The Lion King

After the few years and numerous other animated film scores that have passed since the release of The Lion King, it remains one of the most powerful film scores - animated or not - I've heard. Unfortunately the soundtrack CD release is not at all perfect.

The three pop performances by Elton John at the end aren't particularly bad, in fact "Circle of Life" and "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" are fine for what they are - top 40 radio fare - and were considerable successes in that area. But for many soundtrack fans they probably aren't much of an attraction.

As for the vocal numbers, among Disney's assortment of "animated musicals", I'd say The Lion King's songs rank right at the top. "Circle of Life" stands as the best, with its African chanting, dignified lyrical content, and pleasant flute interlude. "I Just Can't Wait to Be King" and "Hakuna Matata" are rather childish and lighthearted in tone and take their ethnic musical theme pretty unseriously, but they are vastly superior to their counterparts in Mulan, and I must admit I find myself singing along to them quite often. The more serious "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" actually makes a very tender and beautiful impression with its romantic theme, aided by the soft African vocal accompaniment and the lead female vocalist's pleasant voice.

Actually, the vocal numbers are sufficient for the context of the film and are not a drawback to the CD at all. They would stand much more prominently in my own estimation if Dreamworks, Setphen Schwartz, and Hans Zimmer hadn't totally raised the standard several years later with their musical numbers in The Prince of Egypt.

The Lion King soundtrack is not at all about the pop performances or even the musical numbers for me though, it is about Hans Zimmer's immensely powerful and moving score. This was the film score that introduced me to Hans Zimmer, and what an introduction it was.

Every instant of Zimmer's score is rife with mood and drama while remaining melodically focused. I really can't put into words how powerful I find the themes, arrangements, and orchestrations. From the very beginning of the score section with "This Land", the pure film score perfection is evident as the themes of father-son love and of the struggle to come to terms with one's own destiny are revealed through a masterfully arranged combination of gentle, whispy solo flute, massively potent full orchestrations, and powerfully moving choral chanting. It's nearly spiritual and affects me emotionally as much as any music I can think of. The same perfection can be found in the other three score tracks, whether the mood be somber, tranquil, uplifting, hostile, triumphant, or celebratory. Perhaps the most memorable selection is "...To Die For" (the wildabeast stampede scene), which is easily one of the most outright intense pieces of orchestral music I've ever heard. The sense of danger and action in the piece is incredible.

As mentioned, the pop songs and musical numbers in The Lion King soundtrack aren't perfect. The true disappointment though is that the score takes up a mere 17 minutes of disc time, an inexcusably small amount. Nevertheless, for any true soundtrack fan, those 17 minutes must be experienced, and in my own mind without question warrant purchase of the CD.