Mister Rogers - Let's Be Together Today

All Music Guide

Early on in his second children's record, Mr. Rogers explained to his young listeners why he enjoys being with them. "I have the feeling that you like me," he said. "You like the way that I talk and the way I look. And you know that I like you too." That simple statement effectively summed ups the key to a career in children's television that was to last more than 30 years. Mr. Rogers cares about kids. He understands them. And they can sense that through the avuncular warmth of his persona. Let's Be Together Today is not a particularly significant musical accomplishment, and there are plenty of kid's records on the market that are likely to be more fun. But it would be difficult to find an album with a deeper understanding of the emotional lives of young children or a more effective method of communicating that understanding. Most of the songs, which were written and performed by Rogers himself, are written from a child's perspective. "I Like to Be Told" reads like a parenting lesson g...iven by a child: "I like to be told if it's going to hurt, if it's going to be hard, if it's not going to hurt." "The Clown in Me" deals with a childish impulse that many adults never outgrow -- the need to cover insecurities by trying to make people laugh. These serious songs, which obviously benefit from the contribution of the credited "psychological consultants," Margaret B. McFarland, Ph.D. and Albert V. Corrado, M.D., are balanced by lighter and catchier tunes like "I'm a Man Who Manufactures" and "Everything Grows Together." Throughout, Mr. Rogers exudes his usual friendly confidence. Kids like him, and for that reason a lot of parents do too. - Evan Cater, All Music Guide Read more Less