Full Disclosure: my kids and I are Dan Zanes fans. The former Del Fuegos rocker is filling an important niche in making cool family music. Like Pixar movies, it appeals as much to us discerning grownups as the kids. Zanes has enlisted some of his famous pals like Sheryl Crow, Lou Reed and Deborah Harry to sing along with him but he doesn't really need to. The fun and the surprise come from Zanes himself and the dancehall rapper Rankin' Dan (aka "Father Goose") and kids and musicians from his Brooklyn neighborhood. My kids and I enjoyed the Behind the Music aspect to the Well-Rounded Interview. It's a good conversation; the host doesn't step on Zanes; there's music throughout which is woven in fairly seamlessly; it doesn't feel long at 20 odd minutes. We all learned something about the journey of a rock musician-turned dad who wouldn't settle for mass market kids music.
Stations would be doing a service for kids and parents suffering from Raffi-itis (or worse) to run this some weekend.
Comments for The Well-Rounded Radio Interview with Dan Zanes
Produced by Charles McEnerney
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Mary McGrath
Posted on February 27, 2004 at 08:14 AM | Permalink
Review of The Well-Rounded Radio Interview with Dan Zanes
Full Disclosure: my kids and I are Dan Zanes fans. The former Del Fuegos rocker is filling an important niche in making cool family music. Like Pixar movies, it appeals as much to us discerning grownups as the kids. Zanes has enlisted some of his famous pals like Sheryl Crow, Lou Reed and Deborah Harry to sing along with him but he doesn't really need to. The fun and the surprise come from Zanes himself and the dancehall rapper Rankin' Dan (aka "Father Goose") and kids and musicians from his Brooklyn neighborhood. My kids and I enjoyed the Behind the Music aspect to the Well-Rounded Interview. It's a good conversation; the host doesn't step on Zanes; there's music throughout which is woven in fairly seamlessly; it doesn't feel long at 20 odd minutes. We all learned something about the journey of a rock musician-turned dad who wouldn't settle for mass market kids music.
Stations would be doing a service for kids and parents suffering from Raffi-itis (or worse) to run this some weekend.