All My CDs, pt 10: Beauty and the Beast

Long ago, in an era of ancient history known as “the nineties,” I was a child. And at some point during that mythic time, Disney released an animated feature film about a geek girl and a boy with mood problems.

Beauty and the Beast (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) - Alan Menken, Howard Ashman

I haven’t listened to this CD since I picked it up on impulse from the dollar rack last year. I remember the movie fondly both from childhood and the few occasions in adulthood that I’ve seen it again, but this is the first time I’ve paid attention specifically to the music by itself.

Say what you will about Disney, but it has certainly perfected the art of the children’s animated musical film, and Beaty and the Beast’s soundtrack shows it. It has many good songs that each are enjoyable on their own, but also are woven together with each other and with the instrumental passages in a way that can be deeply appreciable if you’re paying attention. Listening to the soundtrack by itself gave me an opportunity to notice details that the movie might have distracted me from.

One thing I like about a good musical is themes that repeat and vary, so that the use of a specific melody can signal a connection between two or more scenes - if only because it expresses a certain character’s style. The music can thus do a fair job of telling the story even without all the action and dialogue from the movie.  I enjoy delving into the instrumental portions of the soundtrack searching for musical references to various songs.

The songs themselves are well-written and fun to listen to. I found that they were simply too interesting to leave playing in the background while I did other things; it’s best to listen to them with an undistracted mind. Gaston, which explicitly and savagely lambastes conventional notions of masculinity, is especially hilarious, although it may have inadvertently subverted its own agenda by glorifying the arrogant, misogynistic behaviors it sets out to ridicule.

Another aspect of musicals that bemuses and amuses me is how they portray inherently chaotic and disordered events as perfectly synchronized and choreographed. The Mob Song is a classic example, where a whole village wracked with panic and incited to irrational violence is nevertheless capable of singing complex lyrics in unison and harmony. I listen to it over and over again, especially while driving, because it’s simply exciting. Be sure to look up the lyrics, because there are some clever gems hidden in the rapid delivery.

Perhaps next time I’m shopping for music, I’ll keep an eye out for other children’s classics. I wouldn’t mind adding the soundtracks for Mulan or Frozen to my collection as well.

Next: Recording a Tape the Colour of the Light