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by Seth Rogovoy
WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass., July 11, 1996 -- Writing good songs for children is no easy task: the glut of lousy kids material is proof of that. The best kids songs have to be musically simple and repetitive without driving parents crazy, they need to be lyrically catchy, they shouldn't condescend and they must entertain and educate, all at the same time.
Singer-songwriter Ed Kohn, of Windsor, does all this and more on his brand-new cassette tape, "The Greens" (Polly Bridge), a collection of 10 original songs appropriate for family listening and geared best toward school-age children.
Kohn's tunes are sophisticated without being didactic -- in fact, they subtly poke fun at didacticism and all forms of adult pretension. For what Kohn is best at is assuming a kids'-eye view of the world.
Thus, "Nature's Cool" celebrates the mystery of the natural world not in the austere tones of a PBS documentary, but with the sort of gosh-golly-wow fascination that a seven-year-old greets discovery.
"All Your Fault" captures a child's frustration over self- imperfections with knowing empathy, and "Dentist" puts the kid in the chair at an annual check-up to show how silly that ritual can be.
Kohn is a master at that sort of point-of-view shift. He even uses it to assume the role of a dog in "Roll Over" to illustrate how ridiculous people must look to their pets, and in the title track, which investigates the feeling frogs must get when they are down on their luck or depressed.
Kohn's songs aren't all jokes. "Johnny Appleseed" is a straightforward folk ballad celebrating the legendary character, and "Wanna Grow Up" is a rather pointed message suggesting that what passes for adulthood is at best absurdity and at worst utter stupidity.
Kohn's matter-of-fact vocals are well suited to his material, which will have kids singing along after just one or two plays. The organic arrangements feature mostly guitar and piano, and eschew the sort of fancy effects that plague so much commercially-driven kids music.
"The Greens" was recorded by Greg Steele at his Derek Studios in Dalton. While it's Kohn's baby through and through, it is also a sort of family affair. His sons Ben and Ethan contribute accompaniment on keyboards and electric guitar, respectively, and his wife, Valerie, drew the cover art.
"The Greens" is available at local stores including Toonerville Trolley in Williamstown, Wood Bros. in Pittsfield, Either/Or Bookstore in Lenox and the Bookloft in Great Barrington, or by writing to Polly Bridge Music, Box 240, Windsor, MA 01270.
Kohn, who also writes great songs for adults, will be performing next in the Musica y Mas series at the Cactus Cafe in Lee on Wednesday, July 17, at 8.
First Jon Svetkey was a solo acoustic folksinger, one who garnered critical raves and a 1994 Boston Music Award nomination. But Svetkey's tendencies were a little too raucous for the typical contemporary-folk listening rooms, so he hired some backup musicians and started playing clubs as Jon Svetkey and the Big Loud Band. The name and idea was cute for a while, but as it grew clear that the man was destined to rock, he got himself a real rock band name, the Loomers, and began establishing a reputation for playing idiosyncratic, original rock music, with both classic and contemporary influences. A live demo from a recent performance includes the song "Talk to the Hand," which sounds like Chuck Berry crossed with Stan Ridgway, and "P.T. Barnum Was Right," which could be Creedence Clearwater Revival meets R.E.M. The group has even been known to cover the theme to "The Love Boat" and some vintage Doobie Brothers. Check them out at Fire and Water in Northampton tonight at 10.
In the same conversation, Rogers also spoke about his work as a photographer. His book, "Kenny Rogers: Your Friends and Mine," was a collection of celebrity portraits that included Michael Jackson, Elizabeth Taylor, Burt Reynolds, Elton John and Liza Minnelli.When asked what attracts him to photography, Rogers explained, "What I look for in all cases is immediate gratification. I started to do oil painting, and not that I wasn't good, it just took too long and it bored me. But with photography I can go take a picture, I can go up to my darkroom, I can develop it, I can print it, I can matte it, I can mount it and I can frame it, I can do it all in two hours." Awesome....
Those of you who missed English rock band Cornershop at Lollapalooza on Tuesday have another chance to catch the Punjabi- punk outfit at the Iron Horse on Sunday night at 10....
Country fans who were disappointed that legendary country singer Waylon Jennings wasn't included in the Lollapalooza program on its stop in Pownal, Vt., will be happy to learn that the singer - - who is making appearances with the alternative-rock festival in the Special Guest slot elsewhere -- will be coming to the Green Mountain Race Track on Aug. 9, as part of a weekend fair and rodeo. More details as they arrive....
[This column originally appeared in the Berkshire Eagle on July 11, 1996. Copyright Seth Rogovoy 1996. All rights reserved.]
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