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| Review by Todd Sokolove |
Since its release 20 years ago, I’ve always thought Elton John and Tim Rice took most of The Lion King‘s music credit, leaving Hans Zimmer to the shadowlands of the acclaim and celebration.
While there’s no mistaking Circle of Life and Can You Feel the Love Tonight propelled the soundtrack to bestselling status, and the box-office was aided by all of the tunes, it really was the film’s musical score underneath it all providing much of the emotional, not to mention cultural, connection.
That Oscar winning score got reduced to edited highlights in both the 1994 soundtrack and the 2003 “Special Edition” rerelease edition, yet the appeal of Zimmer’s pairing with South African vocalist Lebo M (reteamed from their work on The Power of One) provided enough of a demand for a follow up album inspired by the music. A follow-up, Rhythm of the Pridelands, though not necessarily anything from the original film, channeled enough of its spirt to make it a bestseller itself. It also served as the backbone of the Broadway adaptation.
For fans of the movie, or just Hans Zimmer’s work specifically, Walt Disney Records went back to the original sessions, remastered them with today’s technology and, at last, made the score the king. I’m happy to report, this third official release of a soundtrack to the movie is a charm.
This new soundtrack to The Lion King is a spectacular debut of the new line called “Legacy Collection,” which Disney plans to continue into 2015 with additional releases. This isn’t just a repackaging of previous efforts. Though the packaging is really nice (book bound with conceptual artwork and liner notes), it’s packed with juicy content.
On the first disc is Hans Zimmer’s complete, unedited score remixed to sound better than I’ve ever heard it (including the IMAX rerelease). Each track follows chronologically, unaltered without dialogue or effects from the film. The songs are in there too (which I kind of have mixed feelings about), but they’re naturally mixed into the score exactly as they are in the film. In the case of some moments in the songs, these versions focus on the music. Gone are the dialogue exchanges during Hakuna Matata/more emphasized are the standout background vocals and orchestral arrangements of Elton John’s vision.
Anyone familiar with Hans Zimmer’s earlier scores for Green Card and Rain Man will rediscover some brilliant variations on themes done for Lion King. What was previously heard only in the context of the film (softened and flat) finally roars forth mighty and proud on disc one.
But be prepared to hold on to the old soundtrack for the kids. This new one is strictly for adults. Many of the tracks are dark and, almost all are heavy. Taken out of the context of this being music for an animated film, and the raw score is as intense as anything Zimmer ever composed for Michael Bay or Tony Scott.
On the second disc, you get all of the score demo editions, before they got their final orchestrations matched to the film. These tracks are surprisingly as epic as the final score, and give further appreciation to the work. There’s a stunning instrumental demo of Circle of Life accompanying this section that also shines a spotlight on the vocal arrangements of Hans Zimmer’s background vocalists and musicians. Powerful stuff.
Completing the collection for soundtrack purists, are remastered pop arrangements recorded by Elton John, as well as The Morning Report (a track added back into the Special Edition rerelease) and Warthog Rhapsody (the original Timon and Pumba duet, which was scrapped in favor of Hakuna Matata).
As of this post, the release is already sold out from its direct Disney Store listing here, but you can purchase it from LA’s one and only Amobea Music here…
Additional releases in The Legacy Collection from Walt Disney Records are schedule to include:
• Mary Poppins, August 26, 2014
• Sleeping Beauty, October 7, 2014
• The Little Mermaid, November 17, 2014
• Fantasia, January 3, 2015
• Pinocchio, February 3, 2015
• Toy Story, March 17, 2015
• Disneyland, April 7, 2015
• Lady and the Tramp, May 12, 2015
• Pocahontas, June 23, 2015
• The Aristocats, August 14, 2015
• Cinderella, August 14, 2015
