Customer Reviews
Super - By: "Smith" Reader, 07 Nov 2007 
What more can a say than this is just a super CD!
Well worth buying.
Magical - By: Kurt Messick, 20 Apr 2006 I have a friendin Bloomington with whom I go to films on a regular basis. We have several genres of films which we prefer, & others with which we will experiment, but animation, particularly Disney, was never among them. However, I've often enjoyed Robin Williams characterisations, & so persuaded my friend Jim (who informed me that I would then owe him the next three film selections) to go to Aladdin. He enjoyed the film, & I loved it. This was a children's film that had entertainment value for adults, too, & crafted the witticism & irony into the dialogue & songs that were incredible.
Alan Menken is the primary composer behind this soundtrack. Working with Howard Ashman & Tim Rice, Menken & company produced a Oscar-winning soundtrack with individual songs as winners & nominees ('A friend like me', Williams vocal character tour de force, received a nomination, & the themesong, 'A whole new world', won the award).
Tim Rice (Sir Tim Rice, actually), lyricist, is known for many spectacular productions, including various collaborations with Andrew Lloyd Webber (again, now titled...), such as Jesus Christ Superstar & Evita. The crafting & carein the songs is evident; erudition is not sparingin this collection, but neither are the songs inaccessible to either children or adults. This, I feel, is the mark of a great talent.
Finally, working on the project was Howard Ashman. Ashman died of AIDSin 1991. He worked on many Disney projects, including Beauty & the Beast. According to the Disney corporation, 'In animation, we have two guardian angels. One is Walt Disney, who continues to touch every frame of our movies. The other is Howard Ashman, who continues to touch every note of our movies.' One of my reasons for originally wanting to see this film is that I had heard of Ashman's connexion with my university, Indiana University -- he received his MFA from that schoolin the early 1970s. Ashman is also known as the lyricist for 'Little Shop of Horrors', another collaboration with Menken, which, if one watches Aladdin with thatin mind, gives a whole new world of impression on the film!
The music makes me laugh & feel good. I am much less prone to aggressive driving if I have this CDin the boxin the car! Of course, this is a sappy love story with,in my opinion, a rather silly denouement, but it works for the kids. Of course, the lyrics are, as I indicated, educational: I've had the chance to explain what nom de plume, charge d'affaires, & coterie mean.
Some filmtracks have lifted portions of this music for use as background material, which is another sign of successful composition.
But, by far the high point has to be Robin Williams' vocal flexibility & ingenuityin the characterisation of the Genie. Alternating accents & impressions (at one point doing Edith & Archie Bunker, at another doing William Buckley, etc.) the rapid flow of the voices smoothly across causes me to wonder if the characterisations were improvisational, with the animation produced afterward to fit the flow of the changes.
I recommend this soundtrack most highly to children & to adults who love comedy. It is an interesting treat.
Songs:
Arabian Nights
One Jump Ahead
Friend Like Me
Prince Ali
A Whole New World
'A Whole New World' has two tracks -- the one of the actual movie scene, performed by Brad Kane & Lea Salonga, & the 'radio edit' performed by Peabo Bryson & Regina Belle. There are some dozen additional tracks of background/mood/theme-setting music.
Magical - By: Kurt Messick, 19 Dec 2005 I have a friendin Bloomington with whom I go to films on a regular basis. We have several genres of films which we prefer, & others with which we will experiment, but animation, particularly Disney, was never among them. However, I've often enjoyed Robin Williams characterisations, & so persuaded my friend Jim (who informed me that I would then owe him the next three film selections) to go to Aladdin. He enjoyed the film, & I loved it. This was a children's film that had entertainment value for adults, too, & crafted the witticism & irony into the dialogue & songs that were incredible.
Alan Menken is the primary composer behind this soundtrack. Working with Howard Ashman & Tim Rice, Menken & company produced a Oscar-winning soundtrack with individual songs as winners & nominees ('A friend like me', Williams vocal character tour de force, received a nomination, & the themesong, 'A whole new world', won the award).
Tim Rice (Sir Tim Rice, actually), lyricist, is known for many spectacular productions, including various collaborations with Andrew Lloyd Webber (again, now titled...), such as Jesus Christ Superstar & Evita. The crafting & carein the songs is evident; erudition is not sparingin this collection, but neither are the songs inaccessible to either children or adults. This, I feel, is the mark of a great talent.
Finally, working on the project was Howard Ashman. Ashman died of AIDSin 1991. He worked on many Disney projects, including Beauty & the Beast. According to the Disney corporation, 'In animation, we have two guardian angels. One is Walt Disney, who continues to touch every frame of our movies. The other is Howard Ashman, who continues to touch every note of our movies.' One of my reasons for originally wanting to see this film is that I had heard of Ashman's connexion with my university, Indiana University -- he received his MFA from that schoolin the early 1970s. Ashman is also known as the lyricist for 'Little Shop of Horrors', another collaboration with Menken, which, if one watches Aladdin with thatin mind, gives a whole new world of impression on the film!
The music makes me laugh & feel good. I am much less prone to aggressive driving if I have this CDin the boxin the car! Of course, this is a sappy love story with,in my opinion, a rather silly denouement, but it works for the kids. Of course, the lyrics are, as I indicated, educational: I've had the chance to explain what nom de plume, charge d'affaires, & coterie mean.
Some filmtracks have lifted portions of this music for use as background material, which is another sign of successful composition.
But, by far the high point has to be Robin Williams' vocal flexibility & ingenuityin the characterisation of the Genie. Alternating accents & impressions (at one point doing Edith & Archie Bunker, at another doing William Buckley, etc.) the rapid flow of the voices smoothly across causes me to wonder if the characterisations were improvisational, with the animation produced afterward to fit the flow of the changes.
I recommend this soundtrack most highly to children & to adults who love comedy. It is an interesting treat.
Songs:
Arabian Nights
One Jump Ahead
Friend Like Me
Prince Ali
A Whole New World
'A Whole New World' has two tracks -- the one of the actual movie scene, performed by Brad Kane & Lea Salonga, & the 'radio edit' performed by Peabo Bryson & Regina Belle. There are some dozen additional tracks of background/mood/theme-setting music.
