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The Boy Who Drew Cats
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VeggieTales: Rack, Shack & Benny
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25 Little Stories For Little People, Vol. 1
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Collected Stories 1986-2004
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By A. Stutesman (Wisconsin)
There are some stories I keep in my playlist so that I can here them again!
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That's Why We're Marching: World War II and the American Folksong Movement
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Artists include Woody Guthrie, Almanac Singers, Lead Belly, Tom Glazer, Cisco Houston, Pete Seeger, Josh White, Burl Ives, and others. Few people have heard these songs composed and sung from 1940 to 1945 by artists primarily known for their influence on American folk music after 1945. Both the protest songs and the pro-war songs are assembled for the first time in this historic compilation; they present the conflicts, the hopes, and the way songs were used to raise morale during World War II. 25 tracks, including Mr. Hitler, Talking Sailor, Ballad of October 16, and Sinking of the Reuben James. Notes include artist biographies and bibliography. Compiled and annotated by Jeff Place and Guy Logsdon. "A great slice of history...also a great musical performance." -- Daily News
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There is only one set of lyrics out of the 25 on this disc which has a life in the repertoire of modern folk performers, and that is Woody Guthrie's "Sinking of the Reuben James." Although it tells about the real-life sinking of a Naval ship near Iceland in the North Atlantic five weeks before the USA declared war against Germany and Japan, Woody and his Almanac Singer members made a tune and verses that still inspire listeners, and invite singing along. The rest of the compilation is by comparison, woefully weak. The first five tracks are songs by the Almanacs from early in 1941 opposing American involvement against Hitler's Nazis, because at the time, Hitler was friends with Stalin's Russia, and most of the Almanacs were socialists or communists. When Hitler betrayed Stalin and invaded Russia, all of a sudden sending American men to fight against Germany was fine, and the Almanacs songs reflected the political change. After Pearl Harbor, of course, almost no folk singers dared protest our involvement in WW II. The second highlight of the CD is Jimmy Longhi's telling of an incident involving himself, Woody, and Cisco Houston when they were civilian kitchen workers and entertainers on a Merchant Marine troop ship. This is better told in Longhi's superb book, "Woody, Cisco and Me." Get a copy from inter-library loan and read it if you care at all about this time in history, involving these characters. It is a lot better than this music item, and you might find a copy of the book for about the same price as this CD. On here, you will find some rarities...Woody altered the lyrics of his famous songs "Sally Don't You Grieve" and "So Long" to fit war themes, but the original peaceful lyrics are much better. Many of these songs were probably never heard by even a thousand people during the war...recordings were limited by the defense needs for the raw materials, and the Almanacs, Pete Seeger, Leadbelly, Cisco, Sonny Terry, Brownie McGhee, Burl Ives, Tom Glazer and Josh White all catered to minority tastes, no matter the race of their listeners. True, all of them were featured on numerous radio shows, but those were live "one-shots" and had limited listeners as well. The tracks on here, with one or two exceptions, were not being hummed in defense plants by large numbers of workers, and there are no love songs that could endure past the war, expressing the pain of separation no matter the cause of it. The best WW II pop songs had that going for them. Music historians, lovers of all things Woody, labor movement and communist party USA scholars...those are the potential buyers of this album. More casual folk fans can leave this alone and not have missed much at all.
By George Chaikin (george@cooper.edu) (New York City and New Jersey)
This collection offers a unusual insight into the attitudes and arts of the American left and trade union movement just before and during WWII. Especially interesting are the few songs recorded prior to the Nazi attack on the Soviet Union which reflect the left opposition to the draft, which would change as the nature of the war changed. These are, however, some of the weakest songs musically on the CD.
Some my favorites are "Freedom Road" by Josh White, "Reuben James" and "Sally Don't You Grieve" by Woody Guthrie, and "Citizen CIO" by Tome Glazer and Josh White. The story by Jim Longhi of his efforts with Woody Guthrie and Cisco Houston to effect some racial justice while serving in the Merchant Marine Liberty ships most inspiring.
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Kermit Unpigged
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I have loved this for many years! ...this is now my 2nd copy of this... wore the first one out over the years!
By spiderweb1986
"Kermit Unpigged" isn't a terrible CD by any stretch of the word...but it could have been better.
Let's start with the good. Most of the tracks work wonderfully, particularly the ones with Kermit. The Muppets are matched well with the artists and songs; Clifford was a natural choice for "On Broadway," for example, and the pairing of Gonzo and Jimmy Buffet seems to make sense in some way. Kermit gets the bulk of the tracks here, and Steve Whitmire did a wonderful job with his vocals.
"Bein' Green" doesn't feature Kermit until the end, but that doesn't matter. Don Henley gives us a beautiful version of the song, which is easily the album's best track. This is probably one of Kermit's signature songs, and its presence almost makes up for the lack of a version of "Rainbow Connection."
