Alvin and the Chipmunks have been entertaining children for decades with
their high-pitched harmonizing, and The Very Best of the Chipmunks brings together some of
their best-loved tunes. Most tracks feature some banter between the boys
and Dave Seville, and these spoken bits are hilarious and sometimes even
more enjoyable than the songs themselves.
Track one is The Chipmunk Song,
the trademark of the the crooning rodents and a holiday favorite among
youngsters. In it, the boys sing about their eagerness for Christmas to
arrive and list their desired gifts. Alvin is especially hoping for a
hula hoop, and he is so preoccupied with his thoughts of this coveted
present that he's having a great deal of difficulty concentrating on the
song, prompting a good deal of irate prodding from Dave. A Chipmunks
classic sure to bring a smile any time of year.
Alvin's Harmonica
highlights Alvin's considerable talents with the harmonica, his
instrument of choice. Unfortunately, Dave did not intend for Alvin to
play his harmonica during this number, and when he does, disaster
ensues...at least in the eyes of the uptight parent, who insists that
Alvin has ruined a very pretty song. I don't know if this is an actual
song; I suspect it isn't. I can't think of too many other words that
rhyme with "Veronica". At any rate, it's a delightful display of
Chipmunk mischief, only to be rivaled on this album by Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.
Ragtime Cowboy Joe
is a country-western tune that Alvin is getting into a little more than
Dave would like him to. A trouble-making chipmunk and a six-shooter are
not a good combination!
She Loves You is just a
straight singing of the classic Beatles tune. The Chipmunks are very
fond of the Beatles and this is only one of their tunes that have been
covered in various Chipmunks albums to date.
Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star
is a knee-slapper, opening with Dave announcing this "simple little
sentimental song" and discovering, to his horror, that his boys have
converted it into a coffeehouse standard. The merits of their jazzy
rendition of the old favorite are utterly lost on Dave, despite Alvin's
attempts to explain them. Even Simon's straightforward "What Alvin is
saying, in his own quaint way, is that this song would be better if it
were given a more modern and contemporary treatment, Dad" leaves Dave
unconvinced. But never fear, Alvin and the boys will win out in the end.
Witch Doctor is another Chipmunk trademark, and
according to their own history, it was their first big hit.
"Oo-ee-oo-ah-ah, ting tang walla walla bing bang!" What's not to love?
Track seven, Do-Re-Mi,
features a terribly confused Alvin trying to learn how to sing scales.
He is assisted in this effort by a chorus of kids who show up in the
later tracks, particularly in Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious. I find them slightly annoying, but I guess their presence is necessary for this song. Not so sure about the other, though.
Tonight You Belong to Me is another straight song, featuring some nice Barbershop style singing by the boys. America the Beautiful is a patriotic rendering of what I still consider a better choice for national anthem than Star-Spangled Banner. And the aforementioned Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious
is aided prominently by that chorus of kids, whom I could do without,
but has a nice running gag of Alvin letting out a Tarzan-esque bellow on
the choruses, much to the dismay of Dave.
The picture on the
cover is a great shot of the boys at their most two-dimensional. But
even when they looked flat on the screen, their antics managed to bring
them life and vigor which few cartoon characters have been able to
boast. This album gives us a fine glimpse of that energy.
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