Music Fridays # 73: The Voices of Liberty

The Voices of Liberty are an A cappella group that specializes in patriotic tunes.  I had the pleasure of listening to them on my last trip to Disney World, when I went to EPCOT and let's just say, they were beautiful.  They were so good, that I knew that I had to share their music with you.  So join me today as we take a look at The Voices of Liberty. Starting with a song that I thought I'd never look at on Music Fridays.

The National Anthem 

What can I say other then WOW!  This is one of the best things, I ever heard. This takes me back to when I actually got to see them.  I was blown away by their performance.  It is just gorgeous and it really gets to me.   You can feel the effort, these people put into these songs.   This is so beautiful.   

Song Title Unknown 

I do apologize for not knowing the title of this song but I do really like this song too but besides the song,  I also really like the speech as I think it is rather impactful.  It feels very powerful and it fits with EPCOT very well especially in the American Pavilion.   This video is less about the song and more about the speech and in that regard, I like it.

Oh Susanna 

   

Now for something of lighter fair.  This is just really fun and how can you not have fun with this song. Especially when the singers themselves are having a blast this song.  It's just so silly and so much fun.   I love it.

Battle Hymn of The Republic 

Okay, if the National Anthem didn't send chills down your spine.  This one should.  I know it did to me as it just gave me goosebumps because of  how beautiful it was.   Between this and the National Anthem, I'm convinced that these are some of the best singers in the parks.   Some of these songs almost brought a tear to my eye because of how gorgeous they are and they all remind why I love my country and why I'm proud to live here.  Bravo! Voices of Liberty, Bravo!

I hope that you enjoyed my look at the music of The Voices of Liberty but I think we will be returning to them very soon as to take a look at their Christmas music.   Join me next week when I take a look at 3 Disney versions of the 12 Days of Christmas.

What If They Remade Dumbo (My Secret Santa Gift to James Daniel Walsh)

James, I do apologize for forgetting about you so to make up for that, I've decided that I'll do your Secret Santa. I've decided to use your What If They Remade series but with the Disney spin.   For those of you that know me, Dumbo is my all time favorite movie and it does not and most likely will never get a remake but if it were to get one, here are my thoughts on it. Let's start. Now for my version, I'll be focusing on the characters and also three of the songs



Characters


Dumbo

Okay to start off,  Dumbo should not talk in this remake at all.  Because part of the reason that Dumbo is so charming and adorable is that he expressed all of his emotions through body language and it also makes sense considering that he is just a baby and has not learned how to talk yet.  Plus we all remember what happened when he did talk. Having Dumbo talk would miss the point of this character entirely in my opinion.



Timothy Q. Mouse - Jim Cummings

Now for our first character that talks, Timothy Q. Mouse who is also my favorite character from this film when I came up with this idea, I instantly pictured Jim Cummings in the role of Timothy Q. Mouse.  He's proven that he can do many different voices from Pooh to Tigger to Pete and when imagining him as Timothy, I hear a softer version of his Pete voice fitting the character of Timothy like a glove.  I just think he'd knock it out of the park in this role. Also let's not forget that Cummings' first role was on Dumbo's Circus playing Lionel who was basically the Timothy stand-in. So, why not have him play Timothy. 

Mr. Stork - Also Jim Cummings

Yeah, I know I already cast Cummings as Timothy but Cummings who also plays Pooh here would be taking over another role from the great voice actor, Sterling Holloway and I'd like to see how he would Mr. Stork.  I feel that he'd bring the right amount of silliness and fun to the character. Here, I almost hear a version of his Pooh Bear voice for Mr. Stork.  

Mrs. Jumbo - Glenn Close 

I'll admit that this casting choice came from how well, Glenn Close played Kala, another great Disney mom.  I think Glenn Close would be perfect to bring that same warmth and  caring to this role.   I'd love to hear her take on this classic Disney mom, she's already played one great one.  And I think she'd be excellent here.

