Average Rating: 
Rating: - nostalgic, and still effective, edutainment
This material does seem a bit dated, so it's easy to forget that this was a radical idea when it first came out -- learning can be fun! It still is, thanks to the reissue of the material found on this two-disc set. Shortly after receiving a complimentary copy, my husband was singing along to old favorites and our toddler was having a grand old time learning the songs. All original 46 songs from the show are here, as well as the brand new "I'm Gonna Send Your Vote to College", about the electoral college, and a lost song, "The Weather Show". There are also three songs with the series' only continuing characters, Scooter Computer and Mr. Chips.You can view a full selection list or see items grouped into categories of Grammar Rock, Science Rock, Multiplication Rock, America Rock or Money Rock, and a jukebox capability allows you to make playlists of songs to be played in order or on shuffle. There's a short trivia game with quizzes and word scrambles, puzzles, four music videos (by the Lemonheads and others) singing SHR songs to the SHR video, a featurette about the show's Emmy wins, a Nike commercial using a SHR song, and fun, interesting commentary by several of the SHR team. This dvd version is terrific, demonstrating that the Schoolhouse Rock team is still just as dedicated to quality programming and education as it ever was. The accompanying booklet is packed with color and information -- including the words to eleven songs. Very nicely done and highly recommended, not only for nostalgic value, but for its continuing ability to inform and entertain.
Rating: - This Is So Cool--Facts can be Fun!!
And it's even educational! I was so pumped (now that I have a DVD player) to hear that they were releasing a big-time anniversary edition of Schoolhouse Rock in its entirety. I've had four of the videos for years, but this set is so much better. Disc One has all of the original songs--you can play them in order, randomly, just the top ten--and an all-new song about the Electoral College (inspired, no doubt, by the 2000 presidential election). The way you can navigate your way through any and/or all of the songs is very easy and great for when you don't just want to hear about grammar (or history, math, etc. . .).What really puts this over the top, though, is Disc Two, with a bucket load of extras: the lost "Weather Show," a new computer three-song set, a making-of feaure, top 20 countdowns, an interactive trivia game, music videos by contemporary artists, audio commentaries, Emmy Award footage, etc. . . . I can't wait to explore even more than I got to last night! This will be such a great tool for my 21-month-old daughter (who will know how a bill becomes a law and how to use a conjunction in a sentence!) and a ton of fun for me in the process. The video quality isn't MONSTERS, INC., but it doesn't have to be. The old animation holds up just fine, as does the audio, which audiophiles could probably complain about if they want to poop the party for the rest of us. What really stands up to the test of time, aside from the basic content, is the music. These guys (primarily) did some really good arranging, little of it in the rock 'n roll genre, ironically. Jack Sheldon delivers some spectacular jazz vocals on several of the more famous tunes. Complicated yet catchy melodies are the strength--that's why we all remember "I'm Just a Bill" and "Conjunction Junction"--with great backing vocals and instrumentation to boot. The contemporary artists' renditions didn't hold up to the originals, but they were pretty interesting to hear. The interactive stuff will be great for kids hearing these songs for the first time. The interviews and commentaries are really interesting, especially in hindsight. Great new additions, discoveries, and formats all add to the charm of the original forty-six songs. How they managed to get all of that factual information into essentially a music video, while keeping the kids (and me) entertained, is still a mystery to me. Bottom Line: You'll be hard-pressed to find a better combination of education and entertainment. If there are any factual inaccuracies, they are minor enough to overlook and could actually spark interesting conversations. The basic content is right on-the-money. The fact that they'll actually be talking about and be interested in the grammar, history, science, and economics is important enough to overlook any minor flaws.
The fact that my daughter, who is a month shy of turning two years old, actually knows that "Wow!" is an interjection, a fact that most of my juniors (I'm a teacher) wouldn't know off the top of their heads, speaks volumes. . . !
Rating: - Schoolhouse Rock ROCKS!!
A good percentage of my childhood years were spent glued to the TV watching cartoons every Saturday morning and afternoon, but more than those, I LOVED Schoolhouse Rock! I can honestly say that I learned just as much (if not a bit more) from these classic episodes as I did in 8 years of Parochial school! While Schoolhouse Rock is not meant to be an alternative to a "proper" education, they succeeded in making learning a LOT MORE FUN! When I heard that Schoolhouse Rock was finally available on video, I practically rushed out the door to buy the DVD, and my fiancee and I spent the next few hours glued to the TV just like we were kids again! Classic episodes like "Lolly, Lolly, Lolly", "Conjunction Junction", and our all-time favorite "Interjections" filled us both with many wonderful memories, and we remembered the lyrics to EVERY one of the songs word-for-word without looking at the lyric sheet! It's amazing (but not surprising) how these things that we loved as children have had such a lasting impression and are still very much with us even into our adult years! We enjoy them even more now! Schoolhouse Rock is a bonafide classic that will never go out of style and transcends every generation...relive the memories you have and pass them on to your kids so that they too will make their own memories!
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