When this album was handed to me with the sarcastic comment “Hey, why don’t you review this?” I had a small chuckle and wandered off to my desk where curiosity got the better of me.
Now, in a desperate attempt to get songs like ‘Working In Sunshine’ (a reworking of ‘Walking on Sunshine’) or ‘500 Miles’ (“We would drive 500 miles and we would drive 500 more and we’re the crew who’d drive a thousand miles ‘cause that’s what friends are for.”) out of my head.
It might be a way for desperately uncool parents still convinced the 80s are somewhat “cool” in an ironic sense (they’re not) to inflict their music on their kids, and combine it with horrendous eurotrash in the form of ‘Big Fish Little Fish’ (an instructional dance song a la the Macarena, the Bus Stop, the Time Warp etc).
Still, there are some adaptations of songs including ‘Bend It Shape It’ (‘Bend Me Shape Me’) and ‘(This Is The Way To) Sunflower Valley’ (‘(This is the way to) Amarillo’).
Still, even though this album is aimed at people less than a fifth of my age, I can’t help but smile every time I hear the Bob the Builder theme song ‘Can We Fix It’.
So as a homage to my mother who put up with endless children’s songs in the car when I was 5, I implore you to grin and bear it while your child is singing off key to these catchy songs.
“BOB THE BUILDER! CAN WE FIX IT? BOB THE BUILDER! YES WE CAN!”
Tracklisting:
1. Working In Sunshine
2. Hey Wendy
3. Big Fish Little Fish
4. Nuts 'n Bolts 'n Nails 'n Screws
5. Down On The Farm
6. Halfway Down The Hill
7. Picking Up The Pieces
8. Bend It Shape It
9. This Is The Way To Sunflower Valley
10. Diggin' It Up
11. 500 Miles
12. No Hats, No Boots, No Job
13. Bob The Builder
