Grammar Rock (Schoolhouse Rock 1973)

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Schoolhouse Rock owns the bragging rights to being the hippest musical vehicle to elementary education. Grammar Rock is a particularly compelling volume, bringing jazz vocal legend Bob Dorough to the lyrical table, untangling the secrets of the English language in a way that's both entertaining and instructive. The music is never less than humorously beguiling, comfortable in its simplicity and yet unafraid to dance outside the lines. Yes, the music sounds a tad manufactured, but this is the soundtrack for Generation X's early education. And, yes, this is a short CD--clocking in at 27 minutes--but it's not about length, it's about ideas. --Andrew Bartlett

Tracks:

The Teachers Are Afraid Of The Pupils
Reader Meet Author
The Boy Racer
The Operation
Dagenham Drive
Do Your Best And Don`t Worry
Best Friend On The Payroll
Southpaw

Amazon.com

Pop stars who last more than a decade often survive but change: U2 goes from righteous to cartoonish, Sting from new wave to adult contemporary, Prince from purple to nameless. Morrissey, though, survives by staying the same, by pushing the flashing-red alienation buttons of each new year's crop of outsider adolescents. So while fans tend to grow out of the great Moz sometime after they lose their virginity, there's always a new, larger batch of pubescent mopers to take their place. For older listeners, it may seem Morrissey hasn't written a consistently incisive or catchy album since his first solo effort, 1988's Viva Hate, which itself pales next to his classic work with the Smiths. Since going solo, he's completely abandoned evocative poetry, opting instead for funny titles (remember the empty tease of "Hairdresser On Fire"?). Southpaw Grammar, Morrissey's fifth studio record, has a number of stellar song names--"Best Friend on the Payroll," for instance--but musically, adds up to just another indistinguishable mush of groaned haiku ready to be heaped onto the pile of other cleverly titled but otherwise forgettable releases. To be fair, Southpaw Grammar is not all bad. A moody epic like the 11-minute orchestrated opener "The Teachers Are Afraid of the Pupils," a classic Morrissey modern-day crucifixion tale, at least balances the recycled MTV-fare of "The Boy Racer" and "Dagenham Dave." There's even a hint of career development: Long instrumental sections, such as in the 10-minute finale "Southpaw," plus an overall heavier rock sound, indicate more creative input from the band. But would anyone put on a Morrissey record to hear a two-and-a-half minute drum solo like the one that starts Southpaw's "The Operation"? Then again, perhaps we should just be thankful Morrissey didn't use the moment to berate us with more shameful triteness like Southpaw's "Do Your Best and Don't Worry."

And yet, the man's popularity steadily grows. For grown-up, former fans, it seems the more we ignore him, the closer he gets to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. --Roni Sarig

Customer Reviews:

Your Arsenal pt II - Southpaw Grammar is Great!.......2007-06-03

Some people call this album prog, which I really don't understand. So he has some string arrangements and a drum solo...as I recall, Zep did as well! This album could not be any further from Genesis, Emerson Lake & Palmer, Yes, or any of those other prog acts that Moz constantly reminds us he hates so much. This is a straight-ahead Rock album.

The whole band is ace as well, with a recording mix to match. Just listen to the drums smash down your apartment walls during "Do Your Best and Don't Worry."

Morrissey goes prog, and it works..........2007-04-23

This, along with Viva Hate, are my favorite Morrissey solo albums. Being a prog rock fan, I really liked the fact that this contains 2 epic tracks, The Teachers are Afraid of the Pupils (clocking in at 11:15), and Southpaw, clocking in at 10 minutes. It rocks a lot harder than other Morrissey albums, but I like the new sounds. I think the opener, The Teachers..., is a great epic song that seems short. The Operation opens with one of the most audacious conceits I ever heard: a drum solo opening the song. It offers a great, 2 1/2 minute solo before going into a great, tuneful song, then the last 2 minutes are almost on the level of Husker Du in terms of melodic noise. Morrissey was being ambitious here, and many didn't like it. I did. This is a great Morrissey album.

Rock !.......2007-01-29

this is by far Morrissey's hardest rocking album. while most of his namby pamby fans hate this album, I think its great, even with that goofy drum solo !

