The Dragonfly Races

Ellis Paul | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (January 1, 2008)
• Original Release Date: 2008
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Black Wolf Records
• ASIN: B000ZZLL0I
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #93,573 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Wabi Sabi

2. Because It's There

3. Abiola

4. Road Trip

5. The Dragonfly Races

6. The Bed Song

7. The Little Red Rose

8. I Lost A Day To The Rain

9. I like To Swing

10. Million Chameleon March

11. Pinwheel

12. The Star Inside The Apple

13. Nine Months To Fix The World

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Happy songs for adults and kids, June 4, 2009

By 

Tina J. Bembry "Earnest Artist" (Nashville, TN) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Dragonfly Races (Audio CD)

I heard "9 Months to Fix This World" on Acoustic Cafe on the radio, and the song has haunted me. I finally found the album and debated whether to buy it, as it is intended for children. But I did buy it, and I love it. The songmanship (you know what I mean!) is gorgeous, the lyrics are fun and lively, and it brings a smile to my face whenever I listen to the CD. So what if it's meant for kids! I need more simple but eloquent pleasures in my life!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars fantastic, May 7, 2008

By 

carly - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Dragonfly Races (Audio CD)

My father bought this CD for my 1 year-old daughter. We have been fans of Ellis Paul's music for years. When my father heard that Ellis had produced a children's CD, he sent it to us. This is hands down, the best children's CD I have heard. The music is gentle, fun and meaningful. We picked up the lyrics to the songs quickly, and sing along together now. As an adult I appreciate the meanings behind the songs, and love having a CD I can enjoy just as much as my daughter does.

4.0 out of 5 stars Tuneful, modern folk songs which celebrate imagination and dedication, January 24, 2012

By 

Stefan Shepherd (Phoenix, AZ United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Dragonfly Races (Audio CD)

Boston-based singer-songwriter Ellis Paul has over a dozen CDs to his credit, and many accolades from fellow musicians. It is, therefore, a sign of the ascendance of kids and family music that after all that time this artist with such a career released his first album for kids and families, The Dragonfly Races a few years.

Paul has written (or co-written) a number of strong folk and folk-rock tracks here, with themes that will be familiar to listeners of folk music -- peace, or speaking truth to power. Indeed, the leadoff track, "Wabi-Sabi," talks about some things, as they get older, having "wabi-sabi soul." That's a good thing for Paul, but more distinctively, when was the last time you heard a kids' music CD use the word "soul"? It's a sign that Paul is not about to dumb down his material just because the audience might skew a little younger. And in many places, that choice pays off in spades. The most rousing track on the CD, "Because It's There," is an inspirational song about doing dangerous things "Because it's there / Because we could / Because we should / Because we dare..." It's a fabulous folk-rock song. Songs that tackle slightly more kid-focused topics such as swinging on a swing (the mid-tempo "I Like to Swing"), or pinwheels (the lullaby titled "Pinwheel," natch) do so with fun wordplay and imaginative lyrics.

I should note that the album has a definite political undercurrent, and I'm not sure it always serves the album well. It wasn't the content itself -- if you're a fan of Dan Zanes and Pete Seeger (as I am), nothing here will offend you. But I was much more taken with the CD when Paul is telling stories or reeling out his views of life in smaller-scale ways. "Abiola," co-written with Antje Dukevot, is a fantastic song about a girl who ignores rumors spread by a king about a nearby monster to find out the truth. No small political allegory, there. Kids will enjoy the story and, the older ones at least, will understand the point. "The Million Chameleon March" and "Nine Months to Fix the World" have similar themes, but don't work nearly as well on this CD. Perhaps on another one, one targeted primarily at the parents...

Kids ages 5 through 10 will most appreciate (and understand) the themes tackled here. I would also mention that the album packaging, with artwork from Paul, is one of the nicer kids' music album packages I've seen recently.

In the end, I don't want to leave you with the impression that this is an overtly political album, because it's not. The Dragonfly Races is, however, political in that Ellis Paul has recorded songs that speak very clearly to the type of world he, as a parent of two young kids, would like his kids to grow up in. I suspect that most of you readers envision a similar type of world. These tuneful modern folk songs celebrate imagination and dedication -- we could use more of those kinds of songs. Recommended.

[Originally published in a modified format at Zooglobble.]