Family Time

 (75 customer reviews)

"Family Time" by Ziggy Marley is being promoted as an album primarily for children, but let me tell you, this is terrific music for adults as well. First off, the CD packaging is really cool. There is a folded page to color, fun artwork on the cardboard casing, and a booklet with lyrics and more artwork. It is overall a fun package. There is also an online bonus area when placing the CD into a PC. The bonus area has a coloring page, video downloads, among other things.

The music itself is awesome. The album is incredibly upbeat and happy. Ziggy's solo material has explored genres other than his trademark reggae, but "Family Time" sees Ziggy putting out mainly playful reggae tracks. The final two tracks are not songs, but narrations by Jamie Lee Curtis. They both have a very nice message.

There is some definite star power on the album. Toots Hibbert, Paul Simon, Rita Marley (Ziggy's mom), Cedella Marley, Jack Johnson, Paula Fuga, Elizabeth Mitchell, and Laura...Read more

What a great CD for the family! Although our kids (11, 6 and 4) sing along and enjoy listening to it, it's not a "kiddie" CD like Raffi, Sesame St. or similar. The music is more in the mode of Jack Johnson's Curious George soundtrack with plenty of tracks that would have been fine on a more "adult" mainstream release. Hence, we parents like to put it on as well. The kids really like "Ziggy Says" which is a riff on "Simon Says". I like "Cry Cry Cry" (with Jack Johnson) and "Walk Tall" (with Paul Simon). All in all, a creative work that will make your 2009 summer far more pleasant.

I was in my local book and music store a couple of days ago shopping for some books when I heard several songs from this album, although it wasn't until "This Train" and "Wings of an Eagle" that I stopped and really took notice. Could also be that I was actually waiting in line to pay for my book. I asked the title of the album and was directed to the music department where I asked again and was shown the album, under a sign that read, "Children's Music." "ABC" had just begun playing, but I could not believe that this was simply a children's album. I mentioned that to the clerk, who said, "You must be a child at heart." As the previous reviewer noted, this album is upbeat (much needed, I should add, during these troubling times) and does have a colorful and really cool cover. The inside is as interesting as the outside, and the music lives up to the hype of the cover and the coloring activities. This is an album I've listened to several times during the past few days, primarily...Read more