Radio Disney Jams: Top Hits Vol. 2

Radio Disney Jams: Top Hits Vol. 2
1. The Best of Both Worlds - Hannah Montana 2. Kiss the Girl - Ashley Tisdale 3. The Party's Just Begun - The Cheetah Girls 4. Some Call It Magic - Raven-Symone 5. Let's Groove - B5 6. A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes - Disney Channel Stars 7. Graduation - T-Squad 8. Find Yourself in Love - Everlife 9. A Day in the Sun - Anneliese van der Pol 10. Super Cali (BoiOB Version) - Orlando Brown


Disney's Der Gloeckner Von Notre Dame (1999 German Stage Version)
Customer Review: Wonderful music, should be brought to America
There's an excellent website about this show that details its history, development, and production, and it includes the lyrics in German and English and an English translation of the script. It would do everyone well to research this musical before they criticize it: [...] The play itself has a more serious tone than the movie did, which is appropriate for a stage adaptation (much as I loved the movie). Quasimodo is mentally impaired in this version, and while he is unable to express himself to other characters in more than simple sentences, he conveys his pain, anger and frustration through song. Only through song can he articulate to the audience (and the gargoyles, who in the play are conveyed as figments of his imagination he created to ease his isolation and suffering, and who represent different aspects of his id and personality, rather than the crass attempts at humor of the insufferable Jason Alexander voiced gargoyle, Hugo) exactly what he is feeling. Imagine knowing what you want to say but not being able to say it. In "On Top Of The World," this dynamic is made especially clear when he is alone in the belltower with Esmeralda and the gargoyles urge him to say something romantic and clever to her, but he is simply unable to until the end of the song, when he says "It's nice here - the two of us sitting - on top of the world." Drew Sarich, in Quasimodo's role, has a very sweet and pure voice and is able to reach ridiculously high octaves to great emotional effect (although I think he lacked the shattering fragility of Tom Hulce's film Quasimodo). The other singers, most notably Frollo and Phoebus, as well as the supporting choir, are very strong as well. I don't think that the songs are too "pop" sounding, but the danger of becoming that way could be reduced if the supplementary music (like in "Someday") was played on more acoustic instruments and with greater bass, like in the movie soundtrack. I personally would love to see this musical come to the United States. I don't think it would be a problem having the ending where Esmeralda actually dies, since there are deaths in other Disney productions (like Mufasa in the Lion King), and if they came up with an advertising campaign that made it clear that the play was different than the animated movie in significant aspects, most notably the changed and refined dialogue and additional songs, and that it was geared toward an older audience but was still appropriate for children over the age of 10, they could be very successful. Fans of the movie would definitely see it, and it might appeal to people who didn't care for the movie, because it's an adaptation that's closer to the Victor Hugo novel. Having read the script, I think the English translation could stand a little more refining, but it looks very promising, and I would be thrilled if Disney brought it to the United States. In the meantime, we will just have to watch bootlegged clips of Der Glockner von Notre Dame on YouTube. [...]
Customer Review: God's gift to fans of the film
First, I'd like to dispute the notion that the cast's voices are lifeless. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Drew Sarich (Quasimodo) sings with so much emotion and heart, giving little personal touches here and there. In "Out There" for example, he purposely breaks his timing with the orchestra for a split second, giving a sense of genuine excitement. When singing the final note in "Wie aus Stein", he brings his voice to a slow grind, giving Quasimodo's anguish epic proportions. When singing of Esmerlda's falling in love with Phoebus in the reprise of "Weil Du Libest", the notes are almost spat out in disgust. Songs from the movie have been touched up here and there to accomodate the larger range of orchestration present Der Glockner. "The Bells of Notre Dame" and "Topsy Turvy" have cut back on the folk instrumentation. "Heaven's Light" is lifted by a few extra chords on piano, and "A Guy Like You" is no longer decadently sprawled across multiple genres, as the lounge music segement of the original is cut. In addition, that irrelevant, Sorcerer's Apprentice clone, "The Court of Miracles", has been replaced by an instrumental performance of the gypsies' theme, "Tanz auf dem Seil", rendered in a wild, Arabesque dance for the orchestra. All these touches help the new songs blend in, as with the exstistential "Wie aus Stein" with it's modern, atmospheric orchestrations, the pop-ish "Weil du Liebst" with its electric pianos and vibraphones and what not, and the tradional Disney light-hearted romance in "Hoch Uber der Welt." Don't worry though, the Gothic edge of the movie is still intact, in fact, the role of the chanting choir has been expanded to the vernacular as well as Latin. Because the orchestra had to be shrunk down for the stage and performed live, several differences are apparent in the overall sound of this recording. For one, there is far less bass. The voices of the cast and sections of the orchestra are more cohesive. Some synthesizers are used to accomodate (you think they can fit an pipe organ in a pit?) However, the scope and complexity of the composition is far greater than the movie, and the moods are far more consistent, without that rift between kiddy and mature we all remember from the film. Check it out.


Walt Disney's Mickey Mouse: Sheriff of Nugget Gulch (Gladstone Comic Album Series No. 22)
Minne writes to Mickey while she is away visiting her uncle in Nugget Gulch. Mickey and Goofy decide to go there after Minnie mentions that gold has been found.
Customer Review: Bang bang oh Mickey
This is an excellent album for all the Mickey lover and cartoon'professional as well. The format makes it highly readable, with every graphic device clear (i.e. puffs of smoke, sounds, drops of sweat)and the characters' facial expression outstanding. Floyd's artistry is greatly enjoyable here, and the introductory page of Geoffrey Blum is full of hints. Bravo to Gladstone comics. Please, publish more, as many as you can.