Notes & Personnel Info |  | Personnel includes: Dan Zane (vocals, guitar); Philip Glass, Deborah Harry, David Jones, Angelique Kidjo, Bob Weir, The Rubi Theater Company, Barbara Brousal, Rankin' Don. | | Former Del Fuegos frontman Dan Zanes is one of the few artists making children's music that appeals to both kids and their parents. House Party is his fourth kids' record and it shows no drop-off in energy or imagination. He and his band create lighthearted, easily rocking tunes with mostly acoustic instruments. Zanes has a great voice for kids' records; loose and light, he sounds more like an older brother than some stuffy old teacher. The tunes are a mix of traditional songs like "Old Joe Clark," "Down in the Valley," and "Hop Up Ladies" and Zanes originals like the fun "House Party Time" and the laid-back country rocker "Sunny Old Sun." A hallmark of Zanes' records is the wide range of guests who show up to join in the fun. Here, Debbie Harry lends some vocals to a stately "Waltzing Matilda," Bob Weir helps out on "Wabash Cannonball," Ang?lique Kidjo helps romp through "Jamaica Farewell," and Philip Glass plays pump organ on the sweet ballad "A Place for Us." A couple of the songs feature a group of kids known as the Dandelion Chorus adding vocals, and there is plenty of unique instrumentation to keep the recorded from sounding bland. House Party is a rare kids' record that doesn't condescend to kids; maybe that is why parents, and maybe even people without kids, will find it to be a whole lot of fun. ~ Tim Sendra | | Best known as the front man for the rock group the Del Fuegos, Dan Zanes turns to children's music on HOUSE PARTY. Quite simply, this is warm and fuzzy American roots music. Most of the tunes on this album are cute ditties that draw from country, folk, and bluegrass. Use of mandolin, acoustic guitars, fiddles, and accordion give this recording a rustic feel and Zanes's many special guests add charm to this already inviting disc. | | Zanes performs a duet with Deborah Harry (from Blondie) on the classic folk song "Waltzing Matilda." Even though the lyric to this tune revolves around stealing, a near arrest, and an implied suicide, listeners have long embraced the silliness of these lyrics about a swagman (roving farmhand) and a jumbuck (sheep). Another 19th-century tramp song, "Wabash Cannonball," is performed here by Zanes and Grateful Dead singer Bob Weir. The words to this piece recount the mythical transcontinental train known as the Wabash Cannonball. This hobo classic is given an upbeat bluegrass treatment and Zanes and Weir really invoke the mystique of the lone boxcar drifter. |
|
CD
