When the paint was still drying on the faux Victorians of Disneyland's Main Street, USA, it was abundantly clear that four of the people who 'lived' there needed to be a barbershop group, that made-in-America musical invention. The Dapper Dans were invited/created and fell in love with the place; the Main Street audiences loved them right back, and one of the most enduring barbershop groups in entertainment history was born. 'Live!' showcases the Dans in their element, in front of live Disneyland audiences, and it contains 30 of their most popular songs. Heavily featured are the Deagan Organ Chimes (hand-held antique tubular bells played by the quartet). There's a fair amount of schmaltz, bad puns and general silliness of course, but the songs are pure, sweet Americana, with some Disney favorites like 'Disney Medley,' 'Cruella De Vil,' 'Alice in Wonderland/All in the Golden Afternoon Medley,' 'Muppets Theme,' 'I Love to Laugh,' 'You've Got A Friend in Me,' 'Main Street Electrical Parade' and 'Grim, Grinning Ghosts.' Then we have feel-good nostalgic classics like 'They Wrote 'Em in the Good Old Days,' Do You Remember When,' 'You're the Flower of My Heart, Sweet Adeline,' 'Meet Me in St. Louis, Louis,' 'Happy Days Are Here Again,' 'Swinging On a Star,' Yankee Doodle Dandy,' Stephen Foster's 'Oh! Susanna' and many others. All of the yummy harmonizing we love from a bona fide American institution! |