Christmas presents

A Christmas tradition:

If you're looking to download some good, free and legal holiday music follow this link any time between 12:01 a.m. Saturday and midnight Sunday to get your copy of "Seriously West Coast Vol. 2, Happy Holidays" from Nettwerk Music Group and The Vancouver Sun. It features Sarah McLachlan, Barenaked Ladies and plenty of other quality Can Con.

"Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," Hem
"Magic Snow Music," Christophe Beck
"God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen/We Three Kings," Barenaked Ladies & Sarah McLachlan
"A Pretty Good Year," Jacob Altemus
"Father Christmas," The Kinks
"My Favorite Things," John Coltrane
"Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)," U2
"Christmas Blues," Holly Cole
"Silent Night," Bruce Cockburn
"It Came Upon a Midnight Clear," Sixpence None the Richer

(I couldn't find a video for the Kinks, but instead stumbled across this bizarre but fun nsfw video on Father Xmas.)

Sentimentality, James Joyce said, is "unearned emotion." That's an apt description of a lot of the sappy treacle that fills the airwaves at Christmastime. But on the other hand, it's cold and dark and the end of a long year, so maybe we have earned a bit of emotion and sentiment. One of my favorite things about the holiday season is seeing even the congenitally un-sentimental let their guard down, whether it's Letterman looking almost human as he shakes Darlene Love's hand or Sonny Corleone making Santa's sleigh fly at the end of Elf.

So, OK, Christmas music guilty pleasures. What's your favorite sappy, sugary, sentimental holiday treat?

Comments

[Jesurgislac]

Threadjack: Terry Pratchett has Alzheimer's and is responding characteristically:

"I would just like to draw attention to everyone reading the above that this should be interpreted as 'I am not dead'. I will, of course, be dead at some future point, as will everybody else. For me, this maybe further off than you think - it's too soon to tell. I know it's a very human thing to say "Is there anything I can do", but in this case I would only entertain offers from very high-end experts in brain chemistry."

[Michael Bloom]

Did you ever hear the flip side of Bobby Helms' "Jingle Bell Rock?" It's called "Captain Santa Claus and his Reindeer Space Patrol," and it's one of those utterly cornball novelty tunes that percolated up in the days between Elvis and the Beatles. The story is that the sleigh is discovered to be inoperable, so the elves quickly assemble a rocket with which Santa delivers the toys. I believe they created the ignition sound effect by flushing a microphone down the studio toilet. I think it's uproarious!

[Jos]

I've never really enjoyed the whole Christmas music thing, but there are three songs that come to mind.

Unfortunately, I can't remember the name of one of the songs. And it's that song that's sappy, sugary and sentimental.

The other two have never had official music videos, but they can still be heard on Youtube. And I really hope I didn't mess up the code.

Flappie by Youp van 't Hek.

Flappie is the tragic tale of a young boy who has lost his pet rabbit during the Christmas of 1961.

Opzij, Opzij, Opzij by Herman van Veen.

Opzij, Opzij, Opzij has nothing to do with Christmas. Nothing! And yet... I can't help but think of the season when I hear. Possibly because it reminds me of people doing emergency last-minute shopping.

[Jos]

Damn. My attempt at direct linking didn't work. Because I suck.

In that case, the less elegant method:

Flappie: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_lhoe93DvQ

Opzij, Opzij, Opzij: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UDd9KD3NkBc

[Tonio]

I tear up when I hear Band Aid's "Do They Know It's Christmas." But my reaction is really a strange one in this context. It's not necessarily about the suffering of hungry people. It's more about people expressing love and caring for others who don't normally receive those things. I had the same reaction when Sean Taylor died - I didn't cry at hearing the news, but I teared up when I read the comments made by the mourners at his funeral.

[cjmr]

There's a version of Silent Night that has news broadcast on the other track. I think it's Simon and Garfunkel? (I can't get to my CDs right now to look.) The news broadcast is from the 60s.

