Muppets: The Green Album

Muppets: The Green Album
Compilation album by Various artists
Released August 23, 2011
Genre Pop rock, alternative rock, indie rock, power pop, soft rock
Length 36:40
Label Walt Disney
Producer Dani Markman
The Muppets chronology
A Muppets Christmas: Letters to Santa
(2008)		 Muppets: The Green Album
(2011)		 The Muppets: Original Soundtrack
(2011)
Singles from Muppets: The Green Album
  1. "Muppet Show Theme Song"
    Released: August 19, 2011

Muppets: The Green Album is a cover album of twelve Muppet songs by various contemporary music artists.[1] The album was released by Walt Disney Records on August 23, 2011 on a digipak CD and as a digital download.[2][3] A music video was also produced for the album's sole single; "Muppet Show Theme Song", featuring OK Go attempting to produce their own music video until they are interrupted by the Muppets' antics.[4]

Walt Disney Records announced the album at the 2009 D23 Expo as Muppets Revisited with a projected 2010 release date.[5] The original project's name paralleled the title of Nightmare Revisited, the tribute album that Disney had released for The Nightmare Before Christmas in 2008. The album was part of Disney's dualistic effort to revitalize the franchise which had drastically faded since the 1990s and to promote the subsequent release of the seventh Muppet film, three months later.[6] The album's artwork features a "typographic portrait" of Kermit the Frog's face, which is reminiscent of cover art derived from the psychedelic rock albums of the 1960s.[7]

Muppets: The Green Album was generally well received by critics and debuted at No. 1 on both Billboard's Rock Albums and Alternative Albums charts.[8][9] With an estimated 30,000 copies initially sold, the album also peaked at No. 8 on the Billboard 200 chart, becoming the first Muppet album to reach the top 10.[10][11]

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)ArtistLength
1."Muppet Show Theme Song"  Sam Pottle, Jim HensonOK Go2:36
2."Rainbow Connection"  Paul Williams, Kenneth AscherWeezer and Hayley Williams (of Paramore)4:00
3."Mahna Mahna"  Piero UmilianiThe Fray2:13
4."Movin' Right Along"  Paul Williams, Kenneth AscherAlkaline Trio2:33
5."Our World"  Paul WilliamsMy Morning Jacket3:05
6."Halfway Down The Stairs"  Harold Fraser-Simon, A.A. MilneAmy Lee (of Evanescence)2:25
7."Mr. Bassman"  Johnny CymbalSondre Lerche2:41
8."Wishing Song"  Paul TraceyThe Airborne Toxic Event2:47
9."Night Life"  Joseph RaposoBrandon Saller (of Atreyu) and Billy Martin (of Good Charlotte)2:59
10."Bein' Green"  Joseph RaposoAndrew Bird4:10
11."I Hope That Somethin' Better Comes Along"  Paul Williams, Kenneth AscherMatt Nathanson2:42
12."I'm Going to Go Back There Someday"  Paul Williams, Kenneth AscherRachael Yamagata4:15
Australia/New Zealand Bonus Tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)ArtistLength
13."Simon Smith and the Amazing Dancing Bear"  Randy NewmanMissy Higgins1:58

Music video

The members of OK Go are preparing to sing "The Muppet Show Theme" (titled as "Muppet Show Theme Song" on the album), with the help of an elaborate machine, which is inadvertently destroyed by Sweetums. The band is then shown through recreations of their own music videos and homages of traditional Muppet Show sketches, while being accompanied by The Muppets. Statler and Waldorf, are shown at one point briefly watching the video from a computer. The video concludes with a series of pseudo-fictional dream sequences, such as Damian Kulash waking up in terror while sleeping with Animal, Dr. Teeth, and Floyd Pepper, Dr. Teeth himself, waking up alongside the OK Go members, and Tim Nordwind finding himself next to Rowlf the Dog, Foo-Foo, a sheep and Kulash's dog, Bunny. The video alludes to former OK Go music videos, including; "Here It Goes Again", "This Too Shall Pass", "All Is Not Lost" and "White Knuckles".[12][13][14]

The video has been broadcast on the Disney Channel, Disney XD and Radio Disney. It won the People's Voice Webby Award for the "Viral Video" category at the 16th Annual Webby Awards.[15]

Muppet performers

Release and promotion

Walt Disney Records made the entire album available for preview through NPR's First Listen program a week before release.[16]

The music video for "Muppet Show Theme Song" was released online and for purchase on August 19, 2011.[4] On August 31, OK Go and The Muppets had a live performance on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.[12]

Reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic60/100[17]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[18]
Alternative Press[19]
Artistdirect[20]
Cinema Blend[21]
Consequence of Sound[22]
IGN(8/10)[23]
Spin(7/10)[24]
Sputnikmusic(2.5/5)[25]
Toronto Star[26]

Muppets: The Green Album received mixed to positive reviews from music critics.[17] At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 60, based on 8 reviews, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[17]