The Elephant Matriarch  - Jane Lynch 

In the first of my casting choices that is a bit different, I've decided to cast Jane Lynch as The Elephant Matriarch. Being a Gleek, I know that Jane can a play a mean character quite well and that's one side to The Elephant Matriarch that I think, she'd be great at but I think the only area, where she may fall fall flat because it hasn't really been seen is her playing a stuffy and uptight character such as The Elephant Matriarch.  For that reason, I'd really like to see her in this role because I know she pull off the mean character but I'd like to see pull off a mean character that also thinks she's better then everyone else.  Which on Glee, you get the feel that Coach Sue thinks she's better then everyone else but it's not quite the same as The Elephant Matriarch.   Now Jane Lynch here was not my first choice, no I originally going to go with Tara Strong but I just felt that Jane Lynch was the better out of the two. Don't get me wrong, Tara has played mean characters before but most of those tend to skew to the young side and well, I just think Jane Lynch could bring more to this role then Tara Strong.

The  Ringmaster - Maurice LaMarche 

Best known for Pinky and The Brain, Maurice LaMarche has done many voices including Mortimer Mouse but for The Ringmaster from Dumbo, I could picture him doing a version of his Orson Welles impression and  it being perfect for this character.  Honestly, when looking at the picture of The Ringmaster there, I can hear that voice.  It'd be perfect.

The Crows -  Keith David and Phil LaMarr 

I'll be completely honest here and say that The Crows were the hardest characters to cast but one name that I always had in mind was Phil LaMarr, who I came to know through DC animated series such as Static Shock. I just think, he'd be great and a lot of fun. I could see him doing very well here. What type of voice would he use, I don't know. The other actor that immediately came to mind was Keith David. I could easily picture Keith David in the role of the leader of The Crows with his suave voice.  I imagine, he'd make The Crow sound really cool and much more sophisticated then he actually is.  

Songs

All right I said that I was going to look at the songs, well at least two of them. Let's start with an easy one.

Baby Mine - Alison Krauss

Starting with an easy one, here Baby Mine, I'd say Disney would be smart to just use this one or get Allison Krauss back to record it as it's perfect and while no one can top the original, this is a mighty fine cover of the song. That I think would work perfectly for this film.

Pink Elephants On Parade - fun 

fun is an awesome band and I could easily see them do a take on Pink Elephants and make it a lot of fun (pun intended).  Now I've only heard two songs from them, We Are Young and Some Nights but I think they are the type of band that could perfectly capture the spooky vibe to this song while making it their own.


When I See An Elephant Fly - Keith David

I  already cast him in that role, so why not?  If his stint as Facilier proved anything, this man can sing a rousing number.  Of course, the difference here is that while in that film, he was a villain, he'd be playing a supporting character and he might have to tone it down a bit but not too much because I could see a variation of Facilier's voice working somewhat.   

So there you have it, my idea for a Dumbo remake.  Again, not that I think this will ever happen but I wanted to give What If The Remade, the Disney treatment.  James, I hoped that you've enjoyed this Disney version of What If They Remade?  To close out, Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays.  Etc, Etc, Etc...

Christmas Shorts Showcase: The Nutcracker

Hello and welcome to the first Christmas Shorts Showcase of the month.  Now, we will be starting with a Mickey short that is once again an adaption.  This time,  the work being adapted was The Nutcracker.  Now, I'll admit that I've never cared for The Nutcracker as I've always found it a bit boring. Let me put it this way, when I saw the ballet, I actually fell asleep. So I may be coming in with some pre conceived notions regarding The Nutcracker but let's see if this short turned me around on The Nutcracker. With that out of the way, let's begin.



The Plot


I think the plot was supposed to be The Nutcracker but this short broke the fourth wall one too many times. The short had set up our characters in their nutcracker roles but there were points when they were referred to by their real names.   That is just one of the major problems I have with this short.  Oh, don't get me wrong,  they have Maria, The Nutcracker, The Sugar Plum Fairy   err Magical Fairy and Rat  err Mouse King all present but why did Donald  play The Mouse King, when they could've used Mortimer.  It was just a dumb decision on their part.   Even Donald didn't want to play the Mouse King.  Oh,  Ludwig was in this short was in this short as Drosselmyer.




Narration

Narrator - John Cleese


John Cleese was once again our narrator but  this undoubtedly had to be his worst narration in any short and it's not even really his fault.   One of the big issues is that with this short, is that with breaking the 4th wall, they tried to have the characters talk with the narrator but there was a point where the narrator was literally talking over Drosselmyer while he was explaining the Nutcracker to young Maria. It wasn't funny, it was just annoying.  Honestly, that's all most of the narration in this short came across. It was annoying.  Character and narration interaction can work and Disney has done this well in the past. Just look at Winnie The Pooh to see a a great example of character and narrator interaction.