I'm a fickle fan!.......2006-12-09

I have a bad habit of unintentionally giving up on an artist I really like since I'm a fickle music fan. I guess it's really more because I'm always looking for new & different music and sounds. I loved The Smiths and Morrissey's solo work up till "Kill Uncle" which I enjoyed, but then got diverted by other artists putting out more interesting music since "Kill Uncle" was just more of the same to me. I finally picked up "Your Arsenal" 4 or 5 years ago.

Well, I was listening to Pandora(the internet radio site)earlier this week and they played "The Boy Racer" and I thought 'my god this is good'. I listened to samples of the entire cd and decided I needed to have it in my collection. I'm listening to it now as I write this review and am loving it. I also had read some of these reviews on Amazon as well. When I realized "Southpaw Grammar" was a major diversion from usual Morrissey fare, I had to check it out myself. I sure am glad I gave it a chance!

This is Morrissey at his most inventive and creative. Some have called this prog rock, which it might be to some extent but I think there's definitely some glam rock influences and even some psychedelia like on "The Teachers Are Afraid Of The Pupils" and "Southpaw" with the amazing guitar and bass work and the atmospheric noises in the background. Some reviewers have stated that they dislike both of these songs because they are overlong and overwrought but I find them fascinating because they're so different from anything Moz has done before. I enjoy more offbeat unusual songs and artists anyway so this is right down my alley.

"Reader Meet Author", "Dagenham Dave" & "Best Friend On The Payroll" are more succinct pop songs and catchy but with a bit more rock in their sound. "The Operation" is another unusually long song for the Moz that starts out w/a long drum solo that is hypnotizing at the beginning but it rocks as well once the melody starts. Of course "The Boy Racer" is what drew me to this cd in the first place and is a great song as is "Do Your Best & Don't Worry".

If you like more experimental/progressive music then you will enjoy this cd. I think perhaps if this cd were released now it might be better recieved initially due to the rise of prog rock groups like Coheed & Cambria, et al. But then again, as long as some of us secretly long for The Smiths to reunite(me included), there will be that expectation that Morrissey has to make up for the gap in the universe where The Smiths once were. Now that "Southpaw Grammar" has won me back over I think I've finally accepted Moz on his own terms. It's about f'n time eh?

A Tired Album From Morrissey.......2006-11-02

One has to admit that Morrissey oscillates between genius and utter dullness. For the most part, his albums stay more on the right side of genius, however, on this album, Morrissey just sounds tired.

When I listen to songs from this album, something about Morrissey just sounds wrong. Almost as if he is just going through the motions, not too concerned aobut making this album worth the money.

And it isn't worth the money.

First off, the cover art is dreadful. This was in the period where Morrissey pulled away from the cover art aspects of his album, and this one is second in badness only to Maladjusted. The color schemes are terrible, and the typeface is bad, and it is an affront to graphic design that the peach motif actually went through. Then there is the fact that they fail to credit sampling from Shostakovich's 5th Symphony.

The truly great songs is limited to "Boy Racer" and "The Teachers Are Afraid of the Pupils" (which sampled from Shostakovich's 5th Symphony without any credit being given, a point I feel actually does hurt the album - give credit where it is due). Only on those two songs does Morrissey seem to have something to sing about, only there is the passion.

The biggest problem with most of the songs is that they run on too long. Take "Do Your Best and Don't Worry", despite never rising above cliche lyrically, it's biggest failing is that it spends 2 of it's four minutes ending the song with a boring guitar part.

And that leads to the biggest problem with the album - too often the music is meant to carry a great deal of the weight of the song and keep the listener interested, and it fails to meet that need. So, where a good chunk of the songs could be cut in half and nothing lost are instead forcing us to dredge through another boring musical interlude.

With every Morrissey album, there is at least one song that gets into constant rotation. Here, it is not so. Morrissey never hits that high that he usually gets.

Overall, you'd best ignore this Morrissey album. He has done much better and none of these songs are really missed.

