Some Assembly Required

Tom Chapin | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 27, 2005)
• Original Release Date: 2005
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Razor & Tie
• ASIN: B000AA7HH4
• Also Available in: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #153,998 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Award winning entertainer, Tom Chapin's album, Some Assembly Required, is a high-swinging, bursting-with-energy, good time for the whole family! Chapin's boisterous voice is accompanied by children and guest singers, including Vanessa Williams, Laurie Berkner, and Dan Zanes. Chapin's songs are all original and often have a Broadway feel to them, although they also have influences of folk, rock, and jazz. Instruments heard throughout the album include string guitar, piano, organ, synth, accordion, bass, kazoo, banjo, dobro, fiddle, mandolin, jaw harp, autoharp, drums, and whistles.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Kids love TOM CHAPIN!, October 21, 2005

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Some Assembly Required (Audio CD)

I have many of Tom's albums, and have seen him live. He is a real children's preformer (no wierd costumes or fake instruments) and so much fun! His songs can be really silly and make you laugh. His album "This Pretty Planet" even teaches us about saving the earth. Don't take a review on a children's album from someone that doesn't have kids. Kids love Tom Chapin's music and so do my parents! They say it's much better than Barney or cartoon music over and over. Check out his other music too. My favorite song is "You're not the boss of my brain."

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars New Grandfather, October 25, 2005

By 

Gnome (Friday Harbor) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Some Assembly Required (Audio CD)

As a new grandfather, I can't say enough about this wonderful CD. Bruno's wild adventures are always a hit! These songs really grow on you. They are so creative and well-crafted. Plus, they crack me up. Sheer genius and a truly great voice.

P.S. Grandma is also crazy about Tom Chapin's concerts and CDs.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Charming, funny, clever, musical...great for kids and grownup kids too, May 28, 2006

By 

Nenah Sylver "www.NenahSylver.com" (sunny Arizona) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Some Assembly Required (Audio CD)

Fortunate to find Tom Chapin's Some Assembly Required at a yard sale, I listened to only the first song through a portable CD player before deciding to buy it. Although I don't have children, I do have a songwriting background. This helped me enjoy the clever lyrics on many of the songs and the expert arrangements on all of them -- in particular the versatile piano playing, which can really "cook" or be supportive and flowing.

As with other songs of this genre, the situations are particular to children: how to find a lost shoe, the attributes of one's face, is it okay to ask questions (of every conceivable sort), feeling shy to dance (and being relieved when your friends like how you do it). I laughed out loud on hearing Puppy at the Pound. Every family that has ever gotten a dog will relate to the universality of the lyrics, which is what makes the song so funny. The lyrics of How I Became a Clown are also highly imaginative and humorous; and the arrangement is a perfect accompaniment to the story. There are some surprises, too, appropriate for children brought up in the last 10 years: Brown Gold deals in an interesting way with composting; and Questions mentions iPods and Googling. The title song, Some Assembly Required, hilariously and accurately describes the time-consuming, often frustrating task of putting together a so-called easy-to-assemble toy, as many parents have experienced (and spent a kid's entire birthday on). I'm the Only Me is a beautiful, tender and heartfelt song that would work in any musician's repertoire.

The harmonies (like the musicianship) are splendid. I wish that the harmony singers chimed in sooner -- I think the album could use more of those richly textured voices. The pitch of the children's choir is spot-on, a welcome change from children's singing on some albums that sacrifices musicality for presumed cuteness. My only complaint is the unevenness of some of the songs: though most deserve a 5, there are a few 3s in the mix. However, I'm giving this album a 5 overall, in part to compensate for one reviewer's 1 rating (which for the life of me I don't understand). Many of the songs are memorable and pleasingly musical. And almost all are genuinely uplifting. If you have children, you will find common ground and much entertainment with your young ones. And for those who don't -- if you relate to life, and if you can appreciate the creativity involved in turning ordinary, day-to-day situations into art, you will like this album.