Characters


Now I'll be breaking this down into Main, Supporting, & Villain.  With that out of the way, let's get this over with.



Main Characters


Maria (Minnie) voiced by Russi Taylor

If  I can give this short any amount of credit, Minnie and Mickey were perfect as Maria and The Nutcracker. Easily the best casting in the entire short and perhaps the only tolerable casting.  Also Minnie is the only character that got to stay in character and be Maria the entire time and didn't have to be Minnie.  As Maria,  she was sweet.  Now I can't remember much about Maria in the original as to be honest, I've blocked it out in my head.   But as for this short, I liked this Maria.



The Nutcracker (Mickey) voiced by Wayne Allwine

As I mentioned earlier, Mickey was a great choice for The Nutcracker.  He brought so much life into the character of The Nutcracker and makes him so much fun and heroic.   Now sadly unlike Maria (Minnie), Mickey is forced to break character at one point but not because of anything he does. But because Goofy inserts himself into the story.   Watching him as The Nutcracker trying to save Maria was perhaps a highlight of this short for me. But that was one of the only things I liked about this short.




Supporting Characters


Drosselmyer (Ludwig Von Drake) voiced by Corey Burton

I like Ludwig and in a way, he made sense to cast as Drosselmyer but he was just so annoying as he felt the need to interrupt the narrator and got into an argument with the narrator to the point, where the narrator kicked him o of the story. Of course, this was after he broke the Nutcracker. Oh and it came out of nowhere that the end of this short that he was the King of the Sugar Plum Fairies. That was never brought up prior to the end of the short.


The Magic Snow Fairy (Goofy) voiced by Bill Farmer


This is one of my biggest gripes with this short.  Look,  I like Goofy but he literally forced himself into the short during the second act.  Up until that point, we had not seen Goofy and there was no need for him as he offered nothing to the short and at the end, he was captured by Donald and this is the one problem,  I have with The Nutcracker and Maria   they don't try to save Goofy.



Villain

The Mouse King (Donald) voiced by Tony Anselmo


I already stated that I took issue with them casting Donald as The Mouse King, when they could've used Mortimer, who actually is a villain and a true rival to Mickey. With Donald, it just felt as though, they were trying to fit in as many classic Disney characters as they could. Look I'm not saying they were trying to make the next Mickey's Christmas Carol here but they could've tried harder here.   Also the idea that Donald only stayed because the narrator tricked him into thinking that The Mouse King won in the end was dumb.



My Final Thoughts

Well,  I still don't like The Nutcracker and I don't like this short either.  Out of all the Mickey adaptions, I've reviewed thus far, this has to be the worst.  It was trying to be silly and I can appreciate that  but they let the jokes get in the way of the story and there were too many bad decisions made.  I hate doing this during such a festive time but this short deserves it. Bring it on.  Y'know, you know what I'm talking about.

As of right now,  it seems to be 2 negative & 2 positive. Let's hope we have more positive this year. Join me tomorrow for the first our of our Music Fridays Christmas specials as I take a look at different versions of 12 Days Of Christmas all from Disney.

Christmas: Clarabelle's Christmas List (House of Mouse Episode Review)

Oh, House of Mouse.  I can't stay mad at you.  Not with an episode as hilarious as this one.    Your forgiven for Pete's Christmas Caper.  All of my issues with the previous Christmas episode were not present here.


Episode Title


Clarabelle's Christmas List


I really like the episode title here as it greatly reflects what was going on here.  It's a fun title and for that I like it.


The Plot

The plot for this episode is just so fun.  It opens with Clarabelle having Santa's Naughty/Nice List.  She says at the end of the show, she'll read it.  This puts people on edge and the others try to steal the list, so they can read it.  I think the reason, I like this plot so much is because the idea of having Santa's list so close to you is tempting and I can imagine people if given the opportunity would try to read the list, just to see where you landed.  This plot was just an all out good time. Also they brought back the subplot of Mortimer trying to get Minnie to kiss her underneath the mistletoe.  Though this time, it was handled much better as Mortimer kept on trying but everything he had this time was mistletoe.   Such as poison oak  or the best one,  Mr. Toad.

Out of context,  that looks a little creepy.   Like Toad is about to attack Mortimer.




