Ah I had a feeling this would be asked sooner or later. I think it depends on the context of the question, but if we're talking about them just as songs being compared to each other without thinking of the context of each song, it's If I Can't Love Her....forever and a day. NO QUESTION, and I will fight anyone who says otherwise...lolz I'm very protective of IICLH 
That song is by far the best one that was added to the musical. I've listened to it God only knows how many times and I never get tired of it. It's mostly brilliant writing in all areas, and the stakes are VERY high for our beloved Beast and it's perfectly placed as the Act One closer so it also helps the whole arc of the show rather than being a song put in for the sake of having a song. It's just artistically better overall and it's
Some brilliant person here on BWW described Evermore as very Wildhorn, and by golly, they're correct. I now can't get over it's Wildhorn-ness. It's...a lovely tune, but it's very general and not up to the usual standard Menken and Rice can have. Rice may be a clunker of a lyricist many a time, but he's got some good ones under his belt, and the stage songs for B and the B were better than his usual stuff. I mean, Rice is the man responsible for the "greatest" lyric that is "Greatest man since Noah only goes to show-uh" after all. Yes it suits a different purpose and comes at a different point, but the stakes aren't there. It reminded me of the new place that I Dreamed a Dream came at in Les Mis. They put it at a place where Fantine has lost all hope and it felt the same for The Beast singing Evermore. It's doesn't exactly do the story or character itself any favors.
People are still bemoaning the fact they didn't use the stage songs for this film...and I'm still annoyed by this. The stage songs would NOT have worked in this film. Menken had said pretty much from day one they were never planning on doing this, so it was no secret that they weren't going to be used, so I'm still wondering why people were so surprised at the lack of them. But...then again, I'd been paying attention like a damn hawk to this film ever since it was announced that they were doing it, so I knew almost every detail as they were released. That's how close I paid attention. One particular person I know in real life still wants the stage songs in it...I don't know how many times I had to mention they wouldn't have worked. The structure of the musical is different than this film and all those songs (with a POSSIBLE exception of a shortened No Matter What, I don't care what everyone says, I find that song charming in it's own way) just wouldn't have worked. Menken is intelligent, he knows what works for film and what works for the stage. Granted these three new songs are by no means that good, they more or less suit their purpose, even if they are a bit stagnant. Evermore is the best one of the three, but that's still not saying much. Of course said person still insists on highly praising Emma's...uh, singing skills so that's telling. I had no wish to hear her attempt to croak out Home and Change in Me....YIKES NO. But I DID appreciate the Home motif being used when she sees her room in the film though!! I'd heard it was being used somewhere and completely forgot, so when I heard it, I went quite ballistic!! And to Maddie and Alex....OH GOD if they did just merely cut IICLH and just replaced it something else at the same story moment, I would have thrown a fit.
And lolz, now people are wanting a B and the B revival and have it based on THIS! WHAT!!?? Like no, what did I just say about what works for one medium doesn't always work for the other??? However....Disney Cruise is replacing "Villains" with a new B and the B production and it's being based off this film so...this ought be interesting...I would LOVE a revival as I mentioned in another thread, but NOT one that's been revamped to be based of this film. And dang it, this film did make me miss Ashman and his utter brilliance of text usage. God, that man had a way with words...Menken has had some good lyricists but his work with Ashman is the BEST.
Why do I always write dissertation length responses to things?? I can't keep my thoughts to a minimum...
Updated On: 3/29/17 at 10:02 AM
