Published on Mar 11, 1998
How can you tell when a soundtrack has done its job? Not only is
the music enjoyable, but each musical selection returns you to that
particular moment in the movie, and allows you to recreate the film
in your head.
Case in point: the soundtrack to Disney’s 1941 film
Dumbo, recently re-released in their “Classic Soundtrack
Series”. A tale that is so well-known to kids (and believe me, I
was quite upset when I missed the recent showing of the film on The
Disney Channel) and a film that remains just as popular with the
parents and the grandparents who can remember seeing this in the
theatres, this soundtrack might not have the glitz of recent
albums, but it is still able to put a smile on my face bigger than
any greasepaint a clown can think up.
(For the kids reading: The above is an example of a run-on
sentence. You shouldn’t use them often. That’s today’s English
lesson. I didn’t study journalism in college for nothing…)
Right from the “Main Title” music, you almost feel like you’ve
been lifted into the middle of a three-ring circus, from the brass
band to the caliope. You can see the circus train pass by during
“Casey Junior,” you can imagine the tents taking shape thanks to
heavy labor courtesy of “Song of the Roustabouts”. When our hero
finally enters the picture, the mood created by the music is
perfect for selections like “Bathtime/Hide and Seek” – one which I
can definitely relate to as the parent of a 22-month-old.
But just as the music can create smiles, it can also bring the
listener to the point of tears, especially on the selection “Baby
Mine”. Even my father admitted this song will get to the hardest of
hearts – I defy anyone not to feel some sadness when they picture
Dumbo reaching out for his now caged-up mother.
A few of the songs seem a little out of place, both without the
film and for today’s times. “Clown Song” seems a little pointless
without an actual visual aid, while the repeating of “When I See an
Elephant Fly” doesn’t seem to fit with the ’90s, especially with
the caricatures of the crows. Still, these points are minor
compared to the whole album.
The most difficult thing about this soundtrack is the way songs
are grouped together. It often is hard to separate which movement
belongs with which title, especially when you have five or six
titles grouped onto one track. The tracks also are slightly
misnumbered; there’s a break between movements on tracks 16 and 17;
I would guess that 17 begins with “Dumbo’s Triumph”. Corrections
from our friends at Walt Disney Studios are welcomed.
The surprise inclusion on this disc is a demo recording of
“Spread Your Wings,” a piece which did not make it in the final cut
of the film. Time has not been kind to this recording, nor has it
been cruel – I’ve heard tapes in worse condition than this
selection. In one sense, it’s interesting to hear this song as a
memory of what once was a “work in progress” – and one wonders why
this one never made it into the film. It is quite good.
Dumbo might not have the pop hits of other Disney
soundtracks like
The Lion King or
Pocahontas, but it captures the essence of the movie well,
and is a great thing to listen to if you don’t have access to your
VCR. Kids and adults alike will love this disc – it truly brings
out the kid in everyone.