Plot Device



The List

Santa's list plays quite a big factor in the episode as Clarabelle says she is going to read it but this is the one area, where I have a bit of a qualm as you see throughout the episode, we don't know how Clarabelle got a hold of  the list.  It isn't until the end of the episode when we find out that Clarabelle took the list without permission and this is after she says that everyone had tried to look at the list and move their names to the naughty list.  To me, that kinda makes her a hypocrite.   Now that is probably my only complaint with the episode.





Characters


Clarabelle voiced by April Winchell

As much as I liked this episode,  Clarabelle came off as a bit mean and who is she to put her friends' names on the naughty list, when she herself stole it.  In a way,  Clara was the antagonist for this episode and the entire time up until the reveal, I understood why she was protecting the list because this episode leads the audience to believe that she had permission to read the list.


Mickey voiced by Wayne Allwine

Not even Mickey could resist reading the list.   Though I'll give him credit, he tried harder than most to not read it.  Clarabelle have it to him for safe protection and he took a peak at it and this brought up again at the end when Santa comes to the club and Mickey apologizes to Santa but Santa doesn't know what Mickey was talking about as Santa didn't know that his list had been taken. You'd think that Santa would have better protection for that thing.  Ah, well.



Minnie, Donald, Daisy,  Goofy,  & Horace voiced by  Russi Taylor, Tony Anselmo,  Bill, & Tress McNeille




I do apologize for not having a picture for the cast here.  Now this is where the real fun came in. Trying to watch the rest of the staff steal the list so that they could read it had me in stitches.  Some of the things they pulled of were just so funny.  Such as at one point, they had Daisy distract Clarabelle while the rest of the staff stole the list and replaced it with a rolling pin.  Now this was after The Fates from Hercules have Clarabelle the eye so that she could keep an eye on the list. Bad visual pun, I know but it got a chuckle out of me.




My Final Thoughts



In all, this was a great episode and they got the Christmas episode down perfect.  This was much more enjoyable then the last episode because it just had fun with itself and the premise is one I'm sure some of us have thought about before.  Would we try to take a peak at Santa's list if it were so close in reach that we could actually touch it. I don't know about you but if I had the opportunity to take a peak at Santa's list, when I was younger I would've done so.    Join me tomorrow for the first Christmas Shorts Showcase review of...


The Nutcracker

Christmas: Pete's Christmas Caper (House of Mouse Episode Review)

Welcome back and today, we head to the House of Mouse to take a look at their first Christmas episode. Which sadly didn't work for me.  No, matter they one more chances to impress.   Now I won't be reviewing the short in this review as I'm saving that for a Christmas Short Showcase




Episode Title



Pete's Christmas Caper


There really isn't anything to particularly special about this episode title,  I mean it lets you know that Pete is the main character and by the way, he is probably the only character, I'll focus on as again he is the only one that played a truly important role.



The Plot


The plot, well I gotta be honest,  I feel like I've seen this plot before and yeah, that may be true for other episodes I review but unlike Fountain from yesterday, when I thought of something else and it didn't bug me, here.  It did,  in a strange way the plot reminded me of the Grinch but instead of stealing Christmas, Pete was stealing all the presents.  The only subplot in this episode was Mortimer trying to get Minnie to kiss him underneath the mistletoe, which had a nice resolution with Pete kissing Mortimer.  I will say that I also liked how when Pete stole the presents,  they did a Christmas version of The Sorrcer's Apprentice and the resolution of Pete hiding the presents in the furnace  and then having them burn after Mickey told Pete that all of the presents were for him was a bit funny but otherwise, it couldn't save this rather dull episode.  I should actually mention what the plot was,  it's Christmas time at the House of Mouse and they're doing a gift exchange and Pete comes charging in thinking, he wasn't invited but it turns out he was and he asks Mickey, if he can be Santa.  Mickey says yes.  Really Mickey, I know that Pete was begging and even kissing your feet but you let Pete be Santa Claus.  Later, we see Pete steal a Santa outfit from a Santa in a sleigh.  Same old Pete.  I think this episode was trying to find a way to use Pete in a fun way for a Christmas episode.  Why didn't they go with the theme of redemption?   That would've worked showing Pete that his actions have consequences. Which yes, that did happen here but it was done in such a jokey manner.   They could've explored upon this idea further and I say, it would've been better if they had actually used more Grinch elements such as instead of Pete getting mad himself about putting the presents in the furnace, and then find out that they were all for him.  They could've had Pete realize that maybe he could put aside his villainous ways by looking at how the others celebrate and show Pete that there is more to Christmas then just presents.  Presents are nice but  Christmas should also be enjoyed by the people you spend it with.  The way it was, this episode just felt shallow.



