songs and this is simple and it is letting the audience know more about the character of Ariel but Part of Your World does that so much better.  Still, I wouldn't count it as bad, it's enjoyable but it feels as though it wouldn't fit the film with the other songs.








Jack: Ah deleted songs are always interesting to listen to. I agree 100% on this. I really like it, but oh yeah Part of Your World totally owns. I like the subtlety this song has, but Ariel isn't always a subtle character. She's outspoken and extremely driven when she's passionate about something and this song doesn't convey that as well as Part of Your World. Still I'd put it on my MP3 player.



Tim: Thanks again for joining us and please join me next time as I take a look at the music of a tale as old as time as I take a look at the music of...


Beauty and The Beast