Disney, Mad Men, Elvis, and More

Disney Legacy Collection Compilation
Collecting the best songs from Disney’s impressive roster of animated musicals has to be a daunting task, but the Disney Legacy Collection intends to do just that. This exclusive LP digs up songs from The Aristocats, Pocahontas, The Lion King, Toy Story, and Pinocchio, among others, and is as much a chance for underrated songs to get their due as it is a celebration of beloved classics. “Thomas O’Malley,” from The Aristocats, has a natural swing and a Sinatra-esque, big band feel, similar to the jaunty and more orchestral “Rotting Along to Pleasure Island” from Pinocchio. And for a film that isn’t held in the same high regard as many of its peers, Pocahontas has one of the best songs on this compilation with “Just Around the Riverbend.”

Retrospective: The Music of Mad Men 
Not only was Mad Men an amazing, groundbreaking show, it had an incredible soundtrack that, for whatever reason, never got the accolades it deserved. Until now, that is. This compilation of 24 songs from the acclaimed AMC period drama features a diverse array of music from artists old and new, and it’s exclusive to Barnes & Noble. Highlights include Roy Orbison’s fragile, mariachi-tinged “Shadahroba,” originally the B-side to his 1963 single “In Dreams,” and the Beach Boys’ dreamy, melancholy “I Just Wasn’t Made For These Times,” taken from Pet Sounds. The Zombies’ “This Will Be Our Year” must be mentioned as well, since it accompanied one of the show’s most touching scenes.

Joy to the World, by Pink Martini
Portland, OR-based “little orchestra” Pink Martini started their career hoping to play political fundraisers, but fate and their formidable talents have taken them all over the world, playing a fun and approachable blend of classical music, jazz, pop, and world music. Their 2010 Christmas album, Joy To The World, saw them take on holiday music with great success, and this special edition is a Barnes & Noble exclusive, pressed on clear vinyl. Highlights include “White Christmas II,” sung in Japanese by Saori Yuki, their catchy and eerie version of the Ukranian bell carol “Schedryk,” and their version of “We Three Kings,” which was released as a Starbucks free download when the album first came out.

If I Can Dream, by Elvis Presley
To commemorate what would have been Elvis’ 80th birthday this year, If I Can Dream sets out to do something that Elvis, despite his many other career accomplishments, never got the chance to do: perform with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. The album combines archival recordings of Elvis’ one-of-a-kind voice with new orchestral arrangements, as well as duets with Michael Bublé (who joins him on “Fever”) and Italian trio Il Volo (who join him on “It’s Now Or Never”). In total, 14 of Elvis’ best songs are given the orchestral treatment, and a new sense of relevance, on this album, which shows off not just the elegance and adaptability of Elvis’ music, but also its timelessness.

Best of the Cutting Edge 1965-1966, by Bob Dylan
Part of Dylan’s Bootleg Series, this album compiles unreleased tracks from Bringing It All Back Home, Highway 61 Revisited, and Blonde on Blonde. These alternate takes, which sometimes include different lyrics and instrumentation than the studio tracks, take listeners into the studio and offer a deeper understanding of Dylan’s creative process. Plus, some of the alternate tracks are great, and a few of them rival their accepted-studio-version counterparts. “Can You Please Crawl Out Your Window?”, originally recorded during the Highway 61 Revisited sessions, is arguably sung with more feeling here than anywhere else, and the bass in “Sitting On a Barbed Wire Fence” drives the song’s drunken rhythm in a wonderful direction.