All Together Now: Beatles Stuff for Kids of All Ages [Barnes & Noble Exclusive]

1	Magical Mystery Tour 2:47
2	Hello Goodbye 3:14
3	Love Me Do 2:33
4	All You Need Is Love 3:20
5	Good Day Sunshine 2:10
6	All Together Now 2:17
7	I Want to Hold Your Hand 2:32
8	Birthday 2:53
9	And Your Bird Can Sing 2:07
10	Here Comes the Sun 3:12
11	Yellow Submarine 2:49

Barnes & Noble

In an effort to introduce the greatest band of all time to yet another new generation, All Together Now joins rock stars and kids on favorites from the Fab Four's rich catalog. It's a fairly sweet selection of Beatles songs -- don't worry, your toddler won't be marching around to "Come Together" or "Ballad of John and Yoko." The disc opens with New York Dolls guitarist Steve Conte, who maintains the gritty spirit of his day-job band on the vocals for "Magical Mystery Tour." Marshall Crenshaw harks back to his days on the road-show version of Beatlemania with "Love Me Do," spiked with some brilliant harmonica work. Two sunny tracks stand out as highlights: "Good Day Sunshine" sounds as if it were written just for the Bangles, who apply their signature harmonies to this luscious tune (we see a children's lullaby CD in their future), and "Here Comes the Sun" from Rachael Yamagata (tweens may know her song "Be Be Your Love" on the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants soundtrack), whose gravelly, whisper-like vocals intensify this already complex and ruminative track. This very unique package also includes a storybook that illustrates the songs -- a great tool for youngsters not quite ready to jam on their Fisher Price guitar or discuss the musical merits of "Yellow Submarine" -- plus poems and Beatles facts that are sure to prompt lots of storytelling from Mom and Dad. What'll really bring the little ones All Together is that this Beatles tribute, unlike many children's sing-along albums, boasts authentic, organic, and inviting vocals, with nary an overproduced intonation on a single track. And that's something to sing about. Amy Barkat