Kermit and Steve Martin Duel Banjos

Out of the blue this morning came this spectacular new video starring Kermit the Frog and his friend (and The Muppet Show and The Muppet Movie guest star) Steve Martin. The video from Funny Or Die features Kermit and Steve playing the classic "Dueling Banjos." It's worth noting that this is the first time that Hollywood's most famous banjo players have jammed together--and it's awesome. Watch now!

The awesome video was directed by Matt Hoyle as part of his Comic Genius series.





The Muppet Mindset by Ryan Dosier, muppetmindset@gmail.com

Muppet Retro Reviews: Kermit Unpigged

Kyle Mahoney - The same year as Muppet Classic Theatre was released, Jim Henson Records released its last album entitled Kermit Unpigged, a pun on the commonly used phrase "unplugged," meaning acoustic. This album had the Muppets singing duets with various 90s celebrities.

The album has a storyline to it, similar to Bert and Ernie's Sing Along (1975). Kermit and the rest of the Muppets, except Miss Piggy go to the recording studio to record their latest album and they happen upon Ernestine, the front desk lady played by Lily Tomlin who gives them confusing instructions on how to get to their recording booth. They Muppets all go their separate ways looking for the booth.

Kermit soon gets a call from Miss Piggy who wants to talk about their relationship, which leads to the first song "She Drives Me Crazy." This was the main song used in advertisements and was the only song to receive a music video featuring a slew of celebrity cameos. After an argument about who drives who crazy more, Piggy hangs up.

A distraught Kermit walks into the recording booth of Vince Gil who helps him forget his issues by just laying back and watching the clouds in the sky by singing the song "Daydream." In another studio, Rizzo and several rats are playing around when Clifford informs them that the studio belongs to George Benson. He walks in on them and instead of kicking the rodents out, he allows them to stay and sings a duet of "On Broadway" with Clifford and the rats who so happen to live under Broadway.

Kermit comes across a familiar face from The Muppet Show: Linda Ronstadt, who back in 1980 had quite the crush on Kermit. Her feelings are still intact as she politely forces Kermit to sing "All I Have To Do Is Dream," a sweet, lilting ballad.

Miss Piggy eventually gets to the studio and to no surprise begins looking for Kermit. Instead of finding him, she stumbles into the booth of Ozzy Osbourne. He invites her in and begins to sing "Born to be Wild," and at first she is hesitant but decides to get into it. Afterward, a hungry Rizzo happens upon "Jimmy's Buffet" but Gonzo soon tells him the sad truth. Rizzo goes down the hall to a door labeled "Meatloaf" and Gonzo goes inside. Jimmy tells Gonzo about his extraterrestrial adventures through the song "Mr. Spaceman," perhaps this was part of the inspiration for Muppets from Space.

Next, Kermit finds Don Henley who decides to sing the classic "Bein' Green" with Kermit. After Don leaves, Kermit is left alone and begins to sing an acoustic version of "Wild Thing" on a ukulele. Animal and Floyd walk in and Animal begins to take control of the song. Floyd takes the vocals and it is one of the last full vocal performances of Floyd by Jerry Nelson (and it's great).

Floyd and Animal leave and Robin comes in the studio with his uncle. The two decide to enjoy the alone time and sing "Can't Get Along Without You." This is once again a beautiful performance by Jerry Nelson and perhaps the best track on the album--a really underrated Muppet song. In the final song, all of the Muppets are finally in the right booth and they record the Beatles classic: "All Together Now." After the song the Muppets begin to leave as the secretary ask who is paying and they all scatter out of the studio leaving Kermit to pay the bill.

This album is a great example of the vocal performances of the early 90s Muppet performers. Steve Whitmire had perfectly gotten his Kermit down and, as previously stated, it was one of the last singing performances of Jerry Nelson as Robin and Floyd. This also was one of the rare pre-Muppets Tonight performances of Clifford; especially since 1994 was one the heights of Elmo's popularity.

Kermit Unpigged isn't one of the most remembered Muppet moments, nor is it the best thing to ever happen to the Muppets. But it is fun, catchy, and a treat to listen to in its entirety or just for one song.

The Muppet Mindset by Ryan Dosier, muppetmindset@gmail.com

Cute Kids and Cute Muppets Sing "Sing"

While scrolling through the depths of Tumblr over the weekend, I came across an adorable video starring the Muppets of Sesame Street (seriously like all of them) and the kid chorus of PS22, who also uploaded the video. Oh, and George Stephanopoulus is there too. Anyway! Everybody is there to sing "Sing." This song was performed at the Sesame Workshop Gala in May. How are we just now seeing it?! You even get a glimpse at some of the Muppeteers! Enjoy.