Average customer rating:

most excellent
Hey, Kids! Learns the rules of grammar while having fun!
A "35" year old child!!
Great Grammar learning tool! It worked for me!
Great way to internalize these concepts

Grammar Rock (Schoolhouse Rock 1973)
Various Artists
Manufacturer: Rhino / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Best of Schoolhouse Rock
Schoolhouse Rock! Rocks
Schoolhouse Rock! (Special 30th Anniversary Edition)
Schoolhouse Rock: Science Rock
Schoolhouse Rock! - Grammar Rock

ASIN: B0000033XO
Release Date: 1997-04-01

Tracks:

Schoolhouse Rocky
Unpack Your Adjectives
Lolly, Lolly, Lolly, Get Your Adverbs Here
Conjunction Junction
Interjections !
Rufus Xavier Sarsaparilla
Verb: That's What's Happening
A Noun Is a Person, Place Or Thing
Busy Prepositions
The Tale Of Mr. Morton

Amazon.com

Schoolhouse Rock owns the bragging rights to being the hippest musical vehicle to elementary education. Grammar Rock is a particularly compelling volume, bringing jazz vocal legend Bob Dorough to the lyrical table, untangling the secrets of the English language in a way that's both entertaining and instructive. The music is never less than humorously beguiling, comfortable in its simplicity and yet unafraid to dance outside the lines. Yes, the music sounds a tad manufactured, but this is the soundtrack for Generation X's early education. And, yes, this is a short CD--clocking in at 27 minutes--but it's not about length, it's about ideas. --Andrew Bartlett

Customer Reviews:

most excellent.......2004-06-16

this stuff still kicks my ass 30 years later. i grew up on these songs and was amazed a few years back when i heard them again - they are great!

a couple of notes: 'busy prepositions' and 'mr. morton' are recent LAME additions to this collection. it might be the original artists, but the new stuff don't work. why tarnish the perfect collection from way back when?

buy the cd anyway. the original songs are incredible.

also: whoever is posting "reviews" for all of these cds that are actually plugs for "scripture rock", you suck.

Hey, Kids! Learns the rules of grammar while having fun!.......2004-01-26

When it comes to the rules of grammar I know the difference between an independent and a dependent clause and that is about it. If you want to talk about the building blocks of sentences I really do not even know the basics (you only had to go up and diagram sentences on the board if you were not putting them together directly and I was reading books all the time and sort of picked up correct sentence structure by osmosis, so I know how to fix sentences even if I am totally incapable of explaining the rules). Anyhow, the point of this meandering down memory lane is simply to state the obvious: Here are the basics. Learn that "A Noun is a Person, Place, or Thing," "Unpack Your Adjectives," and take a ride down to "Conjunction Junction." Also included are "Verb: That's What's Happening," "Lolly, Lolly, Lolly, Adverbs Here," "Interjections," and the immortal "Rufus Xavier Sarsaparilla" (no excuses if you do not know that last one is about pronouns).

"Schoolhouse Rock" was created in the 1970s, when an advertising executive noticed his son was having trouble memorizing his multiplication tables but knew all the words to rock songs on the radio. The marriage of pop music with information spawned a series of three-minute cartoons on government, history, grammar, science, and math that aired on ABC television from 1973 to 1985. This CD presents all of the "Grammar Rock" lessons, which are still pretty good even without the cartoons (but having the video of the cartoons is better). As long as the rules of grammar do not change (and they look like they are pretty much engraved in, uh, rock) then these ten mini-lessons are going to be useful to teachers and students alike.

A "35" year old child!!.......2003-02-17

School House Rock is etched in my brain. These are tools I wish to share in the future with my kids. Saturday mornings in the 70's & 80's were fun as well as educational. I found myself looking forward to the breaks in-between cartoons to sing along with School House Rock. This series was especially helpful during tests. I would replay the jingles in my mind to help me to answer problems correctly!!

Great Grammar learning tool! It worked for me!.......2002-07-19

Not much can compare with Schoolhouse rock for education and this is an excellent grammar collection.
Also check out the recent S c r i p t u r e R o c k for an updated take on Schoolhouse Rock, if you're into the Bible.

Great way to internalize these concepts.......2002-01-18

Grammar Rock has some really good songs to remember the parts of speech and how to use them correctly. I think some adults would do well to be reminded, too, and these songs are clever enough for all ages.

