I’m a big fan of the classic Disney films of the ’90s. There
\nwere some tremendous songs recorded for films such as
\nThe Lion King<\/i> and
\nThe Little Mermaid<\/i>. However, the darker side of my nature
\nsometimes balks at the sentimentality and sappiness of the normal
\nDisney musical.<\/p>\n
Thank God for Tim Burton and Danny Elfman. Burton’s films have
\nalways displayed a twisted view of reality and Elfman has set the
\nmusic to the images. Enter the cult favorite,
\nThe Nightmare Before Christmas<\/i>. Out of all the Burton\/Elfman
\ncollaborations, this is probably the lest well-known, which is a
\nshame. Not only is the film excellent but the music matches it
\nevery step of the way.<\/p>\n
A basic understanding of the plot is needed. Jack Skellington,
\nthe Pumpkin King and most honored citizen of Halloween Town, is
\nbored with the same old same old. Quite upon accident, he stumbles
\ninto Christmas Town and decides to claim the holiday for his own
\nthis year. I highly recommend the film, and with Halloween
\napproaching, what better time to rent it? Now, to the music.<\/p>\n
Grand, sweeping movements define the Elfman sound. He loves to
\nfill the room with sound as well as define the mood through those
\nsounds. For the tracks involving Halloween Town, one can pick out
\ndistorted violins or chimes of bells that don’t sound quite right.
\nOrgans bellow left and right off-key — in short, Elfman presents a
\nwarped view of what the norm is for this kind of film.<\/p>\n
He certainly does not hold back in terms of imagery for
\nNightmare. Reading the lyrics is a treat, with lines such as “I am
\nthe one hiding under your bed \/ Teeth ground sharp and eyes glowing
\nred,” or “Kidnap the Santy Claws, beat him with a stick \/ Lock him
\nfor ninety years, see what makes him tick.” For a kids film, this
\nis dark stuff. It also demonstrated the lack of pretension that
\ndominates Burton and Elfman’s work. They don’t care if it’s
\nslightly disturbing; it gets the job done.<\/p>\n
Elfman did the vocals for Jack and performs admirably. His voice
\nisn’t as smooth as a professional, but it comes with a certain
\ncharacter. A good comparison might be to a Trans Siberian Orchestra
\nwith their different cast of vocalists. What Elfman does best is
\nemote; one can’t help but smile at the utter glee Jack experiences
\nin “What’s This” or the sense of dejection featured in “Poor
\nJack.”<\/p>\n
There are other highlights to be found; “Oogie Boogie,” is one
\nof my all time favorite songs in a film. The honky tonk and jazzy
\nfeel is somewhat out of place when compared to the rest of the
\nnumbers, but regardless it is one of the best tracks. The “End
\nTitle\/Untitled” finale features all of the major themes Elfman
\nused, running through them in rapid order. The lush, full
\n“Christmas Eve Montage” is strictly an instrumental; however, the
\nsubtle touches Elfman uses to combine his Christmas and Halloween
\nthemes meld together brilliantly.<\/p>\n
If there are weak spots to be found, it would be in the
\nCatherine O’ Hara tracks. While her voice certainly is not
\nterrible, it lacks power, and at times her vocals come across as
\nwimpy. Her situation is helped during “Finale\/ Reprise” when she
\nduets with Elfman. Despite the macabre nature of the music and
\nfilm, it’s a touching moment.<\/p>\n
For years the songs have been implanted in my mind, the sign of
\na great piece of music, as far as I’m concerned. Soundtracks these
\ndays on the whole are generic and lacking inspiration.
\nThe Nightmare Before Christmas<\/i> is quite the opposite.<\/p>\n
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