Here Comes Science (Amazon MP3 Exclusive Version)

They Might Be Giants | Format: MP3 Music

Product Details

• Original Release Date: September 22, 2009
• Release Date: September 22, 2009
• Label: DisneySound
• Copyright: (C) 2009 Disney
• Record Company Required Metadata: Music file metadata contains unique purchase identifier. Learn more.
• Total Length: 41:12
• Genres:
  • Children's Music
• ASIN: B002P314WI
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (254 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,406 Paid in MP3 Albums (See Top 100 Paid in MP3 Albums)
  • #37 in MP3 Downloads > MP3 Albums > Children's Music

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

133 of 135 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Catchy Science Music September 8, 2009

By Jason S. Schneiderman

Format:Audio CD

While not a kid, I am a fan of TMBG, a scientist and I love this album. There are too few songs for kids done by good musicians about some of the most wonderful things about the world around us. The videos add a level of detail without weighing down the music or the level of fun. What particularly impressed me about the album is that it is more then just a series of facts set to song. The songs "Why Does the Sun Shine?" and "Why Does the Sun Really Shine?" TMBG captures the self-correcting nature of science, while "Science is Real" and "Put it to the Test" convey that science is an active ongoing process.
I highly recommend this album to parents out there, as well as science fans of all ages.

76 of 78 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Catchy, educational, AND cheap?? September 9, 2009

By J. F. Halsey

Format:Audio CD

Just got this album in today and already I'm raving about it. The songs are fun and catchy, but the real deal-closer for me was the DVD. Over 45 minutes long, every single track on the CD has an animated video, each in a different creative style, that really bring the educational part home for the younger viewers. I have a daughter who is 4, and watching her stare with rapt attention as the "bloodmobile" explained how the cardiovascular system carries oxygen, nutrients, white blood cells, hormones, and waste to the different parts of the body--and seeing that she was really getting it--is incredibly rewarding. Or "Meet the Elements"... it's a bit too advanced for a 4 year old, but I can tell that she is at least getting some groundwork laid down in the basic concepts--that everything, and everyone, is made up of the same "stuff".

As a huge "fan" of science (I read science blogs while my coworkers check out ESPN), I can't tell you how fantastic it feels to have an entire album dedicated to, *ahem*, "singing the praises" of everything from anatomy to geology, astrophysics to zoology, the Big Bang to DNA. When I was a little kid, I was a little too late for Sagan's COSMOS, but I would watch hours of this silly little HBO show called ENCYCLOPEDIA, where they did silly sketches and songs about a lot of science facts and history. I know my fascination for learning new things about the How's and Why's of the world were, in part, kindled at that early age by such educational entertainment. I can't tell you how much it thrills me to see my kids starting on the same path of knowledge and discovery.

Thank you, John and John.

27 of 27 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars From Evolution to the Milky Way September 20, 2009

By Timothy P. Young VINE™ VOICE

Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase

I admit freely I skipped They Might Be Giants' previous children's albums, but I was drawn to "Here Comes Science" because they promised to correct the errors made in "Why Does the Sun Shine?" That, and the fact that I've been a hardcore TMBG fan for 20 years, and figured they deserved the benefit of the doubt.

"Here Comes Science" resembles any TMBG album, with catchy melodies and clever lyrics, sung in the nasal tones of John and John, along with guest shots by friends like Robin Goldwasser, who's worked with Flansburgh in Mono Puff. Truthfully, there's not a bad track on the album...my personal favorites are "I Am A Paleontologist" and "Put It to the Test," probably because these two tracks could easily fit on any TMBG album without any changes ("And all the kids who wanna see 'em/Are lining up at our museum"). These song-lessons occasionally put scientific accuracy (a good thing) at odds with song structure (a bad thing).

Of course, the album is called "Here Comes Science," so it's a good thing that the Johns are accurate. However, its reliance on sing-songy vocals (always a hallmark of TMBG, but usually more varied) makes this a minor struggle to get through on one sitting. However, for the under-10 crowd, it's easy to see both its usefulness and effectiveness. It's catchy, no doubt.

If anything, the songs on this album are better viewed in their video versions on the DVD. Not only is the animation goofy and fun, but the two Johns (in simplistic cartoon form) narrate and introduce the songs, often dropping useful facts and mnemonics to help the viewer better follow the subject matter. The DVD is consistently entertaining, fun, and educational, and therein lies the true value of this media project.

It's not your everyday TMBG release, but it's not meant to be. If you look at the album as a soundtrack to the DVD project (which I believe in many ways it was intended to be, and not vice versa), you'll enjoy it immensely. I know I did.