See? Wasn't that enjoyable? I told you! Now go, carry on about your day humming "Sing."






The Muppet Mindset by Ryan Dosier, muppetmindset@gmail.com

News Update: July 28, 2013

NEWS UPDATE: July 28, 2013

A new piece of pretty awesome Muppet merchandise is apparently coming soon. We have only found it available for pre-order at ComicsInfinity, who provide this information about the cool piece: "This character-authentic polystone mini-bust is designed and sculpted by Patrick Romandy-Simmons. Standing 6 1/2" tall, Kermit the Frog comes painted and ready to display." The bust is currently on sale for $64.70, down from the normal $70. Hopefully more Muppets will be made into busts soon. Check out the Kermit bust below and click over to ComicsInfinity if you wish to pre-order!

Our friends at ToughPigs.com found a musical little gem on YouTube this week from Canadian rapper Classified. His new song, "3 Foot Tall" features a sample from "Life's a Happy Song." Classified sampled Walter's line from the song, "When you're alone, life can be a little rough, it makes you feel like you're three foot tall. When it's just you, well times can be tough when there's no one there to catch your fall." The song is insanely catchy and really, really well done. Take a listen below! (WARNING: There are a few semi-explicit lyrics.)



Over on the suddenly-active-again Facebook fan page for The Muppets, the fine folks from Disney posted a cute little picture to promote the release of The Muppet Movie on Blu-ray on August 13th. The image, which you can see below, shows a few pages from Walter's scrapbook about his favorite film, The Muppet Movie. It's adorable and absolutely something Walter would do.

And, unfortunately, that's all the news this week. So... happy Friday! Go have some ice cream--on us! (NOTE: Ice cream will not actually be on us, unless you dump it on us because we didn't pay for it when we said we would.)

The Muppet Mindset by Ryan Dosier, muppetmindset@gmail.com

Could More Fraggle Music Finally Be Coming to CD?

Matt Baker - With 2013 marking the beloved Fraggle Rock's 30th anniversary, the series has so far received a level of awareness unseen in years. The most recent development has been the Jim Henson Company's new anniversary website FraggleRock30.com, which reveals new or upcoming items. While Henson most often markets the Fraggles as contemporary, this year looks to hopefully be different in at least two respects: a previously-announced coffee table book is in the works for publication with partner Insight Editions, and a just-announced "Classic Music Collection" is apparently coming soon!

Regular readers of The Muppet Mindset have likely seen the "Vote to bring Fraggle Rock music toCD!" link. It sends you to Ryan's article detailing our collaboration in starting a poll aimed at gauging fan interest in a collection of songs. It has revealed that the core fan-base longs for more music than that offered by the three existing albums. For example, among more than 1,000 respondents, the various questions reveal that about 97% would buy unreleased music. Almost 94% welcome CDs (only 6% prefer downloads) while more than 84% would welcome a single set of the complete library; nearly 70% are willing to spend at least $50 for such a set and over 40% would be willing to pay $100 or more.

These numbers are telling. If a Classic Music Collection is released, would it be targeted to this consumer base? Would it be released on CD? If so, would it be complete? What is "complete" anyway? While I don't know the answers, I can provide some suggestions: yes, it should be targeted to the hardcore fans; yes, it should be on CD; and yes, it should be complete! As for what "complete" could mean, here are some thoughts:

THE SONGS
According to Chris Vaughn's Fraggle Rock website (researched from the show's bible, "The Encyclopedia Fragglia," and now sadly defunct) the original series had 232 songs spread over the course of its 96 episode run. A complete collection would be, of course, incomplete without all 232.

THE EXTRAS 
- International music/Traveling Matt
- versions of the international theme songs
- a selection of songs sung in various languages
- "All Around the World"

Extras for a collector's set wouldn't be complete without material from the international shows. Album or TV versions (or both) of all the international theme songs would be a great addition, and a selection of re-dubbed songs could serve as a nice complement (the more accessible ones, such as those found on the three albums, might work best).

Essential to the international flavor of Fraggle Rock is, without question, Traveling Matt's "All Around the World." The song holds a special place in the hearts of longtime fans and should be released in all its forms. Though the song was issued as a vocal and instrumental on a 45 RPM single in the UK, the Season 3 and 4 postcard segments of the show itself feature a different instrumental recording. This version should certainly be included along with any other alternate versions that may exist.

Philip Balsam theme demos
Prominent in the Season 4 DVD bonus features, Philip Balsam's numerous--and often very wacky--demos for the Fraggle Rock Theme clearly survive and should be included not only for fun but for historical reasons (especially since they aren't playable as individual tracks on the DVD).

