DVD Review
Sesame Street Old School, Volume 2: 1974-1979
2007 reissue
I wish I had enjoyed this more, seeing that this is the era that I grew up watching the show, but it just wasn’t as good as the previous volume covering the years 1969-73. The compilers continue the practice of including the full episodes of each season’s premiere, and while the programs each contain a few classic segments, none of the full programs are that memorable. I would’ve preferred the inclusion of the 5-show weeklong broadcasts involving the cast’s trip to an American Indian reservation, or the programs covering their Hawaiian vacation that occurred during this period.
The only full-length show of real interest here in the 1969 test pilot shown to children to gauge their reaction to the show before its official broadcast. (The result was that kids were bored with the ”street segments” without the Muppets, so Big Bird and Oscar were added.) The very unvarnished proceedings include an Ernie who changes his voice halfway through the show, two performances by a young, before-they-were-stars Luther Vandross, and the “jazzy triangle” segment. It’s fun watching the Muppeteers’ puppeteering skills improve as the shows progress, with the best example being how Frank Oz negotiates Grover’s turns and twirls in the “Grover Disco” segment (see below).
The real treasure chest here is the 57 bonus segments included that were produced during 1974-79 but not included in any of the full-length programs. They include the Twiddlebugs’ attempt to hang a George Washington postage stamp, the rolling red ball whirling through a wire contraption to teach 3, a mix of the animated pinball number counting segments, and these:
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“Bumble Ardy”: Why they relegated this classic animated collaboration of Maurice Sendak and Jim Henson to “Easter egg” status (click right on Oscar on Disc 1, hit Enter) is beyond me. You could never get this tale of “9 groovy swine” who party like it’s 1999 on kids’ TV today, not with that one porker passed out on the floor with a wine glass on his snout.
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“Subway”: Fantastic snarky Muppets song with lyrics like “There isn’t any room in this town/We put all of the trains down under the ground” and ” If you’re in a hurry take the express/It’ll go right by your local address”. Probably accurately reflects how most NYC residents felt about the city during the period covered.
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“Paul Simon: Me and Julio”: Paul Simon performs his hit “Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard” with a little girl who improvises her own song alongside Simon’s. No truth to the rumor that she grew up to be Erykah Badu.
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“Yo-Yo Man”: Easter egg on Disc 3 (click right on Guy Smiley, hit Enter) is a Yellow Submarine-like trippy tale of a boy who gets lost in a surrealistic landscape and gets help from a man who appears from inside a yo-yo string. It’s indescribable beyond that. If you grew up watching this, you know what I’m talking about.
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“It Feels Good When You Sing a Song”: David and Olivia bump butts to an ode about what to do after a crappy day at work or school.
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“Ray Charles: I Got a Song”: Bert attempts to be hip and jazzy.
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“Grover Disco: Alphabet Song”: This Saturday Night Fever spoof with Grover as Travolta should’ve been a lot funnier, but whoever arranged the “Alphabet Song” to sound like Chic deserves high praise.
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“Llama at Dentist Song”: I swear, I don’t remember this, so I can’t trace my liking of llamas here. Look quickly for a retro Bankamericard sign in the veterinarian’s office. Is it legal to tramp your llama down Manhattan streets?
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“My Favorite Number is 6″: I’ll take Bert’s ode to nonconformity over Kermit’s “Bein’ Green” anyday, it’s bouncier. I now realize Bert was so cool because he didn’t care what anybody thought about his pursuit of pigeons and bottlecap collecting. Ernie showed his lust for life through his vivacious spirit, Bert had a quieter calling. I’ll hum lyrics like “When someone says ‘Bert, pick a number’/I always pick the one nobody picks” whenever I feel like an oddball and immediately feel better. Jim Henson gives a top-notch performance as Ernie – look for his background mannerisms and running critique of Bert’s dullness.
Ernie: I hate to break this to you, Bert, but 6 isn’t anybody’s favorite number.
Bert: It’s my favorite number, Ernie.
Damn right.
Grade: B+
