Fun Food Songs (by Tom Paxton, Children's Music)

Tom Paxton was a major player during the early '60s folk revival, and has written several classic folk songs. His songwriting and singing are in top form on FUN FOOD SONGS. Each of these "food songs" extols the virtues of its subject with folky wit and wonderful, kid-friendly nonsense lyrics. Several songs feature particularly catchy refrains that work well with the verses, and repeat like mantras for food lovers. The chorus in "Mashed Potatoes" is great on its own, but it's even better when it follows a verse about a boy who opens his lunch box to find it's filled with mashed potatoes. On another track, Paxton discovers that repeating the word "pita" 24 times makes a marvelous chorus. (It's also easy to sing along with.)

The musicianship here is excellent, with some fine banjo and guitar picking, and several inventive sound effects. The sound of a grumbling stomach is mimicked by a tuba and a steel guitar, and one song features a gargling solo. Whether they're reggae numbers with steel drums or a countrified rockers, many tunes make great dance songs. The songs' simple, light-hearted nature makes them great sing-along material.