Looks fun enough, although I feel like this show was written by videogame designers – the floating islands, the view from the ship’s bow dodging islands… methinks a Jake and the Never Land Pirates Game is surely right around the corner.

Aside from watching (and apparently on some level participating in) Jake’s adventures, young fans of this show will also be jamming to the music of the Never Land Pirate Band:

What will probably be lost on them is an appreciation for the long, twisted path this band has taken to finally hit mainstream Disney. Kevin Hendrickson (the clean shaven one with the missing tooth) has been a trailblazer in modern pirate music for decades, and Loren Hoskens (bearded) has been entertaining kids and adults alike as “Captain Bogg” since long before Disney ever conceived of this show. And so, in celebration of their newfound Disney glory, here’s a video from 1999 of one of Hendrickson’s previous bands, the utterly brilliant Pirate Jenny:

And for one final musical treat, here’s Hendrickson and Hoskens together with Captain Bogg&Salty singing Pieces of 8ight:

Now if this hasn’t been a great way to start your week, there’s no hope for ya!

A few years back, pirate musical legend Skip Henderson’s own music was featured in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest. And now score two for the pirate community as Loren Hoskins and Kevin Hendrickson of Captain Bogg&Salty will be creating the music underscore for a new Disney TV animation, Jake and the Never Land Pirates. Hendrickson is of course a (if not THE) true pirate-core pioneer, and Hoskins is the incredible talent behind Captain Bogg himself. To see the two working on a pirate cartoon – JOY!!!

Oh, and Disney, since you’re hiring pirate folk of late you’ll be pleased to know that I’m available. I have no musical or artistic talent to speak of, but folks seem to like me anyways. Some folks.

Since the very beginning, Captain Bogg & Salty has always walked a fine line. On the face of it they’re children’s entertainers, and therefore sing silly songs of a kid-friendly nature. But the genius of their first album, Bedtime Stories for Pirates, was that – rather than sounding like preschool teachers like so many other childrens’ “pirate” entertainers – Bogg & Salty lent the impression of being real pirates; actual buccaneers, albeit good-natured ones, doing their level best to “keep it clean” for the duration of the album. This made Bogg & Salty a rare beast, being a pirate band that could be enjoyed by kids and their parents (and even angsty teens and 20-somethings) alike.

Bedtime Stories set a strong precedent that surely proved a challenge to maintain on subsequent albums. Peg Leg Tango featured what became some of Bogg & Salty’s most beloved songs of all time (Pieces of 8ight, Scallywagg), but in my opinion also featured some of the weakest (I’m a Pirate, Nellie the Elephant, Sea Monster). Prelude to Mutiny then went on to reclaim the lost ground with a host of pirate brilliance, including Mutiny of the Hispaniola, Wind, Dead Men Tell No Tales, Hoist the Grog, and Part of Your World. So as the tides between adult and kid-friendly have already shifted time and again, where does Captain Bogg & Salty’s fourth and latest album, Emphatical Piratical wind up?

The album begins with the title track Emphatical Piratical, a friendly, energetic song that fits well with what seasoned listeners might expect of this band. Next up is the somewhat goofy Don’t Drink Seawater, which is the sort of pirate silly song that kids likely love, but adults not so much. It does, however, teach an important lesson about the dangers of drinking seawater (so stick to rum, kiddies*). Port Side, however, gets us right back on track with an 80′s retro style rap song about the parts of a ship – a decent piece that reflects Bogg & Salty’s love of experimenting with various genres.

Treading the Seas for Pirate Gold is a remake of a Hucklescary Finn song, altered slightly to offer a respectful nod to Kevin Hendrickson’s previous Pirate-Core bands, Hucklescary Finn and Pirate Jenny. A fine piece that particularly stands out in the use of the beloved “ribcage” xylophone. Bunnyjacks is a definite children’s song, and a followup of sorts to one of the most famous lines in their earlier song Scurvy. Frogg Island again demonstrates the genre-bending nature of Bogg & Salty with a breezy, island style easy listening song in the style of Jimmy Buffet and such – relaxin’ on the beach after a hard day of plunderin’.

Skipping ahead a bit (reasons made clear later), Sea Monster II is another children’s tune. I wasn’t really a fan of Sea Monster I, finding it far too youth-targeted and “soft” to satisfy my more grown-up piratical music cravings. Never Smile at a Crocodile is a remake of a Disney song, and seems a mix between Bogg & Salty’s earlier works Sea Kings and A Part of Your World – it’s very fun, very energetic, and like Don’t Drink Seawater imparts valuable life lessons. Waltz of the Waves is slow and sentimental, but in my opinion falls rather flat. The album then concludes with Who’s at Captain’s Table, which has a definite Hucklecary Finn air about it and makes for a fine children’s pirate tune, although it too probably lacks the extra “oomph” needed to attract adult ears.

