 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Thank You for Joining the Happy Club
- By Billy Kelly
- Genre: Children's Music
Common Sense Media says
Goofy yet edgy songs offer complex meaning in simple rhymes.
Parents say
QUALITY
Kids say
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that while this album falls squarely in kids' camp, its themes are just a bit too complex for the youngest children to understand.
What's the story?
THANK YOU FOR JOINING THE HAPPY CLUB is a kid-oriented record from Pennsylvania-based singer-songwriter Billy Kelly that's gaining viral success via the Web and, recently, the radio (Kelly was just featured on NPR's All Things Considered). The 11-song collection combines a lot of goofy, innocuous lyrics -- the song "People Really Like Milk" catalogs sunshine, Halloween, mustard, being clean, and other random nice things -- with some that have a slight edge, as in the tune titled "Don't Worry About the Government": "I pick the building that I want to live in / My building has every convenience / It's gonna make life easy for me." This approach gives the CD a School-House-Rock feel that's super fun if not entirely comprehensible to very young kids who are musical beginners.
Is it any good?
From the thoughtful guitar, percussion, and other instrumental elements that make up this album, Kelly is obviously just as much serious musician as child educator. Thankfully for parents, this makes the record a good listen from a musical perspective, with a soft alt-rock sound that's somewhat akin to adult contemporary tunes. Coupled with Kelly's light-hearted vocals, the CD has vast appeal for kids and adults alike.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about the broader context behind some of Kelly's lyrics. For example, what does Kelly mean in "This is the First Song" when he sings "You are hearing this part of the song right now / Melody and words engage your brain somehow / They're just sounds." Or, from "Mindless Pop Song": "Greg's got far to go / So he turns on the radio / Because he hopes the mindless pop song will come on / It breezes thru his soul"?
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AGE
Get this CD for your car!
This is a great CD for the car! My 9 year old loves the guitar work in (Let Me Tell You) What I Like About You and my 6 year old says, “I like all the different kind of sounds”. I am especially fond of I Can’t Get Away From Myself. We all love it!
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AGE
Fun for kids - and adults too
This is an EXCELLENT choice for any parent who wants to enjoy a kids' CD right along with the children. The melodies are great, the songs are varied, and the lyrics are funny and sophisticated - but kids will get them. It really works on all levels. We play "Happy Club" all the time, and it never gets boring. A super CD!
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AGE
Perfect for everyone
This great album is upbeat and smart - inspiring kids to think about what they are listening to. TYFJTHC has staying power with my kids, tweens I know as well as their parents. Teens even like it in spite of themselves.
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| Artist: | Billy Kelly |
| Release date: | May 1, 2009 |
| Genre: | Children's Music |
| Parental advisory: | No |
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