Media: CD/DVD
Release Date: February 5, 2008
Somewhere along the way in my music listening fandom I became somewhat transfixed by alternative kids music. I suppose my undying love for childhood fixations like comics, sci fi movies, and action figures, all of which have only flourished into appreciation as I've gotten older, would logically transcend into my music snobsession. It might have been Saturday Morning: Cartoon's Greatest Hits or Schoolhouse Rock! Rocks that first brought forth (at least to me) the idea of kids music being performed in an energetic and palatable manner to a crowd that doesn't necessarily enjoy the overblown bombast or grating repetitiveness of standard children's music, not to mention the teeth-achingly saccharine or patronizing lyrics that typically accompany youth-oriented music.
They Might Be Giants have over the past half-dozen years, redefined themselves, if only slightly, as the pre-eminent performers of children's music, first with their delightful and diverse NO! followed by the Here Come The ABCs, both featuring strong visual components... NO! having a handful of enhanced Flash-animated videos viewable on computer on the CD itself, while ABCs was sold as either a CD or a DVD (many of the songs were tailored to have video accompaniment and thus were slightly nonsensical as just a song, which isn't anything atypical for TMBG). With Here Come The 123s the Giants once again did the joint CD and DVD thing, only this time they packaged them both together, and at an obscenely low price (less than $15 for the set from most on-line vendors).
Release Date: February 5, 2008
Somewhere along the way in my music listening fandom I became somewhat transfixed by alternative kids music. I suppose my undying love for childhood fixations like comics, sci fi movies, and action figures, all of which have only flourished into appreciation as I've gotten older, would logically transcend into my music snobsession. It might have been Saturday Morning: Cartoon's Greatest Hits or Schoolhouse Rock! Rocks that first brought forth (at least to me) the idea of kids music being performed in an energetic and palatable manner to a crowd that doesn't necessarily enjoy the overblown bombast or grating repetitiveness of standard children's music, not to mention the teeth-achingly saccharine or patronizing lyrics that typically accompany youth-oriented music.
They Might Be Giants have over the past half-dozen years, redefined themselves, if only slightly, as the pre-eminent performers of children's music, first with their delightful and diverse NO! followed by the Here Come The ABCs, both featuring strong visual components... NO! having a handful of enhanced Flash-animated videos viewable on computer on the CD itself, while ABCs was sold as either a CD or a DVD (many of the songs were tailored to have video accompaniment and thus were slightly nonsensical as just a song, which isn't anything atypical for TMBG). With Here Come The 123s the Giants once again did the joint CD and DVD thing, only this time they packaged them both together, and at an obscenely low price (less than $15 for the set from most on-line vendors).
TMBG have always had a heavy sense of whimsy within their repertoire, an while their non-kid-focussed music may deal with themes slightly more mature or topics more irreverent, it doesn't diminish their appeal. The Steven Spielberg-produced Warner Brothers cartoons Animaniacs and Tiny Toon Adventures both regularly used TMBG songs in their comedy sketches, occasionally animating a song as a standalone sketch. The transition to kid-centric albums was an obvious transition (and, it would seem, a lucrative one).
With a proclivity to working in a multiple number of styles and a natural disposition towards experimenting and playfulness in their songs, a typical TMBG album can be a mixed bag (good or bad), and their kids albums are no different. Here Come The 123s fortunately works as well as an album as it does a collection of videos (none of the songs are reliant upon their video for comprehension). As can be expected, some songs are stronger than other, but given the range of styles I think it's quite an open debate as to what the best songs are.
As always, the Giants' sense of humour is ever-present, and their irreverence is as enjoyable for adults as they are for kids, giving frequently a Muppets-like vibe that no doubt goes down well. Unlike most children's performers, the songs about numbers are not so literal, but rather thematically centered. The song featuring 3, for instance, is about a fictional creature called "Triops" which has 3-eyes, or the song about 8, which takes a page from the Schoolhouse Rocks! playbook and is about skating a figure 8 (also referencing that sideways it's inifinity). The song featuring five is all about high fivin' and is a disco-themed tune that's perfect for the rollerskating rink.
My favourites include the brief "Zeroes" (falsetto laden with a sweet spoken-word layered aesthetic), "Seven" (a clap-heavy, tuba-laden dose of surrealism, featuring a great "We want cake, where's our cake" chant), "Seven Days of the Week" (a triumphant trumpet-led march in celebration of not having to work), "Eight Hundred and Thirteen Mile Car Trip" (a fast-driving rock-out which sums up, imperially mind you, the jaunt to Thunder Bay nicely) and "Even Numbers" (a rock-operatic ballad). My stepson absolutely loves this and the other TMBG kids albums, almost compulsively so. Though he does enjoy the videos more than the songs alone, he will request them in the car, and often times say "can we watch..." and sing a few lyrics from one of the songs. That can be the weakness of making kids music that's tailored to a more mature listening ear, kids not actually responding to the tunes, but TMBG have the perfect mix of energy, sillyness and craftsmanship, with heavy pop leanings. I'd also like to think that the range of songs styles will also prepare the little guy for enjoying a broader array of musical sounds and song structures when he gets older. The fact that they can be enjoyed as much by adults as kids is easily the biggest plus.
Rating: 4.5/5
With a proclivity to working in a multiple number of styles and a natural disposition towards experimenting and playfulness in their songs, a typical TMBG album can be a mixed bag (good or bad), and their kids albums are no different. Here Come The 123s fortunately works as well as an album as it does a collection of videos (none of the songs are reliant upon their video for comprehension). As can be expected, some songs are stronger than other, but given the range of styles I think it's quite an open debate as to what the best songs are.
As always, the Giants' sense of humour is ever-present, and their irreverence is as enjoyable for adults as they are for kids, giving frequently a Muppets-like vibe that no doubt goes down well. Unlike most children's performers, the songs about numbers are not so literal, but rather thematically centered. The song featuring 3, for instance, is about a fictional creature called "Triops" which has 3-eyes, or the song about 8, which takes a page from the Schoolhouse Rocks! playbook and is about skating a figure 8 (also referencing that sideways it's inifinity). The song featuring five is all about high fivin' and is a disco-themed tune that's perfect for the rollerskating rink.
My favourites include the brief "Zeroes" (falsetto laden with a sweet spoken-word layered aesthetic), "Seven" (a clap-heavy, tuba-laden dose of surrealism, featuring a great "We want cake, where's our cake" chant), "Seven Days of the Week" (a triumphant trumpet-led march in celebration of not having to work), "Eight Hundred and Thirteen Mile Car Trip" (a fast-driving rock-out which sums up, imperially mind you, the jaunt to Thunder Bay nicely) and "Even Numbers" (a rock-operatic ballad). My stepson absolutely loves this and the other TMBG kids albums, almost compulsively so. Though he does enjoy the videos more than the songs alone, he will request them in the car, and often times say "can we watch..." and sing a few lyrics from one of the songs. That can be the weakness of making kids music that's tailored to a more mature listening ear, kids not actually responding to the tunes, but TMBG have the perfect mix of energy, sillyness and craftsmanship, with heavy pop leanings. I'd also like to think that the range of songs styles will also prepare the little guy for enjoying a broader array of musical sounds and song structures when he gets older. The fact that they can be enjoyed as much by adults as kids is easily the biggest plus.
Rating: 4.5/5