Call us selfish, but we think the test of a great kids’ CD is not “Can I stand to listen to this thing over and over?” but rather “Do I want to listen to this thing over and over?” And one CD that definitely makes the cut is the Play compilation put out this year by DeSoto Records. We loved it straightaway, but didn’t realize quite how engaging it was for little ones till we glanced in the rearview mirror one morning and observed 3-year-old DJ Waah Waah quietly practicing car-seat dance moves to Anna Oxygen’s “Born to Shake” (the CD’s opening track, which sounds something like Laurie Anderson meets Laurie Berkner).
The rest of the CD is no less inspiring. The Young Fresh Fellows’ “Picnic,” bounces along so playfully we can’t help blurting out snippets of the song for hours afterward: “Ice cream cone! Wiffle ball! Mosquito bite! Boat ride … with you!” And who would’ve expected such exuberance from Mary Timony, erstwhile singer of Helium, whose garagey “Clap Your Hands” veers almost into B-52’s territory? Mudhoney’s “I Like to Make Noise and Break Things” sounds just as rowdy as you’d want it to — although DJ Waah Waah, it should be noted, finds the song a little too rowdy: “If those boys ever come over to our house to visit, we’ll have to hide all our toys,” she says. And, of course, she’s right.
Other favorites include “Always Check for Holes” by Channels with Damon Locks and “I’ll Never Fear Ghosts Again” by Soccer Team. Aw heck, it’s almost not worth pointing out individual songs, because this plays so well as an album. Highly recommended!
The rest of the CD is no less inspiring. The Young Fresh Fellows’ “Picnic,” bounces along so playfully we can’t help blurting out snippets of the song for hours afterward: “Ice cream cone! Wiffle ball! Mosquito bite! Boat ride … with you!” And who would’ve expected such exuberance from Mary Timony, erstwhile singer of Helium, whose garagey “Clap Your Hands” veers almost into B-52’s territory? Mudhoney’s “I Like to Make Noise and Break Things” sounds just as rowdy as you’d want it to — although DJ Waah Waah, it should be noted, finds the song a little too rowdy: “If those boys ever come over to our house to visit, we’ll have to hide all our toys,” she says. And, of course, she’s right.
Other favorites include “Always Check for Holes” by Channels with Damon Locks and “I’ll Never Fear Ghosts Again” by Soccer Team. Aw heck, it’s almost not worth pointing out individual songs, because this plays so well as an album. Highly recommended!
Belinda Miller & Hova Najarian, hosts, Greasy Kid Stuff
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