by Heather Phares
Like The Way Out Record for Children, 1969's The Electronic Record for Children adds more freaked-out fun to the basic menu of electronic-based story and activity songs shared by all the Dimension 5 releases. This time, Bruce Haack and Esther Nelson pretend they are on a spaceship orbiting the earth, and this theme plays out in their between-song banter as well as on songs like &Mara's Moon& and &Clapping with Katy,& where the duo calls a friend on earth to play a clapping game with her. &Sing& and &Upside Down& are sweet slices of electronic pop, while &Saint Basil,& includes a trip to the planet of the singing mice and a choir of Greek children, and the sound-effect laden instrumental &Listen& reflects the wilder side of Haack's imagination. As always, The Electronic Record for Children showcases the sparkling creativity, humor and wonder of Haack and company.