Recently, Facebook rolled out its New Profile, an innovation I generally
find rather tedious. However, I liked the new segment in the Info
section that allows you to list people who have inspired you. I have
lots of names to add, but I started things off with a shortlist of
inspirational figures that included, among others, Walt Disney, John
Denver and a man I associate with both: Jim Henson.
I grew up watching Henson’s Muppets on Sesame Street and later The Muppet Show
and the movies that followed. Permeating every Henson project I’ve seen
is youthful exuberance, a willingness to embrace one’s inner insanity
and a sense that deep respect and affection among those who have very
diverse backgrounds is possible. Watching the Muppets at their playful
work never fails to make me feel more encouraged about our capacity to
truly enjoy life, and to do so while genuinely caring for each other.
Indeed, the two qualities seem intricately linked.
It’s Not Easy Being Green: And Other Things to Consider
is a gift book of nearly 200 pages, throughout which Jim’s daughter
Cheryl has included numerous quotes from her father as well as his
characters and those who lived and worked closely with him. There are
more quotes from him in here than anyone else, which gives the reader
the pleasant feeling of absorbing wisdom directly from him. There’s a
gentleness of spirit and greatness of vision that permeates the pages in
these passages about what inspired him and what he hoped to accomplish
with his creations. He saw them as entertainers, yes, but he also hoped
to use them to urge people to be more considerate and more focused on
similarities instead of differences.
“If our ‘message’ is
anything,” reads a quote from him in the last chapter, “it’s a positive
approach to life. That life is basically good. People are basically
good.” That sense of optimism seems to have rubbed off on everyone
around him, and it’s interesting to read their comments and get an idea
of how these individuals channeled their creativity in positive
directions under his influence.
The book is divided into five chapters: Listen to Your Heart, Dynamite Determination, Together We’ll Nab It, It Starts When We’re Kids and A Part of Everything and Everyone.
There’s also an introduction, brief bios of everyone quoted in the
book, a list of sources and an acknowledgments section. Alongside many
of the quotes are doodles from the notebooks Jim kept over the years.
These line drawings are whimsical and aptly demonstrate his playful
side.
If you’re a fan of the Muppets, you’ll definitely want
to check out this charming little volume. I’d also recommend it to
anyone who could use a bit of a boost. Whether you’re feeling creatively
stifled or despairing about the state of the world, I predict that
reading this book will make you feel more upbeat. Jim Henson always
embraced the possibilities. How much richer the world is as a result!
Showing posts with label Jim Henson. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jim Henson. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Bert and Ernie's Greatest Hits Celebrates the Friendship of Sesame Street's Odd Couple
When I was little, I had a Bert and Ernie tape. I thought I remembered it being called E is for Ernie, but I haven’t been able to locate it since my copy disappeared years ago. But I was glad to find Bert and Ernie’s Greatest Hits, which contains most of the songs on that tape. A few are missing - the goofily theatrical George Washington Bridge
and Ernie’s hilarious duet with Cookie Monster about breakfast come to
mind right away - but the majority of them are here, along with several
others that were new to me. Bert and Ernie sketches are often my
favorite portion of Sesame Street, so this is a great collection for me and any other fans of the Street’s very own Odd Couple.
1. Rubber Duckie - Almost certainly Ernie’s most iconic song, this cheerful ode to his squeaky rubber duck has long been a favorite of mine and has cemented the yellow fellow’s role as the best of bathtime toys. These days, it’s not hard to find a rubber duck in just about any sort of dress imaginable. But it’s hard to beat the plain old original. Rubber Duckie, I’m aw-fully fond of you, too.
2. All Dressed Up - Bert shares this rather raucous song with the Anything People, who helpfully demonstrate the proper steps to getting dressed, as well as the improper steps. The visual that pops into my head with the gloves on the ears and the coat on the face is quite entertaining.
3. Dee, Dee, Dee - One of two songs on the album in which Ernie demonstrates his proficiency with letters. In this case, it’s the letter D, as in “don’t drop dishes down on the floor.” Fun.
4. Clink Clank - Bert goes all Stomp! on Ernie, turning an array of ordinary household objects into a homemade orchestra. Parents might not be crazy about this one, since Bert encourages children to find noisy objects and join in his concert. Then again, it’s nice to have something so interactive and great to see Bert so enthusiastic about something.
