5 comments about Simply Mad About the Mouse.

1. Simply Mad About The Mouse gives us nine renditions of classic Disney songs by modern day artists including L.L. Cool J, Harry Connick, Jr., Michael Bolton and Billy Joel. We also get two other tracks that are based on Disney music although they are not Disney tunes: there is a creatively written introduction and the last track by Kirk Whalum, entitled "Mad About The Wolf," is strong but not exactly a classic.
   
   The track set begins with "Simply Mad--An Introduction." This creative melody uses the horns and percussion to bolster the arrangement; the strings and piano help to make it more interesting. The number takes a quick turn into a rap/hip-hop type of sound before reverting back to a more traditional Disney instrumental track. "When You Wish Upon A Star" by Billy Joel follows; and he delivers this very well. Billy Joel's voice is in good form and he sings "When You Wish Upon A Star" with passion and feeling. Another Amazon reviewer notes that Billy's voice is a bit gruff sounding; but I think this adds to his performance. The arrangement uses strings and piano to bolster the melody. Great!
   
   Ric Ocasek then comes in with his rendition of "Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah;" when the main melody comes in you can tell right away this is a pop version of "Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah." Ric sings very well, never missing a beat; and the female backup chorus works well to enhance this number. "Who's Afraid Of The Big Bad Wolf" gets the royal treatment from L.L. Cool J who delivers this as a rap/hip-hop number with an awesome female chorus on backup. L.L. Cool J sings REALLY well and you can tell he's having fun with this number; he performs a song he doesn't get much time to do because he and his fans prefer the more mainstream rap and hip-hop numbers. Great chord changes on "Who's Afraid Of The Big Bad Wolf," too.
   
   "The Bare Necessities" features Harry Connick, Jr. crooning this to perfection; and the big band style arrangement works wonders for "The Bare Necessities," too. I predict that you will like "The Bare Necessities" very, very much.
   
   Michael Bolton performs "A Dream Is A Wish Your Heart Makes" very well; but I must agree with the reviewer who writes that his higher pitched voice can sound a tad "whiny" at times. The musical arrangement, however, lacks nothing; the strings and flutes make the music shine like silver and gold. Moreover, En Vogue does a great job with "Someday My Prince Will Come/One Song." The percussion, strings and drums on "Someday My Price Will Come/One Song" work to make this number a great ballad.
   
   The CD track set ends with "Mad About The Wolf" performed by Kirk Whalum. The beginning sounds very much like the start of the first introductory track; and the horn solo that weaves in and out throughout the number shines magnificently.
   
   The liner notes include the song credits; and the artwork impresses me.
   
   Overall, this CD attempts to take classic tunes from Disney films and make them appealing to the adult crowd. It succeeds most of the way despite a Michael Bolton number that doesn't completely work; and therefore I give it four stars. If you're an adult who is also a big Disney fan, you just may like this CD. However, persons who want that traditional Disney sound will be disappointed.



2. The recordings in this CD are creative re-interpretations of the original Dysney songs. My children and I were captivated by the familiarity, yet new apects of the songs as interpreted by the artists. It's nice to inject new life into old classics!



3. There's so much to be mined from Disney music, it's surprising there are not more remakes out there. This CD, however, is a fine example of how not to do it. Without exception, the tracks lack any inspiration, sense of reverence, or creativity. When L.L. Cool J's old-school rap version of Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf rates as the best song on the disc (and that's not saying much), things aren't looking good. Overwhelmingly, if you're looking for some genuinely creative and sincere reworkings of Disney tunes, pick up Stay Awake, and file this one under Stay Away.



4. If you like reworkings of favorite Disney songs this collection is for you. It originally came out in 1991, but sounds as wonderful as ever! In fact I'm still listening to my copy. The songs on this collection I like, I really, REALLY like and the ones I don't care for I really, REALLY hate. Fortunately there are only two of the latter, Billy Joel's "When You Wish Upon A Star" (much too gruff sounding) and Michael Bolton's "A Dream Is A Wish Your Heart Makes" (as usual way too whiny for me). However the rest of the CD is truly inspired. The En Vogue medley of "Someday My Prince Will Come" and "One Song" accentuates the longing in the songs to great effect. The big band version of "Bare Necessities" by Harry Conick Jr. is terrific as is the ethereal "Siamese Cat Song" by Bobby McFerrin. LL Cool J, The Gypsy Kings and Ric Ocasek (from the Cars) just make you want to get up and groove with their songs.

   Really, I can't think of a reason not to own this recording, especially when you consider the rock bottom price. Yes there are a few songs that don't work but I'm certain you'll enjoy the majority of these remakes. If your even a smidgen mad about the Mouse, you'll be mad about this Cd as well.




5. I grew up listening to these songs and to hear them redone in this way was wonderful. Every time I hear these songs, they take me back to various points in my childhood. More CD's of this caliber needs to be done. Way to go, Disney!!!!

2 comments about Preschool Favorites.

1. I bought this cd to help refresh my memory on the songs I sang as a child so I can sing to my newborn. I enjoy it more than my baby. I've heard some children's music that makes me want to pull my hair, but this one is not that kind.