Average customer rating:

Grammar Jams, Vol. 2
Etienne
Manufacturer: Educorock Productions Inc.
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music

General | Children's Music | Styles | Music
ASIN: B00093G11A
Release Date: 2005-04-26

Tracks:

Mispeled Wirdz (Covers the Most Commonly Mispelled Words in Engl
Prefix-Ation (The Study, Understanding, Manipulation of Prefixes
Suffix-Ation (The Study, Understanding, Manipulation of Suffixes
Question Words (Delve into the Six Basic Questions Words)
Tongue Fixters (Pronunciation-Helping Tongue Twisters)
Pronoun Song (Subject, Object, Possessive Pronouns)
Rhyming Song (Interactive Rhyming Words and Patterns Song)
To Make Do (Present and Past Tenses of the Verbs to Do/Make)
All About Poetry (Poetry Types, Parts and Tools)
Positive Song (A Motivating Anthem)
Mispeled Wirdz (Instrumental Version)
Prefix-Ation (Instrumental Version)
Suffix-Ation (Instrumental Version)
Question Words (Instrumental Version)
Tongue Fixters (Instrumental Version)
Pronoun Song (Instrumental Version)
Rhyming Song (Instrumental Version)
To Make Do (Instrumental Version)
All About Poetry (Instrumental Version)
Postive Song (Instrumental Version)

Average customer rating:

You gotta be kidding me. I liked it how much?
Graig is All Aces

Hard Grammar
Graig Markel
Manufacturer: Mag Wheels Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Verses on Venus

ASIN: B000056EY8
Release Date: 2000-11-17

Tracks:

Texas Hedging
In Like a Lion
All Aces
Barely Breathing
D'azz
Live Without It
Boys and Girls
You and Cupid
Virgo's Merlot
Deeper Than Inside

Album Description

"Hard Grammar" is the 2nd full length CD by Seattle based Graig Markel. The album explores the places your mind goes when it's late at night and you've spent too much time alone examining your problems. All of his songs are infused with a touch of soul and a crystalline honesty that leave you warm and a bit unsettled. In all his songs, Markel seems to be yearning for something, balancing bouts of emptiness and anger. Actually, Randy Newman meets D'Angelo isn't a bad way of thinking about most of Markel's music, which combines the confessional singer-songwriter approach and the slick processed soul tendencies of the '70s. Highlights on this album include "D'Azz", a sensual slow-burning shoo-be-doo-wop torch song, and "Live Without It" a rollicking pale-faced R&B number, plus 8 more.

Customer Reviews:

You gotta be kidding me. I liked it how much?.......2002-03-01

I liked it alot. I first heard the album's best single (Virgo's Merlot) on the internet at 3WK. That song hook's you in with a chiming intro and then keeps you going with imploring lyrics about the see-saw of deception and fidelity.

Other stong tracks are the storming "In Like a Lion," do-oppy "D'Azz," and "Live Without It."

Graig is All Aces.......2001-11-15

This album is wonderful, as is everything he has done. He seems to blend genres: indie, rock, r & b, jazz, soul, psychedelic, lounge... No one sounds like him. I recommend this album, and all his work, and go see him live. This is one you want to drive to, or have on during your party. This is one that people will overhear and say, "Who's this?" I particularly like 'Virgo's Merlot' which has a bit of a Combustible Edison-like hint to it. Graig Markel is incredibly talented (and extremely nice) and I am proud to be one of his earliest fans! :)

Average customer rating:

Wonderfully unique album
I love sprawling buffets!

Motivation and Watertower Grammar
Work of Saws
Manufacturer: Midwest Artists Dist.
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Alternative Pop | Alternative Rock | Indie Music | Stores | Music
ASIN: B00005ASG7
Release Date: 2001-03-01

Tracks:

Prebuffering Stream
So Bronze!
The hands that made you sorry
Smaller Ink on Maps
King Mongkut, Inventor
Losing Vertical Hold
The Sun Wrestlers
Reading Material and the Silence of Cement
Napolean Tightly Kerned
I don't feel Stable
Discomforts of leisure
Baritone Astronaut Quartet
Kenny Rogers Couple Skate
Evil Wants to Claim the World
Plan Your Ninth Baloon
Big Time Sci-fi Role
Artificial Night
Moth Swarm
Love is Something Small
Alyn of copper descent
Soundtrack For Killing Birds
21st Century Man
Niagra Fell
Pinpoint Green V
Crown State Rhino
Motel Ely Doomsayers
Falling Up
The bushes are black with smoke
Helpful Missles
Lincloln Log Bones
West Franklin
Dynamite Hugs
My Special Robot
Captain Hollywood Scar
Random Bunny Drawings
Rubber Husk
Battery Man
Tangerines & Blue Cheese
You're Half Mice
All That You Had Hoped For
Fictitious Town of Pomador
I, the son of Math
Bloodflow, I know you
Buttercup, You're a Canyon