5. High, Middle, Low - A neat tutorial on harmony from Herbert Birdsfoot (the high part), Ernie (the middle part) and Bert (the low part). As someone who loves harmony, I get a kick out of this one, and it would be fun to try to pull it off with a couple of siblings.
6. Imagination - This one reminds me of the Charlie Brown strips in which they spend the afternoon cloud-gazing. It’s very mellow and relaxed, with tinkly music box accompaniment. I wasn’t that crazy about it when I was little even though it’s sung by Ernie, who’s my favorite character, because I found it rather dull, but now I like it much better. Though Ernie does all of the singing, several characters chime in to say what they’re imagining; we hear from Bert, naturally, along with Big Bird, Oscar the Grouch, Herbert Birdsfoot, Prairie Dawn and Grover.
7. La, La, La - Once again, Ernie has to help Bert out with using letters. This is a funny song that demonstrates the differences between Bert and Ernie’s personalities. Ernie is a little closed-minded in his interpretation of what constitutes a “lovely” L word, though; I, like Bert, think “linoleum” just rolls right off the tongue!
8. But I Like You - One of my favorite books as a kid was one entitled How Joe the Bear and Sam the Mouse Got Together. In this picture book belonging to my grandma, a bear and a mouse desperately want to be friends, but they don’t seem to have anything in common. Finally, at the end of the book, they find something they can share, and none of their differences bother them anymore. That’s the general gist of this song. Bert and Ernie are very different people. But even though Bert doesn’t like rubber ducks and Ernie doesn’t get excited about pigeons, they will always like each other.
9. Pat Pat Patty Pat - Bert leads this little game that is not initially very challenging, but soon his friends join in with suggestions and the Hokey Pokey-ish song quickly becomes exhausting. “Oh, listen to the song that‘s humming in your ear / and you‘ll have more fun than you‘ve had all year...” Ernie, Herbert Birdsfoot, Big Bird, Prairie Dawn, Grover and Oscar the Grouch join in.
10. Up Goes the Castle - Another interactive song, but this one is considerably more relaxing. Ernie instructs youngsters to lie down on the ground, which they may want to do after all the activity of the previous song. This gentle narrative about a castle on a stomach, backed by a lilting flute, is one of my favorite Ernie songs. “And you breathe in, up goes the castle, you breathe out, the castle goes down. / Breath in, high on a mountaintop, breathe out, low in the town.” It’s a lesson in basic biology as well as the value of compromise.
11. Doin' the Pigeon - Bert, who really loves pigeons, has invented a dance to reflect his passion. It’s nice to see him have the spotlight to himself, and his little side comments - “Hip!”, “Too much!” - are fun and endearingly retro. Bert’s singing style on this one is whiny to the point of grating, but it’s an amusing song, even though simply listening to it gives one very little idea of how to actually “do the pigeon.”
12. Lonesome Joan - There are several songs on this album I hadn’t heard before, but this is my hands-down favorite. Bert takes up the bass, Ernie the piano, and some unknown bandmate plays the fiddle on this cowboy song whose melody reminds me of Pecos Bill. Sweet, funny and educational, it demonstrates the importance of being willing to accept help from others when one is learning something new. It’s catchy, melodious and altogether delightful. “Oh, Lonesome Joan, Lonesome Joan, / You don’t have to do everything alone. / You can use a little help. Don’t have to do it by yourself. / / Oh, Lonesome, Lonesome Joan.”
13. I Don't Want to Live on the Moon - My favorite new-to-me song on the album is immediately followed by the one that’s been my favorite Sesame Street song for as long as I can remember. Both were written by Jeff Moss, who wrote a majority of the songs on this album, while Joe Raposo wrote most of the others. In this tender lullaby, backed by guitars, flute and sweeping violins, Ernie reflects upon all of the grand adventures he would love to have but concludes that home is the place he likes best. “So if I could visit the moon, I would dance on a moonbeam and then / I would make a wish on a star, and I’d wish I was home once again. / Though I’d love to look down at the earth from above, / I would miss all the places and people I love, / So although I may go, I’ll be coming home soon...” Gorgeous.
