23.12.06

Holiday Four Play!

For some reason, Christmas ups the ante for songwriters. Yeah, hits come and go, but if you write yourself a kick-ass Christmas ditty, you might find yourself immortalized along with Leroy Anderson, Tepper & Brodsky, and that *sshole who wrote the "Two Front Teeth" song.

Even churchy music never sounded so good. As a kid, I always looked forward to the time when they busted out the holiday hymnal.

Godless as I am, I still enjoy holiday music today. I'm not a big fan of the goofy, tongue-in-cheek ilk, such as "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus". For some reason they always find some windy, extroverted Broadway-type kid to belt it out as if his fledgling career depended on it. I do, however, enjoy sh*t like Vince Guaraldi's Charlie Brown Christmas soundtrack and choral arrangements like the "Carol of the Bells."

Then, there's the off-the-beaten-path classics. For instance, the works of Captain Sensible, Ze Malibu Kids, the Descendents and the Pogues.

"Who?" you ask. Well, I won't go into biographical details. I'll just let the music speak for itself.

From the maudlin to the forlorn... the farcical to the cynical, here's a selection you'll not likely hear on KRAP-FM.

Enjoy.

My Christmas Was in June mp3 Ze Malibu Kids
My Christmas Was in June mp3 "glossy" Beu Sisters version
One Christmas Catalogue mp3 Captain Sensible
Fairytale of New York mp3 The Pogues w/Kirsty MacColl
Christmas Vacation mp3 Descendents

12 comments:

Unknown said...

Festive Greetings ;)

Found my way here from Michele's

Carrie said...

Where do you find the time to find stuff like that? I have never heard of any of them except for the last. And shame on you for not liking those two classics.

Anonymous said...

Christmas music is a serious matter. One of my favorite albums is Edge of Christmas which includes Fairytale Of New York by The Pogues plus songs by The Cocteau Twins, The Payolas and Kate Bush among others. I've also grown fond of Songs for Christmas by Sufjan Stevens.

kenju said...

Older than dirt, I am, and thus I have never heard of your selections. Old standards are the best, really.

Michele sent me. Have a good Christmas.

craziequeen said...

ah, Fairytale of New York - on every self-respecting Christmas CD in the UK.....

cq
Michele sent me......

sage said...

Isn't "All I Want for Christmas is my Two Front Teeth" a song sung by hockey players?

I think Christmas brings out the best and worst in folks and that included musicians. If I never hear the two-front teeth song, along with whines about grandma being run over by a reindeer, it'll be too soon.

val said...

Great songs and topic, Prego. I just wrote a bit about music, to, with Vince Guaraldi's "A Charlie Brown Christmas" and "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" probably my two overall favorites.

Along with the other songs you mentioned, two of my favorites, both which I got to play at WBNY 91.3 FM way back in the mid-1980s, were "Christmas with the Devil" by Spinal Tap and "Another Christmas without You" by Prince.

OldLady Of The Hills said...

Here from Michele's today Prego! A Very Merry Christmas to you!

I'll take Judy Garland singing "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" and leave the rest by the wayside! (lol)

kenju said...

Mel Torme singing "Chestnuts roasting on an open fire....." is one of the best!

Michele sent me back.

Anonymous said...

Hey Prego, thanks for sharing. I only knew the Pogues tune. Always a classic! I was making my way over here when Michele told me to get my butt over RIGHT NOW and wish you a very Merry Xmas and FANTASTIC 2007! HAVE FUN!!!!

Anonymous said...

I am so tired of Christmas music. It's probably from working in retail and having to listen to the 'artists' do their remakes of christmas songs that didn't need remaking in the first place. There's a bit of a grinch in me when I listen to christmas music for that reason. I do like the more traditional music (ie: church hymns) though.
Here from Michele!

Carli N. Wendell said...

I never get tired of most xmas music--and I am a Jew! A jew here from Michele's, and a little drunk.