2. This cd is very good and not at all annoying. My children really enjoy it. I don't mind listening to it over and over, either, unlike some other cds for children. Children sing some of the beginnings of songs, but the song itself is sung by adults. A bargain and a keeper.

1 comments about Koi & the Kola Nuts.

1. We love this tape in our family -- Whoopie's voice is both mesmorizing and soothing, as is Herbie Hancock's score. The story is engaging and shows the benefits of being kind and helpful to others, without being in the least bit preachy. A great bedtime or car trip story!

2 comments about Top 25 Kids Praise Songs.

1. I teach in the choir program at a Methodist church. I've used these songs with kids from 1st through 4th grade. They love two of the pop-rock style, more contemporary songs on the second disc - Let the Walls Fall Down, and I Walk by Faith (even though the intro to this one is kind of strange). We've also used the song Beloved for our children's church anthem. On the first disc, the arrangement of As the Deer is quite beautiful, and great training for young voices. This is a bargain at the price listed today as I'm writing - $7.



2. We should train/lead our children down the right paths in life. In doing so, I have found that praise songs can be a great asset! Praise songs help children with developing the right attitude to conquering any rotten moment. My 14 yr old says "helps to build confidence and its very peaceful" her comments on top 25 praise songs. My family has been listening to kids praise songs for over 15 years. I recommend this album for anyone's personal library, whether, you have children, grandchildren or neices/nephews. In his presence, Marv

5 comments about Toddler Songs.

1. I enjoyed singing to my twin boys but needed some assistance, (I had forgotten many of the lyrics etc) so we started looking for nursery rhymes on CD. After reading the reviews of this and others, we decided that this CD was the one to buy, particularly as the songs are sung by children and not modernized (like many of the other CDs for nursery rhymes available at Amazon). I was a little concerned about the religious songs on it, but now that we have it and have listened to it almost every day, I have no problems with the 3 or 4 religious songs, in fact one of the songs is very catchy. Overall I am very happy with this CD and the songs are well sung by children and you can't beat the price. The only reason it doesn't get 5 stars is I wish it had more songs on it rather than simply repeating the 25 songs to fill the CD and ideally perhaps not the religious songs, but really if you don't like them, you can always skip them.



2. I listened through about a dozen previewable CDs on Amazon before I decided to purchase this one for my niece. What I liked about this CD is that all the songs were sang by kids - kids who can sing very well. I really don't like it when adult singers alter kid songs to be more modern, adding pop, country or rock tone to them. Those just don't sound right for toddlers. The songs on this CD really put you in a good mood - they carry very happy beats and tunes. My niece loved it. Even my mom has asked me to buy her one!



3. We received this recording as a gift and have really enjoyed it. You may notice that the songs are listed twice, giving you about 50 tracks. The second recording of each song is made available in split-track, which means the music is in one speaker and the children singing are in another. If you adjust your stereo balance to only include the music, you can sing along without the children's voices in the background. As a new parent, I've never seen this anywhere else but on Beatles records, so I thought it was kinda neat. Happy singing!



4. I heard them online and thougt it would be good for my daughter and I was right. This CD contains Children singing very clearly and the music is a clasic. This is a great CD for anywhere. My daughter listens to this CD and the Preschool Tunes and Silly Songs CD's constantly.



5. This has been my daughter's favorite CD since she was fourteen months old. She loves to dance and go through the hand motions for the songs. She gets really excited when she hears the first song and dances all the way through to the last. I lost the CD at one point and came right back to Amazon.com to buy a replacement. It's a must in our house!

No comments about Cantos Bíblicos.

1 comments about Baby's First Music.

1. This is an excellent CD. The choices are well performed, as would be expected from the London Symphony Orchestra. However, if you are not familiar with classical music and/or the specific selections on this CD you should be aware most of these selections are somewhat "upbeat" and best for getting your mood up or background music for playtime with your child. If you are looking for a cheap lullaby CD this is not it. But if you are looking for a good introduction to classical music that is well performed with classic selections - then this CD may be for you.

1 comments about Singing in the Rain.

1. i THINK THIS A GOOD CD FOR PEOPLE YOUNG AND OLD.IT IS SOMETHING THAT YOU CAN SIT DOWN AND LISTEN TO WITH OUT GETTING BOARED.IT HAS ALOT OF MY FAVORET SONGS LIKE THE ORIGANAL "THE RAINBOW CONECTION"AND A CLEAR SOUND OF "LETS GO FLY A KITE"

No comments about Bible Songs.

4 comments about Sing-A-Long With Madeline.

1. I have this cd and i love it. I love a;; the songs. Madeleine goes on my car trips with me.



2. My daughter and I love this cd. The songs are wonderful and everytime my daughter hears a song, she remembers the episode that it played on. Very good buy.



3. My wife checked this one out at the library. I expected something so-so, but immediately decided it was broadway quality material and singers. Highly recommend!



4. My daughter loves this album! Not only is it jam packed with wonderful kid friendly songs and beautiful images, it also has all the song lyrics printed on the sleeve so I can learn the songs and sing-a-long with my daughter. A must get!