Birds, Beasts, Bugs and Fishes (Little & Big) (CD - 1998)

Liner Note Author: Anthony Seeger.

Previously available on two separate 1955 Folkways LPs (Birds, Beasts, Bugs and Little Fishes and Birds, Beasts, Bugs and Bigger Fishes), this CD combines both of these children's records onto one disc, complete lyrics included in the accompanying booklet. As the titles make plain, the songs were devoted to animals of all sorts; Birds, Beasts, Bugs and Little Fishes was aimed toward younger kids, and Birds, Beasts, Bugs and Bigger Fishes for older ones. It'll still do the job today, although it can be a bit much for over-tens to take when Pete Seeger does animal noises, and even if you're just leaving your little one in a corner to enjoy the CD, 28 songs might be too much for both you and your kid to endure all at once. ~ Richie Unterberger

Not so much a children's folk album as it is a folk album with songs suitable for children, BIRDS, BEASTS, BUGS & FISHES--a 28-song compilation originally released in 1955 on two LPs--collects American and European folk songs about the animal kingdom. There're fanciful anthropomorphic narratives like the endlessly bizarre "Frog Went a-Courtin'," songs about the majesty of animals both wild and domesticated such as "I Had a Rooster" and "The Fox," and homespun narratives and dances that use animals as both metaphor and subject. One particular highlight is Seeger's peculiarly joyful version of "I Wish I Was a Mole in the Ground." Though not as celebrated as Bascom Lamar Lunsford's rendition, Seeger's take on the traditional tune is as mysteriously moving. By turns humorous and heartbreaking, BIRDS, BEASTS, BUGS & FISHES is a strong collection of folk classics. minimize