In The Key Of Disney

[shelter]

It's really a shame that this album gets snowed under now. It should have been released at least a month earlier or later. This may not be one of Brian's greatest works of art, but it's a very charming and pleasant album. I listened to it four or five times yesterday and really enjoyed it.

[dogear]

It's really a shame that this album gets snowed under now. It should have been released at least a month earlier or later. This may not be one of Brian's greatest works of art, but it's a very charming and pleasant album. I listened to it four or five times yesterday and really enjoyed it.

True!

[Wirestone]

There's a real Friends vibe to it for me ...

A relaxed approach, lots of organ, a slightly barer sound ...

I dig it. I mean, it clearly doesn't have the aspirations of TLOS or BWRG, but I think that's one of the reasons I enjoy it. One imagines BW and the band went in there and knocked it into shape in a week or two. A few more weeks of vocals, hand it over to Darian for mixing, and you're done.

[rab2591]

There's a real Friends vibe to it for me ...

A relaxed approach, lots of organ, a slightly barer sound ...

I dig it. I mean, it clearly doesn't have the aspirations of TLOS or BWRG, but I think that's one of the reasons I enjoy it.

I agree. It sounds like they didn't take it too seriously, yet it sounds amazing. It's fun yet beautiful - and the two work great together.

It's really a shame that this album gets snowed under now. It should have been released at least a month earlier or later.

Yeah, but once all the SMiLE hype is over people will start to come back to talking about this album, methinks.

[acedecade75]

Brian's vocals on "Colors Of The Wind" are the highlight for me.

[hypehat]

I'll pick it up soon - it took a while with BWRG, too. But the release scheduling is essentially going to RUIN this commercially, and yeah it's a shame. It's not bad, by any means. Although maybe my least favourite 'Renaissance' Brian solo album. 

[Rocker]

Got it yesterday. Nice album. Good singing, although Brian's vocals don't sound as natural as on BWRG. The compositions are very good and Brian's arrangements takes them into pop music territory. His rocking voice on "Kiss the girl" is very good but as mentioned, there's something about the sound that makes his voice sound unnatural. And somehow it doesn't feel right to hear Brian sing "shalala".  It's a good album and but probably one that needs a few more listens.

[Amy B.]

I've been listening to this album this morning, and it's put me in a great mood. I love it. Brian even sounds like he's having fun.
I feel very grateful that Brian has had this late-career renaissance. Lots of good stuff.

[Wrightfan]

This album is slowly growing on me after another listen. I like "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" much more then I did the first listen.

[Matt H]

Have the billboard charts come out yet for this week?  Where did ITKOD chart?

[Slow In Brain]

Colours Of The Wind kinda sounds like a Gerry Rafferty song, which is cool.

[Matt H]

Charted at 83

[Freddie French-Pounce]

Is this album going to be released on vinyl?

[Matt H]

Is this album going to be released on vinyl?

I doubt it.  I think the vinyl versions of albums are usually released the same day as the other versions as well.

Charted at 83

and 3 on the kids chart.

[Jim McShane]

I wasn't going to buy it. Then I heard a couple songs - Baby Mine just tears me up, it brings back a lot of great memories too. Beautiful!!

It's ordered now - I'm really looking forward to hearing it. I never thought I'd be saying that!!

[Margarita]

Has Disney done ANYTHING to promote ITKOD?  I don't understand why they would form a partnership with Brian and back two well-crafted releases, only to ignore them. 

[Rocker]

Has Disney done ANYTHING to promote ITKOD?  I don't understand why they would form a partnership with Brian and back two well-crafted releases, only to ignore them. 

I haven't heard of much promotion. The Smile release would've been a good opportunity to jump on the wagon and profit from Capitol's promotion.

I wasn't going to buy it. Then I heard a couple songs - Baby Mine just tears me up, it brings back a lot of great memories too. Beautiful!!

