Contemporary Artists Take on the Muppets in The Green Album

This Thanksgiving, the Muppets will burst into theaters for the first time in years. It’s a joyous occasion for folks like me who are so fond of Kermit and his chums. In the past couple of years, we’ve seen concentrated efforts to put the Muppets, now a Disney property, more firmly back into the collective consciousness. Expertly executed viral videos have been the primary means of restoring the Muppets to their former glory and demonstrating that they have as much to offer adults as they do kids.

One of the last great pre-movie efforts is The Green Album, a collection of Muppet covers by modern musicians. As I’ve never been much for contemporary music, my familiarity level is pretty low, but this album has the capacity to reach thousands of fans of each of these singers or groups, and even those who don’t know any of the specific artists involved might be curious enough to investigate. It’s a hip experiment that transcends genres, which is kinda what the Muppets themselves are, so it’s quite fitting.

Muppet Show Theme Song - This song, instantly recognizable to anyone who ever saw the Muppets’ variety show, is performed by OK GO, and it’s trippy. Starting with the series of melodious beeps that seem to be designed primarily for dogs’ ears, this band gives us a version of the song that is inventive but not particularly pleasant to listen to. Still, it’s obvious they’re having a lot of fun, and that’s doubly true when you watch the video.

Rainbow Connection - I prefer this track, which starts off with gentle harp accompaniment and birdsong as Weezer’s lead singer slowly sings Kermit’s iconic meditation. Hayley Williams takes over in the second verse, and her rendition is equally heartfelt as the banjo moves into prominence. The two harmonize on the bridge and for the rest of the song, and the result is very pleasing, though I prefer the soft accompaniment of the beginning to the electrified rock sound of the almost-end. The very end winds down with an echoey piano rendition of the chorus that hearkens back to the opening.

Mahna Mahna - This nonsensical song performed by The Fray is pure fun and silliness, as it always has been. The “doo doo doo doo doo”s sound virtually identical, as does the steady percussion. The piano and clapping add a bit of a different flavor, as does the slightly reworked scatting of the beatnik main character.

Movin’ Right Along - Alkaline Trio, a band I’d never heard of before, takes on this Muppet Movie road trip anthem. It’s very heavy on the electric guitar with a bit of piano here and there; there’s definitely a hard rock sound to it. It captures a sense of exuberance and adventure, and the banter makes it extra fun, though it’s a bit too electric for my tastes.

Our World - I’m pretty sure I never heard this song before, but I like it. With the banjo, synthesizer and lovely harmonies, My Morning Jacket presents a song of optimism, singing about all that is good in the world and expressing hope that it is changing for the better. I especially like the heartening “Some say our world is getting too small; I say, with kindness there’s room for us all.” A very nice track that exemplifies Jim Henson’s ideals.

Halfway Down the Stairs - Amy Lee, another artist unfamiliar to me, gives this simple song, performed by Robin and based on an A. A. Milne poem, a rather eerie flavor. I could do with a little less of a techno-ish sound, but her voice is quite lovely, and it still seems like a sweet assertion of finding one’s own place in the world.

Mr. Bassman - This Electric Mayhem song featuring Scooter as an eager fan gets a fun rendition here thanks to Sondre Lerche. I love the plucky bass strumming throughout, particularly at the beginning and end; I’m not wild about the electrified middle portion, but I still like the singer’s enthusiastic tone, which is well suited to Scooter’s excitement. Very peppy.

Wishing Song - In this case, I’m pretty sure I have never heard the song or the performer before. The Airborne Toxic Event sings the song with an angsty edge, and there’s so much distortion at play that it’s hard to understand what they’re singing half the time, but when the words are clear they are nice, and the song comes across as sincere, first bemoaning what is missing from the speaker’s life, then celebrating what is present.

Night Life - This Great Muppet Caper song is performed by Billy Martin and Brandon Saller of the band Atreyu; I’ve never heard of either, but if Saller is in a band named after a character in The Never-Ending Story, his presence here seems to make sense. Honestly, this is probably my least favorite track because it’s just so loud. At one point, one of the guys says, “Hey, you don’t have to play so loud,” and I was really hoping it might quiet down a bit after that, but no dice. I do, however, enjoy the extended drum solo toward the end.

Bein’ Green - Andrew Green, yet another artist unfamiliar to me, takes on Kermit’s other most iconic song, and like Rainbow Connection, it’s mellow and melodious. The mild percussion and banjo are well suited to his reflective vocals that ramble easily over the lyrics. I think my favorite part of the song is when he whistles to the accompaniment of fiddle and banjo. Tied with Rainbow Connection for my favorite track.

I Hope That Somethin’ Better Comes Along - This piano-heavy Kermit and Rowlf song about romantic aspirations gets a nice legato treatment by Matt Nathanson. I’ve never heard of him either, but I really like this rendition. His voice has a pleasant tone to It and, backed by that piano and softly ooh-ing voices, sounds very nice indeed.

I’m Going to Go Back There Someday - Rachael Yamagata get the final track on the album, which is a meditative song from Gonzo as he wonders about his origins. There’s some beautiful back-up harmony here, and the instruments have an appropriately celestial sound to them. I especially like the flute solo toward the end. Again, I’m not familiar with Yamagata, but she has a husky, haunting voice that is well suited to the soul-searching theme of this song.

In most cases, I would much prefer to just listen to the original versions of these songs, but it’s fun to see what modern musicians have chosen to do with these songs. Hopefully, those who are more inclined to enjoy contemporary music will be drawn in by the list of artists but impressed enough to check out the original versions and fall in love with the Muppets all over again – or even for the very first time.