Reviewed by Phil Thomson

For the older listener, this will bring back memories - Father Abraham vying with Zacchaeus one minute, Jesus wanting you for a sunbeam, climbing up sunshine mountain or asking for oil in your lamp the next. And that's only from the blue album 'Bible Songs' - one of a four-CD set released by Stateside Spring Hill Music Group. It's red for 'Sunday School', yellow for 'Nursery Rhymes' and green for 'Silly Songs' - all very cheekily packaged. We are treated to "Itsy, Bitsy Spider", "The Hokey-Cokey", "Little Bunny Foo Foo" and the like, with seemingly endless supplies of energy and enthusiasm from the (adult) singers - so at least it's emotionless and free of sentimentality. That's the intention. It is a guide, a perfectly targetted resource; its function underlined by the helpful inclusion of an exact same playlist end-on-end, as split-trax for easy use on site: "just turn the balance knob to the extreme left." It is meant for kindergarten karaoke - and it certainly does the job. It's not for discerning listening song-by-song. The pace is the one thing which grates, with every track at full throttle, but then I imagine that's the way the kids like everything done. The music and the sound achieved is consistent, reliable and appropriately formulaic, so - nothing complicated here. The nursery rhymes are 'A' list too - "Jack & Jill", "Little Jack Horner", "Humpty Dumpty", "Little Bo Peep" keeping company with the likes of "Old King Cole". To the overworked listener with responsibilities for the behaviourly challenged, this really is a godsend: 61 songs - and concepts - to suit the most demanding of pre-pubescent punter. I have favourites which pop up all over the place, but particularly on the 'Sunday School Songs' selection - "Do Lord", "Down In My Heart", "Oh Be Careful Little Eyes" and, of course, by getting a hold of this box set, "If You're Happy"...and you know it, clap your hands! Breathless.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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