Mr. Henley isn't an exception, as most of the recording artists did admirable jobs on the tracks here. Vince Gill's vocals on "Daydream" sounded great, and Jimmy Buffet's "Mr. Spaceman" is one of the better tracks on the album. Linda Ronstadt's "All I Have to Do is Dream" didn't impress me quite as much, but her vocals were more than passable.
The variety is a very nice touch here, as the songs range from slower to faster-paced, from serious to silly. It takes away a bit of flow between tracks, but that's probably why the album has its storyline.
Why did I give the CD three stars, then? Several reasons come to mind. The CD is relatively short; this is normal for kiddy CDs, but it would have been nice to have had a few more tracks. There's a lot of dialogue on the CD, and more than I'd like in the songs themselves. It's to help move the storyline along, but the entire story is unneeded. Really, how many CDs have narratives? The tracks with Miss Piggy could have been better; while it's nice to hear Ozzy Osbourne speaking and singing coherently, we did NOT need to hear Piggy's (intentionally?) off-key singing. She's slightly better in "She Drives Me Crazy," but not by much.
My biggest complaint? An utter lack of Fozzie. He was in the intro track (wandering off to go to the restroom) and had a few lines in "All Together Now," but that was it. Even if the CD's running time was meant to be real-time, a forty minute bathroom break is excessive for a bear. Clifford and Floyd get their own songs, so why not Fozzie? He would've been a great fit for a less serious artist, someone like "Weird Al" Yankovic. A track with Fozzie would have been a very nice touch, and would have helped to increase the running time as well.
The lack of Fozzie and the length, along with my other minor complaints, drop my score to three stars. Don't let that stop you from getting the CD, though. Most of the tracks are well done, and the good outweighs the bad enough to make the CD a worthwhile purchase.
By Ron Lewis (CANADA)
Ozzy Osbourne one of rock and roll's greatest (the inventor I say!), A multiple celebrity, from hollywood to Japan,China and all commonwealth countries, he sets a high standard for the future rock and rollers of this generation. He has large shoes to fill with 35 to 40 years of breaking those shoes in! He amazes me at the different things that he will do and the things he doesn't want to do. Perfect Example, This CD and duet with child star Mrs.Piggy and a re-done Bachman Turner Overdrive, he will do as much humanly possible to entertain all forms of the music industry. Ozzy if you ever read this, GOD BLESS YOU and always remember your fans are always there for you, no matter what!
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.... though I have heard two tracks from it--the one with Jimmy Buffett and the famous duet with Miss Piggy and Ozzy Osbourne. And friends, that duet is the very reason I'm writing this review. If you're a fan of "The Osbournes" reality show, .... you need to hear this track.
Here's why: During the intro and outro of the song, Ozzy has a substantial speaking part, and... YOU CAN UNDERSTAND WHAT THE HECK HE'S SAYING! CLEARLY!
This CD was recorded in 1995. ....
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Its a fun cd ranging from slower pretty songs to upbeat silly songs just like the muppets have been. The muppets are part of every song but to varying degrees sometimes as observer/commentator or a duet with the famous singer. There is a slight plot and plenty of Muppet humor. Warning the last song gets stuck in your head VERY easily.
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Penguin Parade
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I was introduced to the Banana Slug String Band via their "Slugs at Sea" CD -- an outstanding album. This CD, the 2nd one of theirs that we bought, is also good, but not quite on par with "Slugs at Sea."
My children like this CD, but it doesn't get them singing quite the way the other one did. The songs are interesting, and they have a good message about the environment.
This band shows a good range of flexibility in their musical style, lyrics, and presentation without being bogged down in pastels and fluff that often fills much of music made for children. This is a CD that my children AND I can listen to.
A fun CD to be sure, and full of good science too! I hope that Elementary school teachers out there know about this group!
Alan Holyoak
By A Mommy (Aptos, CA)
Our five year old son loves it. However, he seems a little frustrated when he can't totally hear all the lyrics in a song, especially the Nose song. (We can't figure out what animal they are speaking of in one verse.) :-(Why are the lyrics not included? It seems like a must, especially for childrens' sakes. A lot of children may like to know exactly what is being sung/said so they can learn from it and sing along. Comprende?
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Teachers will love this CD (or anything by the Banana Slug String Band). The songs are terrific for science instruction, particularly in environmental studies, habitats, animals, and adaptation. Friendly melodies, great lyrics. My students love these songs.
By Michael D. Johas Teener (Santa Cruz, CA)
The only CD for my 4-year-old that I can listen to more than a few times. Nice tunes in all kinds of styles from Beach Boys to hip hop to techno. Good eco-friendly lyrics to teach about nature, as well.
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