About.com

February, 2002

by John Anderson

Gunnar Madsen is one incredibly talented and multi-faceted individual. Screenwriter, playwright, musician and more, Madsen originally came to notoriety as the founder of the "nu-wave" a capella group The Bobs. His work with The Bobs got him nominated for a Grammy Award, but after 10 years of composing for voice only Madsen decided to move on to other challenges.

Since then, he's recorded four solo albums - two of which have been "children's music." Ants In My Pants is the second of those.

The songs you'll hear aren't just for kids, though - Madsen's put a sublime twist on the simple formula for children's songs, arranging them oftentimes with the complexity you'd expect other, more "adult" forms of music.

Outside of the mention of pirate radio at the very beginning, "Don't Shake Hands With a One-Eyed Pirate" is one of these songs. It's catchy and well-orchestrated, yet still retains a simplicity that's sure to enamor grade-school and post-doctoral fans alike.

Honestly, the sentiment is what counts here - it's been a long time since a nice sea chanty has been penned - and Madsen's track delightfully breaks the drought. Ironically enough, it is one of three songs on the album which is not promoted as airplay-friendly, but it's easy enough to make an exception here.

So relax, cut loose and enjoy: music does wonders for politics, but it's important not to lose sight of the fun, too.

Parents' Choice Foundation