Philip Balsam song demosThe Down at Fraggle Rock documentary revealed the recording process for Fraggle music: after writing the music and applying Dennis Lee's lyrics, Philip Balsam would lay down a full recording of each song to serve as a guide for the performers. If Philip's theme demos survive, it's logical to conclude his other tapes may as well. How fun would it be to hear him sing some of the show's famous songs? I know I'd love to hear his take on "Dixie Wailin'"!

Don Gillis underscore musicIt's hard to imagine a transition to or from Doc's Workshop without Don Gillis. Despite the attention the songs receive, Fraggle Rock's musical landscape would be quite different without him; many of the most powerful episodes shine even brighter with just a bar or two of Gillis music. Though much of his work was a few seconds here and there, a selection of highlights--or even a lengthy suite if possible--would really add flavor just as the composer did to the episodes.

The wrap party/Fraggles Look for Jobs version of "Children of Tomorrow"What was unfortunately missing from the Season 4 DVD bonus features was the "Fraggles Look for Jobs" video portion of the wrap party. The next best thing would be to include the video's concluding song, a modified version of "Children of Tomorrow," so fans may enjoy an alternate recording of one of Fraggle Rock's finest.

The Jerry Juhl tribute version of "Follow Me"One of the best of all the DVD bonus features was Season 2's warm and poignant tribute to head writer Jerry Juhl. The segment ends with another modified version of a Fraggle classic, "Follow Me," performed beautifully by Philip Balsam. Its inclusion would be delightful.
Inside Fraggle RockAccording to Muppet Wiki, this release is "a 1993 book-and-tape set, which includes six songs from the show." Though the songs would already be part of a complete set, it would still be fun to have this program. It primarily features new dialog by several Fraggles (chiefly Gobo and Mokey) which serves as bridging material.

The Animated SeriesThough short-lived and probably not everyone's favorite, there were only 26 songs featured in the series. They, along with the opening and closing themes, would be neat to have.

Outtakes, bloopers or any other extrasAs it says, anything else would be gravy. Muppet Wiki says the UK Fraggle Rock album features an instrumental version of "Workin'." Cool.

While the three original albums are fantastic in their own right (as is their 2007 re-issue ), their output represents not only just a fraction of the show's catalog but little beyond the most accessible of songs as well. One of the many magical elements of the show is the uniqueness of the music to the stories being told. What makes tunes such as "Free and High," "Just a Dream Away" and "Children of Tomorrow" so powerful in context is, unfortunately, exactly what makes them less marketable as a 15-track single CD. The Fraggle Rock library really needs to be fully assembled as a complete collection for the dedicated fan who not only loves the music but is able to appreciate its wonder as a whole body of work.

If a CD can hold 80 minutes, I'd estimate all 232 songs plus the aforementioned extras could fit on six discs. The songs by themselves, with no extras, would need about five (Fraggle Rockin’ was spread over three). Either way, it is certainly feasible as many similar sets have been produced by record companies over the years. With luck, The Jim Henson Company will see it fit to do the Fraggles justice with a complete collection of songs.

If you can think of any extras not on this list that you'd like to see included, please comment below. If you haven'tvoted in our poll yet, please do! And if you'd like to "come and follow me" on Twitter for all things Fraggle, please do @FraggleMusic. Thanks for reading!

The Muppet Mindset by Ryan Dosier, muppetmindset@gmail.com

All Cee Lo Needs is Love... And Muppets

We got an exciting early Christmas gift this week as the full, official audio track for "All I Need is Love," the new surefire hit single from Cee Lo Green and heavily featuring the Muppets, debuted on YouTube. The album containing the song, Cee Lo's Magic Moment, is due out on October 30th and the music video for the song will presumably debut around then (or perhaps closer to Christmas) as well. But for now, sit back, relax, and enjoy the incredibly catchy, bouncy "All I Need is Love" complete with Kermit, Miss Piggy, Gonzo, Fozzie, Animal, Snowths, and an awesome extended solo from Pepe the King Prawn!



I don't know about you... but all I need now is the music video for this awesome song!

The Muppet Mindset by Ryan Dosier, muppetmindset@gmail.com

Great Muppet Song Covers

Hilarie Mukavitz - One of the signs that a musician is truly talented is when they perform a song written by somebody else, and their version is either better than the original or takes the song in a surprising direction that shows it in a completely different light. For example, the Jimi Hendrix version of "All Along the Watchtower" has so eclipsed the original Bob Dylan version, that even Bob Dylan now plays it in more of a Hendrix style. A more recent example would be the Johnny Cash version of "Hurt." Nobody expected a country music legend to connect so well with a Nine Inch Nails song.