Character


Pete voiced by Jim Cummings

As I said when talking about the plot, there is so much that they could've done with this episode and with Pete.  They had a great idea with having Pete steal the presents but they stopped there. There are so many ways, that they could've taken this.   Honestly,  I think if they had taken it in the Grinch route, this would've been one of the best episodes of the series.  ( Man, I hate writing negative reviews about my favorite show). I don't know what happened because they had a great premise with this episode but the execution just fell short.


My Final Thoughts


This is not a good episode of House of Mouse at all.   I'd advise skipping it.  The premise is good but again, the episode fails in the execution.   It's disappointing really but ah, well.   Join me tomorrow as I take a look at House of Mouse's second Christmas episode...

Clarabelle's Christmas List

Christmas: Fountain (So Weird Episode Review)

Ah,  it's that time of year again,   Christmas and just like last year,  I have plenty of Christmas reviews in store for you.  I've decided to start off with a series of review of Christmas episodes.  Starting with a a review of the Christmas episode of So Weird.   Let's begin.



Episode Title


Fountain

The title here is a bit of a double meaning as our story truly starts at a soda fountain in a mall and it also refers to the Fountain of Youth as in this episode, we see our main character Fiona get younger and younger.  In that sense, I like the title because it is a bit simple and it makes perfect sense for this episode's title to be Fountain.



The Plot


I'll be the first to admit that part of this episode in how it handles the aging backwards and going back in time is somewhat similar to that The Cuckoo Clock of Doom from Goosebumps author, R.L. Stine.  However there are enough differences to make this episode stand on it's own.   The episode opens on Christmas Even in a mall, as we see our main characters are doing some last minute Christmas shopping.   Fiona,  our main character, who goes on tour with her mother who's a rocker just wants to spend Christmas at home but her mom, Molly  (MacKenzie Phillips)  takes a concert gig to perform for the needy.   This leaves Fi in a downer state as  this isn't the Christmas, she wanted.  She just wanted to have a traditional Christmas at home with her family.  She ends up going to a fountain, where the soda jerk, Nick  (put 2 & 2 together) gives her a cup of coca and after a sip, it not only makes her younger but takes her time as we first see her at Christmas  when she was 12.

 And this keeps happening as we see her at 9, 6, 3 and finally as a baby.   Now she does eventually get back to the present.  Now if,  I did have one minor complaint with this episode, that some of the de-aging felt abrupt and disjointed but in a way,  I can forgive the abruptness as I think that is what they were going for.   Perhaps, the best de-aging was when 12 year old Fi said something about getting back to the present and in the next scene, we see her as a 9 year old and her mom thinks that she is looking for the Christmas presents.

I think the big thing to take away from this episode is that no matter, where you are, you can always have Christmas with your family. Now you may think that Fi aging backwards was unneeded for this story but I feel that it was used as way to show her all the great Christmases, she's had in the past with her family and that she can still have a good one even if it isn't at home.   I thought it was sweet,  how this episode went about in telling it's story.





Characters



Now there are really only two characters to talk about. Yes, there were other characters here but in the overall story, there are only two that truly affected the story.  With that out of the way, let's begin.


Fiona "Fi" Phillips played  by Carla DeLizia (age 14),  Rachel Victoria (age 6),  Other ages unlisted.

Again as stated, Fi is taken through time to her past to see what Christmas is really about. Here's the big issue though,  one of the things I think that this episode was going for was trying to show that even if you aren't home,  you can still have a family Christmas yet most of the scenes in the past take place in home.  Now I think another thing that this episode was trying to convey when it comes to Christmas is that even if your holidays are delayed because such as in Fi' case, her mom has a concert gig, that doesn't mean you can always work around.  I'll say that there was a nice payoff and kind and the episode came full circle when the show took us back to Fi's very first Christmas and she gets to spend time with her father,who had died in a car crash, when she was only three.  So in that sense, it was nice to see her get to spend time with her dad and actually be able to remember it.  There was also a cute scene with 3-year old Fi and her mom, who was crying because of her husband's death. But Fi  comforts her mom by saying that even though they'll always miss him, he'll always be with them.