[Darryl Pearce]

...uh, em, er...

The "Home Alone" (1 & 2) soundtrack actually has some pretty good stuff on there and a good mix of styles.

"God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman" seems so ....forlorn (but is that sentimental)?

And Mason Williams' Gift of Song is something I listen to throughout the year.

Still..., these are all old things now. But I discoverd The McDades this month.

[Vermic]

Seconding "Do They Know It's Christmas?" and adding "Carol of the Bells," but only the instrumental version, because the lyrics are lame and redundant. I don't need people singing "Ding, dong, ding, dong" when the song consists of ACTUAL bells, but thanks for the help anyway, fellas.

[Michelle]

The empty, delicious calories of sugar cookies. With frosting.

[Luke]

"I Saw Three Ships" which annoying, tedious, and repetitive, but so damned cheerful--but not the Sting version, dammnit, "Oh, Come, All Ye Faithful" as rendered by St. Paul's Cathedral Choir or in Latin by the Vienna Boys' Choir, "Heiligste Nacht" Vienna Boys' Choir, Fröhliche Weihnacht überall, Maria Wiegenlied, sweeping chunks of "The Nutcracker." I really like "Breath of Heaven" but I again reiterate my demand for a treacle free version.

[Salamanda]

The Alabama Christmas album. My mom would play it every Christmas, and now? Nostalgia trumps all.

Also, I LOVE The Muppet Christmas Carol.

Thanks for the link, Fred. BNL and Sarah? I shall be downloading this weekend.

Also, I've always liked that Performance Fleece commercial from the late 90's. (I kinda hate myself for that one, but there ya go.)

[Glenda]

2000 Miles by the Pretenders. That's about how far away my sweetie is.

Alvin and the Chipmunks Christmas album. I cringe at the thought of the movie.

[cminus]

I don't have any sappy, sugary, sentimental holiday treats. The nearest thing would be pfefferneuse, but they're not sappy.

I'm not sure how my Italian-American family decided that pfefferneuse were a more reliable indicator of Christmas than anything but second-tier bowl games, but I'm glad they did.

[Toby]

I hate Christmas, but Sufjan almost makes me want to hate it a little less.

[Luke]

that is odd, Cminus, because pfefferneuse, are, of course, German. Which means, I know it's Christmas when production gets scaled up to mass--or, more recently, the arrival of boxes on boxes at my house....

[Luke]

Contra Toby, Sufjan makes me want to hate it more. The atonal and terrible "O Holy Night" he rendered sounds like a manifestation of this:

"You know, for a religion that survived centuries of persecution under the greatest Empire in existence, and then went on to convert billions of people over the following centuries, and is so entrenched as a moral framework in America that every Presidential candidate (hell, 99% of politicians in general) has to claim to be not just a follower but a devout follower ...

... Christianity's been acting kind of needy lately. Like, "crazy girlfriend who suddenly believes you're thinking about how to pack your shit in ways she won't notice and sneak it out to the car, and so perversely thinks the way to keep you from bolting is to demand you tell her she's super pretty every hour, which, ironically, is what actually prompts you into thinking about packing your shit, even though you weren't before but now ..." needy."

[scyllacat]

If I start to feel too blue about Christmas, I just sing a couple of rounds of "I want a Hippopotamus." Probably not sentimental. I hate sentimental, really, but if I find something that I actually like, I'll come back.

Yes, it's Friday, and I'm hanging around waiting for LB.

[Ecks]

He knows what "Can Con" means <3 I had to explain it to my American gf.

[scyllacat]

Ok, what's Letterman's music guy named? He's on that keyboard, just BOUNCING. THAT makes me happy.

[Tonio]

I've been to the Great White North twice but I've never heard the term "Can Con." Is that short for "Canadian content," a term I do know?