Customer Reviews:

Wonderfully unique album.......2001-04-17

Unique? Start with 44 songs on a debut album. "Motivation and Watertower Grammar" is an incredible collection of compostions that will hook you and cause you to start humming them throughout the day. Brock Davis, David Salmela and company have a unique talent for carving out original melodies and lyrics that maintain an appealing and engaging rawness. While comparisons to Guided By Voices (with whom I am not familiar) seem apparent, I liken Work of Saws to the later Beatles in their intruiguing music and varied styles. I'm also reminded of early R.E.M.'s enigmatic lyrics and Elvis Costello's effusive creativity on his "Get Happy" album.

As for favorite songs....where do I start...or end? "i don't feel stable" is a creepy, sullen, and disturbing gem. "tangerines and blue cheese" is a joyful, groovy, sing-a-long song. "buttercup, you're a canyon" is piano pop at its finest. Work of Saws seem to be influenced by a variety of musical styles, including rock, country, folk, blues, and jazz. If you appreciate the purity and energy of independent musicians, you will thoroughly enjoy this debut CD from Work of Saws. I'm looking forward to their next album. Now only one question remains....how many songs next time?

I love sprawling buffets!.......2001-03-25

Pop the c.d. in the player and plan on spending the next hour experiencing catchy, lovely melodies - all done up in tasty, non-filling, sizes. (Just when you were getting into it the song will end!) But thats okay because the next one grabs you in a sweet little hug and there isn't time to lament. Motivation and Watertower Grammar is perfect for short attention spans, or for those who don't need to have everything spelled out for them. Each song is distinctly its own - from lo-fi to hi-fi to show tunes. Its definitely a buffet, but the songs still hang together, making up a story along the way. Its kind of like a cul-de-sac of the endearingly bizarre, with lots of little driveways off the main drag that you get to explore. On the second listen you'll be singing along, harmonizing, maybe even adding your own bits. Its impossible not to because nothing hides itself here. Each part lets itself be heard and even leaves a space for you. In this sense the songs are unlike most you hear today. Work of Saws do not explain themselves with "tears fall like rain" cliches, or with predictable stories told in three parts separated by the chorus, bridge deal. Its kinda hard to describe their music (which is part of their appeal for me). The only immediate comparison is to Guided By Voices - obviously an influence with their fondness for lyric/melody driven short songs. But still, they just don't sound like GBV.

So if you are fond of bands that are hard to describe, have really original, imaginative lyrics and are sing-along-able then you should check out this debut c.d. - and let me know what you think.

Grammar Jams, Vol. 1
Average customer rating:
Grammar Jams, Vol. 1
Etienne
Manufacturer: Educorock Productions Inc.
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music
General | Children's Music | Styles | Music
ASIN: B00019PZNW
Release Date: 2005-04-26

Tracks:

Jump!
Around the Classroom
Dance!
To Be
To Have (A Tense Situation)
One, Two. How Are You?
Alphabet
Conjunction Blues
Negatives
What Time Is It?
Vowel Song
Jump! (Instrumental Version)
Around the Classroom (Instrumental Version)
Dance! (Instrumental Version)
To Be (Instrumental Version)
To Have (Instrumental Version)
One, Two. How Are You? (Instrumental Version)
Alphabet (Instrumental Version)
Conjunction Blues (Instrumental Version)
Negatives (Instrumental Version)
What Time Is It? (Instrumental Version)
Vowel Song (Instrumental Version)

Average customer rating:

The Grammar Bell and the All Fall Down
Manishevitz
Manufacturer: Jagjaguwar
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
ASIN: B00000IWPN
Release Date: 1999-04-19

Tracks:

Fox Trot
Ice Pick
Grammar Bell Rings
Lover of Animals
Praise for the Economie
Invisible Man Rag
Lonesome Cowboy Dave Thomas
My Creole Belle

Music:

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