Aladdin (Alan Menken, Howard Ashman, & Tim Rice)
(1992)
Following Beauty and the Beast, arguably the greatest animated film ever made, Disney’s release the following year was Aladdin. The film’s primary highlight is Robin Williams’ character (if there was ever an Oscar for Best Voice Acting, few would deserve it more than him here), one that has been imitated in numerous animation features since, though never with equal or superior results. Whilst inferior to both Beauty and the Beast and The Little Mermaid, it’s nevertheless an enjoyable enough film. With the success Alan Menken and Howard Ashman had on those two previous films, it’s no surprise that they were assigned to create the music for Aladdin as well. Tragically, Ashman died before the music was finished, so Tim Rice completed his work.
Unlike The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast, picking a “best song” from Aladdin is a somewhat difficult task. “A Whole New World” won the Oscar, but the also nominated “A Friend Like Me” (my personal favourite) would have been just as deserving. The former however is now considered the film’s main ballad, though the interpretation of it as “A Whole Nude World” has perhaps overshadowed the original.
Overall, all the songs are highly enjoyable, and, though I don’t think it deserved to win the Oscar over Jerry Goldsmith’s Basic Instinct, the same can be said for the score. In particular, such tracks as “The Kiss”, featuring a lovely violin solo of the theme from the title song, “The Cave of Wonders” and “The Battle”. The latter two are the album’s best tracks, both offering music that is grand, adventurous and epic, and probably among the best pieces Menken has ever written. As per usual, the album and the film conclude with an inferior pop version of the main ballad.
Though the soundtrack album for Aladdin is without question a highly entertaining one, listeners will notice that there are portions of the score in the film that are not present on the album, something that Disney hasn’t managed to rectify despite two new releases of the soundtrack since the original album in 1992. The “special edition” not only offers no new score material, but also makes changes to certain lyrics, something that will no doubt be of annoyance to fans of the originals. With that in mind, it is the original 1992 release of the soundtrack is the one that comes recommended. Don’t bother with the other two.
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Track Listing
1. Arabian Nights (song) (1:19)
2. Legend of the Lamp (1:25)
3. One Jump Ahead (song) (2:22)
4. Street Urchins (1:52)
5. One Jump Ahead (Reprise) (song) (1:01)
6. Friend Like Me (song) (2:26)
7. To Be Free (1:39)
8. Prince Ali (song) (2:51)
9. A Whole New World (song) (2:40)
10. Jafar’s Hour (2:42)
11. Prince Ali (Reprise) (song) (1:07)
12. The Ends of the Earth (1:35)
13. The Kiss (1:51)
14. On a Dark Night (2:55)
15. Jasmine Runs Away (0:46)
16. Marketplace (2:37)
17. The Cave of Wonders (4:57)
18. Aladdin’s Word (1:51)
19. The Battle (3:38)
20. Happy End in Agrabah (4:12)
21. A Whole New World – performed by Peabo Bryson and Regina Belle (4:06)
Total Time: 50:12
Credits
Music by Alan Menken
Lyrics by Howard Ashman & Tim Rice
Orchestrations by Danny Troob & Michael Starobin
Conducted by David Friedman
Produced by Alan Menken & Tim Rice
Awards
Academy Award for Best Original Score (Won)
Academy Award for Best Original Song for “A Whole New World” (Won)
Academy Award for Best Original Song for “A Friend Like Me” (nominated)
Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score (Won)
Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song for “A Whole New World” (Won)
Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song for “A Friend Like Me” (nominated)
Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song for “Prince Ali” (nominated)
Grammy Award for Best Score (Won)
Grammy Award for Best Song for “A Whole New World” (Won)
Grammy Award for Best Song for “A Friend Like Me” (nominated)
BAFTA Award for Best Music (nominated)
Insert Notes
The liner notes contain lyrics to the songs, but no additional information.
All images and artwork are Copyright © Walt Disney Company