[mmack]

It's not sugary or sappy, but one of my favorite Christmas films is A Christmas Story. I enjoyed it as a "cult favorite" well before TBS got their money hungry fingers on it and drilled it into the ground by constantly airing it on Christmas Eve. Besides using the "Fra-geee-lay, must be Italian" line every time mrs. mmack and I get anything in a box marked Fragile, as I'm older I can identify with The Old Man character as he deals with the furnace and his car, especially the "colorful" language he uses ("Now, I had heard that word at least ten times a day from my old man. He worked in profanity the way other artists might work in oils or clay. It was his true medium; a master."). If Darren McGavin's character threw wrenches and screwdrivers while swearing, that would be me.

mrs. mmack and I have our "spirit of Christmas peace" agreement. I watch White Christmas with her (her favorite Christmas movie), she watches A Christmas Story with me.

We are also looking for where we packed our copy of A Christmas Carol, the black and white version with Alastair Sim as Ebenezer Scrooge, noted skinflint.

[Froborr]

I hate Christmas and Christmas music, except for Handel's Hallelujah chorus. Oh, and the Carol of the Bells is easily the creepiest piece of music ever composed.

I admit to being fond of the somewhat subversive children's Christmas specials. The Tick, Invader Zim, and Earthworm Jim are probably the three best, with Invader Zim the grand prize winner:

Bow down
Bow down
Before the power of Santa
Or be crushed
Be crushed
By
His jolly boots of doom.

Plus it has great fun confusing Santa with the Jesus narrative, and even works a Neon Genesis Evangelion parody into the mix. What's not to love?

[Robb]

I love watching the Home Alone movies & discussing the how severe the injuries sustained would be to real people. "Well, that fall there would have, at the very least, bruised the spine and probably caused a few fractures" and "Aw no way he lives through that!" and so on.

I'll quite proud years from now when my daughter becomes the new David Sedaris by writing "Christmas with the Pendantic".

Also, I try not to miss Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas (the Henson squad at their best, if only a bit hampered by heavy doses of schmaltz) and Scrooged (with an absolutely EXCELLENT Bill Murray in a signature performance)

[Toby]

Luke,

Funny, to me it sounds like you're describing every Christian music act apart from Sufjan, Danielson, and maybe a handful of others.

[LMM]

Threadjack #2: Fred, you're going to love this one.

Children are being targeted in Nigerian witch hunts -- and it's evangelical Christianity that is to blame.

Although old tribal beliefs in witch doctors are not so deeply buried in people's memories, and although there had been indigenous Christians in Nigeria since the 19th century, it is American and Scottish Pentecostal and evangelical missionaries of the past 50 years who have shaped these fanatical beliefs.

Pastor Joe Ita is the preacher at Liberty Gospel Church in nearby Eket. 'We base our faith on the Bible, we are led by the holy spirit and we have a programme of exposing false religion and sorcery.' .... It was started by a local woman, mother-of-two Helen Ukpabio, whose luxurious house and expensive white Humvee are much admired in the city of Calabar where she now lives. Many people in this area credit the popular evangelical DVDs she produces and stars in with helping to spread the child witch belief.

[Dylan]

I must agree with the song from Invader Zim. It's the greatest Christmas song the world has ever seen.

[SV]

I guess I'm revealing how ancient I am by bringing this up, but does anyone remember the TV movie "The Homecoming"? CBS turned it into "The Waltons" TV show. (Does anyone even remember "The Waltons" at all?) The original movie had a mostly different cast, including Patricia Neal as the mother, and it wasn't the soap opera that the TV show turned out to be. Mainly it was story about celebrating Christmas during the Depression in rural Virginia, where men had to leave their families to go find work.

Another forgotten gem of a movie that takes place during the holidays is "The World of Henry Orient." It's a comedy about two 15-year-old girls who develop a crush on an avant gard composer (Henry Orient) played by Peter Sellers. It's also one of the best movies I've ever seen about friendship between girls. The climactic scenes take place over Christmas, and almost break your heart.

(PC warning - "Henry Orient" was made in 1964 and makes use of some then-current Asian stereotypes, but they are shown in the context of the girls' wild immaginations than as anything real.)

