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CHILDREN'S MUSIC: TOP 10 OF 1999

Editor, Andrew Bartlett

The themes in children's music during 1999 were numerous. Classical for babies picked up speed, as did an the reissue of soundtracks from time-tested television features. It was a big year also for international music aimed at parents. And even though we might not like the win/lose language such determinations require, these are the best children's music CDs released in 1999.

1. "On the Good Ship Lollipop"
The Persuasions
What makes the Persuasions so important in 1999 is their immense contribution to children's music with just one CD. The Persuasions enhance the widening musical universe for children, bringing a form that originated on urban street corners to young listeners and teaching them the art of vocal dynamism. Whether it's grammar, language, singing, or the relationship of one singer to the group, there are many points from which kids can learn. Read more

Our Price: $11.18 | You Save: $4.79 (30%) (16%)   


2. "All You Need Is Love: Beatles Songs for Kids"
Various artists
This charming collection of Beatles songs focuses on the Fab Four's later work, much of which veered between silly ditties and serious mind-expanding gems. Here the focus is on the fun stuff, from "Yellow Submarine" to "Ob La Di, Ob La Da" and "All Together Now." The melodies are so strong that kids will easily hang onto the lyrics in their original form. Kids sing most of the tracks, remarkably well in fact, adding another layer of attraction for young listeners. Read more

Our Price: $13.49 | You Save: $2.48 (16%)   


3. "Putamayo Presents: World Playground"
Various artists
The folks at Putamayo have enacted a brilliant plan to document contemporary international music. This collection draws on both their expertise and their artists' writing for children. The CD's theme is, of course, the global constancy of play. Following that aim, the tunes are each playful and funny, attracting the ear and enlivening the mind with vivid dimensions from non-Western musical traditions. A strong effort indeed, "World Playground" will likely end up in heavy rotation. Read more

Our Price: $10.48 | You Save: $4.49 (30%)   


4. "Singin' in the Bathtub"
John Lithgow
From the TV situation comedy "Third Rock from the Sun" to this swinging affair seems like a long route, but John Lithgow takes it in stride. Backed by a big band (and the occasional banjo or musical saw), Lithgow takes on topics from multiple births (the Alice in Wonderlandesque "Triplets"), the alphabet ("A, You're Adorable," which recalls "Alligators All Around" from Carol King's "Really Rosie"), and a veritable menagerie ("The Gnu Song," "I Had a Rooster," "The Hippopotamus Song," and "The Inchworm"). He kicks off the title song with a reminder: "Grab your ducky, grab your toy boat--let's make this fun!" Read more

Our Price: $13.27 | You Save: $0.70 (5%)   


5. "Cool Songs for Cool Kids"
Daddy a Go Go
Tackling subject matter from the merits of toothbrushing to the pleasures of fatherhood to carpooling and diaper changing, Daddy a Go Go fill the gap for hip parents and kids who have a hankering for something that is cooler and more substantive than Barney and edgier than Raffi. Daddy a Go Go makes jubilant jangle-pop recalling '80s-heyday-era Athens as well as '60s three-chord pop. Read more

Our Price: $10.99    


6. "African Lullaby"
Various artists
"African Lullaby" is more than a stellar music collection. Its delightful liner notes provide ample context for these "love songs for children" and the collection's innovative earth-friendly packaging is a work of art in itself. Commencing with the bewitching Zulu harmonies of Ladysmith Black Mambazo, "Thula Mtwana" sets the tone, creating an atmosphere of warmth, safety, and peace, and is followed by a baker's dozen that reflect the gentle rhythms of an abundantly diverse continent. Read more

Our Price: $12.99 | You Save: $3.98 (23%)   


7. "Really Rosie" (1975 television special)
Carole King
Carole King's 11 songs for the "Really Rosie" TV special (it originally aired in 1975) came from characters found in Maurice Sendak's books "The Sign on Rosie's Door" and "Nutshell Library," but it can easily be argued that the characters never really lived until given voice by King. She enlivens the characters with an excited, sometimes irreverent attitude, making this an easy winner. Read more

Our Price: $11.49 | You Save: $0.48 (4%)   


8. "Bach for Babies: Fun and Games for Budding Brains"
Various artists
These Bach compositions run the emotional gamut, from the gently eye opening to the jumpy arm raising, collecting each set of pieces under a thematic header. The first several selections ("Waking Up") feature solo piano works that come from Bach's more pedagogic works, intended for students as exercises to loosen their touch. Played superbly by pianist Sviatoslav Richter, as well as the Romero brothers (Pepe and Celedonio) on warm guitar, these compositions urge the ear open. And then you come to the pieces gathered under the "Playtime" heading: jazz pianist John Lewis picks up a couple, as do the folks in Canadian Brass. Synapses will fire for this one. Read more

Our Price: $11.49 | You Save: $0.48 (4%)   


9. "Lullabies of Latin America"
Maria del Rey
Gifted with a gracefully pliant midrange soprano, Maria Del Rey here turns her attention to lullabies and to an immersion of culture and language with Latin American poems adapted and translated for this purpose. Del Rey delivers the first half of "Lullabies of Latin America" in gently fluid Spanish, then follows up in the second half with a repeat of the same songs sung in English. She's a stellar talent. Read more

Our Price: $13.49 | You Save: $2.48 (16%)   


10. "Cinderella"
CBS's 1957 TV production of Rodgers and Hammerstein's "Cinderella" has the polished yet untainted sound of a live Broadway musical recording, despite the fact that the album was recorded before the television broadcast. Julie Andrews stars as Cinderella, and her clean yet vulnerable voice perfectly suits her role as the picked-on dreamer in rags. This is a classic. Read more

Our Price: $11.49 | You Save: $0.48 (4%)   

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