14. The National Association of "W" Lovers - Backed by a piano sounding very much like Prairie Dawn’s pounding accompaniment of many a disastrous school program, Bert croons out his love for the letter W, much to the appreciation of those who have gathered with him to celebrate the joys of that rather cumbersome letter. Bert is in his nerdy element. Without W... “A fine word like ‘waffle’ would turn out just ‘awful!’ Oh, W’s grand as can be!”
15. Dance Myself to Sleep - At first, this seems like it might be another gentle lullaby, but Ernie quickly defies that expectation. When he has trouble falling asleep, instead of reading a book or listening to some relaxing music, he dances himself to sleep - tap-dancing to the accompaniment of brass instruments while a herd of sheep come in and dance poor Bert right out the door. The funniest song on the album, it’s a great way to end the album, as long as you’re not using it to help you off to dreamland; somehow I doubt Ernie’s strategy would work for too many folks. “I gently rock-a-bye myself across the floor. / I turn and then I toss and then I start to snore. / My trusty little bugle helps me spread the news / That I’m tapping to ‘Taps’ and I’m a-raring to snooze!”
Jim Henson’s warmth and humor, not to mention his musical talent, shine through on every song Ernie sings, while Frank Oz is excellent as always as Bert and occasionally Grover. We also hear Fran Brill as Prairie Dawn, Caroll Spinney as Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch and Jerry Nelson as Herbert Birdsfoot, a character from the early seasons who I don‘t really remember but who seems like a great pal to the rest of the gang. It’s a wonderful assembly of several beloved Sesame Street characters that celebrates the bond between the best of friends, a bond that holds fast even as they drive each other crazy.
1. Rubber Duckie - Almost certainly Ernie’s most iconic song, this cheerful ode to his squeaky rubber duck has long been a favorite of mine and has cemented the yellow fellow’s role as the best of bathtime toys. These days, it’s not hard to find a rubber duck in just about any sort of dress imaginable. But it’s hard to beat the plain old original. Rubber Duckie, I’m aw-fully fond of you, too.
2. All Dressed Up - Bert shares this rather raucous song with the Anything People, who helpfully demonstrate the proper steps to getting dressed, as well as the improper steps. The visual that pops into my head with the gloves on the ears and the coat on the face is quite entertaining.
3. Dee, Dee, Dee - One of two songs on the album in which Ernie demonstrates his proficiency with letters. In this case, it’s the letter D, as in “don’t drop dishes down on the floor.” Fun.
4. Clink Clank - Bert goes all Stomp! on Ernie, turning an array of ordinary household objects into a homemade orchestra. Parents might not be crazy about this one, since Bert encourages children to find noisy objects and join in his concert. Then again, it’s nice to have something so interactive and great to see Bert so enthusiastic about something.
5. High, Middle, Low - A neat tutorial on harmony from Herbert Birdsfoot (the high part), Ernie (the middle part) and Bert (the low part). As someone who loves harmony, I get a kick out of this one, and it would be fun to try to pull it off with a couple of siblings.
6. Imagination - This one reminds me of the Charlie Brown strips in which they spend the afternoon cloud-gazing. It’s very mellow and relaxed, with tinkly music box accompaniment. I wasn’t that crazy about it when I was little even though it’s sung by Ernie, who’s my favorite character, because I found it rather dull, but now I like it much better. Though Ernie does all of the singing, several characters chime in to say what they’re imagining; we hear from Bert, naturally, along with Big Bird, Oscar the Grouch, Herbert Birdsfoot, Prairie Dawn and Grover.
7. La, La, La - Once again, Ernie has to help Bert out with using letters. This is a funny song that demonstrates the differences between Bert and Ernie’s personalities. Ernie is a little closed-minded in his interpretation of what constitutes a “lovely” L word, though; I, like Bert, think “linoleum” just rolls right off the tongue!
8. But I Like You - One of my favorite books as a kid was one entitled How Joe the Bear and Sam the Mouse Got Together. In this picture book belonging to my grandma, a bear and a mouse desperately want to be friends, but they don’t seem to have anything in common. Finally, at the end of the book, they find something they can share, and none of their differences bother them anymore. That’s the general gist of this song. Bert and Ernie are very different people. But even though Bert doesn’t like rubber ducks and Ernie doesn’t get excited about pigeons, they will always like each other.
