Thursday, January 26, 2012

The Muppets & Various Artists / Kermit Unpigged (1994)

In the 90s, it seems that practically everybody was invited to MTV Unplugged, even Aerosmith. So why not the Muppets? I'd have rather watched the Muppets than Aerosmith, but to my knowledge they were never extended an offer. So in 1994, the people at Jim Henson Records took matters into their own hands and released this little gem. Part exploitation, part rollicking fun, Kermit Unpigged is an album that's equally good for children or adults, who are basically grown up children anyway.

Each track is a duet done by one or more Muppets and the various artists they meet while wandering the halls of a recording studio. I love the selections. Vince Gill playing the Lovin Spoonful's "Daydream" or Jimmy Buffett singing the Byrds' "Hey Mr. Spaceman" are lost nuggets that are not to be missed. Conversations between Gonzo and Buffett in "Hey Mr. Spaceman" seem to put to rest the notion that Gonzo is not of this Earth, although he does indicate, repeatedly, that he has had contact with spacecraft or extraterrestrials many times in the past.  I guess that's not really surprising.

Later on, Miss Piggy, while searching for Kermit (who is having a rendezvous with Linda Ronstadt), walks in on Ozzy Osbourne who asks her to sit in on "Born to be Wild." After the rocking arrangement draws to a close, Ozzy passes out and Miss Piggy continues her search. Don Henley makes an appearance, singing "Bein' Green" with Kermit. The result is a touching little ballad that wouldn't be out of place next to "Desperado." George Benson also shows up, and sings "Up On Broadway" with Clifford and the Rhythm Rats, gratifying listeners midway with a short but bluesy guitar solo. The banter and storyline between tracks is as good as the music, and the album has the feel of watching a skit from the Muppet Show. Things wrap up by everyone singing "All Together Now" with Harry Smith. When I first saw the track listing, this made me do a wild double take. But no, it's not the brilliant Harry Everett Smith. It's the plain old Harry Smith of CBS news. Different guy.

Sadly, Jim Henson Records chose BMG as the distributor, who failed to promote the album. Despite favorable reviews from critics, it ended up a commercial failure and is now out of print. Seriously, what were the executives at JHR thinking, hadn't they ever been ripped off by BMG before? 

To learn more about the "real" Harry Smith, click here for Harry Everett Smith Archives.
To learn more about the guy from CBS news, click here for his page in the Muppet Wiki.

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