Conducted by David Friedman

Song and Score Orchestrations by Danny Troob

Produced by Alan Menken and Walter Afanasieff

Release Date: November 6, 1992 (Original)

                      September 28, 2004 (S.E.)

    Walt Disney Record Company                     Walt Disney Records

     Aladdin will always be one of my favorite Disney scores, in part because it came out at the impressionable age of 12 years, and also in part because it was the first soundtrack I ever bought. And while I have the honesty to recognize that it isn't the strongest score put out by the composing/songwriting team of Alan Menken, Howard Ashman, and Tim Rice, it is still a delightful journey through the musical land of Agrabah, and never fails to elicit a positive reaction from myself whenever I chance to listen to this score again.

     The selling point of any Disney soundtrack album has always been the songs, and Aladdin is no exception. This time around however, the addition of Robin Williams to the singing roster brings about such classics as Friend Like Me and Prince Ali. To be fair, the more conventional tunes have their moments, and the unforgettable A Whole New World never fails to impress in both its construction and delivery, but without the sheer fun that Williams brings to his songs, this would probably fail to be as impressionable as it is. Jumping to and fro with ever-changing voices and accents, both of his songs are immensely fun in and of themselves, and keeping up with the breathless tempo is sure to be a blast.  It comes across only as slightly unfortunate that Gilbert Godfried didn't have a song this go 'round. While some may shudder, if done right it could have been a nice counterpoint to the other musical antics going on. Alas, it wasn't meant to be, and music fans everywhere can let loose with a big sigh of relief.

     Score-wise, what makes the music work is Menken's clichéd, yet enjoyable treatment of the film's location. It's not going to throw any new musical ideas your way, and in the end the complexity doesn't match anything close to where other live action scores of this style had tread, but the crisp recording and more intimate size make for something that is a nice break from the massive orchestral bombardment of its live action counterparts. It's a shame that the score section of the disc is so short as there was plenty of good material in the film that didn't make it on the album. It's also slightly annoying at times to having the score cues scattered around. For the most part, they are located in their own section after the songs, but there are a few wedged in between. It makes a little sense for continuity purposes (such as when the score directly plays off of the preceding song cue), but it would have been nice to have the score and songs presented in chronological order. Still, we must remember what the main selling point of these albums are.

     When done right, special edition releases are chances to go back and correct the original. But leave it up to the Mouse to not do it right. Much like the Beauty and the Beast Special Edition soundtrack, the only additional material consists of two demo cues for songs that didn't make it into the finished film (both sung by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman), complete with synth background music. Interesting only for their oddity, I was disappointed at the lack of anything substantial. The music may be remastered, but it doesn't sound that much better than the original CD release. Also something to take note of is that the opening title song, Arabian Nights, is the edited version, whereas the original CD contains the unaltered one.

      A delightful score for a delightful Disney film, Aladdin will appeal to those who hold this film in a special place in their heart (like me). If you have the original CD, there's no reason to purchase this new release. If, however, you've never experienced the fun of this music, this mew release will be one to please.

Full Original Score:

Original Release:

Special Edition Release:

Original Release

1 - Arabian Nights (1:19)

2 - Legend of the Lamp (1:25)

3 - One Jump Ahead (2:22)

4 - Street Urchins (1:52)

5 - One Jump Ahead (Reprise) (1:01)

6 - Friend Like Me (2:26)

7 - To Be Free (1:39)

8 - Prince Ali (2:51)

9 - A Whole New World (2:40)

10 - Jafar's Hour (2:42)

11 - Prince Ali (Reprise) (1:07)

12 - The Ends of the Earth (1:35)

13 - The Kiss (1:51)

14 - On a Dark Night (2:55)

15 - Jasmine Runs Away - (0:46)

16 - Marketplace (2:37)

17 - The Cave of Wonders (4:57)

18 - Aladdin's Word (1:51)

19 - The Battle (3:39)

20 - Happy End in Agrabah (4:15)

21 - A Whole New World (Aladdin's Theme) (4:04)

Special Edition Release

1 - Arabian Nights (1:19)

2 - Legend of the Lamp (1:25)

3 - One Jump Ahead (2:22)

4 - Street Urchins (1:52)

5 - One Jump Ahead (Reprise) (1:01)

6 - Friend Like Me (2:26)

7 - To Be Free (1:39)

8 - Prince Ali (2:51)

9 - A Whole New World (2:40)

10 - Jafar's Hour (2:42)

11 - Prince Ali (Reprise) (1:07)

12 - The Ends of the Earth (1:35)

13 - The Kiss (1:51)

14 - On a Dark Night (2:55)

15 - Jasmine Runs Away - (0:46)

16 - Marketplace (2:37)

17 - The Cave of Wonders (4:57)

18 - Aladdin's Word (1:51)

19 - The Battle (3:39)

20 - Happy End in Agrabah (4:15)

21 - A Whole New World (Aladdin's Theme) (4:04)

22 - Proud of Your Boy (Demo) (2:29)

23 - High Adventure (Demo) (4:23)