Grammaropolis - Doctor Noize

Artist: Doctor Noize

Album: Grammaropolis

Age Range: 7 to 11

Description: Many have tried, few have succeeded. While the idea of Schoolhouse Rock might have seemed obvious, the fact there have been comparatively few albums that have effectively entertained while teaching a school subject means it wasn't so obvious after all. Doctor Noize (aka Cory Cullinan) partners with Coort Voorhees on this album (and app) for an entertaining spin through Grammaropolis, giving each major part of speech (e.g., nouns, adverbs, action verbs) their moment in the sun.

At their best, the songs are funny, catchy, and educational (even for a guy like me who thinks he knows more than he actually does about grammar). Highlights include the funky "Noun Town" and poppy title track. The tracks cover a wide range of musical styles, sometimes reaching "mini-musical" in scope ("Lights! Camera!! Action Verb!!!" clocks in at well over eight minutes); in one sitting, it can all be a little too much.  But in bite-sized pieces, it's lots of fun.  If you're teaching grammar in any way, this is highly recommended; for the rest of us, just parcel it out one or two songs at a time, like the old Schoolhouse Rock did on Saturday mornings.

[Disclosure: I was provided a copy of this album for possible review.]