The Green Album
A child of the 70s, we grew up on The Muppet Show. The quirky songs, bold offbeat humor and charming sensitivity put it in a category with few other TV programs—something our parents were as excited to watch as we were. Mom and dad’s pop culture idols—stars as diverse as Alice Cooper, Steve Martin and […]
A child of the 70s, we grew up on The Muppet Show. The quirky songs, bold offbeat humor and charming sensitivity put it in a category with few other TV programs—something our parents were as excited to watch as we were. Mom and dad’s pop culture idols—stars as diverse as Alice Cooper, Steve Martin and Loretta Lynn—joined a knife-wielding chef, chicken-loving daredevil, joke-telling bear, piano-playing dog, karate-chopping pig and a seemingly endless cast of innocent puppets in a variety show that never failed to entertain and never talked down to anyone.
The Green Album, released on the heels of a series of recent viral videos (their treatment of Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody being the best) and in advance of a Disney’s The Muppets movie in theaters November 23, features an eclectic collection of modern artists interpreting some of the most memorable tunes from the Kermit-led crew’s collection of movies and tv appearances. Turns out that oft-forgotten Paul Williams, credited with five of the album’s 12 tracks, wrote songs that stand the test of time. With covers from My Morning Jacket, Sondre Lerche, Andrew Bird and others, I can honestly say that there’s not a bad track in the bunch. Listening to The Fray do a pretty literal take (why mess with perfection?) of the unforgettable “Mahna Mahna” or Weezer and Paramore’s Hayley Williams collaborating on a wistful version of “Rainbow Connection” can’t help but make Muppet-raised children happy.
Ok Go’s version of “The Muppet Show Theme Song” even comes complete with a band/muppet video and, in the cd version, links to a “making of” short.
There are few things that adults and kids can truly share at the same level of enjoyment, though with perhaps at a completely different level of understanding. Schoolhouse Rock, Bugs Bunny, The Muppets and The Simpsons being the handful of entertainment experiences that come to mind. We’re glad The Green Album, which indulges 30- and 40-somethings in nostalgia while showcasing modern artists and truly great, catchy songs, continues that tradition.
whopperjaw