That was one of the most touching moments and that and seeing her get to dance with her father. Because according to this episode, Fi has a tradition of a Christmas dance that was apparently started with her father. But because of his death, she didn't get to spend much time with him.    That almost seems like Nick was trying to not only teach Fi a lesson but at the same time, give her something, she never had.   At the end,  we see Fi return to her current age in a much better mood and ready to celebrate the holidays.




Nick played by Jonathan Walker

Now even though, it's never stated,  I was led to believe that Nick was indeed Santa Claus.  Now even though Nick wasn't in the episode much, he did play an important role as he's the person that set the events in motion and throughout the entire episode, Fi wanted to find Nick to undo what he had done but she had to go through all of it.  Now this is just speculation on my part but I believe that Nick purposefully made sure that Fi couldn't find him because he didn't want to give her an easy out and wanted to complete the actions so that she could learn her lesson.  Which still, the show could've handled better but for the way, the show handled the idea, it was okay.



My Final Thoughts


All in all, this is an okay episode and I feel that it's a good way to kick off the Christmas reviews.  Now again,  I feel the idea of Christmas with family not having to take place at home could've been handled better.  Perhaps, I'm taking away the wrong thing from this episode but that's what I got from it.   Overall, not a bad episode and I had a good time watching it.   Join me tomorrow as we head to the House of Mouse for...


Pete's Christmas Caper

Fairy Godmother Vs. Mama Odie

Hello and welcome back to Vs. Today, for the first time on Vs., I'm not looking at the main characters or villains but rather two supporting characters that played a big role in their respective films that are quite similar to one another. From Cinderella, Fairy Godmother and from The Princess and The Frog, Mama Odie.   Now here are the categories that I'll be using for this Vs, Personality (1),  Assistance to the Main Characters (2),  Magic (3),   Song  (4),   The Film Factor (Final Round)

Personality (Round 1)

Fairy Godmother 

The best way to describe Fairy Godmother is that she is very sweet and the mother that Cinderella needed. She is very protective of Cindy as well and I like that as she is a very nice motherly figure that came in at the right time for Cinderella. 

Mama Odie

Mama Odie, the best way to describe her is that she is loud and a lot of fun. I also felt in her time with the characters that she could steal the scene but as much as I liked Mama Odie, I didn't get the same warm feeling I get from Fairy Godmother with her, so for that reason, I have to give this round to...

Fairy Godmother

Assistance To The Main Characters  (Round 2)

Fairy Godmother

Here we have a unique case because Fairy Godmother came to Cinderella in her time of need as godparents do.   As seen in her beautiful song, she helped Cinderella get ready for the ball but more then that I also think she helped Cinderella see more in herself besides just giving her another dress to wear.   She went to great lengths to help out Cinderella with everything but of course with the magic, there was a limitation on it because we all remember when the clock strikes 12 ordeal.

Mama Odie

Now with Mama Odie, it's a bit different because whereas Fairy Godmother came to Cinderella,  Tiana, Naveen and Louis went out to find her and she seemed more vague in her advice to our main characters.  I mean, she did help them yes but unlike Fairy Godmother, she made them work to get the curse broken instead of conjuring up a spell and Mama Odie as stated tries to tell our character that need to work harder to achieve their dreams.  Going back to this film's message of, "You can have a dream but you've got to work for it".  For that reason, I have to give this round to...

Mama Odie

Magic (Round 3)


Fairy Godmother


I have to say that I like with Fairy Godmother, it's her wand that gives her the magic. It just makes things so simple sometimes the simpler, the better.  I mean, there's no reason to go into great detail about where she got the wand, it's just a magic wand and that's all we need to know.


Mama Odie


With Mama Odie, we see that she practices good voodoo magic as a polar opposite to The Shadow Man.   Again, it isn't explained that much or over complicated, we see that her gumbo pot acts as a cauldron. Nice touch. Again, I really and truly like this but I think Fairy Godmother has the better magic here. Therefore, I have to give this round to...

Fairy Godmother

Song (Round 4)



Oh, boy here comes the hard part.

Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo






There's no denying that this song is a lot of fun and that's the big reason, it's a classic and I do like that we get to see Fairy Godmother's magic in action here.  I can't deny that I like this song as it is really good.  Plus the scene of Cindy getting her dress is one of the most iconic Disney moments ever.



