Various - Elmopalooza!

Released: 1998

First Thoughts: Surprisingly, I don't really remember much beyond "Mambo I, I, I" (always my favorite) and "I Want a Monster to Be My Friend."

Purchase: I was six when this came out, you can't seriously expect me to remember where it came from. It was probably Target, though, as that's where I got most of my music at the time (and by "where I got" I mean "where my mom got" obviously). I'm 90% sure that's where I got the video. I had (have?) it on cassette, and just borrowed the CD from the library today to rip.

Playthrough:

Gloria Estefan - Mambo I, I, I - Still amazing, and genuinely one of Gloria's best songs. It ought to have been made longer, though. I love it for exposing me to Gloria, who I now adore.

En Vogue - I Want a Monster to Be My Friend - Probably the best production on the album, but I miss Zoe's "yeah yeah!" from the mix on the video. Great vocals, though, of course.

The Mighty Mighty Bosstones - The Zig Zag Dance - I actually like this more than I was expecting to. I think it was my least favorite as a child, but it has its charm. And the Count saying, "Now you know why they call them The Mighty Mighty Bosstones: count them, one mighty, two mighty, ah-ah!" has always been one of my favorite lines in the entire special.

Rosie O'Donnell - Nearly Missed - Rosie is obviously not a singer, though she actually has some pretty good vocal moments when she's in a higher register (this is true on her Christmas CDs as well, now that I think about it). But this is super catchy, even more than "Mambo I, I, I." It's just a shame that the soundtrack version is essentially a remix that inserts dialogue into the video version and has a slightly different backing track. A straight copy, extended with a new verse instead of awkwardly cut-up dialogue, would've been better.

The Fugees - Just Happy to Be Me - The chorus is nice enough, but the raps are awful to be honest. They could've done this very well if they'd kept the original structure and lyrics. "I'm in my PJ's drinking OJ" is just ridiculous.

Shawn Colvin - I Don't Want to Live on the Moon - This is surprisingly one of the standouts for me. I actually love her voice; I should check out some of her stuff. It probably helps that this is one of the very few songs on the album that are actually familiar and weren't just performed in one episode in the '70s or whatnot, but the arrangement is lovely too.

Steven Tyler - I Love Trash - I used to love this, and all I can say is that I'm glad I've grown the fuck up. It IS trash. Too bad.

Jimmy Buffett - Caribbean Amphibian - Not very remarkable, but perfectly #unjoyabul.

Céline Dion - Happy to Meet You - Nice enough, but pretty bland. But it's never been one of my favorite Street songs anyway.

Kenny Loggins - One Small Voice - One of the weaker tracks, but still better than Happy to Meet You (let alone I Love Trash). Again, just kind of bland.

Elmo and the Kids - Songs - Not a patch on the video version with Jon Stewart, David Alan Grier, and the adult Sesame Street cast. Typical Elmo fare.

Verdict: Could've done with a few donks on it, but it's pretty good, and remarkably diverse, for a children's album. Gloria, En Vogue, Shawn, and Kenny all have lovely voices, and for the most part it's very well produced. 8/10.

Standout: Mambo I, I, I and Nearly Missed.