Stay Awake: Various Interpretations Of Music From Vintage Disney Films

Performer: Various Artists
Engineer: Joe Ferla
Producer: Hal Willner; Steve Ralbovsky
Distributor: Universal Distribution

Notes: Whether you regard him as one of the greatest storytellers in American history or a cold-hearted marketing genius who forced a set of prepackaged consumerist myths on several generations of unsuspecting youth, there's little argument that the films of Walt Disney have become an indelible part of our collective subconsciousness. Then again, for every child who delighted in the antics of Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck, there's another who had the bejesus scared out of him by the Wicked Queen or went into hysterics after Bambi's mother was shot; there's a mingled joy and tragedy in Disney's best work that's helped to give his films a cultural resonance Bugs Bunny or Tom & Jerry have never achieved. Consequently, different people have wildly different perspectives on Disney's work, and producer Hal Wilner, a man who joyously revels in diverse perspectives, made the most of that on Stay Awake, in which 21 songs from classic Disney films are reinterpreted -- sometimes faithfully, sometimes radically -- by a startling array of artists brought together by Wilner. Some of these tunes are barely recognizable from their sources (most notably Tom Waits' predictably clanky version of "Heigh Ho [The Dwarfs Marching Song]"), while others are faithful yet idiosyncratic (Syd Straw's jaunty "Blue Shadows on the Trail," and Los Lobos's rollicking "I Wan'na Be Like You [The Monkey Song]"), but just about everyone seems to find a different angle from which they approach these tunes. Bonnie Raitt gets soulful on "Baby Mine," Buster Poindexter's take on "Castle in Spain" is high camp at it's most eyebrow wagging, Sun Ra and His Arkestra take "Pink Elephants on Parade" to the spaceways, the Replacements pull "Cruella De Ville" from a puddle of stale beer, and Sinead O'Connor invests "Someday My Prince Will Come" with a desperate longing that's just a bit disturbing. For every nightmare there's a moment of genuine beauty, and when Ringo Starr wraps it up with "When You Wish Upon a Star" the cynics and the incurable optimists join hands and all get along just fine for a moment, just the way Uncle Walt would have wanted it. A fascinating look at a massively influential and little explored treasure trove of music. ~ Mark Deming When one reminisces about the classic Walt Disney cartoons of yesteryear, the first things that pop into many people's minds are images of animated characters like Pinocchio, Snow White, and Mickey Mouse. But the truth is that the films contain some truly exceptional and memorable music that has stood the test of time incredibly well. In 1988, an 11-track compilation entitled STAY AWAKE: VARIOUS INTERPRETATIONS OF MUSIC FROM VINTAGE DISNEY FILMS was released. The compilation featured some of the day's most popular and critically acclaimed artists, and was assembled and produced by Hal Wilner. Nearly all of the interpretations are successful--the artists were allowed to put their own personal stamps on the compositions and weren't forced to do strict note-for-note readings. Standout tracks include Tom Waits' "Heigh Ho (Dwarf's Marching Song)," a collaboration between Bonnie Raitt and Was (Not Was) on "Baby Mine," Sinead O'Connor's "Someday My Prince Will Come," and Sun Ra's interpretation of "Pink Elephants on Parade." If you ever wondered what Disney standards would sound like in the hands of pop and rock artists, this album is highly recommended.

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