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CD REVIEWS

Download printable tearsheet ( KB PDF) Published in The Patriot Ledger April 21, 2003

Disney taps Americana for new kids’ CD

O, MICKEY, WHERE ART THOU?, Various artists (Walt Disney Records).

Disney’s latest remake of its musical repertoire taps an all-Americana style of music: Bluegrass.

"O, Mickey, Where Art Thou?" features a wealth of American musical talent - from singers like Elizabeth Cook, Stonewall Jackson and others - doing classic Disney tunes.

The set is good for anyone who wants to hear new renditions of "The Bare Necessities," "You’ve Got A Friend in Me" or "Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah," but its uneven pacing generally left me flat. The musicianship is top-notch from fiddlers Aubrey Haynie and Stuart Duncan, mandolinist Sam Bush and banjoist Richard Bailey, especially on the fast-paced instrumental "Supercalifragilisticexpialidious."

- Stephen Ide

‘PIGLET’S BIG MOVIE’ SOUNDTRACK, Carly Simon (Walt Disney Records).

Though the pairing of singer and children’s author Carly Simon with the Winnie-the-Pooh characters in "Piglet’s Big Movie" might sound appealing to parents of younger children, the soundtrack is slow and rambling. Simon lends lovely vocals to a few, self-penned songs about friendship and a mother’s intuition. But halfway through the 18-track CD, over-the-top orchestral tunes overshadow the rest. Parents should save their money.

- Stephen Ide

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