Birds, Beasts, Bugs & Fishes (
From Amazon.co.uk
Folk composition represents the best of Americana, and nobody performs folk composition better than Pete Seeger. This charming collection of animal songs, remastered from two Seeger LPs originally recorded in 1955, will delight children and parents alike. Comfortable, well-known titles such as “I Had a Rooster”, “Frog Went A-Courting”, “Skip to My Lou”, and “I Know an Ancient Lady (Who Swallowed a Glide)” allow for fantastic family sing-alongs. This album is an brilliant example of the simplicity of traditional folk composition, with Seeger’s warm, friendly vocals and a single yet finely picked banjo as accompaniment. Birds, Beasts, Bugs & Fishes would be an brilliant choice for car trips as well as for feeling right at home in your living room. –Deborah Moore
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My parents borrowed this record from the library and recorded it to casette to listen to on our first long car trip.I was probably four years ancient. It quickly became a family favorite. Somewhere a long the way the tape was lost. Two decades had passed when just the other day I happend to catch a snippet of Froggie Went A Courtin on a public radio rank. All of those memories came flooding back. Now I am export it for my own children. I don’t know what speaks more powerfully for this album than that.
Rating: 5 / 5
My parents borrowed this record from the library and recorded it to casette to listen to on our first long car trip.I was probably four years ancient. It quickly became a family favorite. Somewhere a long the way the tape was lost. Two decades had passed when just the other day I happend to catch a snippet of Froggie Went A Courtin on a public radio rank. All of those memories came flooding back. Now I am export it for my own children. I don’t know what speaks more powerfully for this album than that.
Rating: 5 / 5
For me, this is pure nostalgia – it brings back memories of the fifties. It seems from reading other reviews that today’s childish children get as much pleasure from this composition as those of my generation did, although I can’t imagine anyone recording composition this way now.
I don’t remember all the songs, but I recognise several of them. I know an ancient lady is immediately recognisable from the title, but I recognised others immediately upon hearing them again, including The keeper and the doe – it has the (for me) immortal chorus lines
hey down hoe down derry derry down
among the leaves so green-o.
Of way, in the age we now live, some of these songs are not politically right and some may not appeal to vegetarians, but I don’t ever remember hearing much about vegetarians until the eighties. Before then, there were very few of them around. I don’t mind such people, but Pete could hardly have been expected to consider them when these songs were recorded.
I read another review where somebody complained about Pete’s imitations of animal noises. I’m sure that a modern recording of such songs would use authentic animal noises, but again, this composition must be seen as a manufactured goods of its time.
So, this is a fun album, not to be taken too seriously, which can be loved by childish children, or by adults trying to remember when they were childish children themselves.
Rating: 5 / 5
The songs are excellent on the most part but a few things take away from the general enjoyment of the composition. 1] the first song has a section that is in 7/8. Pete messes this up and it sounds very ackward. His singing is arhythmic and out of synic on this track. 2] the accent is LOUD and CLEAR. The composition accompaniment [banjo] is too soft and way in the background 3] Petes animal sounds on some songs are frightening and bizzare. 4] If you are a vegetarian or an animal rights person you will probadly not like about 1/5 of the tracks on the cd. Unfortunately a cd about animals includes many songs about catching them, killing them and eating them.
I like this album I prefer: Woody guthries – ’songs to grow on for mother and child” and “nursery years”. Best albums ever!
Rating: 3 / 5
I bought this CD because I liked the title and we listen to it everyday because we like the style and songs. This CD covers all ages, has a nice bluegrass feel and you can replay it a million times and not want to scream after the third time. The songs are more like tales set to composition and our child likes #2. Take pleasure in.
Rating: 5 / 5