The Little Mermaid: Songs from The Sea (1992)
Does anyone else remember this forgotten Disney gem?
I first discovered it back in the early 90s thanks to a funny mistake. A friend knew how much I loved the movie, so he bought me what he thought was the soundtrack on CD. (In his defense, the title is quite misleading)
It turned out to be one of the happiest musical accidents of my life.
Not only was it the first Disney album I ever owned on CD, but I was absolutely blown away by how pristine it sounded compared to the cassettes I was used to.
I was hooked straight away. It's basically a concept album when you listen to it in order, with its own story and identity. It takes place before the movie events, so no Ursula (boo!), but the rest of the original voice actors reprise their respective roles.
Musically, it leans much more toward polished late 80s and early 90s pop than the classic Ashman and Menken sound. While it's very different from the songs from the film, it never feels like a lesser imitation. Instead, it has its own distinct identity. Even though each song was written by a different songwriting team, the album maintains a remarkably cohesive musical DNA. The production is consistently rich and polished, making it feel like a complete artistic work rather than a collection of unrelated tracks.
My favorite upbeat tracks are "H2O" and "The Sea Kingdom," while "Dreaming" is absolutely gorgeous. Jodi Benson's vocals on that song are just stunning.
I've always felt this album never got the love it deserved. I'd love to know if anyone else remembers it, or if I'm one of the few still listening all these years later.
No official release on any music streaming services afaik, but here's the album on YouTube. Take the time and listen in order if you can!
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL833CC129AD9B23AF&si=XfYd6iLBhQ8zoAEj