Chrysta Cherrie of AllMusic concluded her review by stating that, "Muppets: The Green Album freshens up the franchise for the newish millennium, and Generation Z listeners will enjoy hearing current artists in this different context, but other listeners may be left reaching for their classic Muppets fare."[18] A Sputnikmusic reviewer said that "too few of the artists approach the material with the right ideas".[25] Jeremy Frye wrote that the album's potency largely depended on the nostalgia factor; "If you were to see The Green Album sitting on the counter at Starbucks and consider making an impulse buy because you love The Muppets, I’d say go for it. As tributes to significant portions of your childhood go, it could be much worse."[27]

Conversely, Cinema Blend's Joseph Giannone favorably compared the album to The Muppet Show saying that, "Like the original program, The Green Album is an eclectic, smart and eccentric journey through each guest appearance's effort."[21] Consequence of Sound wrote that; "All that's "green" isn’t necessarily gold here, but most of it shines. "[22] Elizabeth Keenan of MTV Geek!, commented that, "The album fits well in the grand tradition of the Muppets' connections with real-world pop culture."[28] Alistair McGeorge described the album in her Female First review as "good for a nostalgic listen, the songs have a surprising amount of strength in this setting, and it's a good collection in its own right."[29] Doug Wortel awarded the album an 8 out of 10, while positively remarking that, "The wonderful thing about The Green Album that sets it apart from those other records, besides the source material, is nearly every performer on this album sounds like they’re having a ball, which is exactly what any Jim Henson fan would want from a record like this."[30]

In regards to the album's roster of artists, Sara Baumberger wrote that the selected songs were paired effectively well.[31] Spin's Mikael Wood praised Andrew Bird's rendition of "Bein' Green" remarking, "Andrew Bird sidesteps the precious self-pity you'd expect from "Bein' Green": His Kermit gets the clever-to-cuddly ratio just right."[24] Web Behrens of Time Out Chicago spoke highly of OK Go's cover; "Layering in everything from electronica to a perfectly quirky "Flight of the Bumblebees" sample, the homegrown band knows just how to push the envelope. We loved it even before we saw the video, which is sure to be another viral hit for Kulash and Company, taking their trippy cover to an even higher level."[32] Peter Chianca of Wicked Local, wrote in regards to Weezer and Hayley Williams' cover; "complete with twittering swamp sounds, approximates the wistfulness that the late Jim Henson brought to the original." Chianca also noted that, "Alkaline Trio’s punky take on "Movin' Right Along" is the album’s standout, riffing playfully on the Kermit-and-Fozzie banter."[33] John Terauds of the Toronto Star commended the album as a whole, highlighting that, "The finest treats come from two of the gentlest and most memorable melodies brought to us by Kermit the Frog: "Rainbow Connection", where Hayley Williams of Paramore sweetly recaptures the original's innocent wonder and longing, boosted by Weezer's pastel-swampy backdrop; and Andrew Bird's clean, frank delivery of "Bein' Green"."[26]

Charts

Charts (2011) Peak
position[34]
Canadian Albums Chart 14
U.S. Billboard 200 8
U.S. Billboard Alternative Albums 1
U.S. Billboard Digital Albums 5
U.S. Billboard Kids Albums 1
U.S. Billboard Rock Albums 1
U.S. Billboard Tastemakers Albums 11

Personnel

"Muppet Show Theme Song"

"Rainbow Connection"

  • Allison Allport – harp
  • Blake Mills – guitar
  • Brian Malouf – mixing
  • Shawn Everett – recording
  • Jake Sinclair – recording

"Mahna Mahna"

  • The Fray – production
  • Warren Huart – production, engineering and mixing
  • Mark Gray – assistant engineer
  • Robin Holden – mixing assistant

"Movin' Right Along"

  • Matt Allison – production, mixing

"Our World"

  • Yin Yames – production
  • Kevin Ratterman – mixing

"Halfway Down the Stairs"

"Mr. Bassman"

"Wishing Song"

  • Pete Min – production
  • Mikel Jollett – production

"Night Life"

  • Ryan Williams – production, mixing
  • Brandon Saller – drums, vocals, keyboards, additional bass
  • Billy Martin – guitar, bass, additional vocals
  • Ashley Saller – additional vocals
  • Lindsey Martin – additional vocals
  • Dravyn Martin – additional vocals

"Bein' Green"

  • Andrew Bird – violin, vocals, guitar, production
  • Kevin O'Donnell – drums
  • Chris Scruggs – bass, lap steel guitar
  • William Tyler – guitar
  • Mark Nevers – mixing
  • Amanda Hassell – assistant

"I Hope That Something Better Comes Along"

  • Mark Weinberg – production
  • Dan Eisenberg – piano, B3
  • Aaron Tap – backing vocals

"I'm Going to Go Back There Someday"

