Customer Reviews

Woody's Roundup

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I have not yet seen the movie "Toy Story 2"; however, I was getting impatient for the video to arrive in October and needed something to tide me over until then, so this CD was it. I am so glad I chose it! The songs are witty and perfect for singing along with (well, I haven't tried the yodeling ones yet.) They also seem to me absolutely true to the notion that they have come straight from a 1950's cowboy children's television show: A string of lyrics at the conclusion of "Hey Howdy Hey" includes "skip to my lou and kiss your mom and brush your teeth." Even the CD itself looks like an old 45 RPM kid's record.

As for buying the CD, I recommend it without reservation, but I suggest you listen to the song samples first. If you don't care for Riders in the Sky or a barbershop-quartet-type sound, this collection probably isn't for you...then again, I didn't think I was a Riders in the Sky fan either, but I was completely won over by the time the CD got to "You've Got a Friend in Me." If you DO buy it, please don't skip reading the wonderful introduction in the CD booklet by John Lasseter of Pixar.

I like this CD, my two-year-old daughter likes to dance to this CD, and I plan to buy it for my parents because they grew up on the Saturday matinee cowboy serials, and I'm certain hearing "Woody's Roundup" will bring back lots of good memories. This is a tie-in to the film that shouldn't be missed.

The two Toy Story films are among the most enjoyable animated movies in the last 20 years. The few songs that you hear in the films are also enjoyable, from Randy Newman's "You've Got a Friend In Me" in the original to "Woody's Roundup" from the sequel.

This disc is not a soundtrack, although it has versions of both the songs mentioned above. It is purported to be,as the cover states, ...a rootin'-tootin' collection of Woody's favorite songs!". Most of the songs are Disney originals, but there is a remake of Act Naturally as well.

Most of the songs are performed by Riders In The Sky and their voices, along with the catchy tunes themselves, make the entire disk very singable. My kids start swaying and bopping as soon as I start the disc.

A pleasant surprise is the voice of Devon Dawson who sings as Jessie in both "Jessie, the Yodelin' Cowgirl" and "How Does She Yodel?". Her vocals are clean and crisp and fit the character of Jessie perfectly. And to top it all off, she has my favorite line on the whole disc ,when she mentions her Hollywood nickname in "Jessie....".

I have been a fairly vocal critic of Disney's incessant marketing scheme involving every film they release. Some products that are sold to complement a movie are just not of the same quality as the film itself (and don't even get me started on "Buzz Lightyear of Star Command") but this collection of songs restores some of my faith.

It is a fun CD for my whole family to listen to. My 5 year-old son and my 2 year-old daughter both get big grins on their faces when my wife and I sing along with the Riders. Even the old classic "Home on the Range" gets new life here.

If you have kids, liked Toy Story 2, or just like the Riders in the Sky, buy this disc now!

This is a GREAT CD for all ages. My daughter is just three years old and she's a big fan of anything Toy Story. My husband and I find ourselves choosing it to listen to, and my parents just love the nostalgia of it too! This is one for the whole family to enjoy!

Remember? Remember your favorite show, "Woody's Roundup"? Remember when you were a kid, and had a Woody lunchbox, and watched the show every afternoon? Remember listening to the songs on an old 45? Remember how sad it was when the show finally went off the air after Sputnik went up?

No, of course you don't. It never happened. "Woody's Roundup" is a fictional show from the movie Toy Story 2.

Well, now you can re-live all those old "memories". They've "re-issued" the old Woody's Round-up record as a CD. And it feels right. (It looks right, too. The CD looks like an old record.) The Riders in the Sky have captured the feel of kid's shows and Hollywood cowboy songs of the fifties. The attention to detail is excellent. (One of the songs even has a completely gratuitous reminder to brush your teeth, and kiss your mom.) There are no high-tech effects that would not have been available to a low-budget kid's cowboy puppet show in the fifties. If the show had existed, then this is what it would have sounded like, with songs about the whole gang --Woody, Jessie, Bullseye, and Pete.

