Music Review: Blue Suede Shoes: Elvis Songs for Kids
Rate This Article
What Parents Should Know
Children discover twelve rock-and-roll classics with these
fun renditions of hits such as "Jailhouse Rock" and "Heartbreak
Hotel." Kids can easily learn the songs' melodies and
harmonies, and may soon find themselves singing and dancing
along.
The rhythms in many songs lend themselves to clapping along
(for younger children) and creating counter-rhythms (for older
children): "We're Gonna Move" and "Baby, Let's Play House"
provide complex patterns to improvise from or emulate.
BLUE SUEDE SHOES: ELVIS SONGS FOR KIDS brings Elvis Presley's music to new generations of young listeners--presented to them by an ensemble of their peers. The lead singers and ensemble are mostly kids, with a few exceptions (most notably, the humorous apparition of "Elvis" at the end of "We're Gonna Move").
While the quality of musicianship remains strong throughout the album, some of the young performers aren't quite up to the challenge of conveying Elvis's distinctive vocal style: Weak delivery and limited range in "All Shook Up" and "(Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear" mar an otherwise fun recording.
Elvis purists may not appreciate having their favorites reinterpreted and rearranged, but some kids enjoy the more contemporary approach on this album.
Common Sense Media is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing information to help parents make media and entertainment choices for their families.
