Songs from Disney's 'The Princess and the Frog'

[HollyGolightly2]

Posted: 10/17/09 at 3:17pm

http://disneymusic.disney.go.com/albums/theprincessandfrog.html


Huge Disney fan that I am, I've been following/looking forward to this movie for a few years. I was worried when John Lasseter booted Alan Menken off the project in favor of Randy Newman, but I quite like what I hear. :) And Anika Noni Rose sounds fantastic.

Also, it seems like Jen Cody isn't going to sing... What the heck is up with that? It's kinda like when they cast Idina Menzel in Enchanted and then cut her only song.


EDIT: And here's something I just came across.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rVj7My5op4g

It's from Disney on Ice, featuring the full song 'Dig a Little Deeper'. It's a cover, not sung by Jenifer Lewis like it will be in the movie, but I really, really enjoyed the song. :)


EDIT EDIT: The new Tiana's Showboat Jubilee show premiered at Disney World today. It's got edited versions of all the songs but Ma Belle Evangeline. And you also get a look at the new Tiana, Naveen, and Facilier face characters, which is cool for a Disney park geek like me. :)

Tiana's Showboat Jubilee Updated On: 11/18/09 at 03:17 PM

[tazber]

Posted: 10/17/09 at 4:02pm

Thanks for sharing! It sounds great!! I'm excited again for this now.

[degrassifan]

Posted: 10/17/09 at 8:20pm

They are really promoting the heck out of this movie, which is a very good thing!

Only makes me wonder what they have in store for Rapunzel next year...

[James885]

Posted: 10/17/09 at 9:41pm

From what I heard, it sounds great. Can't wait to hear the score in its entirety.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 10/19/09 at 2:11pm

The music I've heard sounds wonderful, but I must admit I'm a little disappointed at the absence of a classic Disney ballad. I know it's cliche and cheesy, but I'm a sentimental fool who loves an iconic sweeping ballad. Regardless, I think Randy Newman was a great choice considering the setting for this tale. Harry Connick, Jr. would probably have done a good job as well. Thou Shalt Not was a disaster, but it did have several good songs.

[HollyGolightly2]

Posted: 10/19/09 at 2:33pm

I think Ma Belle Evangeline is supposed to kind of be a ballad. The scene that it goes with is reminiscent of Beauty and the Beast, with a side character singing while the two romantic leads dance. (I'm trying not to give too much away here..)

But yeah, it does bother me that neither Tiana or Naveen gets a nice ballad to sing. Tiana has that reprise of Almost There, but it's ten seconds long.

[tazber]

Posted: 10/19/09 at 2:52pm

Lol, I thought that Almost There was the big ballad. I'm kinda sad that Anika only gets a 10 second version.

But I love Randy Newman and it sounds like fun. Plus I'm glad there's actual character songs again as opposed to Tarzan, Brother Bear, etc that have one main theme.

[best12bars]

Posted: 10/19/09 at 3:35pm

Meh.

As with so much of Randy Newman' material in the past two decades, a few of these songs sound virtually identical ... which sound just like songs he's written in the past for other projects.

I agree with you that Anika Noni Rose sounds great. They're all doing their best to "sell" it.

The songs are pleasant and toe-tappy enough, but interchangeable and instantly forgettable.

I was hoping he'd knock one out of the park and try something more melodically driven. Nope. I'd have to go back to his stuff from the '80s and that beautiful ballad from Toy Story 2 to find that.

[pli1018]

Posted: 10/19/09 at 4:27pm

I'm a little indifferent on these as well. But I've heard most of "Almost There" and it's really a great song. I have faith in Randy Newman though-I love the score to Cats Don't Dance!

[StageManager2]

Posted: 10/19/09 at 5:26pm

I concur, besty.

So far, the only thing that's piqued (and maintained) my interest is the splendid animation. But the music, the storyline, and that 5-minute clip someone posted last month, have been letdowns.

[HollyGolightly2]

Posted: 10/19/09 at 7:12pm

Maybe I'm just biased because I'm rooting for this movie to succeed, but I've really liked everything I've seen/heard so far. I mean, the score isn't by Menken, but that doesn't mean it's awful. Mulan has one of my favorite scores, and Alan Menken didn't write it. As for the storyline, like I said, I've been following the production of this movie religiously for about two years, so I know quite a lot more about the plot than most people. It's full of twists, underlying subplots, and cute moments, and I can't wait to see them all on the big screen, rather in just words.

Seriously, there are some great moments in this movie. One of them is something that Disney has only sort of done once before, almost 50 years ago (and even that is still a little different). All the reviews I read from the preview screenings said it was one of the most touching moments in Disney history. (And I'm not going to say what it is because it's a monstrously huge spoiler.)
Updated On: 10/19/09 at 07:12 PM

[BroadwayBenny]

Posted: 10/20/09 at 3:12pm

Does Tiana have tadpoles?

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 10/20/09 at 4:47pm

Holly - I love the Mulan score! And Pocahontas had some gorgeous songs as well. And BOTH had the signature Disney ballad! Reflection is one of my all-time favorite Disney ballads. The Salonga version, not the R&B knock-off.

[Biff AKA Levi]

Posted: 10/20/09 at 4:50pm

Ive only listened to the first song but it sounds like Newman's other dreck.

[degrassifan]

Posted: 10/21/09 at 12:56am

I really like the Prologue. It's short and sweet.

Almost There is the heroine's "I want" song.

Dig a Little Deeper is the show-stopping number.

Ma Belle Evangeline is the love song, but sung by Ray to the couple, kind of like So Close, Beauty and the Beast, Can You Feel the Love Tonight?, and Kiss the Girl.

[HollyGolightly2]

Posted: 10/26/09 at 10:30pm

Bumping because of the new Tiana's Showboat Jubilee clips. :)

[HollyGolightly2]

Posted: 11/18/09 at 10:56pm

Sorry about the double post, but I'm bumping this again because the soundtrack has been leaked online, even though it doesn't come out until Monday. No, I'm not going to say where to find it, and yes, I'm going to buy it when it comes out.

I like it QUITE a bit.

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 11/19/09 at 12:28am

I'm on the fence about it.

[HollyGolightly2]

Posted: 11/19/09 at 12:35am

It's much better than I thought it'd be. I was really skeptical about Randy, but I think the songs are way catchy. And some of the score tracks are really lovely.
Updated On: 11/19/09 at 12:35 AM

Posted: 11/19/09 at 5:59am

I'm entirely with Best12Bars here--very meh. Thank goodness the film looks like a lot of fun anyway.

While Menken and Disney fairy tales is a bit cliche I woulda liked to hear his take on this. He even did the cute little Mardi Gras musical in the 80s Dream on Royal Street (based on Midsummer Night Dream) which had some New Orleans and Dixieland influences.

[pli1018]

Posted: 11/19/09 at 7:03am

Gave the leaked edition a listen and I'm a little underwhelmed. The songs may grow on me with multiple listens but there's something off about the majority of them. I remain hopeful though!

Posted: 11/19/09 at 7:15am

Anyone care to point me in the right direction of this leak?

[tazber]

Posted: 11/23/09 at 2:33pm

It's available today anyway.

This week Monday is the music release date due to the holiday weekend.

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 11/23/09 at 5:46pm

Then why isn't Glory Days out today?