The album kicks off with the title character's big entrance, where Rosie imagines herself as a star: “I'm a star from afar/ Off the golden coast/ Beat the drum! Make that toast!” After King announces that “No star shines as bright as me,” the spotlight shines on Johnny, as in “One Was Johnny.” A semi-R&B, rhythmic track, it describes how Johnny managed to scare off animals who were crowding his house. “One was Johnny who lived by himself/ And liked it like that!” King concludes. “Alligators All Around,” one of the best-known tunes from Really Rosie, features a charming retelling of the alphabet. With King playing piano with classical overtones, her chipper voice encourages listeners to sing along. “Pierre” has darker themes but has a happy if eccentric ending. All Pierre repeats is “I don't care,” annoying his parents. After his parents leave, a lion breaks into the house and eats Pierre, who chants “I don't care!” the entire time. The parents return, discover Pierre inside the lion, and magically eject him from the animal. No hard feelings, though—they invite the lion “as a weekend guest,” and King delivers the moral: “Care!” The music is amazingly sophisticated for a children's song, sounding as if it would have fit in quite comfortably on King's masterpiece Tapestry. Indeed, it is a song that adults could play even without their kids around.
Other standouts include “Screaming and Yelling,” where King lets her expressive voice once again assume the voice of Rosie. Bragging that she's “the enchanted one,” she can instantly stop anyone from throwing a tantrum. “It takes personality/ A lot of personality” to have such as calming effect. When King leads up to the conclusion by acting out the words “screaming and yelling,” it makes for a humorous listen. Rosie returns in “Avenue P,” where she describes how she will turn her story into a movie. Through her rhythmic piano, she captures Rosie's wild imagination and confidence. “You don't have to sit/ With your face in a droop/ On the stoop,” she sings. “'Cause your mama the boss/ Says you better not cross/ That old Avenue P.” Through vivid images of King Kong and the jungle, Rosie envisions her neighborhood “as it ought to be.” King's voice takes on a dreamy quality here, encouraging young listeners to let their imaginations run wild. By the “Really Rosie (Reprise),” King has taken listeners on a lively musical journey that appeals to kids yet retains her talent for memorable melodies.
Article comments
1 - El Bicho
sorry to see this come to an end. good luck with the new ventures
2 - Kit O'Toole
Thanks, I appreciate that. :)