Princess and the Frog Soundtrack Discussion

[milojthatch]

Ok, so I just got a copy of it today. Anyone else get a copy yet? What do you think?

[Just.A.Friend]

At first I didn't really like anything except "Dig a Little Deeper" but after listening to it a while, I've grown to like it.
I don't see it measuring up to the renaissance movies' soundtracks, but all-in-all its pretty good.

My list of songs in order are...

1. Dig a Little Deeper
2. When We're Human
3. Almost There
4. Down in New Orleans (Finale)
5. Down in New Orleans (Prologue)
6. Friends on the Other Side
7. Down in New Orleans
8. Gonna Take You There
9. Ma Belle Evangeline

I thought I would like Friends on the Other Side better.
But I also thought I wouldn't like When We're Human or Almost There as much as I do. ::shrugs::

It's pretty good if you ask me.
7/10 for the entire soundtrack.

[Poody]

I saw the movie before listening to the soundtrack, so some of the songs I might not have enjoyed as much on a first random listen. But overall, I love it. Especially Anika Noni Rose's voice. She's the selling point of the soundtrack for me.

[DisneyJedi]

I freaking love it! Here's to hoping it becomes a smash hit!

[milojthatch]

I did not like it as much the first time I put it on. But, I found that after a few more plays a number of the songs started to grow on me.

My faves are:

Never Knew I Needed

Friends on the Other Side

When We're Human

Dig a Little Deeper

[skippy]

I love Ma Belle Evangeline
and Gonna Take you There.

[PatrickvD]

Friends on the other side, When we're human and Almost There are my favorites.

I also love My Belle Evangeline. I love the way that song appears in the score later on. Very sweet.

[DisneyFan09]

[quote="Poody"]I saw the movie before listening to the soundtrack, so some of the songs I might not have enjoyed as much on a first random listen. But overall, I love it. Especially Anika Noni Rose's voice. She's the selling point of the soundtrack for me.[/quote]

Was the movie good?

I agree about Anika having a very nice voice. Anyway, I'll rank the songs in this order;

1. Almost There.
2. Gonna Take You There.
3. When We're Human.
4. Friends on the Other Side.
5. Down In New Orleans.
6. Dig A Little Deeper.
7. Ma Belle Evangeline.

[Poody]

^well of course it was! LOL Yes it was amazing.

Is anyone else annoyed that the "Almost There (Reprise)" was just shoved into the score? For my ipod I edited it out and put it after "Friends on the Other Side" where it belongs!

[Kossage]

The soundtrack is pretty much what I expected to hear from Randy Newman. To his credit he manages to make most of his songs in the soundtrack as enjoyable as Cats Don't Dance, and some are quite catchy (most notably "When We're Human" and "Friends on the Other Side").

The score itself is okay and has some nice thematic references but overall I find it to be as bland as Newman's previous efforts (which, once again, points out that he doesn't seem to have the versatility a competent composer should have). In this case the songs end up outshining the score, but I hope I'll gain a deeper appreciation for the score once I get to hear it in context.

All in all the soundtrack for The Princess and the Frog is a competent and enjoyable effort but not on par with Disney's best (not that I expected it to be one, though).

Also, I personally prefer chronological listing on soundtracks but Disney is notorious of not following that pattern. I have to say that it was interesting to hear a reprise of "Almost There" in the score but it works well with the surrounding score so it doesn't irk me (even though it's a curious decision in any case). I hope the tracklist of an academy promo surfaces eventually so that one can compare it to the soundtrack.

[milojthatch]

The soundtrack is pretty much what I expected to hear from Randy Newman. To his credit he manages to make most of his songs in the soundtrack as enjoyable as Cats Don't Dance, and some are quite catchy (most notably "When We're Human" and "Friends on the Other Side").

Do you wish they had kept Menken instead? Think it would have been better?

[Margos]

I do enjoy this score, personally, but I do think that it would have been better with Menken at the helm. Of course, maybe since he missed out on TPatF, he'll be at the top of his game for "Rapunzel!"

[disneyboy20022]

I love this soundtrack......

