Disney Karaoke, Volume 1
It's safe to assume that every kid in the United States--outside of those raised among fringe groups--grew up harboring fantasies of shoving aside the animated star of the latest hit Disney film and inhabiting the character's cartoon shoes him- or herself, at least until the end credits rolled. Such an assumption is not lost on the clever folks at Disney, who've launched theDisney Karaokeseries, consisting of favorites from the company's perennially popular movies, first sung in apple-pure, completely unironic Disney style and then presented instrumentally, giving closet crooners a chance to show their stuff. Highlights on the first volume include 10 songs from 10 films, including "Just Around the Riverbend" (fromPocahantas), "Reflection" (fromMulan), and "A Whole New World" (fromThe Little Mermaid) as well as the feel-good "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah" (fromSong of the South), the infectious and entirely irresistible "Hakuna Matata" (fromThe Lion King), and the sentiment-stirring classic "When You Wish Upon a Star" (fromPinnochio). Even without the karaoke concept this CD would make lots of can't-miss lists; the song selection alone adds up to pure fun. Even so, Disney, not wishing to disappoint karaoke die-hards, has thoughtfully included complete lyrics in the liner notes. So no excuses for missteps and no more feeling silly--The Jungle Book's "I Wanna Be Like You" actually does include the phrase "Oh, Oobee doo--I wanna be like you."--Tammy La Gorce