The Harvey Girls, starring Judy Garland, John Hodiak, Ray Bolger and Angela Lansbury, depicted the gradual civilizing of the Southwest, this time in the form of Fred Harvey, Sr.'s restaurant chain and philosophy. Not to leave it at that, of course, the film also had love stories, romantic interludes, grand vistas, and huge production numbers. The result might have been thin in terms of straightforward plot, but it did serve as the vehicle for some wonderful music. This album compiles all of the available material, including underscore, and tacks on a handful of supplemental tracks, including an alternate end title piece. As always, the booklet includes copious notes about the film, the production, and the music. This is another gorgeous release, with some very welcome stereo mixes from the existing MGM angles -- the production work on these soundtrack releases continues to be astonishing. ~ Steven McDonald

Music composed by Benoit Jutras from the permanent show in Downtown Disney West Side at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, which opened in December 1998. Features urban sounds, hip-hop and electronica blended with the classic sound of Cirque du Soleil. A first for Cirque du Soleil, the score features a trumpet, giving a traditional feel while creating a link with the rest of the soundtrack, which employs a lot of synthesizers. A dozen tracks offer a musical fusion driven by unique, sublime vocals backed by a full band.