Also the theme and the talking during the the villains song Friends on the other side.....reminded me of another villain who talked during her song and ended up like that on the soundtrack....who is this villainess from Under The Sea and Purple and Ugly as Can Be


Please don't put your hands together for the sea witch with a grudge...who lives on the outskirts of Atlantica

URSUALA

[Kossage]

Do you wish they had kept Menken instead? Think it would have been better?

Well, Menken is a better composer stylistically than Newman by a long shot, and comparing Menken and Newman's efforts (their scores for both animated and live-action films) points out that Menken's score would've likely been at least as effective as Newman's in the end. Menken is simply more versatile than Newman when one listens to the types of music they've written and compares them stylistically, so in that regard his score could've ended up being superior to Newman's.

However, Newman's somewhat stale style isn't a detriment to TPatF because he has deep connections to New Orleans and is knowledgeable of the various music styles in the region and is thus an acceptable choice to score the film (and the current soundtrack proves that he ended up being successful enough in his venture even though his sound was as predictable as I expected).

I was originally sad to see Newman replacing Menken because I really enjoyed Menken's tunes for past Disney films, but I also understood that Disney can't and shouldn't rely on Menken's magic all the time. It's good to experience with different composers (which Disney has done post-Hercules, for example) to expand the musical canvas of the Disney canon, and that's one of the reasons I find Newman's involvement in TPatF acceptable (even though the way he was shoehorned to the film was somewhat suspicious to me).

To summarize, I'm fine with having Newman on this project as he in part brings a breath of fresh air to Disney but I certainly wouldn't have minded hearing Menken's ideas for the film. I'm happy with the music that Newman wrote for TPatF, but I have a nagging feeling that the music could've been better than the regular Newman style which the finished product has.

[Babaloo]

I as well think that Newman did a good job with the movie, but I don't think that it is as strong as it would have been if Menken was in charge.

While I was listening to the score, I couldn't but help hear similarities with the Pixar films he's made. I found at one point (don't remember what songs) that it actually sounded like it came straight out of Toy Story or Monster's Inc. So it basically sounds like Randy Newman doesn't have as much diversity as Menken has.

The songs themselves are great. But I didn't always thinking that. I had already known what the songs sort of sound like from the soundtrack's official website, but when I heard the rest of the songs when I bought the CD, I was sort of disappointed. But I decided to give the music a second chance, and to my amazement, I now love all the songs. Favourites are When we're human and Dig a little Deeper. I even do my jogging now to the soundtrack!

[pap64]

Sorry if I come off as being a bit ranty, but I find it annoying how people are saying "Newman did a good job, but Menken would have done better".

Menken didn't score Princess and the Frog, Randy Newman did. Instead of judging the music based on Menken's past work judge it on its own and give credit where credit is due. Also, even if Menken was chosen to do the songs it wouldn't guarantee that the film would be better because of it. Remember, he did Home on the Range, and that is a movie despised by many. And as inspired as Enchanted was, not all of the songs were winners.

I think the soundtrack is great. All of the songs fit the characters, the setting and the mood of the film well. I also think its one of the more unique soundtrack in the Disney canon thanks to how well it incorporate the songs of the era into the story.

So long story short, the soundtrack is good, came out better than expected, so PLEASE stop saying that Menken would have done a better job and just enjoy the soundtrack.

Thank you.

[milojthatch]

Do you wish they had kept Menken instead? Think it would have been better?

Well, Menken is a better composer stylistically than Newman by a long shot, and comparing Menken and Newman's efforts (their scores for both animated and live-action films) points out that Menken's score would've likely been at least as effective as Newman's in the end. Menken is simply more versatile than Newman when one listens to the types of music they've written and compares them stylistically, so in that regard his score could've ended up being superior to Newman's.

However, Newman's somewhat stale style isn't a detriment to TPatF because he has deep connections to New Orleans and is knowledgeable of the various music styles in the region and is thus an acceptable choice to score the film (and the current soundtrack proves that he ended up being successful enough in his venture even though his sound was as predictable as I expected).

I was originally sad to see Newman replacing Menken because I really enjoyed Menken's tunes for past Disney films, but I also understood that Disney can't and shouldn't rely on Menken's magic all the time. It's good to experience with different composers (which Disney has done post-Hercules, for example) to expand the musical canvas of the Disney canon, and that's one of the reasons I find Newman's involvement in TPatF acceptable (even though the way he was shoehorned to the film was somewhat suspicious to me).

