Mr. Ages – Quality Music Intended For Children

Mr. Ages – Quality Music Intended For Children – Album Review

Well, hello there fellow kids!  Just me, your friendly neighborhood music reviewer, likely the same age as the rest of you listening to this new album by Mr. Ages, because that’s what we do at this young time of our lives, isn’t it?  I mean…of course it is…I’m hip to what the kids do, because I totally am one too.

Alright…maybe that’s not entirely true, but to be fair to myself, the title of this record implies that the music is “intended” to be for kids…it doesn’t say that it HAS to be for them.  And so obviously, if that’s the case, I’m here to old-up the room and raise the median age average as a result.  You’re welcome.

So…hmm…okay…let’s push play here and find out what we can find out.  “Count Them Piggies” is…actually a whole lot more fun than I think I thought it would be?  I mean, I had no real idea what to expect in listening to Quality Music Intended For Children, other than to hope it would live up to the aim of its intentions in the title, and I do think that’s exactly what you’ll find here.  I mean, if I’m being real with you, if you had told me that “Count Them Piggies” was a song by The Yellow Dress, I definitely would have believed you.  It’s certainly within the realm of possibility.  In realizing that though, I had to really open my mind when it came to this whole lineup…if Mr. Ages was able to remind me of a band I have so much love for right off the bat in the very first track…well…how could that be a bad thing, right?  The vocals are fantastically expressive…rich and bold and rhythmic…kinda wonderful really.  Then you’ve got music that is equally impressive…complete with fiddle and springs boing-ing around in the mix.  Is it strange to feel like I’m into this?  Yes.  It is.  I’m a grown-ass man – but admittedly, this is genuinely fun.

Then we slide straight into the soulful cool of “Jack” and learning about his adventures of jumpin’ over that fabled candlestick…you might remember that tale from your childhood.  Or what about the guy that was dealin’ with the beanstalk and such – “it was Jack,” right?  Then there was that kid that was palling around with Jill way back when.  How about Mr. Jack Inthebox – remember him?  Jack Frost?  How about that dude?  Mr. Ages is “talkin’ about Jack” here in this second tune – there’s more of’em than you might have realized, as you’ll learn as you listen to this song…and like…HOW is this as great as it is?  At this point, as a middle-aged guy, I felt like I was trying to search for reasons as to WHY I shouldn’t be listening to a record made for children, but like…ANY adult that has even the slightest appreciation for music is going to enjoy listening to a track like “Jack” if they’re being honest.  This cut jams!  It’s exciting, it’s fun, and it’s kind of like a continuation of many of the stories and characters you’ve grown up with.  Mr. Ages has a smart angle here – children’s music doesn’t HAVE to be torturous to listen to…in fact, I’d be willing to bet your kids will be stoked to dig into something like “Jack” than your average sing-along follow the bouncing ball BS.  “Jack” is seriously cool stuff!  Even in the fade out at the very end of the song, Mr. Ages is still bringing up other NEW Jacks you know, like ol’ Horner from the corner.  I dig it.

Obviously Mr. Ages knows what he’s doin’ when it comes to the art of making music.  Listen to the musicianship, performance, and production on “Big Bad Wolf” will ya?  Led by a stand-up bass and saxophone combination, alongside a Tom Waits-esque gravely vocal performance that is freakin’ fantastic to listen to…”Big Bad Wolf” is like a brilliant rant designed to entertain.  As to whether or not you NEED to be a kid to enjoy this…I have my doubts.  I seem to be enjoying this just fine as an adult.  Lest we forget, this is Quality Music Intended For Children…but I’m getting the feeling that people of any age stand an excellent chance of finding something they’ll like or love on this record.  Part Spoken Word, part Beat Poetry, “Big Bad Wolf” is wonderfully irresistible, right down to the howls added into the mix.  You gotta admire the commitment put into this album though…the only way to do it right is to really get into it, because kids always know the difference between what’s genuine and sincere versus what’s not.  You’d swear listening to “Big Bad Wolf,” that this is all that Mr. Ages has ever wanted to do with his life.

