Comments on: CD Review: Ben Rudnick and Friends, “A Frog Named Sam”

By: stadav

stadav — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 23:14:42 +0000

I agree – this is one FUN and DANCEABLE CD! My kids (ages 3 and 6) and I had so much fun dancing to this CD the first time we heard it that they asked to play it again and we danced happily away a full second time through – stopping only for water breaks here and there. The fact that that there is a variety of musical styles on the disc (folk, jazz, jigs) makes for an interesting dance experience full of surprises and laughs. Regardless of whether you like to dance or not, from beginning to end “A Frog Named Sam” makes you feel joyful and good and carefree, which so nicely captures the attitudes of children, and also transports us stressed-out adults into a better, happier place. I love this CD!

By: stadav

stadav — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 18:14:42 +0000

By: Jeff

Jeff — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 20:20:43 +0000

As a Dad of a 4.5 yr old boy and 1.5 yr old girl, I look for music that the kids will love, sing and dance, and play over and over. And if Mom and I can enjoy it, too, that's a nice bonus. I don't really give much though to the quality of art work on the cover or care much which music category it may fit. That's why I very highly recommend Ben Rudnick and Friends' A Frog Named Sam CD, as it is tremendous! Our family has been listening to it together, over and over, having mini-concerts (kids arguing over which one is Ben), and each of us has our own personal favorite (mine is Race Car). For us, Sam is the culmination of our Ben Rudnick collection, but if it is your first experience with Ben and Friends, you'll love it!!!

By: Erin

Erin — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 16:41:28 +0000

My WHOLE family LOVES this CD!

We can't get enough!! My 9 mo old dances around and smiles and laughs along. My husband (a self proclaimed music snob) really DIGS this music.

I sing "A Frog Named Sam" and a lot of the other songs while my little guy takes a bath, plays or has lunch. This CD is one of our MUST HAVES on car rides. Right up there with diapers and his blankey!

By: Fani Nicheva

Fani Nicheva — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 23:17:22 +0000

It seems to me that if a kids’ album drives my little ones to dancing and an urge to press the “Play” button over and over and over and over again, it has fulfilled its promise.

“A Frog Named Sam” does not only that but it does so in the most unpretentious
and elegant way.

Yes, conceptual originality sometimes contributes to "new lyrical ground", as the critic here suggests, but concept is not the missing ingredient in this album.

If you were to judge “A Frog Named Sam” as a totality of experiences, and not a segregation of elements, you would find that simplicity IS the underlining concept.
The album’s unhurried and comfortable lyrics in combination with the catchy melodies make up
for a very strong theme and an actual concept.

In the minds of consumers these are the products that turn into brands and eventually into a whole cultural experience.

Speaking of culture, if you were to take a chronological interest in Ben Rudnick’s CD art, you would find out that it does exactly that – it creates a cultural experience.

From the tidy looking “Emily Songs” cover, through the psychedelic “Fun and Games”, the rocket-fueled juiciness of “Blast Off!” the nostalgic style of “Challenger Baseball Song”, the woodblock style of “Grace’s Bell”, to the floaty but thickly-contoured “A Frog Named Sam”, the artwork never seizes to impress the eye.

And the main reason for it – not its professionalism, nor its stylistic consistency, but its continuous transgression. And believe it or not, transgression is equally appreciated by kids and adults. Ben Rudnick’s culture is made of lyrical innocence and artistic transgression, and that's what makes the whole experience unforgettable.

So if “high-art” and “new lyrical ground” is your place to start, this is not the culture for you and your kids. But if you seek simplicity and a constant innovation in the most modest, infectious and kids-like way, you are in for a “blast off”.