Coming back to the middle of the album, Purple Tiki and Plank Walker I want to mention together, as they warrant special consideration. Tiki is a tribal, two part song that begins slow and spoken and ends fast and sung. It’s silly and certainly kid-friendly, but not so exclusively as to scare off adults. Plank Walker is more of a fifties style, drive-in creature feature song with great guitar work and spooky vocals. Bothof these songs feature pirate elements, both are approachable to kids and adults alike – and neither really stood out to me on first listen. These songs, and indeed much of this album, seemed to lack that extra “pirattitude” in the lyrics needed to really command my attention. But on second and third listen (that last time via my best stereo system, rather than my car’s garbage audio) I realized that while Bogg & Salty may indeed have left this key strength by the wayside on much of this album, they had also built upon another strength – that of the music itself.

Bogg & Salty’s music has always been fantastic, but it’s the piratey lyrics that have pushed it over the top. With this album, and Tiki and Plank Walker in particular, I felt most of the lyrics lacked that extra punch. But the music… never before has this band sounded so incredible. Purple Tiki has the sort of beat that you can’t help but dance to, while Plank Walker so perfectly captures that 1950′s Halloween spook show style it seeks to emulate.

While I do miss the strength reflected in the lyrics of the other albums, I’d be entirely remiss if I didn’t acknowledge that the some of the music on this album is a noteable success of another sort. This album leans slightly towards the younger audience, as kids will surely adore Bunnyjacks, Sea Monster, Crocodile, and Captain’s Table. Adult fans will no doubt enjoy Emphatical Piratical, Port Side, and Treading the Seas, but it’s songs like Frogg Island, Purple Tiki, and Plank Walker that are in danger of being overlooked and under appreciated. If you’re listening for classic Bogg & Salty over-the-top pirate lyrics, you’ll be disappointed as I nearly was. But keep a fresh mind and let the songs – and particularly the music – stand on its own and this album certainly turns up some gems.

*note – DON’T stick to rum, kiddies

 
Genre: Original pirate songs and tunes of various non-traditional styles.
Rating: G
Target Audience: All Ages (and I mean that – this is not an album adults should ignore!)

“Prelude to Mutiny” is the third album from the groundbreaking pirate band Captain Bogg & Salty. Their first album, “Bedtime Stories for Pirates,” remains one of the must-have albums in any pirate collection. Next was “Pegleg Tango,” which I felt strayed a bit too much from their strengths, although it still had some very brilliant tracks that were well worth the price of admission. So what of this third album? It contains many of the elements from the previous two albums, and yet brings on a new edginess previously unexplored by Bogg & Salty. And it rocks.

The album begins with “Drunken Sailor.” It starts traditionally enough, with sounds that would befit any historical pirate tavern (there are even drunken bar room patrons added for atmosphere.) At first there is little that sounds like typical Bogg & Salty, with the exception of Salty’s own voice quietly heard singling along in the background. It’s nice enough, but lacks punch… and then, halfway through the album, punch happens, and then some. The music shifts dramatically. The song remains the words and tune of Drunken Sailor, but now, rather than squeeze boxes, it’s rockin’ guitars and drums, to say nothing of the favorite “xylaphone ribcage” – generally reserved for Pirate Jenny albums. It’s a brilliantly energetic way to start the album, and a perfect introduction to what’s to come.

Next on que is “Bosun Whistle.” The song is about the whistle, of course, and all the different things it can mean when its piercing shreak is heard. Vocals are accompanied nicely by pipes, guitars, and the bosun’s whistle itself. It’s a fun song, although a bit toothless compared to the rest of the album.

“Mutiny on the Hispaniola” is a surprising change of pace. Bogg & Salty have traditionally stayed friendly and approachable in their music, but with this song Captain Bogg comes on strong and sinister as he mercillesly rocks out. The lyrics are based on Treasure Island, but the music is uniquely Bogg & Salty – guitars and drums, threats and screams. And utterly incredible.

“Days and Days” is a new recording of a Hucklescary Finn (one of Kevin Hendrikson’s other bands) song from the album “Last Days of Scamalot.” Unlike in the previous version, this one is sung in a clear Elvis voice. In “Pegleg Tango,” Bogg & Salty showed an interest in mixing pirates and various 50′s styles of music, and it was something beyond my own comprehension. I feel the same this time around – Elvis and pirates just don’t seem a good mix. But this song does boast one interesting bit of trivia, as it’s the first time Scabby the seaman – so common on Hucklescary Finn and Pirate Jenny releases – finds his way to being mentioned on a Bogg & Salty album.

