Gustafer Yellowgold's Mellow Fever

Took time to grow on me, but now I love it
I admit, I bought this for two reasons: 1) the cover - I liked it. 2) because Gustafer lives in Minnesota, where my partner grew up and her family is from. Not a lot of Minnesota in the media. I saw it in a store, so I didn't read any reviews or description. I just bought it on the spur of the moment. When I brought it home, I popped it in the DVD player, and, well, I found myself sort of disappointed.

It was nice enough, but all of the songs sort of sounded alike. And the "music videos" were VERY laid back. There's not much true animation to them. Most of it shows still pictures where the characters move from one part of the frame to the next in a still picture jump. I'm not sure if that makes sense. It's like, Gustafer is in the upper right hand corner. Then the image changes a few seconds later, and he's in the center. Another few seconds, and he appears in the left hand side of the shot. The other type of motion that is prevalent is the camera panning over...

Lovely and charming
I saw them perform this album live. My 3-year old loved it. My 9 year old son, thought it was "OK".

The DVD is lovely and has great pacing for the pre-K and K kids. I really like the alt/soft-rock style, but even if you don't, it won't grate on your ears like almost all kids music does.

And as a small bonus, you don't have to worry about having to buy cereals, snacks, toys, and backpacks with these characters on them the next time you're at target.

Ingenious!
This is simply the best children's project I've seen. Our whole family loves it.

Am so astounded by the DVD's beauty and charm ... and was blown away by the songs' orchestral arrangements and the "leftoverture" at the end of the DVD, which sort of recapitulates/quotes all of its excellent, inventive melodies from start to finish. ''

Also the illustrations are really, really excellent -- witty, well-wrought, and handmade. Not LIKE Schoolhouse Rock, but of that quality.

''Gustafer Yellowgold is just better than a lot of the kids stuff, both corporate and indie: more heartfelt, and appealingly odd in a way kids get. I think it will eventually be considered a classic kids' project like Where The Sidewalk Ends, or Yellow Submarine, or The Point.

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