To summarize, I'm fine with having Newman on this project as he in part brings a breath of fresh air to Disney but I certainly wouldn't have minded hearing Menken's ideas for the film. I'm happy with the music that Newman wrote for TPatF, but I have a nagging feeling that the music could've been better than the regular Newman style which the finished product has.

I really enjoyed your explanation and feelings. It was well thought out and made many good points.

I agree, just as Pixar needed to have new composers besides Newman, so Disney needed new composers besides Menken. Based on the fact that this film is set in New Orleans, Newman may have been the best choice.

I enjoyed it and can't wait to see the film, but it is fun to hear what others thought. My favorite Disney music thus far has come from not Menken, but the duo of Mark Mancina and Phil Collins.

[Marce82]

Well, im no music major, but I do have an ear. And im pretty sure that Menken would have done a much better job than Newman. The songs for this film are catchy....some of them....

But there are moments where the timing or wording feels forced. How hard was he trying to fit the word "responibility" into Tiana's section of "When we're human"??? Actually, her section of that song feels like its a different "rythm" than the other two. And its not the music, its the lyrics.

"Down in New orleans"...I happen to find it boring...and with a very odd beat.

My fav is "Dig a little deeper", and even in that song there are odd timing moments. Like the line "money ain't got not love, money ain't got no soul". Shouldnt there have been another beat inbetween those? Does it feel forced, or is it just me? Also, for such a showstopper, the ending seems a lil weak.

And in Almost there....HOW MANY TIMES CAN HE REPEAT THE PHRASE: "ALMOST THERE"???

Menken, if you asked me, is VERY versatile, and very good at understanding the needs of a film and what Disney is about. I gotta say that when I watched Enchanted for the first time, and heard "true love's kiss", I was overwhelmed by the feeling that I was experiencing something I had experienced before, but not in a long time: a real trraditional, old school disney song. He was evoking old-style disney, and boy, did he get it right!

Before I get bashed left and right, this is just MY opinion.

[Marce82]

Oh, one more thing. About Newman.

Did anyone see that episode of Family Guy (season 2) where the end of the world comes, and Randy Newman survives and writes songs about what he sees? DOES THAT FEEL ACCURATE?

Also, he wrote the songs for the final episode of the 3rd season of Ally McBeal, which was a musical episode. Again...completely unmemorable songs that seemed written in 5 minutes with very weak lyrics...

Maybe im not a fan of newman (randy, thomas I love) after all...

[milojthatch]

Well, im no music major, but I do have an ear. And im pretty sure that Menken would have done a much better job than Newman. The songs for this film are catchy....some of them....

But there are moments where the timing or wording feels forced. How hard was he trying to fit the word "responibility" into Tiana's section of "When we're human"??? Actually, her section of that song feels like its a different "rythm" than the other two. And its not the music, its the lyrics.

"Down in New orleans"...I happen to find it boring...and with a very odd beat.

My fav is "Dig a little deeper", and even in that song there are odd timing moments. Like the line "money ain't got not love, money ain't got no soul". Shouldnt there have been another beat inbetween those? Does it feel forced, or is it just me? Also, for such a showstopper, the ending seems a lil weak.

And in Almost there....HOW MANY TIMES CAN HE REPEAT THE PHRASE: "ALMOST THERE"???

Menken, if you asked me, is VERY versatile, and very good at understanding the needs of a film and what Disney is about. I gotta say that when I watched Enchanted for the first time, and heard "true love's kiss", I was overwhelmed by the feeling that I was experiencing something I had experienced before, but not in a long time: a real trraditional, old school disney song. He was evoking old-style disney, and boy, did he get it right!

Before I get bashed left and right, this is just MY opinion.

No bashing from me, you have some good points as well. Like I said, I liked it. Was it the best Disney sound track? No. But it was good. But everyone has their own views. Hence why there is so many kinds of music, movies and books to choose from.

That said, remember we are talking about the same guy who wrote "You've Got a Friend in Me." You would be on shaky ground to try and slam that one!