Customer Reviews

Sounds of North American Frogs

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Absolutely brilliant... The grunting of the pig frog, the narrator's gravelly old voice drawling shades of Bascom Lamar Lunsford, and best of all the tracks detailing the polytonal mating calls of Grant's Ruffled Treefrog, Bufo Lanarkus... I leave them on friends' voicemail but constantly -- a new frog every day. Now I'm learning to recognize them in my own environs! A fine companion to the Erotic Sound Effects CD.

I used to have this when it was an lp set. Oh how I loved it! And it's just as good on cd.

As for the complaint about the narrator mentioned by one fellow, no no no! The narrator is the best part, with his chirping enthusiasm for the different frog croaks.

Truly, this is one for the ages. Indispensible.

This CD is the best audio frog and toad sounds that I have heard. Thorough research into the different sound at varying circumstances make for interesting analyses. The geographic differences, in particular highlight the beautiful diversity of calls, even in a specific specie. The recordings were made in the late 50's and early 60's. They sounds are still crispy clear. Most of those habitats may have disappeared by now, especially down in Florida and the West. This is indeed a national treasure.

If you are interested in listening to another tape of North American frogs and toads, you may consider purchasing "The Calls of Frogs and Toads".

Rare is the item of which one can say, it croaks, and mean: it's a vibrant living wonderful thing. That's this CD. Yes, the narrator is as wonderful as the frogs singing.

But for those who don't like narration, one can rip a new copy, sans human voices.

This CD is one of the best nature recordings ever made.

--Alyssa A. Lappen

If heaven has a place on earth, it must be a lillipad. Yes-sir, hop to it and buy this CD. The CD draws listeners in with a robust yet soft chorus of frogs, before building to an erotic crescendo of mating calls. The resulting explosion of deep croaking leaves you with the taste of flies, and a curious desire for chocolate sundaes. My marriage has never been better! Be careful of course, or you'll end up with unexpected tadpoles.

I really can't say whether I am more fascinated by the frogs or Bogart. If you want to hear some strange animal vocalizations, it's hard to beat bird calls, but there is no bird set with Bogart. Bogart should have had a chance to read books on to audio cassetes or do voice overs. I would have dreaded having him as a science teacher because his strangely appealing (though gravely) voice would have lulled me to sleep. One feels--just on voice alone--that Bogart must have had a deep commitment to art. No doubt Bogart spent a lot of time out and away from habitation, hearing far more in the way of animal speak than any human tongue, and thus his voice reflects a certain niavity that sounds completely at home amongst the various frog vocalizations. The pleasure of listening to Bogart and his frogs is of course completely dependent upon the tastes of the listener, though it will surely bring hours of joy to anyone with an overly long stay within any number of academic communities.

I listened to this CD on my radio during a long drive. Apparently the DJ needed a break so he played the whole thing. The frog sounds are relaxing. The narrator's voice kinda destroyed the whole frog-vibe I had going. It would have been better to use the narration as liner notes. However, this is a very old recording, done in the days of vinyl, and with so many (short) tracks it would have been difficult to visually see which track was playing and match it up with the appropriate frog on the track listing. So the narrator was needed to identify the frogs on the LP. The CD should have removed the narration - although it's not without its own merit.

If you are interested in the significance of frog songs or in identifying the songs of frogs and toads in North America, you will get your money's worth from this CD. If, however, you are looking for a peaceful surround-sound tape of frogs singing away the night, something, say, to aid a guided meditation, this is NOT the CD for you.

Though recorded more than 50 years ago (and thus providing an unintended historical reference point as well), the recordings are crystal clear, and Mr. Bogert (not Bogart) explains each of the 90-plus short cuts in great detail. The full title refers to the biological significance of voice in frogs--this is really a fairly rigorous, somewhat academic audio study of various calls of North American frogs.

The emphasis is on behavioral science as much as song, but some of the pond-side performances are outstanding in their own right.

This CD is well put together and fun to listen to. As a naturalist I apreciate the hard work which was put into this tape. I was hoping that this would have more western species. Overall, this is one of my favorite nature CDs.

I was so excited to get this I took it to work, but had to listen to the rest at home (twice already) to spare my coworker who was strangely unpiqued by the unfolding revelation of the amazing variety of species and calls of frogs. The narrator's voice fondly transported me back to my childhood with his Marlon Perkins-esque (Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom) intonations . . .It was great to recognize some calls that I heard all my life that I might've previously thought were crickets or birds . . . Not only are the frog calls aesthetically pleasing, the narration and booklet with current updates are very educational . . . it was amusing to learn that some male frogs have a special warning chirp used when another male has mistakenly mounted them instead of a female. . . like "uh, hey buddy, you got the wrong frog . . ."