Mix Tape of the Day: May 16, 2015 - A Tribute to Jim Henson: The Movies

For those of you who've followed my blogging antics over the past four years, you'll know that I am a huge fan of Jim Henson.  So today, I wanted to honor this great artist by featuring my favorite songs from the movies that he personally worked on.  I'll be saving songs from his shows for a later day.

1. Rainbow Connection - The Muppet Movie (1979) The first movie starts things off beautifully with one of the most magical moments ever recorded.

2. Movin' Right Along - The Muppet Movie (1979) I debated between Kermit's duet with Fozzie and Kermit's duet with Rowlf (which is essentially Henson singing with himself) both are great, but I feel "Movin' Right Along" is more iconic.

3. The Magic Store - The Muppet Movie (1979) The finale song is a bit all over the place musically (it's more like a series of musical vignettes), but it ends with that wonderful moment that brings all of Henson's puppeteers and characters (up to 1979) together.

4. Hey, A Movie! - The Great Muppet Caper (1981) I love this self-aware opening song for the second Muppet movie.  It sets the tone for my favorite Henson movie ever.

5. Happiness Hotel - The Great Muppet Caper (1981) Since Caper focused mostly on Kermit, Piggy, Fozzie, and Gonzo, all of the other characters were all crammed into the Happiness Hotel set piece.  They didn't have much to do, but they sure had fun doing it.

6. The First Time It Happens - The Great Muppet Caper (1981) I had to include one Kermit/Piggy love song.  I've already featured my favorite one ("He'll Make Me Happy") before, but this one is probably better technically.

7. Overture - The Dark Crystal (1982) After two Muppet movies, Henson presented a stark departure from is usual form.  This serious, fantasy film has a quite different tone and no real "songs" (but a lot of chanting).  I chose the overture since it plays the surreal themes that pop up throughout this oddity of a film.

8. Together Again - The Muppets Take Manhattan (1984) After three years with no Muppets (shows or movies) the third Muppet movie started with a welcome back song.  The film as a whole isn't my favorite, but the songs are on point.

9. Saying Goodbye - The Muppets Take Manhattan (1984) For example, not only does it have a great "hello" song, it has a devastating "goodbye" song!

10. I'm Gonna Always Love You - The Muppets Take Manhattan (1984) But the best song has to be the introduction to the Muppet Babies in Miss Piggy's flashback/fantasy sequence.  The only Muppet song where "poo poo" is part of the chorus.

11. I'm So Blue - Follow That Bird (1985) Hey, it's the first Sesame Street movie!  A great film for kids that hits them hard with the saddest song ever sung in a piece of entertainment made for toddlers.

12. Magic Dance - Labyrinth (1986) We need a pick me up after that one.  It's really better to discover this song within the context of the film, so only listen to it if you've seen Labyrinth. Otherwise, go see Labyrinth.

13. I'm Going to Go Back There Someday - The Muppet Movie (1979) After years of soul searching, I've determined that Gonzo his my favorite Muppet.  And it's this song that solidified that choice.  When I was a kid, I found it boring.  Now I find it to be majestic, deep, and emotional.

Mix Tape of the Day: May 12, 2015 - Queen!

Have I really not done a Queen mix yet?!  I am very ashamed.

1. Killer Queen - Queen (1974)

2. Bohemian Rhapsody - Queen (1975)

3. Somebody to Love - Queen (1976)

4. Bicycle Race - Queen (1978)

5. Fat Bottomed Girls - Queen (1978)

6. Don't Stop Me Now - Queen (1978)

7. Crazy Little Thing Called Love - Queen (1979)

8. Another One Bites the Dust - Queen (1980)

9. Flash - Queen (1980)

10. Under Pressure - Queen & David Bowie (1981)

11. I Want to Break Free - Queen (1984)

12. I Want It All - Queen (1989)

13. Ringtone - "Weird Al" Yankovic (2009)

Mix Tape of the Day: February 16, 2015 - President's Day

One of the best things about living in America is that the songs about our leaders can range from honorable and patriotic to scathing and offensive.  And so, here are my favorite songs about our past 44 presidents.

1. Presidents' Song - The Simpsons (1993) We begin with a look at our lesser known presidents, courtesy of the children of Springfield Elementary.

2. George Washington - Brad Neely (2009) Brad Neely delivers an accurate tribute to our first president.

3. James K. Polk - They Might Be Giants (1996) Need a quick history lesson on our rarely discussed 11th president?  They Might Be Giants have got you covered.

4. Gay Bar - Electric Six (2003) This may not be specifically a presidential song, but thanks to the video, it will forever be tied to our best commander-in-chief.

5. Abe Lincoln - Bishop Allen (2006) Here's a more "dignified" look at Lincoln.  Bishop Allen compares him to other political figures taken down in their prime.  (And there is a little crass jab at Reagan as well.)

