"What has always impressed me about the recordings of James and Mayor is their unnerving instrumental ability and ingenious, especially on their children's recordings, witty and hypnotic stories that they put to music.

The calibre of the tunes and songs drops not one iota throughout this compilation of their 'Musical Mystery Tour' albums, in fact their technique is so excellent that listening is an absolute delight for audiences of all ages.

Children will love to sing along and you'll love to listen along and tap your feet to the irresistable sounds here.The twenty four tracks range from very short comedy sketches to on average three minute, skilful numbers that well display their versatility on double bass, guitar, violin, various members of the mandolin family, banjo, tin whistle, harmonica, ukele and xylophone and the lovely voice of Hilary James puts the icing on the cake.

A delightful collection that's guaranteed to please."

Folk On Tap
"If Folk on Tap were in the position to give out awards, then Hilary James and Simon Mayor would take the Best Album of the Quarter Award for their Musical Mystery Tour 2 - an album which had my kids dancing and singing and asking for repeated plays. And when the kids were in bed, I snuck another couple of private hearings for myself.

Absolutely flawlessly performed, the singing is deadpan and tuneful and done with immaculate precision, while the instrumental playing on guitar, bass, mandolin, banjo etc, well...words fail me.

The lyrics are by Hilary and Simon (others are trad), and are individual and witty. Shades of Spike Jones and his City Slickers inhabit Slippery Slimy Trout: anyone who has heard Jones gargle the William Tell Overture will know what to expect when Mayor and James take on Schubert's Trout Quintet.

Get it, and have a box of Kleenex standing by: it's the best tonic in a very long time."

Comprising a selection of the most requested songs and sketches from the four Musical Mystery Tour cassettes, Children's Favourites.. cannot fail to delight either the youngest listener or the most jaded palate. Needless to say, the musicianship is masterly throughout and the arrangements are as slick and inventive as anything else the duo have produced to date. That's another hallmark of the second category of children's recording - the total absence of condescension. Simon's rendition of Schubert's (slippery slimy) Trout would not have been out of place on his recent Mandolin Album and A Big Surprise is as fine a bit of rock 'n' roll as any recorded of late, albeit about a cow-pat.

This is the first time I've heard the fruits of the James/Mayor songwriting partnership and at first I was a little worried that some of the humour may have gone over many children's heads - but not so. My two love it - though how they know about Baden Baden defeats me.
So, all this and Hilary's voice to boot - songs were never sung as exquisitely as The Road To Banbury on 'Listen With Mother - what more could parents want to give their offspring for Christmas?"