The Good, the Mediocre, the Outright Lame
Musical Notes - August, 2007
By Charlotte Bohn
The Ballad of Phineas McBoof
www.doctornoize.com
Get ready for a wild musical odyssey led by a monkey. The Ballad of Phineas
McBoof tells the story of a rock star monkey from the Island of
Thelonius who explores a world of music from rock to classical to
country-western to jazz.
At the beginning of the story, Phineas is overwhelmed by the insane fame he is
experiencing as a rock star. Having decided to leave it all behind, he sets out
to travel the world only to end up forming an amazing new band called The
International Band of Misunderstood Geniuses.
This is definitely not your typical band. How could it be with a monkey for a
lead singer and guitarist? Phineas’ fellow band members include Backbone the
Octopus on drums, Bottumus the Hip Popotamus on bass, Riley the Robot on
electronic musical gadgets, Lenny Long Tail on fiddle, and some scary jazzy
monsters on horns. By the end of the CD, Phineas’ plan to escape fame fades as
the popularity of his new band gains worldly recognition.
The Ballad of Phineas McBoof is the
creation of Doctor Noize (aka Corey Cullinan), a former high school music
teacher who sings and plays keyboards, guitar, percussion, saxophone, and
kazoo. Taking a page out of his high school teaching method (“make every lesson
an adventure, not a seminar”), Cullinan introduces various musical instruments
and styles as each band member joins the band. Cullinan is careful in the
orchestration of each song to use only the instruments and voices available to
the band at that specific point in the story.
As he states in a press release, “Just by following along with the story, kids
learn what a bass sounds like, what a fiddle sounds like, what a horn section
sounds like, etc., and they hear the orchestra gradually building and the
change each new instrument makes in the sound.”
Yes, this CD does all that Cullinan says it does and yet it does much more than
that. From the very beginning of the very first track, your child will be
entertained by a story that is witty and funny and executed with finesse and
humor. This band of creatures will make you laugh and hang on their every word
and every bit of music they make.
If you’ve read my reviews before, then you know that I am a sucker for stories.
Phineas McBoof and his International Band of Misunderstood Geniuses easily made
their way into my children’s CD collection as a perfect addition to the other
musical stories that help to expand the minds of young children.
I’m Hungry, I Need a Bandaid
www.bizzybum.com
I was planning on really enjoying Wendy Gelsanliter’s I’m Hungry, I Need a
Bandaid. I really was. I have raved about
Gelsanliter’s early CDs, Dancin’ in the Kitchen and Ants Wear Underpants, but this new collection, sad to say, was just
mediocre.
From the titles, “I’ve Got a Rock in My Shoe,” “Broccolini,” “Cut Out the
Racket,” and “Dilly Dilly Dally,” I expected the quirkiness and memorable
melody lines that were the staples of her earlier successful albums.
A press release quotes New York
magazine that Gelsanliter provides “good music that’s also kids’ music.”
I agree that her music is good, but this recording is missing that certain umpf
that I have come to associate with her. She does do a good job of putting
together a mix of styles, so that, from rock-and-roll to lullabies to folk,
blues, and jazz, there really is something for everyone to enjoy. The
musicianship and quality of the recording is extremely professional and
polished and Gelsanliter’s always pleasing voice is just as pleasing to listen
to as always.
So why am I not blown away by this CD? Believe me, I wish I were.
Pokemon X: Ten Years of Pokemon
www.kochrecords.com
What is the point of a CD such as Pokemon X: Ten Years of Pokemon?
It is a waste of paper, plastic, and time. The basis of the whole Pokemon
phenomenon is that the world of Pokemon is a wondrous place full of kind people
who care about the environment, beautiful towns and forests and myriad strange
and wonderful creatures known as Pokemon.
Okay, this is all fine and good, but I don’t see the need for really poor music
to make it onto a CD and sold to the public.
I can just hear the producers…“Hey, I have an idea, let’s take some of the
really bad music from the last 10 years of this animated show and make a CD out
of it!”
Who are these geniuses and how much are they getting paid to come up with
really lame ideas? BC
Charlotte@BaltimoresChild.com
© Baltimore’s Child Inc. 2007
