Music Review: Viva la Musica

With this musical review I have ventured someplace I have never gone before, Spanish Children's songs.  There was a song about the snails wanting to dance well, but they couldn't because they were just too slow.  There was also a number sone, one-to ten, or better uno a diez.  The C.D. ends with I like to sing and write songs.  This C.D. is presented by Kitzi and Gabriela (Kitzia Weiss and Gabriela Huesca).  It was produced in Mexico.
As for my opinion of the music, the songs are nice.  There are a couple of places where they just were too silly.  I don't think even children like silliness when it is excessive.  However for the most part it was fun to listen to.  There was some very good instrumental back-up.

Sesame Street/Muppet Music

samhttp://samuraifrog.blogspot.com/2012/05/its-time-to-play-music-my-50-favorite.html
This is someone else's blog, but I feel this is important work, and I don't know how to remember this other than to put a link in my blog.  This is the 50 greatest songs from the Sesame Street characters.  This includes on of my favorite, "I Don't Want to Live on the Moon" sung by Ernie (Jim Henson.)  There are links to performances of all the songs.

Music Review: Neil Sedaka: Waking Up is Hard to Do

Neil Sedaka: Waking Up is Hard to Do  This is Neil Sedaka, singing different lyrics to some of his most popular songs, and giving them a children’s twist.  “Waking UP is Hard to Do” puts a health twist on his popular song.  It even starts with an alarm clock.  Many of the songs have children singing or laughing in the background.  One of those is “Laughter in the rain.”  IN this case it is a song about dressing appropriately in inclement weather.  A song he wrote, “Love Will Keep Us Together” has a different message and it is “Lunch Will Keep Us Together.”  However the wong I liked most from this set is “Baby’s First Christmas Lullabye.”  It has a very nice melody and feel, as he sings of a father’s love for a baby.  Papa sings a Christmas song
And it's so sweet that Nana sings along
The music notes fall from the sky
It's Baby's First Christmas Lullaby

The angels smile and spread their wings
And if you listen you can hear them sing
And through the room reindeers dance and fly
That's Baby's First Christmas Lullaby

Charlotte wakes when she hears the croons
Of candy canes and singing spoons
Hush, Amanda, now don't you weep
Your dolls will sing you back to sleep
Then
Santa comes with Rudolph too
And here's a special gift they bring to you
And you can sing it if you try
That's Baby's First Christmas Lullaby

The Christmas tree begins to sway
And all the toy balloons just seem to say
Don't let the music pass you by
It's Baby's First Christmas Lullaby
Then
Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dee
Are harmonizing 'neath the tree
The mistletoes let out a sigh
They're telling you, you must not cry
So
Join with me in this Christmas song
And you'll feel good if you can sing along
So sing it loud and don't be shy
That's Baby's First Christmas Lullaby

(I Love You, Papa Neil)

Musical Review: The Biscuit Brothers Musical Farm

This CD is geared for children.  However, with what appears to be political correctness it seems to miss the mark.  Much of the CD it appears they were trying to present a concert for the migrant workers on their farm.  A third of the farms were in Spanish, or if in English with a Spanish flare like Continental Tango.  I must assume this was a PBS presentation.  By the end, some of the songs sounded like Elmo was singing, "Go Make Music" and "Music is Magic."  The songs I most enjoyed are the traditional songs with the Biscuit Brother versions such as "Three Blind Mice," "Old MacDonald" and "This Old Man."  Those songs were really hopping.

Music Reviews: *Beatles: All you Need is Love

I checked out a music CD from the library which was *Beatles songs for young people.  It didn't work for me.   It wasn't enough Beatles and it wasn't enough children's music.  It was someplace in the middle, and not very good at either genre.  The only song even mildly enjoyable was a rendition of the "Octopus Garden Under the Sea" which I have heard on Sesame Street. 

Music Review: **^Andrew Gold's Halloween Howls

This is a good D.C. for this time of year.  It is available at Manteca Library.  I used **^Andrew Golds' Halloween Howls to help get us in the mood of the season.  I must admit the first time through Tony did not like it saying it scared him.  We didn't get through it, but I later caught him singing the Monster Mash song.  So I decided to try it again telling him we could skip any song he did not like.  This had a better result as we danced to the music through most of the C.D., and then Tony took off making up his own dances and having a good time with it.