Who: John Hadfield, an Delaware based, East Coast touring, multi talented musician.
What: Robot Monkey Head - John's follow up CD to his 2002 Children's Music Web Award winning debut album, Monkeys in the House.
Where: This is totally a LISTEN EVERYWHERE album. My daughter loves this CD and has asked for it every day since I played it for her. I think it is great for the 5-8 year old set. There is a ton of variety in the music - everything from a country reel to the title song which has a little bit of a Devo feel to it. I don't think I have heard another ode to salt on an album and this one is hard to shake loose once you hear it.
Additional Positives: I love it when musicians use a lot of different instruments. John and his guest musicians break out a Dobro, mandolin, sax, stand up bass, banjo, ukulele, octachime (I have no idea what this is), duck tape, and whoopee cushions (2 of which got blown out during the making of the CD).
Things to grow on: The one song that I didn't really like is Bunny Foo Foo, the High School Years. It is an anti-bullying song but the moral of the story is you shouldn't be a bully because someone bigger will hit you with a carrot one day. Not quite what I was hoping for. The second thing I would like is in John's first album his liner notes gave small blurbs about each song. I loved reading them. This CD doesn't have it. Bring the blurbs back.
For those of you who live in the Washington DC metro area like we do... John will be playing 4 concerts in Fairfax for the Arts in the Parks series. Click here for more information and dates.
