Charity albums can be tricky to judge because they usually are made for a good cause. The Disney Records\u2019 1991 compilation For Our Children<\/i> raised money for the Pediatric AIDS Foundation, a noble cause. Luckily, the collection of children\u2019s songs performed by big stars is very good with some good-to-great songs. More than anything, For Our Children<\/i> is a lovely, sometimes-poignant, sometimes-fun album that is a great way to introduce little ones to some fantastic performers. <\/p>\n
Because it was released in 1991, there may be some datedness to the album. Though enduring pop legends like Bob Dylan, Sting, Paul McCartney, Barbra Streisand, and Heart appear, we also see music from then-trendy artists like Paula Abdul and Debbie Gibson. The songs are uniformly tasteful and elegant \u2013 few of the songs are exciting or innovating \u2013 but there\u2019s lots of good will on this record, given how important the cause is. <\/p>\n
The record opens with Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers\u2019 \u201cGive A Little Love\u201d and it\u2019s an appropriate song to introduce the album. Marley\u2019s brand of pop-friendly reggae music is appealing to kids and the Diane Warren-penned tune sets the friendly, generally upbeat tone of the album. Bob Dylan\u2019s strange, unique voice is a perfect match for a folksy rendition of the kids standard \u201cThis Old Man.\u201d And Paul McCartney recycles his genial rendition of \u201cMary Had A Little Lamb.\u201d<\/p>\n
For Our Children<\/i> shines brightest when the songs aim to tickle listeners\u2019 hearts. Bette Midler offers her humorous \u201cBlueberry Pie\u201d (which was originally featured on the Grammy-winning kids record In Harmony<\/i>, a Sesame Street<\/i> album) and Little Richard\u2019s \u201cItsy Bitsy Spider\u201d is a saucy, campy take that sports some great piano work (though is marred somewhat by the date, New Jack Swing-lite production \u2013 something that nearly destroys Elton John\u2019s instrumental contribution \u201cThe Pacifier\u201d)<\/p>\n
Rock gods Bruce Springsteen, Sting, Harry Nilsson, and Brian Wilson provide For Our Children<\/i> with some of the most engaging moments on the album. Springsteen covers \u201cChicken Lips & Lizard Hips\u201d and does a fun job with the song\u2019s childishly silly lyrics; Sting does a spirited take on the Geordie folk song, \u201cCushie Butterfield\u201d; Harry Nilsson contributes with his self-penned classic \u201cBlanket For A Sail;\u201d and Wilson livens up the record with his joyful and endearing \u201cCountry Feelings.\u201d<\/p>\n
Though the album is best when the tempo is lively, there are a few ballads that create some heartfelt moments, too: Paula Abdul surprises with a good vocal performance on the lullaby \u201cGoodnight, My Love,\u201d while Pat Benatar reigns in her gigantic voice for the lovely, simple, \u201cTell Me Why.\u201d And Barbra Streisand\u2019s reverent and hushed \u201cA Child Is Born\u201d is moving. And though not a pop star, Meryl Streep stands tall with her more accomplished colleagues with an ethereal \u201cGartan Mother\u2019s Lullaby\u201d which shows off the actress\u2019s Joni Mitchell-esque vocals. <\/p>\n
The album\u2019s greatest moment, though, belongs to Carole King\u2019s elegiac \u201cChild Of Mine.\u201d Even if the song was written in 1970, the wise, aching lyrics speak to the record and its whole reason for existing. The song is written from the perspective of a parent who is taking stock of raising a child \u2013 she\u2019s talking to her kid and paying tribute to motherhood. The line, \u201cThe times you were born in may not have been the best\u201d are especially heart breaking, given that we\u2019re listening to an album dedicated to the scourge of AIDS. <\/p>\n
For Our Children<\/i> is a stirring album that aims to raise awareness and money for a devastating disease. But even removed from that context, the album is a great listen.There are some quality tracks, lovely, heart-warming, and soulful moments and compassionate performances that work together to make a wonderful album.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":93,"featured_media":34235,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"artist":[5827],"rating":[5617],"class_list":["post-46068","review","type-review","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","artist-various-artists","rating-rating-b-plus"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/review\/46068","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/review"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/review"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/93"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=46068"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/review\/46068\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/34235"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=46068"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"artist","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/artist?post=46068"},{"taxonomy":"rating","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rating?post=46068"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}