Customer Reviews

Walt Disney Records : Children's Favorite Songs, Vol. 3 : 23 Classic Tunes

5 star:		(26)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The whole family loves this music (although I shouldn't presume to speak for the 5 month old)and that is more than I can say for most children's music. The singer, Larry Groce has a very good singing voice and his interpretations are great. The music is upbeat without being saccharin. The variety is a definite bonus and most of the songs are timeless classics. We hate hate hate the Wee Sing collection but we love this particular Disney set (we have volumes 1-4). We live in a particularly desolate part of New England and in order to get anywhere worth going we have to drive a minimum of 2-3 hours--this music is so helpful in the entertainment dept!

I had the Disney Songtape edition of this album when I was a kid. I have always love the Disneyland Children's Sing-Along Chorus on this album. I also had volumes 1 and 2 on record. When i got older i realized that Larry Groce was the lead singer. He had a hit in the 70's called Junk Food Junkie on the Dr. Demento show. I reciently bought all 4 volumes on CD. I like to listen to them while I work. He also did the Disneyland Little Golden Books Read-Alongs. That is Where "Why Do The Make Things Like They Do" comes from and "Thumbelina" On Volume 2. I wish the re-issued the series with the the Original Record Cover Pictures. They had the Disney Characters acting out the songs.

This is great for Disney fans because it gets away from the common Mickey Mouse songs. I love them at 23 years old.

This is a nice selection of songs, featuring a couple of nursery rhyme medleys and many classics such as Alouette, Michael Row the Boat Ashore, and the Alphabet Song.

While the selections seem well thought out, they are all performed by the same singers (Larry Groce and the Disneyland Children's Sing-Along Chorus) which detracts slightly from the enjoyment. Another Disney series, 'Classic Disney', features songs from Disney movies and is performed by the original artists.

A nice value.

After hunting for two years to find the perfect tape (CD) for the car, I finally found it! It has a lot of the "classic" kid songs and is very well done. It was lost for a day and my daughter was heart broken! Can't say enough about how great it is. Now I can throw the rest out!

The singer here (Larry Groce) is not a complete unknown; back when we were kids ourselves, he had a big hit with the novelty "Junk Food Junkie". Those who remember that song's jokey-folkie style (and thin tenor) will have a pretty good idea of what to expect here. Not surprisingly, he does much better with the silly sing-along stuff than the songs which were meant to be taken more-or-less seriously, where he seems a bit clueless. Of course, they're all great songs, and our baby seems to like it fine, plus it's way better than Wee Sing or any of the other children's collections I know of. But I'm still hoping to find a children's CD by somebody who knows how to sing "Clementine" or "Michael, Row the Boat Ashore".

These are charming and surprisingly well done. The singer has a pure, sweet and fun voice, and a real talent for arrangements. These are wonderful choices for sharing with your youngsters - neither sappy nor edgy, just fun fun fun. [Now don't tell anyone - you might wind up with a few of them as your own private favorites. I did!]

I had the cassette when I was a little girl... my mom said I used to go to sleep to it every night. The cassette lasted for my younger sister. 20 some odd years later I still have it, although I don't have a cassette player so since I'm expecting a little girl of my own I just had to buy this one and the rest of the series... OMG listening to the samples brings back sooooo many happy memories and I still remember all of them enough to sing along - I'm giddy! I loved these songs soooo much and I know my baby will too.

I could talk for hours about this CD. When this music was originally recorded by Disney and sold on records (yes, real vinyl!), it was billed as music for children between the ages of two and five. Disney misjudged not only the mass appeal of the songs themselves, but the range of people of all ages who would come to love this music. The quality of performances, the rendition of each selection, and the musicians behind the vocalists are all second to none. I bought these songs on two audio tapes when my children were small, and was immediately struck by the professional quality of the recordings. Several reviewers have commented that the Disney Children's Chorus that often accompanies lead singer Larry Groce becomes a bit monotonous after a while; I must respectfully, yet emphatically disagree. The arrangements of the songs are so unique and refreshing (even dynamic in some cases), that I never got tired of listening to them. Thirty years later, they are still as delightful as the first time I ever heard them. Groce is one of those unique singers whose amazing voice somehow fits every, single song no matter what it is. Whether it's "Waltzing Matilda", "Down in the Valley," or "Froggie Went A-Courtin'," my thought is that he was born to sing these songs. This collection of more than 180 songs in four volumes has such a wide range of appealing and classic tunes that there's something for everyone, no matter what their age may be. There's nothing else like this music, anywhere on the planet. Testament to this is the fact that there is still a brisk trade of these recordings after more than thirty years. Even the audio tapes and original vinyl records are still sought after by collectors who enjoyed, nay, LOVED this music back when they were children and it was still relatively new. Disney re-released the songs in CD form in the 1980's (not as many songs on each CD) and again in 1991. The 1991 version boasts all the songs from the original soundtrack, intact and uncut. We absolutely LOVED this music when my children were small and though they are both adults now, we still love it! There are funny songs, happy songs, sad songs, and tunes that are practically "national anthems" where they originated. Many are toe-tapping, rollicking songs; others have a tale to tell. A few are hauntingly beautiful, and some are the best renditions I have ever heard of wonderful classics--bar none. Quite simply, almost all of it is exceptionally good music. It's not like so much of the sappy stuff for small children that gets on your nerves the first time you hear it. Instead, it sounds more like awesome music that might have been performed for grown-ups--who just happen to have children, who love it, too. True, some of the songs are specifically for little people, but they are so well done that adults can also enjoy them. That's one thing that makes the music on these discs so darn good. Buy the CDs, all four volumes. As an erstwhile musician myself, I guarantee you won't regret it. A word of caution, though: Be sure to ask the seller if the product for sale is EXACTLY like the picture in the listing. Some sellers list stock photos, then switch a CD with the same music but different artwork. Also ask about the spelling on the actual CD they intend to sell; if it was manufactured in Canada or Australia, the word "Favorite" in the title will be spelled "Favourite." If none of that matters to you, buy the CD anyway; the music is all the same, and it's still fantastic. One last thought: Disney put out several albums with similar titles. To get the same music I've got, be sure Larry Groce is listed as performer with the Disney Children's Chorus; that the title of each CD is "Walt Disney Records Children's Favorite Songs" (volumes 1 through 4); and that each CD contains 23-27 songs. If they are the versions released in 1991, you've nailed it. Enjoy!

This is a great collection of songs that are guaranteed to make kids smile and to entertain them. Very good car trip music.

After a recent trip to Disneyworld, anything Disney has an immediate "plus mark" in the interested column for my daughter.

This was a gift, but I understand that both the kids and adults are enjoying singing along. They said that the song selection is fun and nostalgic. Everything is familiar and easy to follow along.