Sandwiched amidst the remarkable string of renascent Disney animation successes that spanned The Little Mermaid and The Lion King, the studio's 1992 adaptation of the venerable Arabian tale won a pair of Oscars for Alan Menken's vibrant instrumental score and his memorable collaboration with lyricist Tim Rice, the infectious song "A Whole New World." This new edition does more than showcase those enduring musical charms, fleshing out the original 21 tracks of songs, underscore and antics of Robin Williams' manic genie with rare demo recordings of a pair of songs that were deleted from the film before its original theatrical release. The wistful yearning of "Proud of Your Boy" and the rambunctious "High Adventure" (both performed by Menken, the latter in a duet with lyricist Howard Ashman) also pay bittersweet homage to original project lyricist Ashman, Menken's Academy Award-winning partner on Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast. --Jerry McCulley