You're in for a treat. I just listened to it for the first time in a few days and it oly got stronger.
I wonder how so many people praise "Colors of the wind" (yes, it's sung very well) but don't mention "Baby mine". What a fantastic vocal from Brian. You just wait for him to go into a pure and clear '64-falsetto at any moment. Just mesmerizing. I'd love a new Beach Boys album to sound like ITKD only with new quality songs by Brian and the boys.

[SurfRiderHawaii]

They are certainly promoting it via price. You can download the Disney album on Amazon for $4.99.  Holy smokes, that's a deal.

http://www.amazon.com/Key-Disney-Amazon-Exclusive-Version/dp/B005V0VE18/ref=ntt_mus_ep_dpi_1

That includes the two songs that weren't on the CD .

12. A Dream Is A Wish Your Heart Makes (Amazon MP3 Exclusive)    
13. Peace On Earth (Amazon MP3 Exclusive)

iTunes doesn't have these two songs apparently.

[shelter]

I wonder how so many people praise "Colors of the wind" (yes, it's sung very well) but don't mention "Baby mine".

IMO: 'Baby Mine' was always a pretty touching song, Brian couldn't really go wrong there. The original versions of 'Colors of the Wind' and 'Can You Feel the Love Tonight' on the other hand were almost unbearably cheesy and Brian turned them into pleasant, more classy songs. I think that's his greatest accomplishment on this album.

[Wirestone]

Agreed on Colors. On Love Tonight I actually prefer the original, which has a really nice backing vocal arrangement that is part of the hook. Brian does a new backing vocal arrangement, which you'd expect, but he doesn't replace that hook with -- well, much of anything. Makes the song feel very sparse and not as good.

One song we can all agree that we're glad he didn't cover, given the occasional slurring problems of the past -- Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.

[Rocker]

I wonder how so many people praise "Colors of the wind" (yes, it's sung very well) but don't mention "Baby mine".

IMO: 'Baby Mine' was always a pretty touching song, Brian couldn't really go wrong there.

Same goes for "Rainbow eyes" and he masacred it on GIOMH. His vocals on Baby Mine are absolutely gorgeous though....


Don't think Brian's version of Can You Feel.... is as good as Elton's. It's nice but that song needs some bombast imo.

[positivemusic]

Does anyone know if In The Key Of Disney is still on the Billboard 200? I took a really quick glance at the top 100 (as far as can be seen without being a member of Billboard), but didn't see it anywhere.

[Rocker]

Does anyone know if In The Key Of Disney is still on the Billboard 200? I took a really quick glance at the top 100 (as far as can be seen without being a member of Billboard), but didn't see it anywhere.

Don't think so, but I'm not sure. There was too few promotion for the album imo. Classic Disney songs and Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys could've found quite a broad audience but although they could've used Smile as towboat they didn't and that way Smile overshadowed ITKOD. And let's be honest, even a new materpiece - which ITKOD isn't - would have it hard against Smile. So, another chance blown


But I have to say it again, right now ITKOD is playing constantly at my home and I really am in love with the album. Let me point out the not-so-good things first. You've Got A Friend In Me is a good track but I think Brian doesn't deliver it good enough. But I guess this would come close to the sound Brian would want on his rock and roll album.
The Bare Necessities is good and fun but also sung a little bit tired. The guys imitating apes at the end sounds great though. Kiss The Girl has a good Brian vocal but something makes it sound very big and overshadowing the music track imo, maybe it's the double tracking, that was my first impression but I might be wrong. All in all it sounds like they were trying to create a Spector sound in a modern studio and it doesn't work. The guitar on I Just Can't Wait To Be King sounds to heavily equalized and the instrumental sounds kinda all over the place. It also seems that the song is in too high a key for Brian's voice. A lower key probably would've been nicer. I already said that Can You Feel The Love Tonight is missing bombast in my last post in this thread.

Everything else is a winner.
One thing: Baby Mine (which might be Brian's most impressive work since a while) and Stay Awake to me sound like lost Beach Boys classics. Instead of trying to give the songs a Disney touch (which they already had in their original form of course) Brian takes them and puts them into a pop music form. The only tune that has a certain comic sound is A Pirate's Life For Me/Whiste While You Work/Heigh Ho which makes you almost see the seven dwarfs before your eyes. The Vege-tables like rhythm really fits in nicely. The whole album sounds fresh and like the songs were written just yeserday. The compositions are great (let's not forget that !) and it's good if you can choose between good material.