“The Loneliest Sailor” is also a new recording of a previously released song, this time from yet another Kevin Hendrickson band, Pirate Jenny. It was, and remains, a very fun and catchy song about a lovesick sailor and his exploits with a mermaid. This recording has more of a “real” feel about it than the version from Pirate Jenny’s “Once Upon a Wave,” almost as though it was recorded live this time around, although there is no hint of audience background noise.

Thus far, this album has notably lacked the humor that defined Bogg & Salty’s previous albums. But “Part of Your World” brings it back in spades. This would be the song from Disney’s The Little Mermaid, which was intended to be sung by a teenage mermaid girl. Here, however, it is sung by Captain Bogg himself, who I picture to be a large hairy scotsman. The result is nothing short of comedic genius. And while you can almost hear Bogg slip into his beloved Elvis voice at times, you’ll be laughing too hard to notice or care.

“Doldrums” is another nice, if not terribly memorable track. It is surprisingly fast paced for a song about the stagnated drudgery of a ship dead in the water.

To this point the album has had several brilliant highs (“Drunken Sailor”, “Mutiny on the Hispaniola”, “Part of Your World”), a few moderates (“Bosun Whistle”, “The Lonliest Sailor”, “Doldrums”) and only one song that just doesn’t work for me (“Days and Days”). But three songs remain, and they are each such stunning works of pirate brilliance that any one of them is worth the cost of the entire album. First up is “Wind,” an incredibly brutal pirate rap. Edgy and awsome, it features Angus Bogg at his finest as he spouts rhymes while electric guitars and electronically enhanced vocals chime along. If there were any justice in the world, songs like this would find their way outside of the usual niche audience. But the world is rarely fair, which means us pirates can hoard this treasure for ourselves

“Dead Men Tell No Tales” is an epic rock piece about silencing your crew in the most cutthroat manner possible. Heavy electric guitars once again accompany edgy vocals. On its own this song would easily be another triumph. But with it following the transcendent “Wind,” it can’t help but fall a little short. It’s only real shortcoming is its unfortunate placement on the album.

Wrapping it all up is “Hoist the Grog,” being a slower, more traditional piece. It makes for a touching and witty conclusion as Captain Bogg sings a tavern song about sharing sea stories – and nuts to whether it’s all a bunch of lies. “Hoist a grog to me mates in the crew. I’ll spin a yarn for ye of the treacherous sea, and I swears not a word of it’s true!”

“Bedtime Stories for Pirates” remains Captain Bogg & Salty’s definitve album, and by far the most consistent in quality. But never a band to settle for predictabilitly, Bogg & Salty has braved some daring new waters with “Prelude to Mutiny,” and with several of these new songs it paid off in spades. “Drunken Sailor”, “Part of Your World”, “Dead Men Tell No Tales”, and “Hoist the Grog” are all incredible achievements, while “Wind” and “Mutiny on the Hispaniola” propel this album into the stratosphere. A definite must-have for anyone wanting to experience pirate rock in its best and rarest form.

 
Genre: Original pirate songs and tunes.
Rating: G
Target Audience: All Ages.

Captain Bogg & Salty’s first album, Bedtime Stories for Pirates, is without a doubt one of the finest pirate albums ever made. It’s silly enough to entertain the young, yet clever enough for the old. But what I like best about it is that you don’t need to listen to the lyrics to know that the songs are a) piratey and b) funny. It spews pirates and laughs from its very core, and thus induces me now and then to dance about the living room whilst flailing my cutlass in meriment (a practice for which my son has scolded me.)

However, Captain Bogg & Salty’s second release, Pegleg Tango, doesn’t so much feature pirates pretending at being children’s entertainers (as in the first album), but rather pirates putting on a variety show as they perform a wider range of music styles, including Latin/Cuban dance, children’s sing-along, sea-shanties, and even 50′s rock. Unlike the first album the pirates do an effective job of blending into these new genres, unfortunately losing much of their own distinctive character in the process. While the lyrics remain very piratey, the music is often anything but.

Pegleg Tango begins with “Age of Buccaneers,” a cute spoken bit that reintroduces the titular characters Captain Angus Bogg and Salty. This piece is immediately followed by “Weigh Anchor,” which features lively banjos and Bogg’s scratchy Scottish accent as the Pollywog sets off. It’s a fun song, but is somewhat too polished to feel like a song by pirates, instead sounding like the introduction of a musical about pirates.

Next is “I’m a Pirate,” which is the first song of several on the album to carry a definite 50′s style. As much about surfing as pirating, this song conjures images of an Elvis beach party (think beehive hairdos, hula-hoops, and cat-eye glasses.)

