Hannah Montana The Movie Soundtrack

Well, we are almost ready for my (belated) review of the "Hannah Montana The Movie" soundtrack.

But first, I want to talk about E!'s new documentary, cleverly titled "Miley Cyrus." It premiered yesterday, and covers Miley's life from her birth up through last week at the premiere of the "Hannah Montana" feature film. It is a breif overview of Miley's life, but it is not told only from her perspective. Parents Billy Ray and Tish, sisters Brandi and Noah, friends Mandy and Leslie, former cheerleading coach Chastity, and others get as much say as Miley as they weigh in on the star's life. There is nothing new said in this doc, but hearing Miley and her closest companions narrate this life while images and film clips illustrate proves much more fun than reading Miley's wikipedia page. Of course, in an hour, only so much can be said, and there are many subjects (like getting bullied) that are only hinted at, and Miley's book provides the best source to fill and and look more in depth at these topics.

But, that all aside, let's get to my album review.

After "Breakout," I think it was finally realized that the music of Miley and the music of Hannah are two seperate things. Hannah songs are written by Disney songwriters, and require a fairly generic pop vocalist. Miley sure sings them well, but her own material comes from her creativity, and is written to go with her vocal range, as she sounds her best when singing in a key or so lower than her blonde counterpart. So, the 7 Hannah songs on this disc were fairly unsurprising and, in context of all the Hannah songs, sort of bland. "Let's Do This" was one of the best. Hannah vocalizes the melody for this upbeat song. It's a fun number, very happy (like all Hannah songs) but it just works better. "You'll Always Find Your Way Back Home" is co-written by Taylor Swift, and is probably the deepest Hannah song there is. "Spotlight" is a jumpy one, with rock instruments, and cool changes. The rest are either not memorable enough, or even a bit disapointing (well, "Best Of Both Worlds 2009 Mix" is cool, a rockier update of the song, but not that different, although the few changes are welcome.)

There are 5 Miley songs on the album, but she only wrote one, and they are otherwise written by Disney writers, so they start to fall into more of a grey area. "Don't Walk Away" was leaked last summer as a "Breakout" outtake, and it is cool, but lacks a hook, and has annoying "crowd" shouts. "Hoedown Throwdown" has that cheap crowd too, but that is the only detriment of the song. It is otherwise a fun novelty number, Miley's first song to really own a dance floor. "Dream" is low key and forgettable. "The Climb" is a big hit, and understandably so. It is the type of pop-ballad that has been missing from Cyrus's eclectic discography. Her vocals are powerful, and she totally owns the song. (btw, there are three versions, the album cut, the piano intro, and the guitar intro. The last two are promo only numbers, and feature country instruments.)

"Butterfly Fly Away" is a beautiful, if not the most beautiful, duet between Miley and her father. It is a bit bittersweet, because Miley will have to "fly away" from her father, but at the same time, I can't imagine such a family oriented person ever really leaving. Still, the song is so sweet. But...

... The best version is NOT on "Hannah Montana The Movie" soundtrack. That version has only strings and guitars, and Miley is the only lead vocalist. Billy Ray does harmonies, but otherwise has no solo spot. On his album "Back To Tennessee" is a longer version. This one has drums, electric guitars, and Billy Ray taking the spotlight for a verse or two. It feels like a more finished version of the song, and I prefer it.

The rest of the album is good fare. Not my cup of tea, but good for a spin or two. Taylor Swift, Rascal Flatts, a solo Billy Ray song, all playing into the country theme.

Overall, I've learned to expect more from Miley, and aside from a few numbers, she falls a bit short. I'm sure her next solo affair will prove what she can really muster.