Here are seven examples of great Muppet covers. Listen to the covers and the originals on our Muppet Mindset Playlist:

1. "Time in a Bottle" - Jim Croce originally released this song on his third album "You Don't Mess Around With Jim." Croce got the inspiration when he found out his wife Ingrid was expecting their first child. A year later, after he was killed in a plane crash, it was released as a single and reached the top of the charts. The song had an added poignancy with the knowledge that Croce's time was rapidly running out when he wrote it.

The Muppet version appeared on Episode 207 of The Muppet Show. Like many Muppet covers, they took the metaphor literally. Jim Henson played a Whatnot Muppet scientist who was experimenting with making a potion to make him younger. At first, the potion works, but by the end of the song, the character is the same old man that he was in the beginning. Part of what makes this performance work so well is not only did the scientist's appearance change, but Henson modified his voice with each transformation. It also stands out among Muppet Show sketches as what could have been interpreted in a very goofy jokey manner, had just as much weight and emotion as the original song.

2. "Six String Orchestra" - This is a lesser known Harry Chapin song from his 1974 album "Verities and Balderdash." Chapin is most famous for "Cats in the Cradle" and "Taxi." The original version of "Six String Orchestra" is clearly written and performed with tongue firmly lodged in cheek. It's about a would-be musician who is totally oblivious to his utter lack of talent. His girlfriend needs alcohol in order to listen and his guitar teacher has a nervous breakdown.

The Muppet Show version, on Episode 417, is much more innocent and wistful (and with some of the more sarcastic lyrics removed). Scooter, in an especially strong performance by Richard Hunt, sweetly sings about his dreams to be a musician. Unlike the original Chapin version, it seems that he may have a chance, with a little more practice. In the first refrain, Scooter is in his bedroom, joined by the ghostly figures of the Electric Mayhem. I especially love this visual because it gives off the double effect that either Scooter is playing with musicians in his imagination, or that he is playing with the ghosts of musicians that have gone before him. In the second refrain, Scooter is actually playing on stage with the Electric Mayhem, in a rare scene where we get to see everybody's feet. It ends with Scooter back alone in his bedroom, determined "Some day I'm gonna be a star."

3. "For What It's Worth" - This Stephen Stills penned song was originally recorded by his band Buffalo Springfield in December 1966. It became most famous as a protest song. However, it was actually written about the 1966 Sunset Strip Riots. The riots had absolutely nothing to do with Vietnam, just a bunch of people annoyed at the strict 10 PM curfew in the area. (Muppet Maestros the Monkees had their own take on the Sunset Strip riots with the Mike Nesmith song "The Daily Nightly.")

The Muppets performed "For What It's Worth" on Episode 221. The setting was a group of woodland creatures, with Jerry Nelson as a possum on the lead vocal, singing their own style of protest song against hunting. The second two verses were changed to go with the new theme, and the music arrangement was less rock and a lot more pastoral. The result was one of the more memorable performances on The Muppet Show and it was later featured on The Muppets: A Celebration of 30 Years.

4. "Halfway Down  the Stairs" - Believe it or not, the original performance of "Halfway Down the Stairs" was not by a little green frog, but by future host of The Muppet Show, Gene Kelly. In the mid 1940's Gene Kelly recorded some albums for children, including a series of songs based on poems by A.A. Milne. The Gene Kelly version isn't bad, after all this is a man whose most famous movies were musicals. However, I found it just didn't grab me as much as the performance of Jerry Nelson as Robin, which made it to the top 10 on the music charts in England. To do a cover of a cover, Jim Henson as Rowlf later performed the song on "Ol' Brown Ears Is Back."

5. "I'm Looking Through You" - The original version from the Beatles Album "Rubber Soul" is a rare example of what I call "Angry McCartney." Happy go-lucky Paul tended to write more of the upbeat lyrics like the verses of "We Can Work It Out," "And I Love Her," while anger and depression tended to be more John Lennon's turf. However, by 1965 his writing was starting to get more interesting. It was Paul who suggested that "Norwegian Wood" should end with the main character burning the whole place down. He was also having some issues with Jane Asher, his girlfriend at the time, because she dared to do inconsiderate things like have a life and a career of her own. "I'm Looking Through You" was a way of venting his frustrations.

However, while the song has a very catchy tune and arrangement... the lyrics don't make much sense if you try to analyze them. I think the Muppet version actually makes more sense. The song was featured in a UK spot in Episode 119. The song was performed by three ghosts flying around the backstage of the Muppet Theater.

6. "Yes We Have No Bananas" - This was a very appropriate song for The Muppet Show as the show was so rooted in vaudeville and the music hall. Originally written in 1922 for the Broadway show "Make It Snappy," the song has been covered countless times. It was featured on The Muppet Show three times. The first was in Episode 208 as Marvin Suggs took a break from his Muppaphone and had his All-Food Glee Club sing it. Episode 402 had the Swedish Chef perform what I'm guessing is the only mock-Swedish rendition of the song. It made one more brief cameo in the Jean-Pierre Rampal Episode 510 when they accidentally gave Rampal fruit intead of a flute to play.

