Welcome to the Jungle

Who here is a fan of Disney? Well, let me make it perfectly clear that I am. Not the answer you were expecting, right? By now you should know not to expect anything from me, except unlimited musical commentary. I LOVE DISNEY! I don't care that they're a giant corporation, because the movies (at least the old movies) are pure film magic. So as the big corporate machine turns, placing all my classics in "the vault", I turn the other cheek and wait patiently for the DVD.

One of my absolute favorite Disney movies is the animated Jungle Book. It's one of those films you can sink into and believe in, because the story is great and the characters are great, and there's plenty of humor and danger. The soundtrack is also phenomenal. A perfect mix of score and character songs, and the fact that the story is already about a kid who's raised by talking animals kind of opens the door for you to suspend your disbelief of the fact that they're also singing and dancing animals. The utter perfection of pairing jazz music, that ultimate sound of freedom and rhythm, with a movie set in the jungle is too often overlooked. Plus, the casting of Louis Prima as King Louie and Phil Harris as Baloo was absolute genius.

It would be heartbreaking to have to pick favorite songs from this soundtrack of my childhood, so instead I'll elaborate on all of the songs. The album begins with a soft and slinky jazz song ("Overture - Jungle Book") by George Burns where wind instruments (I'm thinking oboe), bass, and brushes on drums set the tone for the wild of the jungle. The sound is almost as hypnotizing as Kaa, but then the orchestra breaks into our dream and gives the jungle a little light. "Baby" follows with a perfect animation soundtrack feeling that accompanies sneaking steps with sneaking music. "Colonel Hathu's March (The Elephant Song)" continues the soundtrack with probably the cutest song ever created to accompany a military. The elephant section of this movie was always one of my favorites, and I confess to marching around the house when this song was being played. We can't spend too much time on the elephants though, because "The Bare Necessities" is the next song on our journey. This song is a classic, and with good reason: it captured that beariness - that need to scratch your back on a tree or just sit around and eat honey - that everyone experiences. You can't forget the fact that "The Bare Necessities" also high-lighted horns and bass, and even had a little solo and some scat singing. Now we have the monkey song - "I Wan'na Be Like You (The Monkey Song)" - and honestly, can you think of a song that is more fun than this song? I'm not even going to try to review this Louis Prima masterpiece. Next we have three score songs which are lush and beautiful ("Monkey Chase", "Tell Him", and "Jungle Beat"). I think George Burns outdid himself on this soundtrack, not only matching the music to the setting, but almost molding the setting to the music. I'll never think of a jungle without hearing that pulsing jazz music. "Trust In Me (The Python's Song)" is the scariest and most hypotizing of any of the songs on the album, but it's balanced out by the humor of "What'cha Wanna Do" and "That's What Friends Are For (The Vulture Song)". Granted, I first listened to these songs before I knew that the vultures were thinking about eating Mowgli, but I still think these birds are a perfect and humorous addition to a section of the movie that could have just been horrifying. George Burns swoops in again to score "Tiger Fight" and "Poor Bear", which is the saddest part of the Jungle Book. The final original song is "My Own Home (The Jungle Book Theme)", and it finishes the movie with a little sadness, because you realize that Mowgli will never again be part of the jungle. Still, it's a Disney movie, so we can't end on a sad note, and "My Own Home (The Jungle Book Theme)" isn't really the end. In perfect denoument the soundtrack returns to the jungle with "The Bare Necessities (Reprise)" and all is jazz and rhythm. Let's hear it for a perfect soundtrack, executed with perfection.