Search - Dan Zanes :: Parades and Panoramas: 25 Songs Collected by Carl Sandburg

An American Classic

Michael J. Kruse | Chicago | 03/16/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Dan Zanes is a hero-- pure love and guts-- and it shows here on this record, which is an album of FAMILY MUSIC. This is not the kind of saccharin sweet sanitary crud so often pushed off on kids (Raffi, et. al.), which sane adults raised on rock and roll can't bear to listen to without upchucking. This is REAL music, about real lives and real people, performed by real musicians with real musical lives which EVERYONE in your house-- ages 1 to 100-- will dig deeply. The songs-- American roots classics, all of them-- are tuneful, the recording elegant and gorgeous, the playing and singing sublime, and the arrangements clever and engaging at all turns.



I'd agree it's not right to call it a kids album, but not because it includes songs with bawdy or edgy lyrical themes. The album is TOTALLY appropriate for kids, because kids eat the songs up (my 5 and 8 year olds go crazy to the thing and it plays endlessly in my home and car) and because the songs about the noted potentially dodgy topics are presented with such love, humor, honesty, naivete, and innocence. Indeed, the songs, along with Zanes's and excerpts from Sandburg's notes about them, provide a real education about American history and life over the past 150 years that is likley to be much more insightful, informative, interesting, and excting than what is presented to kids in school. But it's not a kids album because grups will wanna put it on whether their kids are around or not. I, too, spin the thing endlessly even when my kids are not around, and my rock and roll band has pulled several tunes off the record and presents them in settings that have NOTHING to do with kids.



The vision and courage the man shows in presenting such a collection, rough edges, grup themes, and all in the context of music for FAMILIES -- kids AND their parents-- is truly heroic. This is a record for the ages. Buy it for your kids, buy it for yourself, buy it for your parents and grandparents, buy it for the whole darn family, and for goodness sake, go see the Dan the Man and his Band perform if they get within a hundred miles of wherever you are.



This is a real American treat."

The Sound of America

Gabriel Gonzalez | Silver Spring, MD United States | 10/25/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Dan Zanes is an American classic, much like the songbag that he brings to life in this excellent recording. Anyone lucky enough to have heard him during his recent appearance on "The Diane Rehm Show" on NPR (it's still available on the archives) knows that this man loves music and, even more so, loves to share his love of music. We are all richer for it.



While "Parades and Panoramas" is not billed as one of his children's CDs, it is still a great choice for parents looking for music that their kids will enjoy (the last non-kid CD from Dan Zanes, "Sea Music", was less kid-oriented). My 4-year-old daughter is particularly fond of "Titanic" (she now knows the date that the Titanic sunk, thanks to the lyrics) and the Salvation Army ditty, "Roll The Chariot," and my 2-year-old son loves "Son of A Gambolier." We all love "All Night Long" (Father Goose and Barbara in the same song makes that a given).



The fact is, you cannot really predict what music a child will like; they throw us for a loop every day. But, if Dan Zanes and his talented friends are making the music, the odds are pretty good."

Every song an American history lesson . . .

Susan R. Orred | Granby, CT | 11/24/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

". . . how could you NOT share this CD with your kids?? It is simply and elegantly recorded, the songs are very singable, and truly the music of the people. I must disagree with the reviewer who said this CD was not for kids--frankly, you could hear songs with much more questionable lyrics on your local country music station. My kids and I have had this in the car CD player since the day it was released, and they love to imagine they're "son(s) of a gambolier" (and I don't think they will grow up to be barflys because they sing this song). I also highly recommend Dan Zanes "Night Time" -- my 4-year-old won't go to sleep without a few renditions of "Side by Side." Thank you Dan Zanes and friends!"