7. "You Mustn't Be Discouraged" - Most songs that the Muppets covered were pretty well known. They tended to use popular songs from the 1970's and previous eras. However, now and then they'd come up with something really obscure. I wouldn't have heard of this song if it weren't for The Muppet Show. The song was originally written for the 1964 Broadway Musical "Fade Out--Fade In". Carol Burnett and Tiger Haynes were doing a spoof of Shirley Temple and Bill "Bojangles" Robinson. The original version is entertaining, but doesn't hold up well to repeat listening. Burnett's Shirley Temple impression gets really old really fast.

The Muppet Show version in Episode 522 with Dave Goelz as Beauregard and Buddy Rich is a lot more pleasant on the ears. It also brought this pleasant surprise: Buddy Rich could SING! Usually, unless you're listening to The Monkees or the Carpenters... the drummer doesn't get a lot of lead vocals. Buddy Rich does just as well as other Muppet Show hosts who were better known for their singing. Plus, of course, the wicked humor in the song is a perfect fit for the Muppets.

Obviously I'm leaving quite a few great examples out of Muppet covers. I could do a series on just Floyd. So I will ask you, fellow Muppet Music Maniacs... what are YOUR favorite Muppet covers?

The Muppet Mindset by Ryan Dosier, muppetmindset@gmail.com

News Update: January 26, 2012

NEWS UPDATE: January 26, 2012

Good news for all you talented musicians who also happen to be Muppet fans out there (and I know you're out there)! Sheet music from The Muppets is now available for purchase online! Now you too can play hits like "Man or Muppet," "Pictures in My Head," "Me Party," and "Life's a Happy Song" on your piano, guitar, or just sing them out loud and strong! The book only costs $17 (plus shipping) on the Hal Leonard Corporation webpage. What more could you need?

Sesame Street is preparing to release a new DVD called "Best of Sesame Friends," which will feature the best clips from the most famous characters on the Street: Big Bird, Elmo, Cookie Monster, Oscar the Grouch, Bert and Ernie, Abby Cadabby, Grover, Telly Monster, Snuffy, The Count, Zoe, and Rosita. The best part? YOU get to help choose the clips! That's right, you can now vote for your favorite clips for each character via Facebook! Voting ends on February 1st, so get in there and vote now! The DVD is set to hit stores in Fall 2012.

As we reported on Tuesday, The Muppets received an Academy Award nomination for "Man or Muppet" for Best Original Song! Well, music and lyric writer Bret McKenzie talked with MTV News about the nomination and his, as he called it, "surprise nomination." He even hints slightly at how he would like to see the song performed at the Oscars ceremony. (With a man and a Muppet... go figure.)

The folks who make the extremely popular PlayStation3 game LittleBigPlanet sure do love the Muppets. Awhile back, they released a special edition Gonzo suit for characters to wear, with the promise of more Muppet stuff soon. Well... they weren't kidding. Now available on PlayStation Network are fourteen different Muppet costumes (Kermit, Miss Piggy, Fozzie, Gonzo, Bunsen, Beaker, Statler, Waldorf, Animal, Floyd, Dr. Teeth, Janice, Zoot, Rowlf), over 200 stickers, and five levels and two challenges inspired by The Muppet Show. It is truly an amazing amount of content made with love and care. Don't believe me? What if I told you that Steve Whitmire, Eric Jacobson, and Dave Goelz went in to record a bunch of gibberish sounds for the characters? Amazing. You can buy LittleBigPlanet and download the Muppet content now! Not sold yet? Watch the fantastic video below and you will be!



Our good friend at ToughPigs.com have discovered another preview of Bloopers from The Muppets via Entertainment Tonight. The bloopers show off 80's Robot testing his driving skills, Muppet Gary (who sounds an awful lot like Johnny Fiama) visiting human Gary and Walter, and much more. Remember, this is just a small sampling of what we'll be seeing, blooper-wise, when The Muppets hits Blu-ray and DVD on March 20th!

Last week Miss Piggy appeared as a guest judge on Project Runway All Stars on Lifetime and the All Stars had to create a cocktail dress for our favorite porcine diva. I won't lie to you, I haven't had time to sit down and watch the whole thing yet, but I've heard that le Pig was phenomenal (as she usually is) and proved herself a very worthy judge. You can catch the entire video of Piggy's appearance on the show thanks to Lifetime's website!

