Jack Johnson - Sing-A-Longs & Lullabies for the Film Curious George
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CD Details
Artist: Jack JohnsonBrand: Factory Card and Party Outlet
Edition: Music CD
Audio: English (Original Language)
CD Release Date: 2006-02-07
Music Label: Universal/Brushfire Records
Product features:
- JOHNSON JACK CURIOUS GEORGE
- Upside Down
- Broken
- People Watching
- Wrong Turn
- Talk of the Town
- Jungle Gym
- We're Going to Be Friends
- The Sharing Song
- The 3 R's
- Lullaby
- With My Own Two Hands
- Questions
- Supposed to Be
Music reviews of Sing-A-Longs & Lullabies for the Film Curious George
Music Review: Not just for kids
Rating: 4 Stars
This is Jack Johnson's finest CD. The reasons are many:
1. Unlike all of his previous CDs, it is the first Jack Johnson CD that contains no tracks that I feel compelled to skip over. All of his other CDs had at least one such song, if not more. "Staple It Together" from his previous album, In Between Dreams, being the latest example. But the Curious George album is all quality, no filler.
2. The sense of melody is stronger on these songs than in the past. Whereas Johnson previously had the annoying tendency to string too many words into the lines of his songs, resulting in a less-than-melodic stream-of-consciousness mellow rap of sorts at times (most of the On and On album is the worst example of that), this album has tighter melodic structures that don't meander, and good harmonies as well.
3. For once, Johnson has recorded an album that is mixed properly!! Previous albums, especially Brushfire Fairytales, were mortally wounded by mixes that put the drums WAY up front. I found this really annoying and a good way to ruin an otherwise decent song. And since the drums were not anything too special anyway -- just basic backing beats -- there was no need to feature them prominently. The Curious George sountrack finally, finally gets it right.
4. Some of Johnson's previous tunes reminded me too much of the old mellow, wimpy '70s artists that I can't stand. This album doesn't have that problem.
So, I love this disc and I don't even have kids. I saw the Curious George movie with my niece and nephew, thought the music was great and ordered this disc right away from Amazon. I also got Jack's "In Between Dreams" album, which is equally great.
The music is light, the "kid" angle of it doesn't register very much and is enjoyable when it does, and when all is said and done, the album stands as a disc that anyone of any age can unabashedly say they listen to and like.
I also want to say what a refreshing change this movie and its music are from the normal kids' fare, which seems to believe that everything needs to be loud, annoying and in your face, and always with some obligatory "hip, smart-alecky wise guy with attitude" character thrown into the mix. Curious George had none of that.
I read some critics, including one named Dennis Sellers, who complained that the movie had no lines with wink-wink nudge-nudge double puns in them for the adults' benefit. "There's none of the *sophisticated* humor" in Curious George that would appeal to adults, like Shrek had, he laments. Well, if "sophisticated humor" means thinly-veiled jokes about a particular male portion of anatomy -- as was the case with the jokes about "size" in Shrek -- then call me a fan of the "unsophisticated." Sheesh.
Anyway, back to the CD. Get it, it's really some pretty cool music.
Description of Sing-A-Longs & Lullabies for the Film Curious George
Faced with the task of giving a voice to a central character that does not speak, Universal Pictures turned to Jack Johnson to craft songs that could provide a voice for Curious George. As a new father, it gave him the opportunity to make an album for both parents and children. Presented with early animations and the story line, Jack crafted new songs that capture the emotions of Curious George as he leaves the jungle to follow the Man with the Yellow Hat. He also turned to friends Ben Harper, G. Love, and Matt Costa to contribute songs that might bridge the gap between parent and child. Joined on the record by his band (Adam Topol, Merlo Podlewski, and Zack Gill), Jack duets with three of the other songwriters (Ben Harper, G. Love, and Matt Costa), and does a cover of the White Stripes' "We're Going to Be Friends." Parents who watched Schoolhouse Rock on Saturday mornings when they were children will recognize Jack's take on the classic "Three Is a Magic Number," reinterpreted with the 3 R's as a call to protect the environment and Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle. Sing-a-Longs and Lullabies feels like so much more than your standard soundtrack due to its unified creative vision. While the songs have a universal appeal, their themes speak to a child's experience (or in this case, a curious monkey's experience) of the world.
More from Jack Johnson
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Admit it: If you had to pick an artist to give voice to the wackadoo thinkings of a monkey beloved by most of the American populace over age 3, you could do a lot worse than Jack Johnson. Black Eyed Peas? Too hyper. Death Cab for Cutie? Too ironic. They Might Be Giants? Too eggheaded. Johnson, though the object of much rightful jealousy--here, after all, is a guy who only stumbled into music and vaulted himself up the charts after a successful career as a pro surfer--turns out to have the goods to do H.A. Rey, Curious George's creator, proud. Fans familiar with Johnson's earlier discs will recognize a certain laconic sprawl and easy fascination in his songs that suits the theme of perpetual puzzlement perfectly (here, let's not forget, is a guy who racked up fans with songs called "Bubble Toes" and "Banana Pancakes"). That the music takes a childish turn barely registers--songs like opener "Upside Down" are classic Johnson, all wonderment and groove, and the collaborations with friends Ben Harper, G. Love, and Matt Costa warm up, wink, and scamper off before packing on the weight of excess meaning. "We're Going to Be Friends," track seven, seals the deal--when you can make the White Stripes sound compatible with the Man with the Yellow Hat, you know you've got a multi-generational winner. --Tammy La Gorce
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