Greatest New Wave Children's Album Ever--Abba Babb!!! Dr. Gunni and Friends



Happy Birthday!!!

 My niece is going to be 8! She's has gotten so big recently. No exaggeration. I'm just thankful that she has such a nice temperament, because she could easily crush her classmates like grapes if she chose to do so. So I've decided to celebrate the event by introducing readers of C-Funk to my favorite New Wave Children's album. Which is a long winded way of saying greatest children's album ever. The only drawback for language challenged America is that it happens to be in Icelandic. But trust me, this album is pure genius. I give this record as gifts to people with small children. So be warned. I'm not sure if the disc ever winds up in a Cd player outside of my own, but I am conscienciously trying to spread the gospel. Forget Dan Zanes. Burn your Raffi discs. I'm talking Abba Babb! (Note: Keep the Cd Play, which has Visqueen doing John Fogerty's Centerfield, though.)

Yes, Abba Babb! You can get this on iTunes, or you can go to the Smekkleysa (Bad Taste) website and get digital or physical copies. In Iceland, this disc has been a bit of a sensation. Mamma Mia for the diaper set. First the disc, then---the musical. Then-- the book? As far as I know there is no movie in the works yet. Gunni had me by the first song, the eponymous title track. But who is Gunni, and why should we care.

Well, I will now reveal an Icelandic state secret. Every hipster slob is aware of Bjork, Sigur Ros, Mugison,
Mum, Singapore Sling. But I will tell you something in the strictest confidence of the blogosphere.

Dr. Gunni is Iceland's secret weapon. Iceland's Simon Cowell? Shel Silverstein meets Steve Albini?

I don't know much about him really. Years ago when I was in Iceland I popped into a now defunct music shop called Hljómalind and the record guy there recommended a number of items. One record he played for me was a really noisy single by Dr. Gunni. Lots of screaming, Big Black instrumentation. I had to have it of course. A lot of this music was later compiled on a disc called TUÐRUR. The clerk also explained that Gunni was some sort of journalist or television critic. He showed me an item where Gunni described the American show Cheers--people sit and drink beer. According to his website, I think he is also the host of a long running pop music game show called  Popppunktur, that has been released as a board game people can play in their homes. He was also a member of a pop band called Unun, which actually released an album Super Shiny Dreams (æ in Iceland). When I started buying Cds online from Smekkleysa, he was their self-proclaimed "mail-order slave". He would send e-mails describing new releases that the label was selling. But since they went digital, no more messages. Too bad, as I was buying all sorts of stuff on his recommendation, when I could afford it. Prices were pretty steep. Gunni was also in a band called S.H. Dramur which has had a retrospective released last month. He also collaborated on song for the Eurovision Song Contest with the band Dr Spock.

But back to childhood. Even though I don't speak any Icelandic outside of takk, band names and Brennivin, this is really a wonderful record. Even if you don't know what is going on, the spirit and childlike enthusiasm is there. The pictures in the Cd booklet are very helpful in describing the song topics. This is not a record intended for grownups, though they may very well enjoy it. So often, children's things, especially movies, are saturated with pandering. They try to sell the parents--they get Brad Pitt, Julia Roberts, to do voiceovers. Kids don't care about that, but the parents are buying the tickets. I look back fondly on the days when you had pros like Mel Blanc doing cartoon voices. I bought an album where punk bands play Ramones songs for kids. It's not bad, but again, it is selling to parents who like punk rock. Ramones songs aren't really for little kids. Abba Babb! is an album with punk passion and energy, but it is the kids that are being pandered to. It is clever without overintellectualizing or being ironic.

Abba Babb! begins with the song Abba Babb! which is a keyboard driven silly nonsense song.
Prumpufólkið on the other hand is a children's classic that was a bit of hit in Iceland.


Music Is The Universal Language....

 That's right, dear surfers, "The Farting People" a subject that crosses national and linguistic borders.  Og karlinn prumpar svona....TTTTHHP!!!. A musical feast fit for any Thanksgiving get together. The gentleman who makes the farting noises (the Prumpaði), Jon Gnarr, is currently mayor of Reykjavik!! There is an obvious B-52's vibe to some of the songs, with a lot of female and male vocal interplay. Stóru Strákarnir is a perfect example of this style with its tag team vocals. There is a picture of old guys dressed up like rappers. Hundaóli Óli is also performed in this musical vein. That song has a picture of a dog reading a book. Upp i sveit is on the other hand, a lively little number replete with horse whinnys and energetic kazoo.

In addition to Gunni, there are many musical guest that contribute to this silly oglio. Pall Oskar contribute lead vocals to the super catchy Doddi Draugur, one of the best songs here. I think it has to do with an elf living in a rock. Didda sings with great energy on Systa Sjóræningi (girl with pigtails on pirate ship with slingshot)and Heiða completely destroys on the angelic closing lullaby Ó Kisa Mín. A genuine stunner to close this entertaining album.The vocals send a tingle up my spine.

Doddi Draugur

Other great songs are the rowdy and goofy Hr. Rokk Og Fýlustrákurinn featuring vocals by Runar Juliusson
and Komdu Út Að Leika, the latter seeming to be a traditional Icelandic song about playing with fireworks. What's nice about the album is the childlike and silly voices used. I bet the kids when crazy when they saw the musical. But I think most little kids would dance around to these tunes, maybe even some of their parents. You have my personal assurance that there are no shortages of Woo Hoos! on this album. They ought to translate this into English and release it over here. But I don't care so much because I love this album the way it is. I know this probably won't appeal to everyone, but I've pretty much explained what this is to the best of my ability. The rest is up to you now.