The bonus tracks are very good as well. It's nice to hear Brian harmonize with himself on Peace On Earth. But I think it was the right decision to let them not be part of the album because they sound too different as the rest of the recordings.
But I would've liked it if there was more stuff. The album is through too early as it is so much fun.

[The Shift]

Does anyone know if In The Key Of Disney is still on the Billboard 200? I took a really quick glance at the top 100 (as far as can be seen without being a member of Billboard), but didn't see it anywhere.

Don't think so, but I'm not sure. There was too few promotion for the album imo. Classic Disney songs and Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys could've found quite a broad audience but although they could've used Smile as towboat they didn't and that way Smile overshadowed ITKOD. And let's be honest, even a new materpiece - which ITKOD isn't - would have it hard against Smile. So, another chance blown


But I have to say it again, right now ITKOD is playing constantly at my home and I really am in love with the album. Let me point out the not-so-good things first. You've Got A Friend In Me is a good track but I think Brian doesn't deliver it good enough. But I guess this would come close to the sound Brian would want on his rock and roll album.
The Bare Necessities is good and fun but also sung a little bit tired. The guys imitating apes at the end sounds great though. Kiss The Girl has a good Brian vocal but something makes it sound very big and overshadowing the music track imo, maybe it's the double tracking, that was my first impression but I might be wrong. All in all it sounds like they were trying to create a Spector sound in a modern studio and it doesn't work. The guitar on I Just Can't Wait To Be King sounds to heavily equalized and the instrumental sounds kinda all over the place. It also seems that the song is in too high a key for Brian's voice. A lower key probably would've been nicer. I already said that Can You Feel The Love Tonight is missing bombast in my last post in this thread.

Everything else is a winner.
One thing: Baby Mine (which might be Brian's most impressive work since a while) and Stay Awake to me sound like lost Beach Boys classics. Instead of trying to give the songs a Disney touch (which they already had in their original form of course) Brian takes them and puts them into a pop music form. The only tune that has a certain comic sound is A Pirate's Life For Me/Whiste While You Work/Heigh Ho which makes you almost see the seven dwarfs before your eyes. The Vege-tables like rhythm really fits in nicely. The whole album sounds fresh and like the songs were written just yeserday. The compositions are great (let's not forget that !) and it's good if you can choose between good material.


The bonus tracks are very good as well. It's nice to hear Brian harmonize with himself on Peace On Earth. But I think it was the right decision to let them not be part of the album because they sound too different as the rest of the recordings.
But I would've liked it if there was more stuff. The album is through too early as it is so much fun.

I'm still enjoying the album in the car.

And I agree that Peace on Earth sounds quite different to anything else on there -  in fact I prefer it to anything else on there.

The other bonus track, though, A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes, I can't get past the opening bars. I'm just aurally offended by the Sail On Sailor riff that was ripped off to open it.  Just a personal thing…

[Roger Ryan]

The other bonus track, though, A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes, I can't get past the opening bars. I'm just aurally offended by the Sail On Sailor riff that was ripped off to open it.  Just a personal thing…

I know what you mean, but what Brian does with this during the song's coda is so nice, I forgive the SOS steal. The fact that this is a Disney album somewhat obscures the fact that "Baby Mine", "Stay Awake" and "Peace On Earth" are among Brian's most beautiful arrangements and performances - real heirs to tracks like "We'll Run Away", "Don't Talk" and "Wonderful". The rest I fully expect to hear playing over loud speakers in Downtown Disney or in the theme park gift shops the next time I visit Disney World. In fact, "Heigh Ho" nails the sound of typical Disney "dark ride" theme music, so much so that I wouldn't be surprised if it's used for the upcoming Seven Dwarf's Roller Coaster ride in Fantasyland.