Music Fridays # 62: On The Record Pt. 1

Hello and welcome to the beginning of a special 2 Pt. Music Fridays event where I will take a look at the music of one my all time favorite Disney soundtracks.  Note,  I will not look at all the music as that would just be too much. Rather just some of the first stuff and end on two very personal songs to me. On The Record.   On The Record was a musical revue show thought by Disney as a way to showcase their great songs. There was very little plot and it was mainly a love rectangle. At least according to what I read online about 4 musicians who come together to work on a Disney album.  Now I never got the chance to see this show and  it got mixed reviews at best but oh, I loved the soundtrack.  For the two years after I got it for Christmas, I'd listen to it nonstop.  Now  I will give you all a heads up that some of the songs have been tweaked shall we say but they still work. Anyways with that out of the way, let's go.

A Dream Is A Wish Your Heart Makes 

We kick things off with A Dream Is A Wish Your Heart Makes from Cinderella.  I must say interesting choice.  Granted, this is the prologue but it's a more quiet song than I would expect to start off a show with.   Still,  it is a bit on the short side and you'll see with a lot because as much as I do love this soundtrack, they do cram to much in. As for the song itself, it's an enjoyable listen.   Very calm and relaxing.  


Whistle While You Work/ Give A Little Whistle






Now this is more in line with what I'd expect to start a show off with.  One of the greatest strengths within this show is that they find songs that have similarities and pair them together.  Sometimes, it works and sometimes well it doesn't but it one does work rather well and it is just a fun time.  You get the entire cast in on this song and the transitions are smooth.  This is a great highlight and a great start.  Not my favorite from the soundtrack but thankfully, I'll get to talk about my favorite in this article.  All the same, this is a great listen.


Can You Feel The Love Tonight?/I Won't Say (I'm In Love)/Let's Get Together/Belle








Here, we are.   This is one of my favorite numbers from the soundtrack.   Now I'll admit that not all the songs work together but most of them do. Really, the only gripe I have with this number is that Belle feels tacked on and seems a bit forced but the other three songs seem to work together rather well.   Also  I like how they have a guy singing I Won't Say,  I don't know something about that makes it more unique and again as I said up top,  the transitions for most of these numbers work rather well.  I honestly think that the strongest part of this number is I Won't Say because I feel that one has the most passion behind it.



Someday My Prince Will Come/Once Upon A Dream






Once again, I'm left impressed by the pairings here and it just feels natural.  I think this version puts me in a very happy state and I'm going to admit something right here, I don't really like Sleeping Beauty that much but I find that I enjoy this version of Once Upon A Dream.   (ducks in fear of angry Disney fans)      It's a cute little number that is a nice and quiet moment.








The Walrus and the Carpenter/I Wanna Be Like You

I have to say that at all of the pairings, I find this one the oddest.  Because maybe it's just me but I think these songs have the least common.   Then again, it's been a while since I've watched Alice In Wonderland but nonetheless that does not deter my enjoyment as really this more of Wanna Be Like You and that was done well.  

Prince Ali

Again, another fun version. Now don't get me wrong, it doesn't live up to the Robin Williams version but it is done well and the most important thing about this number I feel is that the spirit of Prince Ali is kept alive and well in this version.

I Just Can't Wait To be King/Lavender Blue 

Another odd pairing and the tonal shift is a bit jarring but all the same, I like this number. Even if I think this match up feels less smooth than some of the others and personally, I find Lavender Blue more enjoyable and wish that they would've expanded upon it some more because So Dear to My Heart is not as well known as other live action Disney films and while I do like that they included this song, I wish that it would've been longer as it could've exposed more people to it. 

When She Loved Me 

As much as I love the Toy Story 2 version of this song, I'm very partial to this song.  This will always be Jessie's song but I don't know why I find this version just as tragic but in a different way. By having a gentlemen sing this,  it makes me feel as though he had someone such as a girlfriend or fiancee break his heart and he doesn't know what to do.  It is just as sad and heart wrenching.   This soundtrack is one of the few times where I go against my normal stance of guys singing songs originally sung by women and this is why because it is just as powerful.

Minnie's Yoo-Hoo 

I think this is a good song to end on.  I'm so happy that they included this song as it often gets overlooked and what they do with it is so cool in the second half.  I love how it sounds as though they're singing on an old radio from the era this song was around.  I think that just makes it much more enjoyable to listen to and rather creative.    When I first heard this song, I hated because of the radio thing but over time, it grew on me and the more I learned about the original version of this song and when it first came out,  I thought that it seemed like a nice homage.  

This is just the stopping point for now.  Join me next week as we will take a look at more songs from On The Record.