Bed, Bed, Bed (They Might Be Giants)
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Bed, Bed, Bed (They Might Be Giants) description
Parents and kids looking for a break from the ordinary will appreciate this imaginative collection of stories and songs from quirk-rock kings They Might Be Giants. Fresh on the heels of their highly successful children's record No!, Bed, Bed, Bed features four brief stories written by the Giants and illustrated with surreal panache by Marcel Dzama along with a CD featuring all four stories in song version. "Impossible" explores the possibility of turning into fantastical animals like Octofish and Octofee or growing violet hair that flows down the stairs. Kids will find the silly animals and warped reality delightful and will love singer John Linnell's spacey conspiratorial tone. "Happy Doesn’t Have to Have an Ending" tells the story of a hippie kitten "on a secret mission to make a valentine for everyone on earth," who wants everyone to dance and be happy. "Idlewild" slows things down with a softer, sleepier beat and a story about a dreamy trip to the carnival. But the Giants save the best story for last; "Bed Bed Bed Bed Bed" is a well-reasoned and catchy argument for slumber. "I did so many things today, there’s nothing left to do", sings guest vocalist Kimya Dawson (in a slower, different version than the one on "No!"). While the story features familiar bedtime milestones, Dzama’s illustrations lend the proceedings a compellingly skewed vision in which kids eat three meals in the company of bears and go to bed accompanied by their pet octopus and a tuxedoed rabbit. While the lyrics flow nicely in the songs, they can sometimes be a bit clunky on the page. But even then, the stories and Dzama’s illustrations are more imaginative and memorable than most children’s books today. --John Moe |
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Bed, Bed, Bed (They Might Be Giants) Customer Reviews
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I don't get it
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I'm a big TMBG fan. Have been since at least the late '80s. And after becoming an uncle and then, more recently, a father, I've enjoyed their foray into kids music. No! is a not only a pretty good kids CD, it's also a pretty good TMBG CD. "Four of Two" from No! is one of those great, quirky TMBG songs that both my oldest kid (almost 2 years old) and I love to sing along with and dance to.
But I just don't get this one. The songs are ok, but aren't particularly good by TMBG standards. They aren't particularly good "kids" songs, nor are they particularly good "bedtime" songs. These aren't lullabies that will help your kid settle down, rather they're upbeat songs that would be good to dance to with your kid in the middle of the day.
And there are only 4 of them, so you end up with 4 so-so songs. That's all.
Except for the book. I'm not sure what I'm supposed to do with the book. Am I supposed to read along with the songs as they play? That's tough to do. Am I supposed to read the book as a stand-alone text for my kids? As a kid's book, the text of the songs isn't very good. It's like reading the liner lyrics of any random TMBG CD. Admittedly, most TMBG lyrics are offbeat enough to appeal to kids on some level, sort of like Dr. Seuss. But as a book, they lack a sort of flow that makes Dr. Seuss a joy to read with kids.
I never thought that I would apply the term "self-absorbed" to a TMBG project. But here it is - a random and (very!) brief project that John put together for his kid and then decided, "What the heck, let's put it out as a CD. And tie in a book."
We bought it for $1 at a yard sale. I was pretty psyched when I spotted it since even though it also has a CD, it was in the $1 "book" box. "What a mistake!," I thought as I grabbed it and handed it to my wife. After reading the book and listening to the CD, I now see why they didn't pay more attention to pricing it. I'm still pleased with the purchase, but only given the price that I paid. |
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