The Lion King - Original Broadway Cast Recording (1997)

Music & Lyrics: Elton John & Tim Rice

Disney released The Lion King animated feature in 1994. Like most households that contained young children in the 1990's, we had a copy of the film on VHS (we might still have it around here somewhere). That tape got a lot of playing time in our home; so much so that every member of our family seemingly knew every lyric, bit of dialogue, and sound effect in this often sad, depressing show. I quickly grew tired of it, but that's just what we do for our kids - no regrets there.

In 1997, Disney staged a musical production of the show, following on the heels of their success with Beauty And The Beast. The producers had the great idea of hiring visionary stage/opera director Julie Taymor to direct. The result was nothing short of spectacular. Even the New York Times liked it. I saw it twice and was blown away by the impressive staging and costumes each time. This was one of the few times the show lived up to the hype. And don't forget that Elton John has written some catchy tunes here. The show won five Tony awards, including Best Musical and Best Director. This soundtrack album won a Grammy. As of this writing, the show is still running and is the 4th longest-running show on Broadway at over 6,770 performances. Like all Disney products, this is polished and professional.

So while the product is top-notch, I've grown tired of it. Like most cast albums in my collection, this one is more of a souvenir than a CD that comes off the shelf. I'd go see the show again, though.

Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart: #162

Tracks:  While there are quite a few new songs for the musical that weren't in the movie, my favorites here are the same ones I liked in the movie: Circle of Life, Hakuna Matata, and I Just Can't Wait To Be King.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD:  This CD was a gift from my friend Scott, with whom my wife and I saw the show in 2001 (I first saw it on a solo business trip to NYC in 2000).

Elton John - Duets (1993)

This is the only Elton John CD I currently have in my collection and it's a hot mess of adult contemporary drivel. Even the few decent tracks can't save the odd decision-making here: k.d. lang singing disco, inexplicably reining in the characteristic voices of Little Richard and Gladys Knight, Tammy Wynette's twang trying to breath life into an awful pop waltz, wasting the songwriting talents of Nik Kershaw and Stevie Wonder, and choosing some odd duet partners like Chris Rea and Leonard Cohen. And how did Paul Young ever become popular? Then, as if John is trying to wave his middle finger in our face, the final track isn't a duet at all. Lackluster at best.

Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart: #25

Tracks: The few good tracks here are the cover of the The Temptations' song Shakey Ground with Don Henley, a fun but needless cover of Don't Go Breaking My Heart with RuPaul, and the reason I bought the disc, the sugar sweet version of Cole Porter's True Love with Kiki Dee. All of these tracks' strength seems to be the material rather than the actual performances.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD:  Even though its been almost 20 years, I can still remember buying this disc at the Target at Bitters & Hwy 281 in San Antonio. At the time (early '94), we lived near that store and this CD was an impulse buy during a regular trip to the store with my infant son.

Aida - Original Broadway Cast Recording (2000)

BROADWAY WEEK (SEPTEMBER 6-12, 2011)

Music: Elton John
Lyrics: Tim Rice

No one ever said Elton John was subtle. For his first show written directly for the stage, he mines a famous opera for source material (love triangle, forbidden love, etc). Adam Pascal sings the male lead here and he's got a great voice for the material, but after hearing him in the 2003 movie School Of Rock, it's hard to hear him in any other context. As a result, I listen to this and think, "What's the dude from No Vacancy doing in a musical?" Even with the pedigree of Elton John and Tim Rice, this music/show isn't memorable and I most likely wouldn't have this CD if I hadn't seen the show and the CD hadn't been available used at CD Exchange. I probably haven't listened to this CD in 10 years. I'm sure Disney was hoping for success along the lines of The Lion King, but when the material isn't good, eventually the public figures that out. Yes, it won some Tony awards, but that doesn't mean it is good, it simply means it was better than the other few shows that came out that year. For the record, the competition that year was James Joyce's The Dead, Marie Christine, and The Wild Party. I've never heard of any of those.

Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart: Did not chart

Tracks: Act One opens with a good 1-2 punch of Every Story Is A Love Story followed by Fortune Favors The Brave, then the music just gets bland except for My Strongest Suit which is a high-energy Motown shuffle. The faux-reggae/gospel of Another Pyramid is offensive, as is the preachy The Gods Love Nubia. Highlights of Act Two are A Step Too Far and Like Father Like Son, but this act is mainly boring ballads. Overall, the music can best be described as ponderous and uninspired.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: I saw the original cast at the Palace Theatre in 2001, so this CD is more of a souvenir than anything else.