Are there certain songs and styles that’ll likely speak to you more strongly than others?  Of course – that’s simply how we work as human beings…we all like what we like and love what we love.  That being said, Mr. Ages gives EVERY song on this record the opportunity to be heard by how much he puts into each moment along the way.  Like, I might not normally be into the sound of something like “The Gingerbread Man” and its Country/Folk DNA…but like…how can you resist execution with the insanely high standards this whole record comes with?  I’m telling you right now, the most dedicated musicians you know, with or without kids, would all praise the living daylights out of what’s been accomplished here on Quality Music Intended For Children.  Stellar vocals, stellar music, stellar melody – all these pieces are impressive without question, but let’s take a small moment to appreciate the way that these stories have been adapted into music too, shall we?  The songwriting is honestly award-worthy stuff, and I don’t want anyone out there losing sight of that just because the music sounds so insanely good.

C’mon.  C’MON!  After you go through the chorus of kids all reading the “Intro To Humpty Dumpty” at what seems to be their happiest moment in LIFE so far, you’ll seamlessly shift into the full tale on “Humpty Dumpty” afterwards, in what might be one of the most impressive tracks you’ll hear this year in ANY genre.  I mean, that’s the thing right…us music critics, journalists, and reviewers…we still have to be objective about what we’re listening to – that’s our job, ain’t it?  So like…what am I supposed to do with this?  I can’t take any points away.  There’s precious little if anything to criticize.  It all sounds great, and more often than not, it actually sounds amazing – like Mr. Ages does on “Humpty Dumpty.”  As he relates the plight of our protagonist egg man, explaining how the poor guy’s got no bones and such, you really have to admire how interesting and engaging this record is, no matter what age you’re at.  Then there’s the whole uniqueness thing…which is, by all accounts and measures, absolutely wild.  The range of sound and style is fantastic – versatility keeps us listening, and with so many different kinds of music coming at you throughout this whole lineup of songs, Mr. Ages has guaranteed you’ll never get bored.  Vocals, flute, guitar…melody, rhythm, subtle beat…honestly, this whole song is remarkably charming, and every element that’s added in along the way plays a crucial part in why things sound so truly great.

With the flair in some rolling Rs and a few lines even sung in a whole different language, “I Had A Little Nut Tree” is a whole lot of fun.  Through a series of stylistic choices, Mr. Ages keeps the entertainment factor as the main priority, and never loses sight of that being essential for music like this to really work.  I have like…no idea whatsoever if “I Had A Little Nut Tree” comes from a completely original idea or if it too is based on something else like the majority of these songs are…but I like to think that this is where Mr. Ages will prove how little that actually matters.  While there’s no doubt that familiarity is an asset when it comes to playing tunes for kids and a massive advantage when creating stuff that’ll get their attention – I think that personality, commitment, and craft all play a much more essential role.  If you’ve got those three elements working for you, you can play something like “I Had A Little Nut Tree” that might not be as familiar to the audience, and find just as much success with it as songs they already know they love.  Mr. Ages is always focused on the FUN side of sound, and consistently delivers it to ya.

Like, who the heck is “Buckeye Jim?”  Is this somebody you know?  Again, does it actually matter when a song sounds this good?  I don’t think that we necessarily need to know who every character is in order to enjoy an album like this, though I do think it was equally smart for Mr. Ages to start Quality Music Intended For Children with more recognizable tales before shifting into others you might not know at all.  By taking that approach, Mr. Ages has gotten everybody onboard right away, which in turn provides the freedom in the material later on, because we already know we can rely on everything we hear by the time a track like “Buckeye Jim” comes on.  We’re fully hooked in and listening by this point, which allows Mr. Ages the opportunity to flex even more characters and styles like you’ll hear in the dreamy sound of “Buckeye Jim.”  There’s a real gift for melody at the heart of this whole project, and if there’s one thing that you have to have when making music for children, it’s that.  They not only want to sing along when they can, but they need to hear the authenticity and sincerity combined in order to be convinced that what they hear is genuinely intended for them to enjoy.  Mr. Ages makes music they’re all sure to love.