I can only find two nits to pick. First, the songs from the original show would never have referred to Buzz Lightyear, as two of them do. Second, I don't think a kid's record of the fifties would have included an instrumental piece. But otherwise, the feel is perfect.

It's good cowboy singin'. (I hope you understand the distinction between cowboy singin' and country music.) The Riders in the Sky (and Devon Dawson in the two Jessie songs) have good clear cowboy (and cowgirl) voices of the Roy / Dale / Gene school. "Home on the Range" and "Act Naturally" have nothing to do with Woody, but they are good cuts, and fit the style of the album perfectly.

Woody's Roundup is now in the same box with all my old fifties theme song records - because that's where it belongs. So sit back and re-live those happy, golden memories of the innocent childhood you never really had.

Hey - that's what nostalgia usually is, isn't it?

Fans of "Toy Story 2" will be happy to know that the fictional TV show described in it, "Woody's Roundup", has inspired a rootin' tootin' new collection of songs. They range from yodeling ("How Does She Yodel" and "Jessie the Yodelin' Cowgirl") and childhood classics ("Home on the Range), and also to new toy-inspired songs ("My Favorite Toys") and two new versions of the "Toy Story" films' signature song, "You've Got a Friend in Me". This album is truly fun, and will occupy your CD player day after day. You'll want to sing along, and the booklet included with the disc makes that easy. It includes lyrics to all songs with vocals except for the secret bonus track. It also contains a very well-writtn introduction to the album written by the movie's director, John Lasseter, describing how the album (and the title song) came to be. While some songs are unneeded, this album is exellent on the whole, and you'll come to like the songs that don't need to be here as much as the ones that do. Now I just hope that in the near future Disney and Riders in the Sky will create a second volume. And hey--it looks like Disney may be on a roll! This, as well as the soundtracks to "The Little Mermaid II", "Toy Story 2", "An Extreamly Goofy Movie", and most of all "Remember the Titians" have all been souper! This is truly a great album. I've only had it a day, and I've already fallen in love with it. Part of the charm is that it honestly feels like a '50s childrens' album, with no high-tech gadgets giving special effects or anything--just good, old-fashioned, wholesome entertainment. Hey, even the disc itself LOOKS like an old 45 record. This is really a souper roundup of songs, and it will win you over even if you don't like Western or cowboy songs. I wasn't much for country music until today when I first turned on "Woody's Roundup". It has already rounded me up and made me a fan of the gerene--let it do the same for you. It'll bring back fond memories, this one will. So loosen up and be playful for a time. Let yourself enjoy "Woody's Roundup"--an exellent roundup of joyful music!

This CD gets played weekly in our house. My 4 year old daughter loves this CD. And so do I. I didn't know yodelling could be so cheerful. My daughter loves to dance to almost the whole CD, and she thinks Stinky Pete is hilarious when he mines for gold and keeps running into things. Riders in the Sky play just great western music. And I can't wait until they play Buzz Lightyears "To Infinity and Beyond" during a shuttle launch, it would be fitting. The album as a whole would also make a great musical and it would probably be more of a hit than Toy Story on Ice. A very upbeat and enjoyable CD.

its the best cd my dad ever bought me
cant get enough toy story

This is the first music CD both my 3 year old daughter and I can enjoy at the same time while trapped in a car for several hours! This CD not only has great lyrics, great music but fun and really has a happy-go-lucky air. I had to write this review simply to tell you to do yourself a huge favor, get this CD. (If you get hooked on Ryders in The Sky from hearing this CD, don't be too surprised!)

My 2 1/2 year old son loves this CD. It's fun to dance to, and the Riders in the Sky are great musicians. My husband, who dislikes most children's music, even likes listening to it in the car on road trips. I also recommend Riders in the Sky "Cowboy Songs." If you and your child like the music in this CD, you'll love Cowboy Songs by Riders in the Sky as well.

My kids love to dance and sing to these songs wearing cowboy hats and guitars. It makes them feel like they are part of Woody's Gang themselves.