Muppets: The Green Album

It may sound too perfectly precious, but I'm going to go ahead and celebrate the new Muppet movie with their non-soundtrack. A collection of Muppet classics done by indy-rock's current finest (and has-beens and who?s). It's hip and sentimental, but Muppets are still awesome, no matter how you look at them.

That being said, covering awesome is not always successful.

The theme song to the show is of course kicked off first. And I'm happy that OK Go supplies their own version than a faithful cover. A crazy break beat is the bed of this classic. It's fun, and brings the rock more than any other in this collection. The Fray's "Mahna Mahna" is fun (how could it not be) but certainly brings no rock. Speaking of rock, it is inexplicable that the post-hardcore group Atreyu is represented here, as the drummer/singer Brandon Saller takes credit for the metal rendition of "Night Life".

Alkaline Trio stays in their comfort zone with their "Moving Right Along" cover and keeps the upbeat swing of the original in their pop-punk version. But again, it comes across as filler- and there's no reason to continue the film dialogue in your cover.

Two surprises are included in the middle, the first being My Morning Jacket's Emmet Otter song choice of "Our World". The perfectly represents an MMJ song and is performed with the same integrity that they would tackle their own Jim James' written tracks. That's a good cover. Similarly, if less effectively, is Amy Lee's cover of "Halfway Down the Stairs". I wouldn't say that I like this version, but I can say that it was approached as Amy wanted to approach it and the original is barely noticeable.

Sondre Lerche is a highlight, bringing a fun "Mr. Bassman" that fits his childishly playful style. Weezer, on the other hand, takes the Muppets best song and turns in the most one-note vocally indescript wastes of time of their career. Rivers Cuomo is subtly auto-tuned for whatever reason, because he's not evoking any emotion at all and neither is his duet partner, Hayley Williams.

Weezer should have taken Andrew Bird's approach, who took the other of Muppet's most-classic tracks, "Bein' Green". Some might call it too precious, but I would aruge that it would be difficult for anyone to take on this song without sounding like you're holding back tears. It's so well written, and whomever took on the violin solo here nailed it.



Similarly sentimental, but no less effective, comes Matt Nathanson, who has to this point evaded my musical knowledge, turns in a perfectly lamentful lovers' quarrel "I Hope That Something Better Comes Along" without any of the playful duet-ness of the Kermit/Rowlf original.

For the most part, like all tribute records, you'll wonder why you're not just listening to the originals. But there is plenty of inspiration of the Henson camp to make for some great listening. (3 of 5 stars)