Dig A Little Deeper








Okay, everything I said about Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo is true but... I think this song is better.  Look I know that song is a classic and it's timeless for a reason. However I feel that this song conveys what Mama Odie is trying to teach to our characters better and as I said in Round 2, I feel she does a better job of helping the main characters and I think this is part of the reason because as she what you want is not always what you need.  While Fairy Godmother has a very fun, Mama Odie's song in my opinion has a stronger theme to it and for that, I have to give this round to...


Mama Odie

The Film Factor (The Final Round)



Here we are, The Final Round with both ladies tied up respectively With that out of the way, let's see who wins.


Fairy Godmother


Fairy Godmother's role in her film is very quiet and subdued but that works for the character. She doesn't need to be a big presence.   That would take away from who she is.


Mama Odie


Mama Odie on the other hand is big and loud.  I do like that and as I said I do like her song her more but I think that Fairy Godmother does better here and for that reason, I have to give her the win.



Fairy Godmother

The End Result!


With a score of  3 - 2, Fairy Godmother took away the win. Congrats to Fairy Godmother.  Honestly, I  wasn't sure who was going to win and that is what makes these articles so much fun. Tell me in the comments, who do you think should've won? Peace!

Music Fridays # 72: Miley Cyrus (Not Hannah Montana)

Now  I know I'm entering dangerous waters here admitting that I like Miley Cyrus songs but this is my blog and I've already admitted that I like High School Musical, so I say after that, so what?   There was once a time in my blogging career that I was embarrassed to admit that I liked this stuff.  I'll admit I still watch the live action sitcoms on Disney Channel and while I don't like all of them, some of them aren't that bad and I actually liked Hannah Montana.  But I'm not here to talk about Hannah because admittedly, the weakest part of that show in my opinion were the Hannah songs but when Miley got to sing as herself, I really liked the songs, she churned out.  

I Miss You 

This is the song right here that made me do a second take at Miley and realize that's there was more to her than just a blonde wig.   This song right here was written after Miley's grandfather passed away and it's her talking to him and saying that even though she misses him, she still knows that he's with her.   Honestly,  this song can get me choked up and I consider it a sad song. I won't lie this was a song that I turned to when my grandparents (father's side) passed away.   Because at the time, I was angry with God that he took away people that I loved and it not just my aforementioned grandparents as you see my mother's dad died when I still young and I felt as though (and still do sometimes)  that I was robbed of the chance getting to know him. For the longest time,   I didn't want to talk or believe in God.   Well,  I'll say I believe but instead of talking to God, I just talk to my grandparents and in a way this song reminds that even though my grandparents are no longer with me, they'll always be watching over me and taking care of me.  So, I'll admit as corny as it may sound I actually can relate to this song and have a bit of a connection to it.  

The Climb 

Okay,  I'll admit that this song is a bit overrated but I don't care because I like this song. (Maybe it helps that I only know the song and never saw the movie).   I find it to be a very good coming of age song and talking about their will obstacles in life that we have to overcome.    We may fall but we will have to get back up. You can't always succeed in what you do but that doesn't mean you shouldn't stop trying.  

Butterfly Fly Away 

This is such a cute father/daughter song and we get to see the relationship between Miley and Billy Ray (well, Robby Ray in the show but he's just playing himself).    It has a very nice lullaby feel to it and I really like the beginning of the song as it shows how Billy Ray means to Miley and that she knows, he worked to raise her. Which in the context of the show is even sweeter as he's a single father (okay, why are their so many single parents on Disney Channel?)    Still,  it's cute and  even though it's a bit short,  I think it packs quite a punch.

Ready, Set, Don't Go   

Admittedly, I think the original solo version from Billy Ray is the better version as it feels like a father realizing his daughter will be okay and that it's time to let her go bit this version still has that theme to it but by having Miley sing along with her dad, I feel that is a way of acknowledging that she knows how her dad feels and that  she's scared but she needs to spread her wings and try going out on her own.   I think what this version does well is that it gives us both sides here and shows that they are both scared but they both know that they need to let go.   Again, good song but I prefer Billy Ray's original as I find it much sweeter.   

So, there you have it.  While I know a lot of people may not like this music, I think these are 4 songs that Miley did that are very enjoyable and maybe they tug at my heartstrings but so what?  If I like 'em, I like 'em.     Join me next week, when I take a look at...

The Voices of Liberty