Customer Reviews

Gi'me Elbow Room

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This CD is filled with joy! Sometimes gentle, but mostly exuberant, each song is a treasure. The music is complex and energetic; every note seems to come straight from the hearts of the performers. The wide variety of instruments (fiddle, bag pipes, dulcimer, harp, just to name a few) provide many layers of listening interest. You don't need to listen carefully to hear Bonnie Rideout make her fiddle cluck like a chicken or race like a steam locomotive. Children deserve to hear GOOD music, so forgo the Barney tapes and get this instead. This is a favorite CD for all the members of my family, children and adults alike!!!

Bonnie Rideout's "Gimme Elbow Room" is a pure joy. I keep this CD in my classroom just for the fun of it. The Hen's March is a wonderful change of pace during a rainy day session. The quality of the recording is excellent and the vocals are clear and not 'too sweet' for adults to enjoy. Enjoy this with children and visit another time and place with Bonnie Rideout. You will not be disappointed.

If you're stuck in a car on a road trip, you could do much worse than to have this CD along. The kids love it, to be sure, but musically and lyrically it's masterful enough for the adults in the car to listen again and again.

Along with Garcia/Grisman's "Not for Kids Only," the Persuasions's "Good Ship Lollipop," and the Seeger's "American Folk Songs for Children," this CD allows us to share the joy of music with our children without driving ourselves insane in the process.

Great fun!

If you've read my other reviews, you will know that I am a traditionalist. For the past two years, Bonnie Rideout has been consistently in my top five listens, and this cd is one that finds itself being played more often than not. When the kids are around, the entire set is listened to, but when it's adult time, I'm a wee bit more selective. My personel favorites are 'Bobby Shafto' and 'The Hen's March,' but all are equally enjoyable. Bonnie is such a great fiddle player! A 'newbie' (to Bonnie and to Scottish music in general) may think how could anyone listen to all Scottish fiddle music, but for those of you who haven't given it a chance, you will be in for a pleasant surprise. Bonnie's music is consistently traditional, and yet contemporary at the same time. It's alive, different, upbeat, moody, and just plain GREAT! Everyone of her albums are worth getting - I have 'em all - and if you get a chance, go see her in concert. Thank you, Bonnie, from one Michiganian to another!

This album is enjoyable for both parent and child. Songs for marching, singing along, and simply listening quietly are included. Many of the standard tunes my grandmother sang to me are included on this album. I have enjoyed sharing them with my daughter and learning new ones. A great piece of Scottish heritage to share with your children.

We discovered this fabulous set of tunes at our library. After checking it out 3 times this year, I realize we need to own this. It is a delightful collection of tunes and poems. My child loves the chance to hear accents from the British Isles. I love the bagpipes!

Does not talk down to kids. Great recitations of Robert Louis Stevenson. Intro to fiddle, pipes and harps that kids can relate to. Listening with kids gets adults to listen again. Fun is the gist of it all.

So many of the songs are nursery rhymes we have known since childhood and heard in a true Scottish setting everyone will enjoy. The others are wonderful teachers of rhythm, listening skills and just plain fun. Grandma has hours of enjoyment listening to them with her grandchildren!

My children (ages 3 and 8) **love** this collection! Don't be surprised to find yourself heartily singing along. This is great music!