Search - Dan Zanes :: Night Time

Night Time
Dan Zanes
Night Time
Genres: Alternative Rock, Folk, Pop, Rock, Children's Music
 
  •  Track Listings (16) - Disc #1

Just as adult authors from Isabel Allende to Clive Barker are writing kids' books these days, rock & roll artists (remember Jerry Garcia and David Grisman's 1993 recording Not for Kids Only?) are reaching out to the yo...  more »

     
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CD Details

All Artists: Dan Zanes
Title: Night Time
Members Wishing: 1
Total Copies: 0
Label: Festival Five Rec.
Release Date: 10/15/2002
Genres: Alternative Rock, Folk, Pop, Rock, Children's Music
Styles: Roots Rock, Lullabies, Sing-A-Longs
Number of Discs: 1
SwapaCD Credits: 1
UPCs: 800495000321, 0800495000321

Synopsis

Amazon.com
Just as adult authors from Isabel Allende to Clive Barker are writing kids' books these days, rock & roll artists (remember Jerry Garcia and David Grisman's 1993 recording Not for Kids Only?) are reaching out to the younger set. Thank goodness, we say... and scoot over, Barney. Festival Five Records is the children's music label founded by Dan Zanes, former lead singer of the Del Fuegos, where he hopes to capture "the sound of a neighborhood band on the front stoop playing tunes after dinner for a family dance." His third CD release, Night Time! ("a musical cool-down disc for all ages underground"), comes on the heels of Rocket Ship Beach and Family Dance. Here, traditional tunes such as the West Indian sea shanty "Pay Me My Money Down" and the African American folk song "Down by the Riverside" take their place next to folksy, hypnotic Zanes originals, including "Night Owl," "Firefly," and "Linger for Awhile," a song aimed to reflect Brooklyn stoop life. Mandolins, harmonicas, trombones, fiddles, electric guitars (and more!) add to the contagious buoyancy of this eclectic 16-track CD. Our favorite is "Rattlin' Bog," a delightfully nonsensical cumulative song, led by Father Goose and featuring the kids in the Dandelion Chorus. As in his other CDs, Zanes invites friends and family to join the fun, along with heavy-hitters such as Aimee Mann, Lou Reed, and Dar Williams. This irresistible collection, appealing to toddlers and easy on their parents, is packaged in a colorful board book illustrated by Donald Saaf with starry scenes of moonlit music making. An excellent addition to any children's music library. --Karin Snelson

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CD Reviews

Sweet, sophisticated FUN!!
James Sailer | Brooklyn, NY USA | 11/07/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)

"Dan Zanes, Barbara Brousal, Father Goose, and the others who sing and play on this CD really must remember what it's like to be a kid. Their songs are really kid-friendly, but nuanced and sophisticated at the same time (this is why they are great for adults, too). The album, as its name implies, is for those more mellow moments, not the stand up and dance moments like in Dan Zanes and Friends' first two albums. There is a wonderful slower version of Down by the Riverside. Barbara Brousal has penned a new classic in Que Fortunidad, a song that will have your kids trying to sing along in Spanish even if they don't know the language. Aimee Mann lends her smoky voice to Night Owl. Father Goose's voice has a Louis Armstrong quality to it -- not what you'd think of as a classic singer, but it really works with this material. And, perhaps most amazingly, or ironically, Lou Reed shows up to sing "What a Wonderful World." Other great songs include "Pay me My Money Down", which is an old sea shanty, and "Rattlin Bog," which is nonsensical and just plain fun. Night Time is a collection of old songs, new songs, folk songs, and traditional songs. It's performed by a wide range of talented singers and musicians, with plenty of stars thrown into the mix. Dan Zanes & the Rocket Ship Revue are now touring the country, and their music plays equally well live and on this CD. If you or your kids love music, this is another great CD to have."
The Pied Piper Strikes Again
Gabriel Gonzalez | Silver Spring, MD United States | 10/17/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)

"Dan Zanes has few if any equals in his ability to connect with children and other lovers of great music. Having seen him in concert twice, I have witnessed the joy that he and his merry band, chief among them the wonderful Barbara Brousal (with her early Nanci Griffith voice), bring to kids, who seem to feel real freedom when they are listening and dancing to the music. "Night Time" maintains the extremely high level of quality and listenability of "Rocket Ship Beach" and "Family Dance". While less raucous then the prior two albums, "Night Time" adds an extra layer of sweetness, best exemplified by the gentle gem, "Firefly". The use of the celebrity guests is once again appropriate -- no big star turns here. I find it somewhat amusing that Aimee Mann, John Doe, Dar Williams, and Lou Reed, a serious group of singers if ever there were one, are singing on a record aimed at little ears. But, having become familiar with Dan Zanes, I realize that anyone who actually knows him could not resist doing whatever he asked. I feel lucky to have stumbled upon his music and his magic, and I hope that years from now, my two kids will look back on Dan Zanes as one of the reminders of the simple joys of childhood."
Thank you!
Allison S. Avery | Indianapolis | 09/16/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)

"I must admit first off that this was not the CD of my kids' dreams when I first put it on. When I first played it, they demanded I put Laurie (Berkner) or Ralphie (Ralph's World) back on. But, as much as I do enjoy both Laurie and Ralphie and find them quite listenable, they remain childrens music to the core. This CD is the very first one that I ever feel myself happily singing tunes from, even when my kids aren't around. And, while their enthusiasm wasn't immediate, it wasn't long before my children came to absolutely love it and frankly they refuse to listen to anything else now! We have an hour commute each way every day, so thank you Dan Zanes! Each of the songs on the CD is truly wonderful! There is nothing more satisfying, not to mention adorable, about hearing a two year old sing about laying down her sword and shield and studying war no more!!! And, some of the tunes incorporate foriegn languages - I guarantee that hearing your children navigate through the lyrics of those songs will bring a smile to any parent's face."