Customer Reviews

From Hay to Zzzzzz: Hillbilly Songs for Kids

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I bought this for my year-old niece and have since bought 10 because I received such rave reviews from my sister's not-so-hillbilly friends in Connecticut. Now I give one to every kid I know. Not only is it baby/kid-friendly, but it's NOT one of those children's albums that makes grown-ups want to drive off a cliff. The dance/singalong cd is hilarious and the lullaby cd is so sweet. My review doesn't do the album justice so you should just trust me and order a few of them. And while you're at it, get every other Big Smith album you can on Amazon. Or you can go to mayapple.com to get all their albums (sorry, Amazon).

Although this is a children's cd (and we don't have any), my husband and I bought this album anyway, just because we wanted all the Big Smith we could get! It is fantastic, with many toe-tappers that you will find yourself humming all the time. With lyrics like, "Hagalina, Magalina, Hootensteiner, Walkensteiner, Hogan Logan Mogan was her name", who wouldn't love it!? My personal favorite is the song, "Leap as you run", which inspires the child in all of us to reclaim the joy in life. The album also has various well-loved children's songs. Whether you need some good healthy music for the kids or for yourself, buy this!

SONGS - DISC ONE (46:19): 1. ABC's, 2. Hay is For Horses, 3. Hay is For Horses Reprise, 4. Leap As You Run, 5. Cheese Enchilada, 6. Itsy Bitsy Spider, 7. Easy Greasy, 8. Brian O'Lynn, 9. Concernin' Murder, 10. There's a Hole in the Bottom of the Sea 11. Round Medley, 12. 20 Froggies, 13. I Married My Wife in the Month of June, 14. Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, 15. Cross-Eyed Gal, 16. The Whale Swallowed Jonah, 17. The Scarecrow Song, 18. Ring Around the Rosy, 19. Kookaburra, 20. Hagaleena, Hagaleena 21. She'll Be Comin' Round the Mountain, 22. I'm Blue Eyed, I'm Black Eyed, 23. Great Big Silver Airplane, 24. Old MacDonald, 25. Susie Little Susie, 26. Forks of the Branch, 27. Bone Terry and the Paw Paw Patch, 28. Paw Paw Patch Revisited, 29. Giddyap Hoedown

DISC TWO (37:39): 1. When I'm One, 2. I See the Moon, 3. Hush Little Baby, 4. Cady's Lullaby, 5. Night Light, 6. Go Tell Aunt Rhody, 7. Little Cowboy's Lullaby, 8. Do Nothing At All, 9. Rocky Baby, 10. Sweetly the Swan Sings, 11. Sandman's A-Comin', 12. Hush-a-Bye Owlet, 13. Forest Animal Lullaby

Big Smith, an acoustic string band from Springfield, MO., is made up of five cousins. Rik Thomas is joined by two sets of brothers -- Mark and Jody Bilyeu, Jay and Mike Williamson. They play a wide a variety of folk instruments -- guitar, harmonica, mandolin, accordion, piano, washboard, drums, spoons, bones, bass, trumpet, trombone, tuba, mouthbow, dulcimer, triangle, tin whistle, and clip-clops. The instrumental, vocal and song trichotomy are broad and gives this long project a comfortable feel. For example, "Rocky Baby" has some synthesizer, and a few tracks later it's a toy piano that's featured on the "Forest Animal Lullaby." Also, lead vocals are shared among the bandmates. Big Smith is joined by cousin Bill Thomas on banjo and Molly Healey on fiddle. Other family members also participate. Playing professionally since 1996, Big Smith's raucous music that captures the spirit of the Ozarks has built them a fair number of fans, especially in that region of the U.S. Some recent tours have also taken them further abroad to California, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Louisiana.

"From Hay to Zzzzzz: Hillbilly Songs for Kids" is their fifth album project and includes two CDs - one for playtime, the other for sleepy time. Some of the songs are very familiar. "ABCs," "Itsy Bitsy Spider," "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star," "Ring Around the Rosy," and "Old MacDonald" are sung by their six kids, the Little Smiths. While cute, they could've used a little more coaching on the melodies before recording. Other folk songs in Big Smith's set have been handed down through their family's traditions. "Concernin' Murder" came from their Great Grandmother, "20 Froggies" and "The Scarecrow Song" were taught by Granma Thelma, "Cross-Eyed Gal" and "Brian O'Lynn" are from Great Uncle Chester, and "Leap as you Run" was inspired by one of Granpa Hosea's sayings. "Fetch us some wood, and leap as you run!"

The band's most noteworthy offerings are their charming original songs. Ten were written by band members or relatives. Bill Thomas' "Hay is for Horses" gallops right along. Jody's "Easy Greasy" gives us the advice to "take it simple, take it slow, use your noggin, there you go." Mark's "Cheese Enchilada" is a certain crowd-pleaser among audiences of all ages. Jay's "Leap as you Run" is a bouncy number with a nice little hook. Big Smith also does a nice job with old favorites like "Kookaburra" and "Go Tell Aunt Rhody" by arranging them with a fresh, new outlook.

Missouri's MayApple record label values originality, and I can see why they have Big Smith on their roster. The discs in "From Hay to Zzzzzz" give us two perspectives of this band. On the one hand, they appear indefatigable and very wry-witted with their spirited, playful numbers. On the other, they can sing some beautiful soothing lullabies together and even embellish those with some of the night sounds of Christian County, Missouri in September. Preserving their Smith family traditions is another important benefit of this album. This is simply an ideal way to introduce "children, big and little" to the frolicking and fun-filled acoustic sounds of folk and old-timey music. (Joe Ross, staff writer, Bluegrass Now)

This is a wonderful album, from a fantastic band. Big Smith is extremely popular in the Springfield, MO area but should be known worldwide. Please check them out! This group of songs is perfect for every member (and all ages) of your family.