IMRS: Uncle John And Mikey (for the kids)
Scott M. Pazur
The Internet Music Review Service WWW at http://www.monsterbit.com/IMRS/
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Artist: Uncle John And Mikey
Title: Uncle John And Mikey (Cassette)
Date: August 7, 1995
Contact: AlternaKids
PO Box 261
Chapel Hill, NC 27514
(800) 554-3747
($10 from above address)
Email: ki...@tfnet.ils.unc.edu
WWW: http://tfnet.ils.unc.edu/~kids/
Uncle John (John Vettel) and Mikey (Mike McCrae), with help
from Greg O'Rear, have produced what they call "an alternative
to dinosaur music". Consisting of 16 original compositions,
the target audience is ages five to ten, but most of the songs
had a nice beat that even had my 18 month old spinning around
the floor in her version of dancing. They must be doing the
right thing in their quest for the kiddie market, because my
oldest (4-1/2) was singing along after only one listen.
Most of the topics of the songs are silly and not at all
serious, and that's what makes this release enjoyable. There
is a wide variety of musical styles, including folk, rap,
pop, and blues. The obligatory "play along" song is "I Can't
Sit Still", where the kids get to clap, stomp, and tap along,
and it's fun to watch along with them as they get tangled up
in their own body parts trying to keep up. Anyone with gum
chewing kids can appreciate "Bubble Gum Blues", where the
guys sing, from a child's perspective, about the many places
the gum will eventually wind up over the course of its life
(hair, dog, cat, shoes, etc). My personal favorite is
"Grumpy Day", with a sound that you might find somewhere in
my own CD collection.
Thereare a few songs that tackle the serious side of life for
kids, and although the message is right, they kind of miss
the mark at times. It's never too early to start teaching kids
the value of human differences, and "Diversity" does just that.
Howewver, phrases such as "it makes us what we be" and "ain't"
seem inappropriate for ages when kids are so impressionable.
There are a couple serious songs about death, one of which
("I Never Knew Uncle Jeff") deals with Aids, and may be
considered by some to be too heavy a subject material for the
lower end of the target audience age range.
If you have kids, and you're considering buying them the
latest and greatest from the purple one (and I don't mean
Prince) or Lambchop. think again. Get in touch with AlternaKids
and spend your money wisely.
Top Cuts (according to 4-1/2 year old Katie): Bubble Gum Blues,
I Can't Sit Still, Monkeys In My Moustache, Grumpy Day
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