Dan Zanes describes this Parent's Choice Gold Award and Grammy winning album as a train ride where "everyone is laughing, telling stories and jokes, wandering to the dining car, cat-napping, day-dreaming, chatting with neighbors, and looking out of the windows at the passing world." The CD portrays rock and folk influences through original songs as well as children's classics. Zanes is joined by the Kronos Quartet, the Blind Boys of Alabama, Father Goose, Zanes' family members, singer Natalie, and a slew of instruments including: guitar, banjo, mandolin, violin, viola, cello, upright bass, saxophone, trombone, tuba, electric piano, pump organ, accordion, harmonica, whistle, flute, gurio, cuatro, balalaika, drums, tambourine, and a cowbell.

The cover folds out into four cartoon scenes of animals, nursery rhyme characters, and children playing, chatting, and dancing. The cover also contains a book with lyrics, chords, paintings, and musings. The album is a collection of many different sounds; Pata Pata, which means 'touch touch', is a cover by South African singer Miriam Makeba's hit in her native Xhosa language. Mariposa Ole is sung entirely in Spanish and features a solo by Zanes' brother, Warren, on a Mexican 8-string Jarana guitar. Pigogo is a traditional Zulu song from Africa, sung by children emoting very emotional sounds. Zanes' song notes say when this song was performed live by South Africa's children of Agape, many members of the audience cried. While The Music is Playing, sung in English, is unique and fun due to the eclectic mix of instruments; trombone, saxophone, tuba, accordion, guitar and mandolin, as well as children joining Zanes in singing the final verse. Natalie Merchant joins Zanes in the traditional Scottish song, Loch Lomond , where the new sound of a balalaika (a Russian string instrument that looks like triangular wooden guitar) can be heard. Zanes' daughter accompanies him in singing Moonlit Song, a relaxed song featuring the electric piano, percussion and flute accents. Sweet Rosyanne is a traditional folk song made to sound almost carnival like with the presence of a pump organ, tuba, banjo, and mandolin. This is all just a taste of what is offered on this recording, there is also an old spiritual, a hip hop song with Spanish rap, a 1930's labor song, and easy-going jazzy tunes! There is no categorizing this album into one genre.

Many of the tracks are easy to sing along to, featuring rhyme, repetition, or both. For instance, Grey Goose is an old Lead Belly song, and each line is followed by a chorus of "lord, lord, lord", making it very easy for your little one to join right in. The melody in Catch That Train consists of only three chords repeated throughout the entire song, and silly rhyming lyrics like, "It's a topsy turvy world that we're all living in today, let's take a trip before the summer sun has gone astray." The trombone, saxophone, guitar and prominent percussion add a party-feel to the song, and is sure to get your child singing and dancing along. Country Life begins with only vocals, encouraging listeners to join in before the instruments do. This song also features the twanging of the lap steel, the tuba and traditional Haitian drums. Because of the vast variety of instruments used in this CD, a great game to play with your child is 'name that instrument'. This is a perfect way to help them associate sounds with the correct instrument.

My four-year-old niece, Emily, particularly favored Let's Shake. All of the lyrics encourage movement and dancing. When she heard, "Wave your hair and make it fly, let's shake!" she threw her head down like a mini head banger and shook her booty for all it was worth. The image was absolutely priceless. Zanes repeats in the song, "This song is yours to take, so let's shake!" He would be happy to know that Emily certainly took his advice.

--Audra