Farkle & Friends

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
One listen to Farkle & Friends confirms what anyone who caught an episode of TV's 3rd Rock from the Sun might've suspected: Not only is John Lithgow a born entertainer, the kind who gives off a great big whiff of Broadway no matter what stage he's tripping across, he's also curiously more kid than grown-up. Farkle, named for Lithgow's bestselling 2000 book about a musical child prodigy who tosses aside one instrument after another, whirls kids 2 and up (plus their parents) around a nine-song playground of Danny Kaye-inspired kookiness. "Marsupial Sue"'s rhyming-couplet lyrics hop alongside the titular kangaroo on her quest to escape a bouncy existence that "rattles her brain and gave her migraine"; "I Got Two Dogs" trails Fanny and Blue ("Betcha wish you had two dogs, too") and begets some of the most uproarious human barking and baying since Scooby-Doo; and "Carmencita" surveys the skies for a legendary damsel who twirled and tangoed till the dance floor launched her heavenward. Lithgow's five originals pack a delightful wallop weird enough to render the other tunes--such as a perfectly fun duet of Leonard Bernstein's "The Wrong Note Rag" with Bebe Neuwirth --playful piffle, but even the piffliest track, opener "Animal Crackers in My Soup," benefits from the full-orchestra treatment. Swing revival superstar Bill Elliott ("Independence Day," "Introducing Dorothy Dandridge") brings it on with gusto to match the singer-actor-author's guffaw-generating delivery. That Lithgow has barnstormed the kids' corner of the entertainment field should surprise no one and, in a perfect world, would send parents stampeding to his concert performances. More than anything, Farkle fuels a sense that Lithgow for little people should've happened a lot sooner. --Tammy La Gorce --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

From the Artist
Do you want to waltz with a kangaroo? Sing a duet with a hippo? Hear a yak play a saxophone? Or maybe, like Farkle McBride, you'd rather just lead a band. The music on this album lets you do all of these things and more. Every note of these songs (even the wrong notes!) shows you what music can do. Music can spin a tale, tell a joke, change your mood, make you dance. It can even liven up your dog walk! I love singing these songs, and I loved making this album. My hope is that you have... read more

Album Description
The exuberant new album FARKLE & FRIENDS is a child's guide to the orchestra with a difference. In this self-produced CD, John Lithgow performs with a full-scale symphony orchestra. Several of the songs are originals that he co-wrote with conductor Bill Elliott. Among them is "The Remarkable Farkle McBride", the acclaimed symphonic version of the Simon & Schuster best-selling children's book of the same name. Narrated and sung by John, the colorful piece illustrates the individual instruments of the orchestra and then brings them all together for a rousing finish. Elsewhere the orchestra backs John with lively waltzes,'30s Hollywood swing, thumping marches, and sizzling salsa. Also featured are old favorites such as "Animal Crackers In My Soup", Irving Berlin's "I'd Rather Lead A Band", and Leonard Bernstein's "Wrong Note Rag", a duet that John sings with guest Bebe Neuwirth.

Farkle & Friends

Farkle & Friends, Music, John Lithgow/Bill Elliott

Farkle and Friends
Average customer rating:

Highly Recommended

Big disappointment

Great

Goofy!!

Love this CD!!!

Farkle and Friends
John Lithgow With Bill Elliott & His Orchestra
Manufacturer: Kid Rhino
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Poetry, Spoken Word & Interviews | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music
General | Children's Music | Styles | Music
Sing-A-Longs | Children's Music | Styles | Music
Rhino Records | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Singin' in the Bathtub

The Sunny Side of the Street

The Remarkable Farkle McBride

I'm a Manatee: (Book and CD)

Marsupial Sue Book and CD

ASIN: B000066RLW
Release Date: 2002-06-18

Tracks:

Animal Crackers In My Soup
Marsupial Sue
The Bandshell Right Next To The Zoo
I'd Rather Lead A Band
I Got Two Dogs
Carmencita
The Hippopotamus Song
The Remarkable Farkle McBride
The Wrong Note Rag (with Bebe Neuwirth)

