Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
sing something simple..., 12 Mar 2002
... and [try to] write something simple. "innocence and despair" is, up to date, the best collection of covers and reinterpretations of pop classics, by the likes of paul mccartney, brian wilson, david bowie, fleetwood mac and the eagles. the fact that these songs are so beautifully interpreted, by musically "inexperient" children between 9-12 years of age, just comes to confirm what makes songs such as "the long and winding road" or "sweet caroline" pop standards. look beyond the "children choir" cliché and you will find one of the most overwhealming and touching records ever. the langley schools music project gives the listener a reality check and reminds us of how simple, unpretentious, innocent, pure and, yet, incredibly deep and emotionally profound musical expression can be. highlights: "desperado", "the long and winding road" and "calling ocupants of interplanetary craft". also, david bowie has declared that the children's rendition of "space odissey" is his favourite ever.
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Canadian kids cover the classics, 25 Feb 2002
You won't have heard anything like this before. A sixty-strong class of Canadian schoolkids set up camp in their school gym in the mid seventies and proceed to interpret the works of Brian Wilson, Paul McCartney, David Bowie, and many more. Accompanied by their music teacher on guitar, the kids, using a single string bass, xylophones, a rudimentary drumkit and not much more, cover a selection of sixties and seventies pop hits with no regard to 'professionalism'. The whole point was to let the kids get involved in music without putting them off because they weren't playing it exactly right. The results are fantastic. Obviously having a ball, the kids rampage through 'Band On The Run', 'Help Me Rhonda' and 'I Get Around', before delivering jaw-droppingly wonderful versions of 'God Only Knows' and 'In My Room'. There are also some seriously weird choices here: 'Space Oddity',(which David Bowie has even raved about), and Klaatu's (and later, the Carpenters), 'Calling Occupants Of Interplanetary Craft. The whole thing is propelled along with total enthusiasm, and the occasionally off-key singing and out of time percussion only adds to the spontaneity of the whole thing. The recordings were originally pressed up on vinyl for the kids and their relatives to buy. This welcome reissue gives everyone a chance to hear these magical recordings.
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Awesome, 12 Feb 2002
Absolutely unlikely that a Junior school in Canada in 1976 would create some of the most compelling and moving music I've heard. But here it is. I bought the cd with some sceptism. But it is the real thing. Quirky, out of tune, often arhythmical but some of the finest music you are likely to hear anywhere. I rarely get emotional over music but I cried for the whole time. It is some of the most joyous music you are likely to hear. If you're up for something raw and untutored yet carefully put together then don't hesitate. I'd say, given the limitations of 60 nine year olds and a school gym circa 1976, Hans Fenger, who dreamt the whole thing up, is one of the finest arrangers you are ever likely to hear. Clarity, conviction, and subtlety with a real humour which never gives in to whimsy are what set this cd apart. As an avid cd buyer this is easily one of the best things I've ever heard.
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