Search - Various Artists :: Best of Kukla, Fran and Ollie - Here We Are

Memories are made of this

F. Behrens | Keene, NH USA | 11/11/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"In the early days of live television, less was necessarily more and it was fabulous. Can you picture a children's show that was on screen three times a week--Monday, Wednesday, Friday--from 7:30 to 8:00 p.m. that featured a very nice woman (Fran Allison) and two featured hand puppets (a dragon Kukla and a red-nosed being called Ollie) with a few others of their sort? The human spoke to the puppets, they sang duets and trios--and it was wonderful. No violence, no subtext of adult "meaning," no computer generated beings. It was just plain human. Memories are made of this and DRG has recorded some of them for those of us who remember this show on a nostalgic time-tripping "original soundtrack recording" called (44901). Possibly the first in a projected series, this album contains 23 examples of songs heard on that show that started in 1947. Some are spoofs, some are "straight" renditions of favorites such as "Try to Remember" and "Look For the Silver Lining," and all are charmingly done. The target audience should be all of us that either grew up with this show or had children that did--and--by gum--the tiny tots of today who just might be fascinated to hear humans and "puppets" join in merry songs that do not assault the ears or incite bloody revolution in the playpen. Good fun for young and old."