Album Reviews

I don't have kids. Didn't happen. We've dealt with it. They say if you play Mozart for your kid in the womb it's good for his or her development. I wouldn't know.

Until this compilation came my way I hadn't heard of Dimension 5 Records or Bruce Haack and Esther Nelson. Perhaps you have. They founded the label in 1963 and began making children's records that have become legendary among the musical cognescenti for their Moog synthesizer drenched soundscapes, psychedelic consciousness and imaginative storytelling. Not exactly Fred Rogers's sensibility, though Bruce and Esther did appear on Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood. The pair made eleven albums.

Canadian-born Haack, who died in 1988, was a Julliard drop-out and early synthesizer builder and tape recorder experimenter. Aside from co-creating the legendary Dimension 5 children's albums, he produced TV advertising jingles, and released an “adult” album, Electric Lucifer on Columbia Records in 1970. He also collaborated with Tiny Tim and was friends with Raymond Scott, another musical legend known for his innovation and eclecticism.

This tribute album produced by Eenie Meenie Records' Ross Harris, features covers and re-mixes by artists like Beck, Stereolab, The Apples In Stereo, Eels and 14 others, covering 17 Haack/Nelson tunes, with one written by Haack and his friend Chris Kachulis. Listen to it casually and you'll have a difficult time concluding that these songs were written for children.

The album opens with Beck doing the catchy slide guitar-driven, lazily bubbling “Funky Lil' Song,” which is appropriately sprinkled with bleepy analog synthesizer squibbles. The song's message is basically “Whistle A Happy Tune” for the children of flower children.

Stereolab contributes a nervous analog synth splattered tune, “Mudra.” A few minutes in, the song abruptly changes gears and becomes an extended drone plateau populated by more bleeps and blops and sampled children's voices. A third section of the extended piece returns the rhythm track and then becomes a repeated loop before fading away.

Fantastic Plastic Machine contributes “I'm Bruce (Dimension 5 Mega Mix),” which obviously samples some original Haack “robotic” material and takes off with it into electronic lala land, repeating a familiar childhood tune I can't identify. This fanciful song, like a giant animated Christmas display populated by colorful bright lights, is sure to grab the attention of toddlers while charming oldsters.

Children's voices introduce The Apples In Stereo's phasey country/psych confection “Liza Jane,” Money Mark (http://www.moneymark.com/) does an informative, charming tune called “Spiders,” backed by a cheesy drum machine. “Popcorn,” by Tipsy (http://tipsy.org/tipsy_main.html), aims to get kids dancing and expressing their inner rhythmic sense using a kaleidoscope of sounds and beats. Eels's “Jelly Dancer” aims for a slithering result using a snaky mid-eastern scale to get kids to move their midriffs.

So. Cal band Irving (http://thebandirving.com/) does a charming V.U.-for-kids take on “Army Ants in Your Pants,” while DJ Me DJ You slyly teaches kids to meditate in “Soul Transportation.” It's positively subversive! Eenie Meenie recording artist “From Bubblegum to Sky (http://www.eeniemeenie.com/artists/fbts/bio.htm) contributes a short tune about the magical word “Abracadabra,” while Chris Kachulis admonishes kids to “Listen,” (to the world all around you).

The Stones Throw Singers, who contribute the charming “Rain of Earth,” are Peanut Butter Wolf, Koushik, Sa Ra and Gary Wilson-a musicangle.com fave. Wilson doesn't sing here. Wolf does. Wilson contributes to the backing track along with, Wolf and Koushik.

And so on. Lots of drum machines, sampled voices and lounge musical allusions add up a series of fanciful, mind grabbing musical and sonic concoctions aimed at attracting the attention of toddlers and adults alike. A difficult proposition to be sure but I'd bet if you gave this disc to your youngsters or your grandchildren for that matter, they'd be done forever with Barney and his hokey crap, and you'd enjoy yourself as much as the kids.

Adding value to the package is the truly great sound and the fact that the proceeds will benefit the very worthwhile charity Cure Autism Now. You cannot go wrong with this disc. If playing Mozart benefits womb dwellers, playing them this disc should have equally salutary, but far more hip effects. Whether you are 8 months old, 8 days old, 8 weeks old, 8 years old or 80 years old, you'll love this! Highly recommended.