We would also like to send our love to Kermit, Miss Piggy, and James Bobin who are currently in the United Kingdom for the British premiere of The Muppets! Kermit was tweeting and answering questions from fans on the Disney Movies UK Twitter feed. You can read all of Kermit's hilarious and well thought out tweets on the Disney Movies UK page. And to close our News Update, check out this picture Kermit tweeted from the red carpet! The corresponding tweet read: "On Red Carpet doing interviews. Lots of questions abt #MuppetMovie, my tux & whether Piggy & I are wed. Yipes!"

The Muppet Mindset by Ryan Dosier, ryguy102390@gmail.com

"The Muppets" Soundtrack Revealed (SPOILERS)

IF YOU DO NOT WISH TO KNOW WHICH SONGS APPEAR IN THE MUPPETS MOVIE, STOP READING NOW!! FULL SOUNDTRACK LISTING FOLLOWS.

It seems like everywhere you look there's more and more information about The Muppets flooding in. The most recent item to the flood: The Muppets (Original Soundtrack), which features every song from the film and 15 tracks of dialogue as well. There are four songs on the soundtrack written by music supervisor Brett McKenzie ("Life's a Happy Song," "Let's Talk About Me," "Me Party," and "Man or Muppet"), Kermit's new song "Pictures in My Head," written by Jeannie Lurie, Aris Archontis, and Chen Neeman. There are three classic Muppet songs on the soundtrack ("The Muppet Show Theme," "Rainbow Connection," which appears twice, and "Mahna Mahna") plus Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" covered by The Muppet Barbershop Quartet and Cee Lo Green's "Forget You" by Camillia and the Chickens. Other songs include Paul Simon's "Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard," Starship's "We Built This City," and a new Andrew Bird song, "The Whistling Caruso."

The following is the full track listing, including dialogue tracks. Beware of spoilers abounding in the dialogue track names! Dialogue tracks are denoted with an asterisk (*).

The Muppets (Original Soundtrack) available November 21, 2011

1. The Muppet Show Theme - The Muppets
2. Muppet Studios, I Can't Believe It!* - Walter
3. Life's a Happy Song - Jason Segel, Amy Adams and Walter
4. I Haven't Seen the Old Gang* - Kermit and Jason Segel
5. Pictures In My Head - Kermit and The Muppets
6. We Drive* - Kermit and Walter
7. Me and Julio Down By the Schoolyard - Paul Simon
8. That Spells Reno* - 80's Robot and Amy Adams
9. Rainbow Connection - The Moopets
10. Welcome Back* - Kermit, Fozzie, Walter and Dr. Teeth
11. We Built This City - Starship
12. Party of One* - Sarah Silverman and Amy Adams
13. Me Party - Amy Adams and Miss Piggy
14. We Humbly Ask* - Kermit and Chris Cooper
15. Let's Talk about Me - Chris Cooper
16. The Answer is No* - Chris Cooper and Kermit
17. Are You a Man or a Muppet?* - Amy Adams
18. Man or Muppet - Jason Segel and Walter
19. Down at the Old Barbershop* - Kermit
20. Smells Like Teen Spirit - The Muppet Barbershop Quartet
21. Princesses of Poultry* - Kermit
22. Forget You - Camilla and the Chickens
23. It's Time For Our Song* - Kermit and Miss Piggy
24. Rainbow Connection - The Muppets
25. Get Out There and Help Those Guys* - Jason Segel
26. The Whistling Caruso - Andrew Bird
27. How Charming, a Finale* - Uncle Deadly
28. Life's a Happy Song Finale - Entire Cast
29. Mary, Marry Me* - Jason Segel and Amy Adams
30. Mahna Mahna - Mahna Mahna and The Two Snowths

Are you itching to hear just one of these songs? Well, itch no further (you're breaking skin!) because yesterday on his blog, Ryan Seacrest released an exclusive listen to the entire "Life's a Happy Song" track! This song takes place near the beginning of the film and features Jason Segel, Walter, and Amy Adams as they leave Smalltown, U.S.A. and head for Hollywood. Be sure to listen for Feist and Mickey Rooney's vocal cameos!

The Muppet Mindset by Ryan Dosier, ryguy102390@gmail.com

Another Look at "The Green Album"

Muppets: The Green Album - Riding Up the Down Elevator

 Green Album Fan-Drawn Cover by Danny Beckwith

Catherine Edwards - Some of you younger fans will never know the stunned surprise of listening to elevator music that has been made out of—gasp!—all the cool songs that you sang along with/danced to when you were young, because some of you are too... um... some of you apparently haven't ever ridden in elevators. But take it from me, a veteran of elevators (and their predecessors, stairs), that there is nothing that will jolt you back in time more than the joyful recognition of an old favorite sung in a completely different way. This album was a lot like that for me—each successive track taking me back and back and way, waaaay off the beaten track as I reminisced through years of Muppet listening.

