House Party

Dan Zanes

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 7, 2003)
• Original Release Date: October 7, 2003
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Festival Five Rec.
• ASIN: B0000CC85J
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (40 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #48,145 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

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  Music > Children's Music > Folk Music

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

For parents, listening to Dan Zanes provides not only instant Raffi relief, but also the warm sense of belonging to the right crowd. On each disc he trots out a posse of cool friends like Sheryl Crow, Suzanne Vega, and Lou Reed and he delivers his openhearted lyrics with the rare roots-rocker's gift for stirring grace into grit. It would seem that the release of his fourth record, House Party would be ripe for a backlash--how long can the hokey conceit of a bunch of aging groovsters banging out kids' tunes in a Brooklyn basement hang onto its charm? Looks like we'll have to wait and see, because House Party rages on with the same winning, welcome-to-our-homespun-revolution vibe as its predecessors. Deborah Harry takes a twirl on "Waltzing Matilda," Bob Weir fires up the "Wabash Cannonball," and Angelique Kidjo bids "Jamaica Farewell," but the Zanes originals are this record's proving grounds, and they pin the tail on the donkey with bulls-eye precision. Contributions from returning regulars Barbara Brousal and Rankin' Don--the best couple of favors a party could hope for--send Zanes' campaign to become the guy who turned lampshade-wearing into a kindergarten fashion craze soaring. --Tammy La Gorce

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I LOVE this guy!, December 5, 2003

By	"momof2inca" (San Carlos, CA) - See all my reviews

My 2 year old is hooked. He is our resident DJ and this is his new favorite of choice, and mine too. Nothing puts a smile on ALL our faces in the witching hours of late afternoon/early evening (when I'm trying to get dinner made) like this CD. Between Dan Zanes and Ralph Covert, my kids have stopped asking for TV. In fact, if the TV is on, the younger one will go turn on the music anyway. You cannot go wrong with this CD.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Dan Zanes -- Weapon of Mass Diversion, October 27, 2003

By	Gabriel Gonzalez (Silver Spring, MD United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Much like Patty Loveless on "Mountain Soul" and with equal success, Dan Zanes has gone for a more organic, slightly less contemporary sound on "House Party." The result is a timeless record of quality music.

The title is particulary apt, as the album has the feel of a group of friends and family taking turns in the parlor with old, favorite tunes, evoking a fond comparison to Kate and Anna McGarrigle's "The McGarrigle Hour."

While Dan Zanes has set the bar fairly high with his previous albums, there are many higlights on "House Party": Cynthia Hopkins makes one remember what a beautiful instrument the accordion is; Philip Glass adds his own special somberness to the album's closing "A Place for Us"; "Tennessee Wig Walk" is the most fun I've heard on record in many a day; David Jones, on "How Do You Do?" is straight out of "Mary Poppins"; and, Deborah Harry's voice is as fine as always.

It's become a cliche to say that Dan Zanes' music is as enjoyable for adults as it is for children, but it's true. The seeming simplicity of the songs makes them instantly accessible to children, and the many layers of top-notch musicianship make the songs gems to be prized by their parents.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars dan zanes & friends do it again!, October 22, 2003

By	world traveler (Everywhere, USA) - See all my reviews

i've been a fan of dan zanes for a while. his albums are one of the very few "children's" music CD's that i continue to listen to even when my daughter is not in the car. i wouldn't even classify them as "children's" music, but rather "family" music. this album is lots of fun and has a wide variety of music. you won't be disappointed with any of the dan zanes CD's, and this one is no exception.