I mean…I’m from the generation that grew up on iconic films like The Aristocats, so heck yeah, we all ended up with an appreciation for Jazz & Swing music as a result.  So when I hear a song like “I Love Sixpence,” I’m all for it – how could I not be?  Even The Jungle Book explored similar kinds of vibes too, and to this very day, I’m thankful for the exposure to so many different types of music.  All these films we watch as kids…we don’t grasp how much they play a role in how broad our sonic palettes will go on to become over time, but they’re seriously essential in opening our hearts and minds to a bunch of styles of sound we might not even have experienced otherwise.  So you betcha – I absolutely love the fact that the lineup of Quality Music Intended For Children is as versatile as it is, because not only is it fantastic to listen to such great music in such an array of genres, but ultimately, as an adult, I know the long-term implications of how early exposure to variety directly equates to a much more curious music listeners later on in life.  “I Love Sixpence” is a Jazz jam with slick movement, catchy hooks everywhere you turn your head, and real groove that connects.  If there’s one cut on the record that might arguably be a bit more geared towards the adults out there, it’s probably this one – but again, full credit where credit is due, Mr. Ages has opened the door for all of these songs and styles to reach the kids as well.

Some of these adaptations are truly staggering.  Like, I didn’t have much time for the old rhyme of “Mary Mary quite contrary” and whatever the heck it went on about when I was a kid – I mean, they can’t ALL be zingers, as they say.  Yet, here we are – I’m sitting here absolutely fascinated by what Mr. Ages has been able to do with this old English nursery rhyme that was written nearly THREE CENTURIES ago.  In fact, I think I’d go as far as to say “Mary Mary” is quite likely my favorite track in the whole set, which at this point, is seriously saying something, because this entire record has proven to be special in a wide variety of ways.  Make no mistake though…Mr. Ages hasn’t merely just put a clock into your old favorite children’s poem, nursery rhyme, or kids’ tune – these are entirely reimagined ideas, and they’re absolutely enchanting in instances like this.  “Mary Mary” isn’t completely unrecognizable, because you’ll instantly recognize the opening lyrics…but at the same time, you’ve never heard anything like this in regards to the context of the original.  If there’s an award for ‘best adaptation’ in children’s music – or ANY kind of music for that matter – I’m saying hand the hardware to Mr. Ages for “Mary Mary” right now.  To me, this is beyond the achievement of merely writing another song…this is an audible triumph.

I think a couple of things can be true about the final song, “The Spider And The Fly.”  For instance, I think that the performance is exceptional, yet undeniably more appealing to the kids out there.  I think that it was a wise moment to include, even if it doesn’t appeal to me as much as an adult listening to an album made for kids.  I think that representation matters, but I would have also had no problem at all accepting this record without having a kid sing on it, even if they’re as good as the one that takes the lead on this last cut.  I think that including one of these moments with a kid in the lead makes it more noticeable that the rest didn’t have that, and having it appear in this lineup rocks the balance of the album a little bit overall.  Okay, that’s more than a couple things – but all of that has some truth to it, from my perspective.  Don’t get me wrong, I’m commending the job the kid has done here, while at the same time acknowledging that I was never really convinced it was necessary, given that none of the rest of these songs use this approach.  It’s a lot more like what I would have expected to find on a record that’s designed for kids, and it’s a remarkably mature performance…but it also still felt like it might be a bit of a step backwards in terms of what’s kept me listening over the course of this past week in a way.  Not to put too fine a point on it, but I suppose it’s a track like “The Spider And The Fly” that kind of jolts us back into the reality of the fact that we HAVE BEEN listening to a record made for kids all along, and I’ve been blissfully unaware of that for the most part up until this final cut.  Having said that, the quality is as consistent as the rest has been…so ultimately, I’m still onboard.  I think, if anything, if I was going to include one of these tunes, I’d have recommended doing a handful of them, or including none at all.  Other than preserving the balance of the album, there’s nothing really to complain about here…the music is exquisite, the vocals are excellent, and the song itself is another stellar idea and composition.  Overall, Quality Music Intended For Children exceeded every hope and expectation I could have had for it.  I don’t have kids, and I don’t want’em either…but this seems like the right way to make a record like this.  Kids will love what they hear from start to finish, and the adults might very well love it even more.

Find out more about Mr. Ages from the official website at:  https://www.mr-ages.com

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