Barney's Greatest Hits: The Early Years
Say what you will about the purple one--he's overly friendly, he's generally tiresome--but toddlers and preschoolers can't get enough of him. Legions of youngsters will delight inBarney's Greatest Hits, a 25-track compendium of the playful dinosaur's best-loved tunes. Watchers of the phenomenally popular TV show won't find anything unfamiliar here. Included are many Barney originals, including "If All the Raindrops"; "Peanut Butter"; "BJ's Song"; "My Yellow Blankie"; "There Are Seven Days"; the "Yankee Doodle Dandy"-inspired theme song; and, of course, "I Love You," the show's warm and fuzzy closing number. Barney also puts his happy-go-lucky spin on a handful of traditional songs, including "Pop Goes the Weasel," "John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt," "The Wheels on the Bus," and "Itsy Bitsy Spider." There's no denying this record's exceptionally high burn factor where grownups are concerned, but those merciful enough to endure a rash of repeat listens may reap behavioral benefits. Songs such as "Please and Thank You," a reinforcement of the power of the magic words, and "The Friendship Song," a gently persuasive track preaching that kindness is king (especially among playmates), have a Lego-like way of connecting with very young kids. They non-confrontationally encourage young listeners to add to their repertoire of praiseworthy habits, no nagging required. For focused caregivers, such a reward takes the sting out of these almost unbearably syrupy songs. In fact, only those whose threshold for corny kids stuff is seriously low ought to be excused from sucking it up and brightening a little kid's day with a spin or two of "Barney's Greatest Hits."--Tammy La Gorce