Fine Disney album with lots to enjoy...
Matthew G. Sherwin | last seen screaming at Amazon customer service | 06/16/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Disneymania 2 is not just for kids--it's for the child inside of me, too! This album is chock full of peppy tunes that make me smile. The quality of the sound is excellent and the artwork is very nicely done.
"Welcome" by Jump 5 has kids and "tweens" everywhere enjoying their teen pop sound! The percussion helps to mark the beat and Jump 5 sings this upbeat, catchy melody with all their might; and this helps to make "Welcome" a solid introductory number for this album. Great! "True To Your Heart" gets the royal treatment from Raven; Raven sings and plays this to perfection--and wow, what a number! This is yet another upbeat number from the folks at Disney and it really has a great pop beat. "True To Your Heart" is clearly a major highlight on this album. In addition, "It's a Small World" by Baha Men at first sounds quite different from the music you hear on the ride at Disneyworld and Disneyland; but the chorus is very much the same and the reggae treatment is really very well done. "It's a Small World" brings back so many fond memories for me of taking this ride with my mother when we were at Disneyland back in '72. I loved the ride then; and this music reminds me of how much I still love this charming ride even today.
"Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah" gets the royal treatment from Stevie Brock; Stevie sings this with passion and the pop flavor of this rendition makes it very strong and yet true to the original arrangement all at once. "Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah" is one of my very favorite Disney tunes; and if you're lucky enough to catch the 3 o'clock afternoon parade down Disney's Magic Kingdom Main Street USA you just may hear this tune as the parade passes in front of you! "Circle of Life" is a very beautiful melody with great lyrics performed here by The Disney Channel Circle of Stars. "Circle Of Life" always moves me with its beauty and its message and that's grand.
"Anytime You Need A Friend" by The Beu Sisters has a great pop beat to it that has just a hint of hip hop and this all works very well. The chorus is excellent and The Beu Sisters really make this their own as they sing this one out right! "When You Wish Upon a Star" is another stunning Disney classic tune; Ashley Gearing sings this with lots of feeling and I'm very impressed with this young lady's voice. I hope to hear more from Ashley Gearing very soon!
"A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes" gets a very sensitive arrangement from Daniel Bedingfield. Daniel's incredible sense of timing and his excellent diction bolster his performance; and the CD also ends very nicely with They Might Be Giants performing the "Baroque Hoedown" that you may recognize from Disney's nighttime Main Street electrical parade.
Overall, Disney fans will love this one--and people who like teen pop and today's pop in general will really enjoy this album. Thank you, everyone!
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