6. The Ballad of Czolgosz - Assassins (1990) Speaking of, Stephen Sondheim created a musical dedicated to famous assassins and attempted-assassins.  Here is Czolgosz's number, as he prepares to assassinate McKinley.

7. He Was a Friend of Mine - The Byrds (1965) Lastly, here's a more somber and dignified look at the assassination of JFK shortly after his death.

8. Young Americans - David Bowie (1975) David Bowie takes his digs at Nixon after a visit to the U.S. left him less than optimistic.

9. Whip It - Devo (1980) Apparently, this song is intended to be a Jimmy Carter rally song, encouraging the president to fix the country's problems.  With a whip.

10. President Reagan's Birthday Present - The Jazz Butcher (1985) Like Nixon before him, Reagan was a very unpopular president among artists.  Therefore, we get some funky numbers that sound really fun before you remember that they are born out of a disaffected American nation.

11. The President - Robyn Hitchcock and the Egyptians (1986) Sorry for including another Reagan song, but the man seemed to inspire a lot of music.

12. Imagine This - Wax Audio and George W. Bush (2005) Bush, Jr. had the unfortunate position of being president just as the media sensation of the Internet was gaining strength.  That means we were able to experiences remixes and auto-tunes the likes of which no previous president in history had ever seen.

13. Lump - The Presidents of the United States of America (1995) Remember when all the surviving presidents of the U.S. formed a band?  They produced some pretty awesome music.  Sure, I know you like "Peaches," but "Lump" is my jam.

Mix Tape of the Day: January 8, 2015 - Major Tom's Journey

It's David Bowie's birthday.  I'll admit, while I'm a Bowie fan, I'm more impressed with his style and influence rather than most of his actual work.  In fact, his creation of the Major Tom character is my favorite work of his, because it created a saga for other musicians to continue to explore.  Please don't be upset that about 50% of this mix features other artists.  Just remember that without Bowie, none of this would have existed.

1. Space Oddity - David Bowie (1969) This is the one that started off Bowie's space drama.  A lost astronaut who is disconnected from the home he left behind in more ways than one.  This is what captured the imaginations of all who listened to it, especially during the era of the first moon landing.  Space was the coolest.

2. Rocket Man - Elton John (1972) Although it wasn't directly influenced by "Space Oddity," Elton John's "Rocket Man" shares more than enough similarities with the original song that many consider them part of the same whole.  I can't help it if I also think of Major Tom during this song.

3. Starman - David Bowie (1972) Continuing with the space theme, Bowie explored some other characters and areas of our galaxy, including this extraterrestrial who wants to promote peace and dancing!

4. Life on Mars? - David Bowie (1973) I almost didn't include this one.  But after listening to it three times in a row, I felt I finally understood it.  It is an epic, grand ode to love and introspection and...space, of course.  Right?  It's beautiful.  (And I like how it was written as a parody of Sinatra's "My Way.")

5. Heroes - David Bowie (1977) It's songs like this that made me wish I understood musicians and poetry better.  I can't put into words why it's supposed to be great, but I do know it is.  Maybe Major Tom is singing it to his wife?  Maybe?

6. The Man Who Sold the World - Nirvana (1993) I went to two annual "song character parties."  The first year, I went as Major Tom.  The second year, I went as the man who sold the world.  Yes, I was introduced to the song through Nirvana, and even Bowie admits that Cobain did a great job with it, although it gets annoying when he gets no credit for writing it.

7. Ashes to Ashes - David Bowie (1980) This is second specific Major Tom song that Bowie uses as more of an autobiographical piece.  It shows just how much Tom is suffering.  Not just due to his circumstances, but due to his own past actions.

8. Mrs. Major Tom - Sheryl Crow (2011) Don't worry, I'm not actually including William Shatner.  But he also had a similar idea of compiling and covering space-related songs for a Major Tom album.  And Sheryl Crow lends her voice to a beautiful cover of this K.I.A. song that shows us the story from the perspective of Major Tom's wife back at home.

9. Modern Love - David Bowie (1983) After listening to Mrs. Major Tom share her thoughts, I just needed a good ol' Bowie love song.

10. Empty Glass - Tea Party (2004) But despite the strength of love, those of us back at home are losing faith, waiting for an answer from Major Tom.

11. Hallo Spaceboy (Pet Shop Boys remix) - David Bowie and the Pet Shop Boys (1996) The third official entry in the Major Tom saga, things start to get...funky.  Being lost in space for years can do a number on you.

12. Major Tom (I'm Coming Home) - Peter Schilling (1983) I just love how bleak the Major Tom story originally was and Peter Schilling decided, "Nuts to that! Major Tom gets a happy ending!" It's so uplifting!  (At the aforementioned song party where I came as Major Tom, we also had our songs on the party playlist.  I entered the party with "Space Oddity" and left hours later when this one came on.)

13. Dancing in the Street - David Bowie and Mick Jagger (1985) Major Tom is home safe and sound! And thanks to the Starman who taught us all how to boogie, we can properly celebrate!