K-tel International follows up their 1992 Compilation Wacky Weirdos with this 1995 release entitled Tacky Tunes. While Weirdos was both crude and racially derogatory Tunes seems to have taken the role of the good twin. Perhaps it was the fact that it was released 3 years later or maybe K-tel was riddled with complaints but either way they were able to come up with a more appropriate and entertaining children's album this time.
The Music
Tacky Tunes is a compilation of 10 songs that are funny, amusing, and...well...tacky. A lot of these songs are oldies, as K-tel appears to enjoy placing oldies on their albums, and all the original recordings except for 3 of them(1). Although not music you would listen to regularly unless you have kids, it can be fun to listen to now and then.
The album starts out with one of the best comedy songs I've ever heard - Hello Mudduh, Hello Fadduh! (A Letter From Camp) by Allan Sherman. With cute background music and rhyming verses this song tells the story of a boy at camp writing a letter to his parents about how awful it is and has a surprise ending. My parents knew this song before I did, and we all end up getting it stuck in our heads now & then, so I'm sure it will please everyone. Tie Me Kagaroo Down, Sport by Rolf Harris is an Australian tune that is cute but the flopping noise in the background can get annoying quickly. Roger Miller's You Can't Roller Skate In A Buffalo Herd is a cute song about silly things that you can't do - but, as the chorus says, All you gota do, is put your mind to it, knuckle down buckle down, do it do it do it. Wooly Bully by Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs is a well-known oldie song that is completely nonsensical and impossible to understand, but fun to dance to. Love Potion No. 9 by the Clovers is another oldies favorite. Sort of a soul-blues song it's a little less upbeat than the rest but still entertaining.
The last half of the CD continues with Loving You Has Made Me Bananas by Guy Marks which is in early 1900's radio style - a lot of this song is purely talking at the beginning but it does have music if you wait - it has a lot of orchestral music. Beans In My Ears by The Serendipity Singers is a cute little choral kids song about how you shouldn't put beans in your ears. Little Boxes by Pete Seeger is a cute little song about...little boxes! It sort of reminds me of Raffi. The All American Boy by Bobby Bare is an early rock song about becoming a rock star - probably the most boring song on the album. Finally, Haunted House by Jumpin' Gene Simmons (hmmm...KISS? haha) is a country-westernish sounding song about a guy who moves into a haunted house. This is also a very danceable song and is a good finish to the album.
Downfalls
One thing that is very annoying on this album is that a couple of the songs (Hello Mudduh..., Little Boxes) are live and have people laughing after almost every line - some of the times I don't even understand what's so funny!
One other thing - I think they could've made the album a little longer. With only 10 songs it seems kind of short, and they certainly could have fit a few more on there.
Target Market
This is a great kids album. There is really no objectionable material on this CD, and kids will love the upbeat music. Adults will also enjoy the songs that they know from when they were kids. Overall, K-Tel has done a much better job making this album kid friendly.
Should You Buy It?
Well...it is from 1995, so it has a lot less appeal than it used to - and I'm not even sure if you'd be able to FIND this album at any store. There are probably much better albums out there than this one by now. But it is an ok album and definitely worth at least a dollar or two, especially if you know and enjoy the songs that are on it.
(1)Love Potion No. 9, Beans In My Ears, and Haunted House are new stereo recordings, not the original recordings.
BEWARE: Read about Tacky Tune's evil twin Wacky Weirdos.
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