Life's a piece of pie with someone to wash and someone to dry....

Earworms of the Week

I'm not going to lie to you: it's pretty much been all about the Muppets this week.  It's a great film, but I downloaded the soundtrack on a whim and it's pretty much been that and nothing else ever since.  It's surprisingly good running music too.  Yes, I do turn 38 next week, since you ask.

"Don’t Stop Believing" – Glee version

Look, I can't help it if this is the song that they're playing over the PA as I walk past reception, can I?  Eh?  Eh?  I'm not massively gone on the original version, nevermind this version by Satan and his minions.

"Human Again" - Young Knives

Yeah, so I know I'm like a stuck record when I talk about the Young Knives, but I do think they're incredibly under-rated, and I do reckon they've been getting better and better.  Blah, blah, blah.  There's not enough tweed-clad rock from the East Midlands, so we should cherish what we have.

"Master of Puppets" - Metallica

So, there I was, standing in the middle of the crisps aisle in my local supermarket.  I had more or less decided that it was going to be Wheat Crunchies for my lunches this week, when I detected a very familiar sound.... yes.... it was definitely Metallica.  There it was, clear as a bell: Master!  Master!  I looked up to see where it was coming from.  Ah.  It was leaking from the in-ear headphones of someone about 30m away from me down the aisle.  Look, I'm not a doctor, but I have a feeling that this guy either has, or very shortly will have, problems with his hearing.  Mark my words.  Great choice of song though, eh?  What a way to go.

Theme tune to "Frasier"

I don't know about you, but I welcome the fact that Friends and Frasier are almost always on the telly.  The quality of both series is generally so good that it means there's basically always something on you can watch.... as I reflected as I ill-advisedly sat through a screening of Troy the other day.  Dearie me, that's a bad film.  Brad Pitt really is a blunt-faced mid-western prole, isn't he?  Just like the Achilles Homer imagined.

"Smells Like Teen Spirit" - Nirvana

I'm desperately fighting the urge to declare that the Muppet barbershop quartet version of this isn't the definitive version.  Look, the original just doesn't have Beaker on vocals, does it?  I'm just saying.

“Turn, Turn, Turn” – The Byrds

I don't think I even own a copy of this song, and yet there it was, sat proudly in my head all day on Monday.  Go figure.

“We Built This City” – Starship

From the Muppet soundtrack, but an absolute cast-iron MOR classic nonetheless.  Brilliant record.  There's not enough quality late 70s/early 80s in the world.  If there was, the world would surely be a whole lot nicer a place.  No?  No?

“What Goes On” – Velvet Underground

It still seems amazing that a band this good could have sold so few records when they were actually still together.  This album as a whole is one of the best that I own, and although "Pale Blue Eyes" and "Jesus" are probably my favourite songs on it, this is an absolutely corking track.  Still, it's as true today as it was then that sales are often no way - and certainly not the only way - to benchmark artistic success.  Just look at the charts.

“Life’s a Happy Song” – the Muppets

So, "Man or Muppet" is a brilliant song and fully deserved the Oscar that it won Bret from Flight of the Conchords (and boy, can you tell the 4 songs that he wrote on the soundtrack... there's a certain air of, well, Flight of the Conchords about them).  I also absolutely adore the very idea of serious actor Chris Cooper doing a rap about how rich he is (and how he gold-plated his cat.  He don't regret much, but he does regret that.  Poor Twinkles).... but my favourite song on the Muppet Soundtrack - bar none - is this one.  It's just so....so.... perky and optimistic and happy and all those other things that make it like absolutely nothing else in my entire record collection.  It's been confirmed that they're going to make a sequel to the film, and I have to say that I'm so pleased.  They could easily stuff it up, of course..... but Jason Segel and the others did such a beautiful job of bringing them back that I just hope they can do it again.  The Muppets are amazing.  I loved them as a child; I loved them for "Muppet Christmas Carol" when I was a student; I love them now.  They're innocent and yet oddly sophisticated all at the same time.  It's my new favourite album for sure and I'm off to see the film again at the weekend.  Go on, you know you want to.... Who's your favourite?  I reckon I'm a Beaker man.  Or maybe Swedish Chef.  Hmm.  Tough call.

Have a good weekend, y'all.