Varèse Sarabande give us the first ever CD release of the soundtrack to the beloved children’s classic 1973 movie Charlotte's Web. The album features original songs and lyrics by the legendary duo of Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman aka The Sherman Brothers (Mary Poppins, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang), with performances by the film’s stars Debbie Reynolds, Agnes Moorhead, and Paul Lynde...

I'm not a massive musical fan, and while I'm well aware of the Sherman Brothers I couldn't tell you what they've written (not without looking it up online), but even I could clearly hear that the majority of the tracks here just seemed to be reworked versions of songs from the soundtrack to the movie Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968).

This is very much a product of its time and hasn't aged particularly well. This is one for those that fondly remember the movie or are huge musical fans. It's a very short LP (12 songs - 27 min, 58 sec) with very little in the way of variety - there are only a handful of songs which are constantly revisited.

Track listing:

01. Main Title (Orchestra)
02. There Must Be Something More (Fern)
03. I Can Talk (Wilbur & Goose)
04. Chin Up (Charlotte & Wilbur)
05. Mother Earth And Father Time (Charlotte)
06. We've Got Lots In Common (Wilbur, Barnyard Animals & Charlotte)
07. A Veritable Smorgasbord (Templeton & Goose)
08. Deep In The Dark (Charlotte/Charlotte's Web Male Choir)
09. Chin Up March (The Marching Band)
10. Zuckerman's Famous Pig (Barbershop Quartet, Chorus & Band)
11. Charlotte's Farewell (Mother Earth And Father Time) (Charlotte)
12. End Title (Orchestra & Chorus)

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Darren Rea