Customer Reviews

Play

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(0)
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2 star:		(1)
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We got this for Christmas this year from Grandma, and it has been in heavy rotation ever since. The record is packed with upbeat songs from mostly DC and Seattle-area underground/indie artists, which suits me fine - two solid musical scenes if ever there were.

While not terribly far from mainstream, it is a totally refreshing departure from what passes as "kid-friendly rock" (this ain't no Laurie Berkner, and no offense to Laurie). It's got an edge, sure, but kids like mine are as nauseated by the typical kid-rock sugary arrangements and fluffy vocals as I am. My son really rocks out to "Truck on Truck," "Grizzly Jive," and Visqueen's terrific cover of John Fogarty's "Centerfield."

I think the NPR podcast review I heard last fall hit the nail on the head with this one (but then I promptly forgot to wishlist it!). I also saw it in Real Simple magazine's holiday gift issue (I think that's where my mom found out about it), where it was oddly labeled as "appropriate for 1- to 3-year-olds." I think the best audience for "Play" is 3 to at least 10, as the songs age up well (my 12-year-old neighbor cracked up at the Supersucker's version of "Rubber Biscuit, a total tween-boy fave if there ever was one). "Play" is not for everybody, but that's what's great about it. This is a total winner.

The CD has a significantly heavier, more punkish sound than works for my kids (2.5 & 4 years), and than expected based on the review by National Public Radio. "The Grizzly Jive", by Georgie James, and "Centerfield", by Visqueen, played on NPR, are upbeat and do get my kids dancing and grinning.