The Muppet Show The 25th Anniversary Collection

What's not to like about the Muppets?  Well, for the past 25 years, people have been enjoying the relationship dynamics between a particular frog and pig - and livestock has never looked the same.  After a few television shows and films, it's about time a compilation was released to celebrate the it all.  Although a multiple-disc box set would still not do justice to the sheer volume of music and songs generated by the Muppets over the past 25 years, Rhino Records has managed to weed out some of the best from the archives.

From the 1977 television show "The Muppet Show", we have the main theme, which everyone knows and loves.  (It's a slightly different version than the one I remember from the show, but hey -it's still good stuff.)  We then get a few selected moments from the show, including the classics "Mahna Mahna", "Bein' Green" and "Happy Feet".  From there, we venture on to the big screen with a few songs from The Muppet Movie.  Everyone will delight in the selections here, even though it's not complete (hey - it's a compilation, not an anthology).

Following that come songs from The Great Muppet Caper and The Muppets Take Manhattan (including the ever-adorable Muppet Babies moment, "I'm Gonna Always Love You").  After some brief moments from A Muppet Christmas Carol and Muppet Treasure Island, we get "I'm Going To Go Back There Someday" from Muppets from Space - not the original version.  Still, it seems to bring it all full circle.

Many of the tracks are bridged by intermediary moments between cast members, including the ever-cynical Statler and Waldorf, who end the album on a very humorous note.  Toss in a 20-page full color booklet, filled with informative liner notes and a history of The Muppets, and this is an album that you can't afford to pass up - especially if you grew up in that era.  (Now if only they would release an all-encompassing box set...)