Amazon.com

One listen to Farkle & Friends confirms what anyone who caught an episode of TV's 3rd Rock from the Sun might've suspected: Not only is John Lithgow a born entertainer, the kind who gives off a great big whiff of Broadway no matter what stage he's tripping across, he's also curiously more kid than grown-up. Farkle, named for Lithgow's bestselling 2000 book about a musical child prodigy who tosses aside one instrument after another, whirls kids 2 and up (plus their parents) around a nine-song playground of Danny Kaye-inspired kookiness. "Marsupial Sue"'s rhyming-couplet lyrics hop alongside the titular kangaroo on her quest to escape a bouncy existence that "rattles her brain and gave her migraine"; "I Got Two Dogs" trails Fanny and Blue ("Betcha wish you had two dogs, too") and begets some of the most uproarious human barking and baying since Scooby-Doo; and "Carmencita" surveys the skies for a legendary damsel who twirled and tangoed till the dance floor launched her heavenward. Lithgow's five originals pack a delightful wallop weird enough to render the other tunes--such as a perfectly fun duet of Leonard Bernstein's "The Wrong Note Rag" with Bebe Neuwirth --playful piffle, but even the piffliest track, opener "Animal Crackers in My Soup," benefits from the full-orchestra treatment. Swing revival superstar Bill Elliott ("Independence Day," "Introducing Dorothy Dandridge") brings it on with gusto to match the singer-actor-author's guffaw-generating delivery. That Lithgow has barnstormed the kids' corner of the entertainment field should surprise no one and, in a perfect world, would send parents stampeding to his concert performances. More than anything, Farkle fuels a sense that Lithgow for little people should've happened a lot sooner. --Tammy La Gorce

Album Description

The exuberant new album FARKLE & FRIENDS is a child's guide to the orchestra with a difference. In this self-produced CD, John Lithgow performs with a full-scale symphony orchestra. Several of the songs are originals that he co-wrote with conductor Bill Elliott. Among them is "The Remarkable Farkle McBride", the acclaimed symphonic version of the Simon & Schuster best-selling children's book of the same name. Narrated and sung by John, the colorful piece illustrates the individual instruments of the orchestra and then brings them all together for a rousing finish. Elsewhere the orchestra backs John with lively waltzes,'30s Hollywood swing, thumping marches, and sizzling salsa. Also featured are old favorites such as "Animal Crackers In My Soup", Irving Berlin's "I'd Rather Lead A Band", and Leonard Bernstein's "Wrong Note Rag", a duet that John sings with guest Bebe Neuwirth.

Customer Reviews:

Highly Recommended.......2007-01-10

One of the few kids CD's that mom and dad won't get tired of!! I love that it exposes my little guy to different types of music. Interesting lyrics that don't get annoyingly stuck in your head!! A great find!

Big disappointment.......2005-08-04

If you're buying this CD because you've heard John Lithgow's "Singing in the Bathtub" - don't do it. This is not the same toe-tapping, sing along fun music. In fact, I find it difficult to hear what is being sung over the orchestration. I can't stand to listen to it.

Great.......2003-09-29

We are glad to have this second CD in our collection of (childrens') music. No, it's not the same as the first one. But then, we didn't want two of the same thing. This one sounds more like a broadway musical while the first is more big-band-sing-along. Both are really great.

Goofy!!.......2003-08-04

This goofy CD is the brainchild of actor and funnyman-extraordinaire, John Lithgow. Combined with Bill Elliott's orchestra, John sings his way through a number of funny old songs that my children and I found quite humorous. With only nine songs, it might look to be a short album, but it isn't. In fact, The Remarkable Farkle alone is almost fifteen minutes long!

As both of my children are in the local grade school band, I appreciated that this CD relies on an orchestra for the music. The Remarkable Farkle, in particular, is the story of a boy's falling in love with the orchestra, and I have used it to show my kids just how great orchestral music can be. So, if you have young children learning an instrument, or just like goofy music, then I highly recommend this album to you. Go get it!

Love this CD!!!.......2002-09-26

I am going to have to buy Lithgow's first CD because I can't believe everyone is saying this one isn't very good compared to the first one. I absolutely loved this CD. Definitely something very original compared to other kids CD's. I highly recommend purchasing this one if you aren't sure about it. Not all the songs are sing along songs but they are all entertaining and my kids love listening to them. I like them too and I can't say that about most of the kids CD's we have. Most kids music can be kinda boring to an adult, if you have to listen to it over and over, but this one is great!