Warning to all parents!

[Gurm]

As a responsible parent, I believe it is my sacred duty to warn other parents when something EVIL threatens the well-being of our children.

And today, that EVIL has manifested itself yet again. What is this EVIL of which I speak? It calls itself...

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KIDZ BOP

http://www.kidzbop.com

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Ok, let me explain. Kidz Bop is a series of CD's where really bad covers of popular songs are played. Sometimes they use karaoke versions of the songs instead. And they get a small army of 8-year-olds to sing the lyrics.

The problem with this DISTURBING trend is this:

There is apparently NO SCREENING PROCESS to determine which songs are used.

At first some might think it cute that little kids are chanting the lyrics to "Kryptonite" by 3 Doors Down. That's a pretty innocuous pop group. But then you look at the setlist for any given Kidz Bop album, and it includes highly inappropriate groups/songs.

I for one am completely appalled by a dozen 8-year-old girls singing Nelly Furtado tunes - which are LESS THAN SUBTLE in their sexual overtones. Christina Aguilera... well, Genie in a Bottle is "tame", except for the sexual lyrics. But some of her other songs are downright slutty.

This latest album has Nickleback... admittedly it's the song "Photograph", which is pretty tame, but on the Nickleback album that song is wedged between one song with lyrics that go "we were really good in bed so I guess I stayed with you so that we could fight for all the wrong reasons", and another that says "It's hard for me to drive ... I guess nobody told her not to talk with her mouth full". GREAT STUFF.

Also on the new album is Weezer's "Beverly Hills". Is the song tame? I dunno, but the VIDEO features Hugh Hefner and all his playmates, is set at the Playboy mansion, and includes lots of simulated sexual situations.

Lots of other artists of questionable moral integrity are included in this series, from Jennifer Lopez (Jenny from the Block, J-Lo Lookit My Nekkid Ass in Versace Yo!), etc.

More disturbing is the fact that Kidz Bop is now making VIDEOS. Yes, that's right. A bunch of 8-year-olds acting out Avril Lavigne videos (including dressing like a punk slut with teased up hair and torn fishnets), etc.

Last but not least, the songs are HORRIBLE. They're mostly bad covers, sometimes you can even hear the karaoke track underneath with the real vocals turned down low, and while kids singing is cute, it's hardly musical gold.

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My conclusion: This company must be boycotted. KIDZ BOP MUST CEASE TO EXIST.

[az]

Last but not least, the songs are HORRIBLE. They're mostly bad covers, sometimes you can even hear the karaoke track underneath with the real vocals turned down low, and while kids singing is cute, it's hardly musical gold.

That's really what I'd fear most

[Jessterw]

Here I thought I was alone. I've never actually listened to any of the CD's, but just watching the commercials for them and seeing what songs were being covered... disturbing enough.

But then again, how many people who listen to pop music even pay attention to the words anymore? It's all about the beat and the chorus. On second thought, maybe it's always been that way.

[TnT]

Anything involving that Nickleback song should be burned.

I did hear something like this sometime ago while watching a cartoon on Nick or Disney. If I remember correctly I threw up afterwards.

[schmosef]

What happend to the Smurfs LPs?

Those were wicked fresh!

[gt40]

I like Nickleback, but it's definetly not kiddy material.

[Gurm]

I like Nickleback, but it's definetly not kiddy material.

I like the Nickleback that can't get radio play, or only does so on the edgier stations. Whoever writes their lyrics has a wicked sense for messed-up sex with messed-up chicks.

[gt40]

alot of their material is like this, but what would you expect from a band who's name refers to the 'beaver' on the back of a Canadian nickle (yes, it's a Canadian band)

[Dr Mordrid]

We quite getting these after the second album. As Gurm says; the song selection is highly questionable to say the least. It didn't really cause a ripple since Erik is more into classical, bubblegum rock and the songs on his Schoolhouse Rock DVD.

Dr. Mordrid

[Gurm]

We quite getting these after the second album. As Gurm says; the song selection is highly questionable to say the least. It didn't really cause a ripple since Erik is more into classical, bubblegum rock and the songs on his Schoolhouse Rock DVD.

Dr. Mordrid

Logan likes these albums, simply because they're catchy tunes - radio top 40 - for a reason. But he is FAR fonder of Mozart, Moroccan Fusion, and classic rock (I get requests for Queen and Journey).

[Dr Mordrid]

Erik likes Mozart, Queen and Journey too. Not too bad for a 7 year old

Dr. Mordrid

[Gurm]

Erik likes Mozart, Queen and Journey too. Not too bad for a 7 year old

Dr. Mordrid

Yup. What really freaks people out is when he wanders around humming (or belting out, depending on his mood) Mozart. His favorites are the really dark choral pieces, so Requiem is high on the list. People say "what song is that?" and he says "Dies Irae. It's from Requiem by Mozart." and then the person inevitably looks at me and I shrug and say "it means Wrath of God"... LOL! Or sometimes it's Carmina Burana. That always gets to folks.

[KvHagedorn]

Yup. What really freaks people out is when he wanders around humming (or belting out, depending on his mood) Mozart. His favorites are the really dark choral pieces, so Requiem is high on the list. People say "what song is that?" and he says "Dies Irae. It's from Requiem by Mozart." and then the person inevitably looks at me and I shrug and say "it means Wrath of God"... LOL! Or sometimes it's Carmina Burana. That always gets to folks.

Oh man.. that's priceless. He and I could do a duet.. BA DA BOMBOMBOM BA DA BOMBOMBOM, BA DA BOMBOMBOM BA DA BOMBOMBOM, CONFUTATIS! MALEDICTIS!
(I think I have 7 different recordings of the Requiem..)

Try him out on Don Giovanni next.

Hope he remains bigger than every other kid in school so when people make fun of him for listening to Mozart instead of Usher or whatever is the current pop crap, he can just pound them.

[Gurm]

Oh man.. that's priceless. He and I could do a duet.. BA DA BOMBOMBOM BA DA BOMBOMBOM, BA DA BOMBOMBOM BA DA BOMBOMBOM, CONFUTATIS! MALEDICTIS!
(I think I have 7 different recordings of the Requiem..)

Try him out on Don Giovanni next.

Hope he remains bigger than every other kid in school so when people make fun of him for listening to Mozart instead of Usher or whatever is the current pop crap, he can just pound them.

Ok, so maybe you can help me. I'm looking for a specific recording of Requiem. It's the one that they use whenever they include Dies Irae in a movie or something. Specifically, on the Incredibles bonus Jak-Jak Attack, when he flames up for the first time (if you haven't watched The Incredibles, you really must) it busts into Dies Irae. It's a bit faster and heavier on the choral than either of the recordings I have. (I have the Neville Mariner which isn't the entire Requiem, and also ... err ... just some Classical Masters disc, heh). I tried downloading it on MP3 but it's still not that version.

[KvHagedorn]

Hard to pinpoint it.. have you tried listening to the different versions on Amazon? Almost all of them have the first minute or so of each track to sample. If American Amazon doesn't have a particular recording sampled, Amazon.de does a better job of providing samples.

My current favorite is the new SACD version with Harnoncourt. It also has the score on a CD-ROM track. It's a hybrid, so you can play it on a normal CD player, but the SACD tracks are amazingly well recorded. It is paced similarly to the one in Jak-Jak Attack. You might also try the Telarc version conducted by Robert Shaw with the Atlanta Symphony. I only have 3 recordings on CD.. the rest are LP, I'm afraid, and my player hasn't been hooked up for awhile.