This is a rockin’ selection of hysterically funny covers of the immortal tunes from those educational animated shorts that used to give ABC’s Saturday morning cartoons such a distinct identity. ABC tries to brand itself with an incredibly annoying series of banana-yellow graphics these days, but that will never even approach the popularity or instant recognition factor that ABC had with the Schoolhouse Rocks cartoons. Schoolhouse Rocks officially ascends to the status of cultural icon with this cover album, featuring a series of often faithful (and occasionally way-the-hell-out-there) covers performed by alt-rock and rap artists. The original Schoolhouse Rocks theme opens the proceedings, and Deluxx Folk Implosion promptly crashes the party with a very good copy of “I’m Just A Bill”, adding the modern touch of vocals dripping with thick, syrupy sarcasm. It’s hard to bang one’s head and laugh out loud at the same time, but this is a good song with which to try. Other standouts include a very good homage to “Electricity, Electricity” by all-girl band Goodness, and Ween’s very accurate rendition of “The Shot Heard ‘Round The World”. The more rap-oriented 
covers, Biz Markie’s “Energy Blues” cover and Skee-Lo’s version of “The Tale of Mr. Morton”, weren’t really to my tastes, but I could actually see the wisdom of trying to introduce them to a new generation with a new idiom. And really, Biz Markie did pretty good with his tribute. I highly recommend this easy-to-find album for those in the mood for a nostalgic belly laugh!
- Schoolhouse Rocky – Bob Dorough and friends (0:14)
- I’m Just A Bill – Deluxx Folk Implosion (3:26)
- Three Is A Magic Number – Blind Melon (3:14)
- Conjunction Junction – Better Than Ezra (3:44)
- Electricity, Electricity – Goodness (3:22)
- No More Kings – Pavement (4:23)
- The Shot Heard ‘Round The World – Ween (3:09)
- My Hero, Zero – Lemonheads (3:05)
- The Energy Blues – Biz Markie (3:10)
- Little Twelvetoes – Chavez (3:51)
- Verb: That’s What’s Happening – Moby (4:29)
- Interplanet Janet – Man Or Astro-Man? (2:47)
- Lolly, Lolly, Lolly, Get Your Adverbs Here – Buffalo Tom (2:14)
- Unpack Your Adjectives – Daniel Johnston (3:06)
- The Tale of Mr. Morton – Skee-Lo (4:05)
Released by: Atlantic
Release date: 1996
Total running time: 48:29
