Customer Reviews

Songs From The Neighborhood:The Music Of Mister Rogers

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

"This tribute to Fred's songs is a
great joy and delight to me. My gratitude is boundless
to the musical artists and technical experts who gave
of their talents and love to make the production
possible. I love Dennis Scott's final song, very much in
the same style as Fred's, and sung with such joy by
the whole cast of singers!" ........
Joanne (Mrs Fred Rogers)Rogers

Had to listen to this before giving it to my granddaughter. I always respected Mr. Rogers' songwriting talent as well as the formidable chops and impeccable taste of his virtuoso pianist, Johnny Costa. As a musician and parent, I remember feeling good about turning my kids over to the music of the show. Wish I could say the same for this CD. If the album has a "star," it's Yamaha FM synthesis, a mushy wallpaper-music sound that was wrung completely out of mainstream jazz at least 15 years ago and that certainly never reared its cheesy head on a Mr. Rogers' show.

A preceding reviewer, Mr. Arkens, pretty much tells it like it is (apparently not a popular option): this is "adult contemporary pop," a far cry from the musical arrangements on the show. Too bad this collection couldn't include Nnenna Freelon's high-spirited recording of "It's You I Like" (from her Columbia CD, "Heritage"), with sparkling accompaniment by pianist Kenny Barron. For my money, the strong performances on the CD are by John Pizzarelli, Maureen McGovern, and Ricky Skaggs, all of whom eschew the synthesizer slush and play it relatively straight. The other tracks strike me as pleasant enough (with the possible exception of Toni Rose's teen-beat concoction) but otherwise forgettable. "Won't You Be My Neighbor!" is done twice, but neither version makes the tempo established by the composer. At least this collection should serve as a reminder that Mr. Rogers' kids have grown up while retaining the wisdom of their mentor. Still, I may think twice before sending this one all the way to Philadelphia.

[In expressing a personal opinion about the music, I don't mean to downplay the formidable challenge of the project--not just the programming and recording of the music but the task of assembling a diverse company of headliners, most of whom are no doubt under exclusive contract to major labels, not to mention the hassles of obtaining permissions from publishers. Patience and tenacity along with dedication and creativity are evident in the final production, which bears some resemblance to another 2006 Grammy-award winner, "American Made, World Played," a tribute to the music of Les Paul by Eric Clapton, Sting, and other pop stars. This one also failed to engage me, but Les is said to have loved it. I suspect Fred Rogers would feel the same about "Songs from the Neighborhood."]

Postscript: I sent the CD to my daughter (a mom and physician in Philadelphia). She loved it.

Mister Rogers has had such a wonderful run on public television. He invoked many happy & safe emotions to me in my childhood. He has lovingly affected many generations of children. What a wonderful sentiment then is this set of his songs so wonderfully interpreted & contributed by some very talented artists. My favorites from this set is DONNA SUMMER's "Are You Brave", CRYSTAL GAYLE's "Did You Know", & TONI ROSE's "Just For Once". This set was recently GRAMMY nominated for Best Children's Recording this year! The songs are great to listen to by Adults & Children alike. Great album!

If you a Mr. Rogers fan, hoping to enjoy his work (as I was) be warned: his simple meaningful and heartfelt tunes have been mangled into over-produced pop-sugar sentimentality, each artist "making it their own" to such a degree that the singable tunes Rogers created are all but unrecognizable. A *major* disappointment.

This is truly what a tribute should sound like. The interpretation of songs not only showcases Fred Rogers' writing talents but transforms what could have been a children's CD into a great Pop album for all ages. Pleasantly surprising is the star studded line up of artists who bring to life each and every song. Don't let the title fool you, this is for kids of all ages!!!

When I bought this I made the mistake of thinking that the songs would be sung by Mr. Fred Rogers (my mistake for not reading the description properly) and oh, what a bitter disappointment! This music is SO sappy, not anything like the wonderful way Mr. Rogers sang them. If you like Kenny G and Michael Bolton type easy listening then definitely buy this, otherwise look for something that really is for children - this CDisn't!

I love this CD. I am transported back to my childhood and watching Mr. Rogers in our den with my little brother. His songs are so simple and pure, and make you want to be a better person. The recordings of his songs are brilliant. The various stars singing add to the magic of this awesome CD. I love to listen to it in the car. I highly recommend it to any child or adult!

sound clips from this CD on the page so that we all can listen to the clips and make our own choice as to the style of the music. Then we could also decide on our own whether to buy a copy.

I grew up watching Mr. Rogers and only until recently, I didn't realize he had written so many songs. Sung by a mixed genre of superb vocalists (Roberta Flack, Amy Grant, BJ Thomas, Donna Summer, etc.), these songs are as meaningful today as when first written. Unlike so many of today's "children's" songs (and I use that term loosely), these still speak wholesome messages, while also being as hip as anything else currently on the market. My nieces (ages 5 & 8) loved it. My friends' children (ages 3 thru 9) loved it. It's sad to see that some of these reviewers aren't in touch with their childhood (or don't want to be). No, it's not Fred Rogers singing them.
Or hip-hop/rap "artists" (once again, I use the term loosely)...thank goodness, but if Mrs. Fred Rogers gives it a thumbs-up, then I applaud what this album stands for.

I highly recommend this album for children, as well as adults who want to take a walk down memory lane. And I congratulate Dennis Scott (Producer) on his Grammy-award winning project!

You might think this was a children's album. Well it is, but it's a lot more. You'd never imagine that Fred Rogers was such a good songwriter... but you can tell immediately when his songs are done by singers like Bobby Caldwell and Maureen McGovern that he was gifted in more ways then one. This is a CD that the whole family can really enjoy... it's sophisticated, yet fun. This is a most unique collection of artists, songs, arrangements and talent.