Capitol isn't kidding when it says the songs on Capitol Sings Kids Songs are for grown-ups, not because they're too sophisticated, but because kids probably hate them. Most of the songs here, though not all from film or stage, have that sort of squeaky-clean musical feel that smacks of (pre-) Boomer nostalgia . . . Kid Song Standards and a few plain old pop hits set to a perky rhythm. At their best, they bring to mind those ancient hidden-meaning nursery rhymes. Meaningless to kids, a real hoot for the folks. A couple even confirm my faith in the twisted minds behind them. Imagine Nat King Cole crooning, "I wanna be a friend of yours . . . mmmm! and a little bit more" or a very sensuous June Christy whispering "When you meet temptation and the urge is very strong, give a little whistle / Not just a squeeze, pucker up and blow."
Most of the tunes here aren't nearly as eventful. A predilection for 1940s/50s pop vocalists is necessary and even then, the fodder is pretty dull. And, in a marginalized genre like kid-songs-for-adults where weird makes good, that doesn't cut it. (Carrie McLaren)