A word of warning—this isn’t really going to be a review. This is really just going to be a series of musings on the music on Muppets: The Green Album that may or may not be interesting to you. I'm not trying to sell you on the album, or the artists, or the songs or even the Muppets. But for some of you old-school felt fans who have, um, ridden in elevators for years now, I share my thoughts for what they are worth.

I bought the album with an iTunes gift card that I got for Christmas, and—until now—my fear of annoying technology (i.e., iTunes) had prevented me from using the card. But when I discovered that the album was going to be available as a download within 24 hours of an 8-hour-long car trip I was making, well, I galvanized into action and made myself figure out how to use the card AND download the songs for the road. (That’s two—two—scary technology things in one day! Ah ha ha!) And only three calls to customer service! (I was on a roll.)

The first song, and therefore the whole album, starts off with a sort of mad-scientist's lair technical sound, which buzzed through my ear candy to set my ears aglow. When I heard that sound I kind of figured that all bets were off, and this album was going to be unique—both vocally and musically—and that sounded Muppety to me.

Perhaps I’d better say right now—just for the record—that I didn’t recognize any of the bands or singers on the album—at all. I really can’t imagine that it matters whether I did. I didn't buy the album because of the bands or singers that were on it—I sincerely doubt that any of the bands or singers on the album will have fans who buy the album just because they have one song on it, so I don’t really understand why that should matter. To be frank (as opposed to Jim, or Jerry, I suppose), the Muppets were equal-opportunity maimers of all types of music and I never didn't like a sketch because the music wasn't what I bought when I bought music. Anywho...

The Muppet Show Theme Song - OK Go
The initial sound is edgy and wired, and the other-worldly synthed-out vocals went with that whole vibe. Remember when The Muppet Show was taken over by pigs? This is "The Muppet Show Theme" taken over by mad scientists who have a rock band on the side. It’s full of energy and the bass just thumps you right along. The "Flight of the Bumblebee" bridge in the middle is both a nod to the classics (which most of us heard on cartoons growing up—if you are of an age to ride elevators, that is) and a nod to The Great Gonzo, who attempted to eat a tire to the tune of "Flight of the Bumblebee" on The Muppet Show. I though OK Go brought it—and left most of it with me when the song was over. (And that’s before I saw the music video!)

Rainbow Connection - Weezer and Hayley Williams
I finally had to go and look to see who was Weezer and who was Hayley because I couldn't figure out from listening who was supposed to be who. Apparently, Weezer is a group, and Rivers Cuomo is their lead singer, so I am assuming that Rivers is the singer I’m hearing first. In my opinion, the first singer (from Weezer) sounded earnest and wistful, the exact sound I would think is appropriate for this song. Hayley, on the other hand, sounded sort of deadly calm and unmoved, which didn't really work for me. She has a nice voice, and it's a beautiful song, but as far as I’m concerned, it would have been better with just Weezer. Maybe it’s because the name Weezer sounds sort of like a long-lost Muppet friend  ("...and now, it is my pleasure to introduce Weezer, the banjo-playing Muppet..."), or maybe it's because their lead singer didn’t seem to be sounding "too cool to sing this song." The "la da dee do" parts (and you have no idea how much my spell checker hates that phrase) sung by Hayley don't sound spontaneous at all—which is how Kermit sang them and—indeed—how they are meant to be sung. When Kermit sings this song, I get an actual lump in my throat (no—a lump­—not a frog), but I didn't get that from hearing this version of this song. What I did get was a huge jolt of nostalgia hearing a song I love sung well but with a little less heart than the original. I'll take that. Sure. I am definitely not too cool to listen to that.

Mahna Mahna - The Fray
I could not imagine how this song was going to work when I heard it was going to be on the album. Sometimes Muppet humor is... just that, and while I know that Mahna Mahna was not actually written for the Muppets (although many think it was), it has become one of the quintessential Muppet songs. Personally, I thought the song rocked, with just the right touch of bewildered, rocked out (dare I say stoned out) minimalism to last until the song was over. Just a hint, a taste, a soupcon, appetizer... eh, you get what I’m going for here. The song itself is funny, with or without visuals, and I did not mind to wade into this Fray with the band just long enough to get lost in this song.

Movin’ Right Along - Alkaline Trio
This is a written-for the Muppets song, but I think that any band that spends more than six weeks on the road ought to be allowed—by statute—to sing this song at the top of their lungs in any car with the top down. The lyrics are hilarious and just right for a frog and a bear—or a band—on the road. Different voices singing the familiar lyrics was sort of like discussing something that I love with someone who loved it, too—a kindred spirit kind of thing, which is exactly what this song is all about. I've read some reviews and some comments about the The Green Album so far, and I don't think it's useful to listen to an homage album like this if all you are going to say is, "I liked the original version better." Of course you did—it's why you bought this album in the first place. Got it. No, really. We got it—now move on. And while you’re at it, you can sing this song...

