Rocket Ship Beach [Original recording reissued]

Dan Zanes

Product Details

• Audio CD (July 30, 2002)
• Original Release Date: October 10, 2000
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Original recording reissued
• Label: Festival Five Rec.
• ASIN: B000051ZNR
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (47 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #17,828 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

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  #39 in	Music > Children's Music > Folk Music
  #48 in	Music > Indie Music > Children's Music

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Dan Zanes, lead singer of the 1980s roots-rock band the Del Fuegos, didn't need to enlist the high-profile help of pals Sheryl Crow and Suzanne Vega to produce a crowd-pleasing kids' record, but he got it anyway. On Rocket Ship Beach, where traditional tunes such as "Polly Wolly Doodle" (with Crow) and "Erie Canal" (with Vega) mingle in loosey-goosey, just-for-the-fun-of-it fashion with originals such as the plucky "All My Friends Live in the Woods" (written by Bad Company buddy Simon Kirke), Zanes exhibits the same plugged-in exuberance that gave his former band its unpredictable zing. Besides the no-amateurs instrumentation, which includes Zanes on guitar, lap steel, banjo-mandolin, and studiophone, and G.E. Smith on banjo-mandolin and guitar as part of a kickin' string band that performs the classic "King Kong Kitchie," plus a cluster of others, what stands out most about this 17-track funfest is its draw-you-in friendliness. Pitching in with the pros (who also include dancehall rapper Rankin' Don--he delivers the gruff stuff on "Father Goose" and "Sunny Side of the Street") are family friends such as the gang of West Indian babysitters turned vocal group the Sandy Girls, who give it up to impressive, get-you-boogying effect on "Emmanuel Road," and a kindergarten class that contributes, adorably, to "Sidewalks of New York." All told, this is way hipper than most kids' records and it also razzle-dazzles with its packaging--Rocket Ship Beach arrives in a chunky, colorful board-book illustrated with sweet, fantasy-fueled beachside scenes by banjo player and Zanes's brother-in-law, Donald Saaf. --Tammy La Gorce

Product Description

music is in the air. it’s alive and it’s here for everyone. if you can play an old song, you can write a new song. make it a family parade, all around the kitchen cock-a-doodle-doodle-doo. or how about a family band? on the front steps, in the back yard, in the park, on the sidewalk, in the basement. if you can brush your teeth, you can play tamborine. if you can tell a joke, you can sing.

festival five records is the sound of a neighborhood band on the front stoop playing tunes after dinner for a family dance. festival five records is the sound of a group of 9 and 10 year olds singing a sixty year old broadway song in the basement of a 150 year old row house. it’s the sound of a 40-year-old dad on a blue porch singing a 400 year old story song about a frog that marries a mouse. when you feel that music in the air, try to catch as much as possible.

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A kid's record that's also a delight for parents, November 7, 2000

By A Customer

Dan Zanes (former leader of the seminal Boston band the Del Fuegos) has assembled a delightful cast of supporting players (including Sheryl Crow, Suzanne Vega, Donald Saaf and Rankin' Don) to produce one of the most endearing kid's records I've heard in ages. Unlike much of the treacly, saccharine music that's targeted at children, this cd is as enjoyable for moms and dads as it is for the little ones. It features some unusual takes on standards ("Polly Wolly Doodle," "Bushel and a Peck," "Over the Rainbow") as well as some unfamiliar, funky sing-alongs like the West Indian-inflected "Father Goose." A major bonus: you're not likely to mind too much when Junior asks to hear a song for the 300th time in a row. In a word, wonderful.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Can't say enough..., June 21, 2002

By A Customer

I honestly can't say enough...I recently went on a mad search for "listenable" children's music and fortunately Rocket Ship Beach was recommended. I purchased about 10 other children's CDs at the time and this one is the definite favorite! My 2 1/2 year old requests "Goodbye Old Paint" at least once a day and it hasn't even started to drive me crazy. Every track is great! I'm thankful for Dan Zanes and company daily. I bought "Family Dance" (his 2nd CD) as well, and while it's good, "Rocket Ship Beach" gets more air time. I would buy them both, but if you need a place to start go with "Rocket Ship Beach".

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Not Just For Kids, February 27, 2001

By	Tom Griffith (Brooklyn, NY USA) - See all my reviews

My wife, son, and I were given this CD as a gift. I was skeptical because I feel many new efforts geared towards kids are either too Smurfy or too preachy. I was very pleasantly surprised. This CD is now not only one of my son's favorites, it is also a favorite of his parents.

Zanes has put together a collection of songs that keep you tapping your feet the 70th time you listen to them. I stay at home with my son and this music has saved me many times when he has been too cranky to eat, or hang out by himself while I get a few things done. After a little dancing to "Polly Wally Doodle" or "Erie Canal" he is bright and cheery.

I knew many of these songs before I heard the CD - - but not all of them. And even though I knew the tunes, Zanes has produced them in fresh new ways sure to surprise even the most jaded parent.

It was fun to hear artists I had heard previously singing songs for kids. I especially like the efforts of Sheryl Crow, Suzanne Vega, and Barbara Brousal - - all of whom sing with the same clarity and spirit their fans love them for on their own CDs.

I can't recommend this CD highly enough. If you have kids you owe it to yourself to buy this and share it with them. If you don't have kids I recommend it as a charming, happy, intelligent collection of cherished songs by a group of talented musicians.