Track Listing

1. Freddy Bear the Teddy Bear
2. Choo-Choo Train
3. Ragtime Cowboy Joe
4. Seven Monkeys in a Tree
5. Animal Friends
6. Marching Medley
7. Winnie the Pooh/The Wonderful Thing About Tigger
8. All My Colors
9. The Name Song
10. You Can't Rollerskate in a Buffalo Herd
11. Emily Miller
12. Take a Little Nap (The Disco Song)
13. Four Little Duckies
14. ABC's
15. Drivin' My Car
16. Tickle a Tiger
17. Bedtime Girl
18. Now It's Time to Say Goodbye

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #28200 in Music
• Released on: 2001-02-06
• Number of discs: 1

Amazon.com
No matter where you enter Ralph's World, you can't help but want to fling the doors wide open: here, finally, is an artist who's made good on his promise to deliver kiddie songs that don't drive the big folks batty. The titular Ralph is Ralph Covert, a Chicago-based singer-songwriter with an animated, slightly Arlo Guthrie-ish voice and a knack for complete naturalness--not such a breeze when belting out songs whose lyrics call for ecstatic beep-beeping ("Drivin' in My Car") and choo-chooing ("Choo Choo Train"). That Covert is the debut artist on the just-launched Mini Fresh label, also based in Chicago, speaks volumes: the company is the kid's offshoot of Minty Fresh, the independent label responsible for bringing hip groups such as the Cardigans, Veruca Salt, Komeda, and Tahiti 80 to the grown-up masses. Ralph's World follows a similarly hip, "wow 'em with something different" formula. The pure pop of "All My Colors," made meaty by the inclusion of the mandolin, will find parents pumping the gas pedal on cross-town car trips; the hand jive of "Four Little Duckies" (featuring Dobro, banjo, and duck calls) defies anybody beyond drooling age to sit still. The folk-infused "Name Song," with its mandolin, fiddle, banjo, and an off-the-charts tempo, will leave you laughing, if your lips don't fall off first. For background vocals, "Ralph's World" relies on a rhythm-rich quartet known as the Kids, who supply the record its party-on vibe. This is a CD that leaves no listener behind, lacks pretension, and, most important, will lead jaded parents to believe that sharing quality music with their kids isn't a lost cause. --Tammy La Gorce

Customer Reviews

5 stars is not enough!
If I could have rated this CD higher than 5 stars, I would have! We received it as a gift before traveling 850 miles with our 4 children ages 2, 3, 4 & 5 and I was prepared to play it once and put it away with the other music we have. To say the least, I was thrilled to finally enjoy listening to my children's music again! We must have played it the entire ride home, with my children (and us parents, too!) preferring it to watching a movie on the car TV! The music is sopisticated enough (and familiar, I should add) for us aging parents, and brings a welcome new sound to children's music. It has become a favorite of ours and I will continue to pass it along to friends with children for any occassion I can find. Every parent with children MUST have a copy of Ralph Covert's latest masterpiece. I will be forever grateful to the mom that gave us our copy!

1 for you, 3 for you friends
We have this CD and another by Ralph, 'At the Bottom of the Sea.' I heard it for the first time at a play-group, and loved it. Most of the kids there were older than my 1 year old, and ALL of the kids were having a blast and engaged in the music.

The tunes are catchy and very parent friendly. The music is not over produced or over sweet. Some kids sing along, but for the most part the vocals are all Ralph. The kids add to the CD - they don't take over. So far, my toddler and all of the ones that I've given the CD to for 1st and 2nd birthday gifts love it. Their parents have bought other CD's of Ralph's. They have thanked me profusely.

Some of the tunes are just begging you to get up off your rump and move, others you can't help singing along with. They get stuck in my head, but they all beat the purple dinosaur's greatest hit any day.

'Bedtime Girl' will put a lump in your throat - whether you are a daddy or a mommy with a boy or a girl, but it is the best 'daddy's girl' song I've heard.

'Take a Little Nap' is a hoot - A kid oriented remake of 'Shake Your Booty!' I about died laughing the first time my daughter started dancing and singing 'shake your booty' over and over. She has no idea what a booty is. You can hear the kids singing on the CD just LOVING it that they get to say 'booty.' She never does take the hint to 'Take a Little Nap,' but it is a fun song.

I could go on and on - but, the result would be this: There isn't a bad song on the CD - get it.

Some of the best kids' music around
I've already written reviews on Ralph's other two CDs, which are incredible musical worlds for children and adults. This CD is no different. How does one pick a highlight from this CD? Impossible, but certainly favorites include the pure pop magic of "All My Colors," "Drivin' In My Car" (a great rave up as well as a send up of Woodie Guthrie's "Riding In My Car (Car Song)"--swish swish swish swish), and a fantastic cover of Roger Miller's "You Can't Rollerskate In a Buffalo Herd," which brings back childhood memories of my own.

Ralph works in sections of the songs where the listener can participate (if they aren't already) with their own lyrics (such as "The Name Song"). The chorus of kids vocals, which include Ralph's daughter, add to the glee of singing these songs and help make a youngster comfortable joining in.

A welcoming debut for everyone from a master musician songwriter.