Album credits

See also

References

  1. ↑ Schillaci, Sophie (29 June 2011). "Hayley Williams of Paramore joins 'Muppets: The Green Album'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 24 July 2012.
  2. ↑ "Walt Disney Records Presents Muppets: The Green Album". PR Newswire. 27 June 2011. Retrieved 10 August 2011.
  3. ↑ Rosenblum, Lenni (27 June 2011). "Details Revealed About 'Muppets: The Green Album'". Phonenix NewTimes. Retrieved 11 August 2011.
  4. 1 2 "OK Go's 'Muppet Show Theme Song' Music Video". August 23, 2011. Retrieved September 4, 2011.
  5. ↑ Truitt, Warren. "Rock Stars Cover Classic Songs on Muppets Revisited". About.com. Retrieved 21 June 2012.
  6. ↑ Jurgensen, John (19 August 2011). "A Muppet Makeover". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 24 July 2012.
  7. ↑ "The Green Album Muppets compilation is the best album for the week of August 23, 2011". Album Art Exchange. Retrieved 24 July 2012.
  8. ↑ "Rock Albums - Week of September 10, 2011". Billboard. Retrieved 24 July 2012.
  9. ↑ "Alternative Albums - Week of September 10, 2011". Billboard. Retrieved 24 July 2012.
  10. ↑ Trust, Gary. "The Muppets Score First Billboard 200 Top 10". Billboard. Retrieved 24 July 2012.
  11. ↑ Morris, Christopher (August 31, 2011). "The Game wins rap battle on chart". Variety. Retrieved October 6, 2014.
  12. 1 2 Levy, Glen (24 August 2012). "Watch: OK Go and the Muppets Star in New Video, Internet Explodes". Time. Retrieved 24 July 2012.
  13. ↑ "OK Go Covers Muppets Theme Song". ReelzChannel. August 23, 2011. Retrieved 2011-12-17.
  14. ↑ "The Muppets Get Hip". The Daily Beast. August 24, 2011. Retrieved 2011-12-17.
  15. ↑ "16th Annual Webby Awards Nominees". Webby Awards. Retrieved 2012-04-12.
  16. ↑ Hilton, Robin (2011-08-14). "First Listen: 'Muppets: The Green Album'". NPR. Retrieved 2011-08-16.
  17. 1 2 3 "'Muppets: The Green Album' Reviews, Ratings, Credits, and More at Metacritic". Metacritic. Retrieved 2011-08-26.
  18. 1 2 Cherrie, Chrysta. Muppets: The Green Album at AllMusic. Retrieved 23 July 2012.
  19. ↑ "Reviews- Muppets: Green Album". Alternative Press. August 23, 2011. Retrieved 2012-07-23.
  20. ↑ "Muppets: The Green Album". Artistdirect. August 23, 2011. Retrieved 2012-07-24.
  21. 1 2 "Album Review: Muppets Green Album". Cinema Blend. August 30, 2011. Retrieved 2011-08-30.
  22. 1 2 "Album Review: Various Artists – Muppets: The Green Album". Consequence of Sound. August 23, 2011. Retrieved 2011-08-31.
  23. ↑ "Today's rock stars deliver solid updates to Muppets classics.". IGN. August 23, 2011. Retrieved 2011-08-31.
  24. 1 2 Wood, Mikael. "Various Artists 'Muppets: The Green Album'". SPIN. Retrieved 23 August 2011.
  25. 1 2 H, Keelan. "The Muppets- The Green Album". Sputnikmusic. Retrieved 23 July 2012.
  26. 1 2 Terauds, John. "CD Reviews: Muppet tunes marvelous; forgotten songs even better". Toronto Star. Archived from the original on 23 March 2012. Retrieved 29 August 2011.
  27. ↑ Frye, Jeremy. "CD Review: Muppets — The Green Album". Atlanta Music Guide. Retrieved 24 July 2012.
  28. ↑ Keenan, Elizabeth. "MTV Geek Review - 'The Muppets: Green Album'". MTV. Retrieved 23 July 2012.
  29. ↑ McGeorge, Alistair. "Album Review: Various Artists - Muppets: The Green Album". Female First. Retrieved 24 July 2012.
  30. ↑ "Music Review: Muppets: The Green Album". GeeksofDoom.com. August 16, 2011. Retrieved 2012-07-23.
  31. ↑ Baumberger, Sara (31 August 2011). "Muppets: The Green Album". The National. Retrieved 24 July 2012.
  32. ↑ Behrens, Web. "Muppets: The Green Album". Time Out. Time Out Chicago. Retrieved 23 July 2012.
  33. ↑ Chianca, Peter. "ALBUM REVIEW: 'Muppets: The Green Album'". GateHouse Media. Wicked Local. Retrieved 24 July 2012.
  34. ↑ "Muppets: The Green Album - Various Artists". Billboard. Retrieved 23 July 2012.
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