Cover songs are in most cases, pretty interesting pieces of music, whether or not they actually offer an interesting new take on a popular song, or just make you grin because of their novelty (and often, their shock value). They can bridge the boundaries between genres of music that can be as different as night and day, but only skilled musical composition can make one sound like homage to the music, rather than a song put out for pure shock value and attention. Enter Mosh Pit on Disney: a collection of cover songs recorded by notable bands ranging from Smash Mouth to The Vandals, and featuring many popular Japanese bands as well. But these aren't just any cover songs… these are all covers of DISNEY SONGS. Before you make any prior judgments, I will tell you, this is not some kind of sick joke, nor is it an attempt by Disney to change their identity into something more "hardcore." After listening to this album, I really enjoyed it, and if you can get your hands on a copy, you probably will, too.

Mosh Pit on Disney one of the newest records put out by Walt Disney and the Avex Group (if you're familiar with the Avex Group, then you'll probably already know that this is a Japanese label, and that this record is also exclusive to Japan… for now). If you happen to be in Japan and you're reading this, then you'll probably see this album on the shelves if you walk into HMV Records or Tower Records in Shibuya, along with all the other Japanese music not available in the U.S. In case you don't already know, the Disney characters, as well as their merchandise, are extremely popular in Japan. If you go to Japan, you'll see Disney merchandise that you never even knew existed (and it's just as expensive, too). This is just the newest in a long line of Japan-exclusive Disney merchandise, albeit one of the more notable. If you thought that Final Fantasy and Disney was a weird combination, try to picture it being synonymous with bands like Andrew W.K. or The Vandals.

Unlike many tribute albums, this record is not a tacky compilation of songs that would only appeal to the hardcore fan of the band that the album pays tribute to. In other words, this is not some "String Quartet/Lounge Music/etc. Tribute to (insert band name here)" album put out only to amuse people for 45 minutes (or until they realize that they just wasted 15 bucks and part of their life). The bands on this album perform these songs like they were their own. The recordings show polish and the musical expertise of these groups, displaying their flexibility to perform songs that most of us remember from G-rated movies we watched as kids, or from our last trip to Disneyland; these were not songs that we remembered listening to in a packed venue with 10 dollar drinks and the strong smell of weed.

Anyways, this album kicks off with a cover of the "Mickey Mouse Club March," done by Andrew W.K. You've probably heard his song "Party Hard" (featured in video games like Madden 2003 and Drummania 8th Mix), or some of his other music featured in movies like Old School. If not, then you've probably seen that one CD at the record store with the unusual black sticker over the guy's bloody face; that's one of his albums. If you are a fan of Andrew W.K., then you probably know what to expect from his rendition of this song. This is a perfect opener for this album, taking a song that many of us associated with a daytime kids show, and turning it into a full-blown party anthem that only Andrew W.K. can deliver. You'll grin from the shock value, yet keep listening because the song itself is good.

The album then goes on with tracks from Japanese groups, including one by the Japanese band LOW IQ 01, doing their cover of the song "A Whole New World," from the movie Aladdin, turning it into an upbeat rock song, complete with the distinctly-Japanese pronunciation of the original English lyrics. The song starts off as a mellow tune, but soon transforms (as expected from a song on a CD entitled "Mosh Pit on Disney," rather abruptly, into a more upbeat rhythm, reminiscent of pop-punk music. While not as hard as the previous Andrew W.K. song, this rendition is still a vast departure from the original song. This track is followed by one from another Japanese band called Acidman. Theirs is a rendition of the song "Colors of the Wind," from the movie Pocahontas, which follows in the same vain as the previous song, starting off as a mellow ballad, but soon changing into a louder tune for the chorus section of the song. While being distinctly unique takes on Disney songs, the styles of both of these bands are rather similar to many pop-punk outfits, such as the Ataris, and even the Japanese group Hi-StandardI, that have their songs on the radio today, both here in the U.S. and probably even on Japanese radio.

A more notable track on the CD is a funk-rock cover of the song "Give a Little Whistle," from the movie Pinocchio. The song, performed by the group Japanese group The Band Apart (not to be confused with the production company affiliated with Quentin Tarantino and Kill Bill), begins with a funk rhythm, reminiscent of bands like 311 (at least some of their earlier stuff), but throughout the song, changes tempo into something reminiscent of disco (my idea of disco being based solely on the music from the movie Saturday Night Fever). The final part of the song takes the rhythm down a very different path; fast and complex, demonstrating this group's skillful musical composition. This is a rather interesting song, and although not really the kind of song that you can mosh to, makes for good listening. The next track is a cover of the song "You Can Fly! You Can Fly! You Can Fly!" from the movie Peter Pan. Like its preceding track, this song starts off with a disco-esque rhythm, but instead escalates into a much louder and faster mosh pit-worthy song.

Scattered throughout the album are covers done by Japanese ska bands (other than Tokyo Ska Paradise). Groups with names like The Miceteeth, Oi-Skall Mates and Cubismo Grafico Five perform their interpretations of songs from movies like Bedknobs & Broomsticks and Oliver and Company, with styles reminiscent of the mellow reggae-inspired ska made popular by groups like The Specials, Hepcat and The Slackers. While these are all very good songs, they don't really seem to fit in on an album that's supposedly a compilation of Disney-inspired mosh-anthems. The well known ska band Reel Big Fish also contributes a song to this album: their rendition of the song "It's Not Easy," from Pete's Dragon, which, unfortunately, I have not seen.

About midway through the album, I came across a rendition of the song "Heigh-Ho" from the movie Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, done by none-other than The Vandals. Anyone familiar with The Vandals probably knows them for their loud and fast-paced music, synonymous with mosh pits and punk rock, as well as their unique, and sometimes humorous take on it. Anyways, this song is, in my opinion, one of the better songs on the album, as far as presenting a new take on a Disney song, yet managing to stay true to the band's style. The first half starts out as a loud rock song, remaining true to the rhythm of the original song (although a little bit faster, I think), yet still true to the Vandals style. After a chorus of "Heigh Ho!," sampled from the original song, accompanied by the vocals of the band members, the song escalates into a much faster-paced song, in the tradition of much of The Vandals' music. This song makes for a cover that only The Vandals could do right. This song is followed by a cover of the song that most people remember from the Disneyland Main Street Electrical Parade, in the form of an instrumental done by Kenzi Masabuchi. It's a very interesting take on this song, and definitely another notable song on the album.

Near the end of the album, there's a track done by the group Smash Mouth: a rendition of "I Wanna Be Like You," from the movie The Jungle Book. Being a band whose musical style is constantly changing, I didn't really know what expect from them this time around, but I'll have to say that their entry on this album was definitely worth listening to. I especially liked the chorus and the instrumental bridge, a surf-rock take on what was originally performed in a style reminiscent of swing.

Overall, this album was much better than I had expected, being both a demonstration of already established bands' flexibility and skill as musicians, but also giving me exposure to more Japanese music (from groups that aren't named T.M. Revolution, Glay, Dir en Grey, Kemuri, etc.). Anyways, this album sure beats a lot of stuff I listen to on the radio daily. While not exactly living up to it's title, it delivers an abundance of interesting cover songs, most of which are very good. Although chances are you won't be hearing "Heigh-Ho" at the next Vandals concert (at least in America), these songs make for great music, as well as great novelty. Just owning a CD with the words "mosh" and "Disney" in the same title is enough for me.