Every so often a musical artist comes along who decides to create music for the younger generation. Just like Raffi, or Sharon, Lois & Bram, there are those who want to be the entertainment that keeps the youngsters happy. One such artist that is currently creating music for the younger generation is Jonathon Sprout.
Jonathon Sprout has created several children’s albums to date. A few years back, having read an article that asked children about their greatest heroes and then reading responses such as Bart Simpson, SpongeBob SquarePants and other questionable answers such as Beavis & Butthead, he took up the challenge of writing songs about the real heroes of our country from today and throughout history. The result of that writing has created several albums that feature songs about some of the real heroes of the United States. Having already released several American Heroes albums, his latest addition to that series is 2014’s American Heroes #4.
American Heroes #4 from Jonathon Sprout begins with the track “Unstoppable”. While other songs in the series focus on Ben Franklin, Abraham Lincoln and other such legendary people, “Unstoppable” is a song that focuses on Juliette, a real hero who leads an ordinary life as a mother as she does all she can and all she has to in order to make sure her children are taken care of. This track features a very pop-like feel to the music and the lyrics are very upbeat. The pop-rock song will make you see mothers in a different light and will make you realize how much they really are like real-life heroes.
The newest release from Jonathon Sprout continues with the track “Come with Me”. The song brings the time right before the founding of the United States to life as one person who has discovered the beauty in the freedom that can be had by one and all if one was interested. The track once again features an upbeat “pop” feel to the music as the singer invites the listener to the colonies in what would become the country of the United States.
Heroes can be anywhere and anyone. That is very apparent as you listen to the track “E=MC2”. Without Albert Einstein, many of the universe’s mysteries would never have been answered. Because of that, Einstein was a hero as he helped provide answers to what had been unknown until that point. While the song deals with some of the well-known facts about Albert Einstein, the lyrics also say that it is okay to be a dreamer, as dreamers are the ones who come up with ways to solve problems.
One of the “heroes” on American Heroes #4 by Jonathon Sprout is one who can be included in both the “real life hero” and “sports hero” categories: Roberto Clemente made a name for himself on the field as a great baseball player. He also made a name for himself off the field as he was known for having a kind heart. While he had been a star during his time, it was his last humanitarian act of going to help after the 1972 earthquake in Nicaragua when his plane went down on December 31, 1972. The track of “Hall of Fame” by Jonathon Sprout pays tribute to Clemente and everything he meant to baseball and the human race as a whole. The inclusion of horns and Latin flavor to the track gives “Hall of Fame” a very authentic feel to the music for the song.
A hero can be anyone or can be known for anything. One particular person that Jonathon Sprout includes as a “hero” on his newest American Heroes release is Walt Disney. The track “Through the Eyes of a Child” shows how Disney brought joy to many as he created his movies. The soft rock music on the song somehow feels right when describing Disney as the track feels as if it would belong within one of Disney’s movies today.
American Heroes #4 by Jonathon Sprout is an album that makes learning about past events and historic figures fun. It is the perfect release for both children and adults alike. And the inclusion of many different people like Dr. Seuss, Walt Disney, even Albert Einstein within the subject matter of the CD makes for an interesting listen. While this is the fourth installment in his American Heroes series, this particular release proves that anyone can be a hero if you look at them in the right way.
Reviewer: Matheson Kamin
Rating: **** (four stars)
To learn a lot more about Jonathon Sprout, check out his YouTube channel.
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