Music Review and Giveaway: The Little Mermaid from Walt Disney Records Legacy Collection #disneymusic

Disclaimer: I received The Little Mermaid Legacy Collection CD as a member of the Entertainment New Media Network.  No further compensation was received and all opinions are my own.

Walt Disney Records is honoring the continuing legacy of the Disney music catalog with a collectible series, The Legacy Collection. The line celebrates the milestone anniversaries of Disney's most cherished and classic films that have been enchanting audiences for generations.

25 years?!? Where has the time gone? I was a teenager when the movie was released and I have many fun memories of watching the movie for the first time in the theater and times since watching with loved ones on video and DVD. 

One of the things I love about Disney characters are that there are so many assortments of qualities and personality traits a person can relate to. In the case of The Little Mermaid, I forever became an Ariel fan because she was a redhead like me. There was finally a redheaded Disney princess! Also, I loved the fact her name begins with an "A", like mine, because I personally believe the A's have it. The songs in the movie became beloved favorites of mine among Disney movies, at the foremost, "Part of Your World", which has a place on honor on my music playlist and I also sing it, on occasion. Other favorites are "Under the Sea", a song which can always lift my spirits on the most hectic of days as well as instantly brighten NY's sometimes dreary winter weather.

As a musician, I was captivated by their 2 disc format for this beautifully book bound set. Disc One features the full movie soundtrack and Disc 2 is a treasure trove for Disney music enthusiasts, with work tapes and song demos from the film, including original song ideas for the movie. It was fascinating to hear these "work in progress" pieces for this beloved film.

A beautifully illustrated collectible 20 page booklet comes with the CD. I love the fact that it  features bonus material including the stories behind the music and the soundtrack's history. 

Here's a sample of the musical treasures you will find on this CD set:

The Little Mermaid's hardback bookbound CD case and collectible booklet feature newly created artwork inspired by the movie from Lorelay Bove, a visual development artist at Walt Disney Animation Studios, whose work includes the Disney movies "Tangled" and "Wreck-It Ralph". I found her artwork for the CD case and booklet to be absolutely captivating. 

Disneyana Trivia: 

"The Little Mermaid"  was a milestone in Disney animation. It was the first princess musical to be made at Disney since 1959’s "Sleeping Beauty". This special connection is honored during the scene in the movie when Eric is waiting for Ariel to arrive and you see that one of the portraits shown is of Princess Aurora and Prince Phillip from "Sleeping Beauty".

The Legacy Collection 2014 Releases:
The Lion King 20th anniversary 
Mary Poppins 50th anniversary 
Sleeping Beauty 55th anniversary 
The Little Mermaid 25th anniversary

The Legacy Collection 2015 Releases:
Fantasia 75th anniversary
Pinocchio 75th anniversary
Toy Story 20th anniversary
Disneyland 60th anniversary
Lady & the Tramp 60th anniversary
Pocahontas 20th anniversary
Aristocats 45th anniversary
Cinderella 65th anniversary

All currently released soundtracks are available online at the Disney Music Emporium website along with collectible Disney music products, news and video content.

The next release from The Legacy Collection will celebrate the 75^th anniversary of Fantasia with a 4-disc set on January 13, 2015. 

Giveaway: 

One reader of The Southern Fried Bride will win a Walt Disney Records The Legacy Collection The Little Mermaid 2-disc CD set, valued at $19.98. 

To enter, leave a comment below and tell me which one of the Walt Disney Records Legacy Collection releases I listed above are you most looking forward to?

• Prizes will be sent directly to the winner from Walt Disney Records. Please allow 4-6 weeks for shipping.
• Giveaway ends on Wednesday, January 14, 2015 at 8:00 pm EST.
• The winner will be chosen by random number generator after verification of entries and winner will be notified by email. The number of eligible entries received determine the odds of winning.
• Winner must reply by email to accept prize within 24 hours or another winner will be chosen. 
• The winner will be announced in the comments of this blog post after the winner has accepted the prize. 

If it comes to this blogger’s attention that the winner of this giveaway has won on an additional blog for this same prize, this blog reserves the right to choose another winner.