“Pieces of 8ight,” is a refreshing dose of classic Bogg & Salty, with Captain Bogg at his very piratey-est as he sings of all the wonderful pirate things you can buy with your plunder. When listening to this song it’s difficult to NOT start thumping your feet to the music.

“Happy Birthday Chucklehead” is another spoken piece set up to transition us into the following track, “Pirate Party,” which is our second trip into 50′s piracy – this time with something of a Stray Cats flavor. Like “I’m a Pirate,” the lyrics are very piratey, but the music is very 50′s.

“Scallywag,” is a fun piece with a definite Spanish flair. It has a nice tropical feel about it, and is very catchy. This song is all the more fun because the deep Latin voice contrasts wonderfully with the humor of the lyrics.

“Nellie the Elephant” is a song about the adventures of an elephant that ran away from the circus, and doesn’t seem to contain a single pirate reference. It can be quite quirky and addictive, especially during Salty’s solos, but seems an odd fit for a pirate-themed album, and likely has more appeal to kids than adults.

“Sea Monster” reminds me of “Manatee” from the first album. Very soft and soothing, yet still maintaining a pirate-theme in its lyrics as the singer tells the tale of a sea monster coming to the rescue of a pirate crew.

“What it’s Really Like on a Ship” is a sea-shanteyish piece about the hardships of life at sea. It’s well done and very easy on the ears, bringing to mind some of Bogg & Salty’s prior works. It’s also perhaps the friendliest sounding song I’ve ever heard that involved such pleasantries as seasickness, marooning, scurvy, and rickets.

“The Tortuga Caper” is this album’s final spoken-word piece, this time set up to introduce the title-track, “Pegleg Tango” – a very tropical, Cuban song that’s about exactly what the title would suggest. It’s extremely well done, catchy, and conjures wonderful images of a one-legged dance instructor of dubious masculinity.

“Sea Kings” is the third installment in the 50′s theme, this time of the “doo-wop” variety as the singer and Captain Bogg take turns encouraging the listener to run off to sea. The lyrics are piratey and fun (especially Captain Bogg’s enthusiastic rant about the joys of a pirate life,) but once again, the music just doesn’t bring it home.

The album concludes with “Pull Away Home,” an amusing little sea chantey with some clever lyrics about parrots demanding their fair share of the booty and such.

All told, this album didn’t do as much for me as did Bedtime Stories for Pirates. Pegleg Tango is very well made, but it’s largely missing the contagiously boisterous pirate enthusiasm of its predecessor – the sea-shanteys are very good, but feel more tamely nautical than outwardly buccaneer. And the 50′s and circus songs, though well executed, just don’t seem all that piratey to me. Kevin Hendrickson, the mastermind behind both Bogg & Salty and Pirate Jenny, has shown a willingness to experiment as he pushes an easily clichéd theme into new and exciting directions. Taking such risks in the past has led to some absolutely brilliant albums, but I don’t think it quite paid off this time.

Genre: Original pirate songs and tunes.
Rating: G
Target Audience: Kids, but HIGHLY recommended for all ages

Usually when someone makes a sing-a-long pirate album you get the distinct impression it was made by children’s entertainers trying their best to pretend at being pirates. As such, its appeal tends to be very limited.

When listening to Captain Bogg and Salty, however, I can’t help but feel that some recording executive got drunk one night and hired a bunch of genuine pirates to try and pretend at being children’s entertainers. And this is what makes it such a fantastic addition to any pirate CD collection – the songs are catchy, funny, and very, VERY piratey.

We start with “Recruitin’ the Crew,” a narrative piece in which Captain Bogg encourages local sailors to join him aboard his ferocious ship, the Pollywog. Next is “I’m a singin’ Pirate,” a very funny song where we meet several of the crew. But it was the next tune, “Deedle Dee Toe,” when I realized what a gem this album truly is. In this song an experienced salt coaches a new recruit, advising him of the dangers of spitting upwind and such. I first listened to this song on an Amtrak train, and the other passengers probably thought I was having a seizure, I was laughing so hard.

Next is “Cat O’Nine Tales,” which is a nice song, but doesn’t leave much of an impression on me. “Scurvy”, on the other hand, is another that will send you into convulsions. Following “Scurvy” is “Weather Eye”, which isn’t funny at all, but a slightly haunting and very touching song about a boy’s first night on watch. Then is the creepy and fun “Billy Bones”, and next “Manatee”, which to this day I think is a love ballad to a, well, a manatee. Wrapping it all up is “The Pollywog”, a very catchy farewell piece that sticks in the brain like barnicles on a whale’s noggin (but in a good way.)

I can’t recommend this album enough. It’s completely kid-appropriate, but I danced around the house to it as much as my nine-year-old. I’ve also found it a very good album to sing along with while washing dishes, for what that’s worth