Our World - My Morning Jacket
This is a lovely song, full of lovely sentiment, and what I liked a great deal about it was how clearly and crisply I could understand both of the intertwined songs. That is a little harder to do in the original Emmet Otter version. The way this song was presented—the style of the vocals and the old-fashioned instrument sound—brought back fond memories of folk music when folk music was still about making the beautiful world more beautiful through love and peace. When I listened to this song, I thought about Jim Henson’s hope of making the world a better place than he found it. I'm pretty sure he succeeded here as well as he did in other ways.

Halfway Down the Stairs - Amy Lee
This is a different sound for this song, but I found it vocally and musically interesting.  (It actually reminded me a lot of the scene in Labyrinth when Sarah is trying to break out of the spell she is under, but that's another Henson story for another day.) Although the emotive impact of this song is presented differently, there is still a deep sense of longing that comes shining through. When Robin sang this song, it was a song about the in-between-ness of childhood and the ambivalence and hope and wonder that accompany that time of life. (Unless, of course, it was just a cute song sung by an even cuter little frog.) Amy Lee's version also speaks to in-between-ness and ambivalence, but the shift that I felt had to do with the choices that we face as adults—the decision to let that wonder and hope slip away or to go looking for it.  (Knew that secondary degree in Psychology would come in useful someday...)


Mr. Bassman - Sondre Lerche
If this song doesn't light a spark in you, your wood’s wet. It's got pep, verve and amazingly fun lyrics. While the Muppets did a great, Muppety version of this song, this one is just tons of fun, too. If you can listen to this song and not want to tap your toe, you have my sympathy.

Wishing Song - The Airborne Toxic Event
And here I thought Gonzo had a corner on soulfully singing soulful songs.  I think it takes a certain amount of vision to reshape a song sung by a whatever and a chicken into something that I can easily see being played in school gymnasiums while students thrash about in clumps, and I'm thinking that's a good thing (in case you weren't sure). Muppet fans, for years, have bemoaned the fact that our much beloved characters are not being properly introduced to the younger generation, and a great deal of the moaning is being done by people who have never ridden in an elevator, but if we want younger fans to see our guys as relevant, we can't go around preaching disdain for what drives them. This song would do it, so I'm going to say, "It's got a great beat. You could totally dance to it."

Night Life - Brandon Saller and Billy Martin
This is a song that didn't actually feel Muppety to me when the Muppets did it, so I don't know quite what to say. This version—like the Muppet version—has a driving pulse and tons of energy. That it's not my cup of tea doesn't mean it isn't a perfectly good cup of joe.

Bein' Green - Andrew Bird
I guess the violin should have been the first big clue that this song was going to be interpreted more as a dirge than a song of affirmation and hope. Kermit uses this song to examine the things about himself that seem mundane in comparison to qualities that others have, and to finally conclude that what he has is not only okay, but good. There is a sort of cheerful defiance to this song that I found missing—not because Kermit wasn’t singing it, but because that’s what the song seemed to call for. The instrumental section is very... spritely and peppy and completely at odds with the first part of the song, more so because it starts out with the whistling. I really like this song, but I didn't really care for this version of it. I think it's because the emotional intent kept switching and I felt a little whip-lashed at the end.

I Hope That Something Better Comes Along - Matt Nathanson
The organ music totally worked for me—this was the song sung as it could be sung in a bar that used to be a church. And since Mr. Nathanson is going to preach to us about the joys and travails of being in love, well, this is a great back-drop for it. What the song shares with the original is the breezy, tinkling-the-ivories feel—that this is a song you sing when you’re a little tipsy, and a little depressed about love, but ultimately optimistic that you’ll get it figured out in the end. This will certainly do until something better comes along—if it ever does.

I’m Going to Go Back There Someday - Rachael Yamagata
When Gonzo sang this song in The Muppet Movie, it made my heart swell in my chest and tears start into my eyes because it made me feel... full, and hopeful and wistful and homesick for something I might never have, or might never have again. Paul Williams was at his most brilliant (which is saying something) when he penned this song. I didn't think it was possible for this song to fail to move me, no matter who was singing it. Apparently, I was wrong. This one—perhaps the one I most looked forward to—was just too... elevator-y, even for me. That doesn't mean that I didn't enjoy it playing in the background, but it was just that—background music.

Well, that;s my take on the album—to take or to leave. Jim said, "Write your own ending." I'll conclude by saying, "Write your own review." It won't be the same as mine, but I'd probably like to read it anyway.





The Muppet Mindset by Ryan Dosier, ryguy102390@gmail.com