9. Pat Pat Patty Pat - Bert leads this little game that is not initially very challenging, but soon his friends join in with suggestions and the Hokey Pokey-ish song quickly becomes exhausting. “Oh, listen to the song that‘s humming in your ear / and you‘ll have more fun than you‘ve had all year...” Ernie, Herbert Birdsfoot, Big Bird, Prairie Dawn, Grover and Oscar the Grouch join in.
10. Up Goes the Castle - Another interactive song, but this one is considerably more relaxing. Ernie instructs youngsters to lie down on the ground, which they may want to do after all the activity of the previous song. This gentle narrative about a castle on a stomach, backed by a lilting flute, is one of my favorite Ernie songs. “And you breathe in, up goes the castle, you breathe out, the castle goes down. / Breath in, high on a mountaintop, breathe out, low in the town.” It’s a lesson in basic biology as well as the value of compromise.
11. Doin' the Pigeon - Bert, who really loves pigeons, has invented a dance to reflect his passion. It’s nice to see him have the spotlight to himself, and his little side comments - “Hip!”, “Too much!” - are fun and endearingly retro. Bert’s singing style on this one is whiny to the point of grating, but it’s an amusing song, even though simply listening to it gives one very little idea of how to actually “do the pigeon.”
12. Lonesome Joan - There are several songs on this album I hadn’t heard before, but this is my hands-down favorite. Bert takes up the bass, Ernie the piano, and some unknown bandmate plays the fiddle on this cowboy song whose melody reminds me of Pecos Bill. Sweet, funny and educational, it demonstrates the importance of being willing to accept help from others when one is learning something new. It’s catchy, melodious and altogether delightful. “Oh, Lonesome Joan, Lonesome Joan, / You don’t have to do everything alone. / You can use a little help. Don’t have to do it by yourself. / / Oh, Lonesome, Lonesome Joan.”
13. I Don't Want to Live on the Moon - My favorite new-to-me song on the album is immediately followed by the one that’s been my favorite Sesame Street song for as long as I can remember. Both were written by Jeff Moss, who wrote a majority of the songs on this album, while Joe Raposo wrote most of the others. In this tender lullaby, backed by guitars, flute and sweeping violins, Ernie reflects upon all of the grand adventures he would love to have but concludes that home is the place he likes best. “So if I could visit the moon, I would dance on a moonbeam and then / I would make a wish on a star, and I’d wish I was home once again. / Though I’d love to look down at the earth from above, / I would miss all the places and people I love, / So although I may go, I’ll be coming home soon...” Gorgeous.
14. The National Association of "W" Lovers - Backed by a piano sounding very much like Prairie Dawn’s pounding accompaniment of many a disastrous school program, Bert croons out his love for the letter W, much to the appreciation of those who have gathered with him to celebrate the joys of that rather cumbersome letter. Bert is in his nerdy element. Without W... “A fine word like ‘waffle’ would turn out just ‘awful!’ Oh, W’s grand as can be!”
15. Dance Myself to Sleep - At first, this seems like it might be another gentle lullaby, but Ernie quickly defies that expectation. When he has trouble falling asleep, instead of reading a book or listening to some relaxing music, he dances himself to sleep - tap-dancing to the accompaniment of brass instruments while a herd of sheep come in and dance poor Bert right out the door. The funniest song on the album, it’s a great way to end the album, as long as you’re not using it to help you off to dreamland; somehow I doubt Ernie’s strategy would work for too many folks. “I gently rock-a-bye myself across the floor. / I turn and then I toss and then I start to snore. / My trusty little bugle helps me spread the news / That I’m tapping to ‘Taps’ and I’m a-raring to snooze!”
Jim Henson’s warmth and humor, not to mention his musical talent, shine through on every song Ernie sings, while Frank Oz is excellent as always as Bert and occasionally Grover. We also hear Fran Brill as Prairie Dawn, Caroll Spinney as Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch and Jerry Nelson as Herbert Birdsfoot, a character from the early seasons who I don‘t really remember but who seems like a great pal to the rest of the gang. It’s a wonderful assembly of several beloved Sesame Street characters that celebrates the bond between the best of friends, a bond that holds fast even as they drive each other crazy.
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