As if I wasn’t already excited enough about The Muppets, opening in theaters everywhere next week, I just received an advance copy of the movie soundtrack (releasing on Monday, Nov. 21, two days before the film), and after one listen, I’m wearing a smile as big as Fozzie Bear’s.
Jam-packed with 30 tracks – 15 songs and 15 brief bits of dialogue from the film – this disc’s a winner start to finish. Highlights include the dance-sequence opener (which reprises as a finale) “Life’s a Happy Song,” featuring co-stars Jason Segal, Amy Adams, and new Muppet Walter; “Me Party,” a sublime disco duet between Adams and Missy Piggy; “Let’s Talk About Me,” a hilarious rap with Chris Cooper, who plays the villain (yes, Chris Cooper doing the hip-hop thang!); “Man or Muppet,” a snicker-worthy duet with Segal and Walter; and “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” not with Nirvana but with The Muppet Barbershop Quartet. Shear genius! Many of the new numbers were co-written by music supervisor Bret McKenzie from Flight of the Conchords.
A few old familiars show up, including “The Muppet Show Theme,” “Rainbow Connection,” and “Mah Na Mah Na,” plus a handful from “real” musicians – Paul Simon’s “Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard,” Starship’s “We Built This City,” and Andrew Bird’s “Whistling Caruso.”
If you can’t wait till next Wednesday when the movie opens, get a two-day head start on all the fun when the album releases next Monday. It’ll be a great way to start off your Thanksgiving week.
Here’s a little preview of “Life’s a Happy Song” from the upcoming film:
