Aida

1	Another Pyramid / Sting 3:50
2	Written in the Stars / LeAnn Rimes 4:17
3	Easy as Life / Tina Turner Featuring Angelique Kidjo 5:12
4	My Strongest Suit / Spice Girls 4:11
5	I Know the Truth / Janet Jackson 5:36
6	Not Me / Boyz II Men 4:53
7	Amneris' Letter / Shania Twain 1:42
8	A Step Too Far / Sherie René Scott 4:19
9	Like Father, Like Son / Lenny Kravitz 4:10
10	Elaborate Lives / Heather Headley 4:24
11	How I Know You / James Taylor 3:19
12	The Messenger / Lulu 5:11
13	The Gods Love Nubia / Kelly Price 4:49
14	Enchantment Passing Through / Dru Hill 5:46
15	Orchestral Finale 3:37

Barnes & Noble

Following the blockbuster success of "The Lion King," it's no surprise that Disney approached Elton John and Tim Rice about another collaboration. It is a pleasant surprise that their creation, AIDA, lacks the bombast of a commercial behemoth. Although they stay true to Verdi's story of love amidst oppressive politics, the music is adapted to contemporary styles and sung unpretentiously by a cast of superstars, starting with Sting, Janet Jackson, Boyz II Men, Leann Rimes, Lenny Kravitz, Shania Twain, the Spice Girls, and Tina Turner. The result is less Disney, more Red Hot and Verdi: Sly and Robbie pair up with Sting on a reggae-ish "Another Pyramid," the Spice Girls make like the Supremes on a humorous "My Strongest Suit," Kravitz adds funk and muscle to "Like Father Like Son," and Turner and Angelique Kidjo turn in a wonderful duet on "Easy as Life." Before the Broadway version kicks in, this recording is a rare chance to hear the music without the star power getting in the way. Martin Johnson

All Music Guide

The Lion King proved to be one of Elton John's most successful projects -- which is quite an achievement for one of the most successful rockers in history. Given its level of popularity, it's only logical that John would re-team with his Lion King collaborator Tim Rice. Perhaps to some it was surprising that they adapted Verdi's Aida as their next project, but it made sense -- Rice's background was in show tunes and John's songs tended to sound like show tunes. Hence, they were a perfect pair to modernize Aida for the Great White Way -- at least in theory. In practice, their collaborations sound like soft rock and adult contemporary tunes, especially the way they're presented here. None of the songs on Aida are performed in the order they are in the show, nor are they performed in character. However, they are performed by a variety of different vocalists, including John, Sting, the Spice Girls, Lenny Kravitz, Shania Twain, LeAnn Rimes, James Taylor, Janet Jackson and Tina Turner, plus Heather Headley, the only member of the cast to be featured on this record. As such, the album doesn't feel like a show -- it feels like an afternoon of adult contemporary radio. This isn't a bad thing, since John is a virtuoso of the form, and many of his contributions here are worthy (often better than his Lion King work) and all the featured players do them justice. Still, Aida feels incomplete, quite possibly because it is structured as a various-artists album, not a cast recording -- which is really what you want when you want to listen to cast recordings. Stephen Thomas Erlewine