And then there's always the West Wing episode where the burial of a homeless veteran is juxtaposed with a choir in the White House singing "Little Drummer Boy." Damn, that one gets to me every time I see it.

[Josh]

"Christmas Eve on Sesame Street." Definitely. "Yeah, Merry Christmas, Mister Hooper!" "Merry Christmas, boys."

And aren't all Christmas songs of necessity sappy and schmaltzy, including Robert Earl Keen's and The Pogues'?

[BradW8]

"Thirty-Two Feet (And Eight Little Tails)"

Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen
Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen
Over the roof so high
Thirty-Two Feet And Eight Little Tails They Fly
Faster, faster, faster through the sky.

Old Saint Nick, he works so quickly
Leaving toys for girls and boys then
Up to the roof they right
Thirty-Two Feet And Eight Little Tails of white
Hurry, hurry, hurry through the night.

Oh
Lookit 'em go!
Santa laughing, "Ho, ho, ho, ho,
Ho, ho, ho, ho, ho!"

Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen,
Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen,
Over the garden wall
Thirty-Two Feet and Eight Little Tails in all
See them canter, hear old Santa call:
"Merry, Merry Christmas to you all!"

I had that on one of my kiddie records. (Remember the little yellow ones?) Mom got me the sheet music.

I also remember "Crackerjack Christmas." For years I searched for it and then they put it on the Capt. Kangaroo Christmas CD. (Who took out the sparkle and put in the cheese?)

My sister had to sing "Pablo the South American Reindeer" and "Santa's Using Zebras Now" for school.

One of my favorite podcasts is Hellbound Alleee's Mondo Diablo (http://mondodiablo.wordpress.com). Right now she has several Christmas episodes up. The latest is "A Kiddie Christmas," with the deathless tunes "Zoomah, the Santa Claus from Mars," "Santa Claus Is A Black Man" and "Lem, The Orphan Reindeer."

[Steve]

Well, I'm a sucker for Andy Williams and Russ Taff's Christmas music this time of year. I'm also a sucker for Donny Hathaway's This Christmas, Mariah Carey's All I Want For Christmas Is You, The Waitresses' Christmas Wrapping, Wham's Last Christmas, Steve Taylor's Winter Wonderland, Whitney Houston's Do You Hear What I Hear, and Run DMC's Christmas In Hollis.

I actually love Christmas music...just wish they wouldn't run it into the ground each year....and then it STOPS Dec. 25. I went looking for discounted Christmas CD's last Dec. 26 to pick up a few albums I want, and they were gone. Not only not discounted, not even on the shelves. Did somebody have to work Christmas day to pack everything up!?! (The thought of this pissed me off.)

Oh, and I'm still looking for a definitive version of O Holy Night, so if you have any recommendations...

And I hate that Chipmunk song and Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer. The 468 variations on the 12 Days of Christmas is getting really old. And another thing: "A Few of My Favorite Things" is NOT a Christmas song...so why are there so many versions being played this time of year. IT IS NOT A CHRISTMAS SONG!

Can't give a definitive list of favorite Christmas movie's, but two that I love that always get be choked up are Love Actually and Elf. Will Ferrell is so genuinely sweet in that movie. Not sentimental, just pure-hearted and sweet. (My only problem with that movie is the adoption story line.) And in Love Actually, when that little kid bolts past security in the airport to express his love to the girl he has a crush on, and his Dad is just so supportive...I just about lose it.

Oh, and Oreos dipped in white chocolate, and peanut butter sandwiches made with Ritz crackers dipped in milk chocolate.

And a train around the tree.

[Steve]

And does anyone else find the message of Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer to be revolting? Basically: handicapped guy is ridiculed, until he becomes popular and then everyone sucks up to him.

[SV]

Any song in which SANTA (!!!) ignores the problem until he needs to exploit the victim always struck me as pretty loathsome.

On the other hand, it did lead to a hilarious exchange on Cheers once, where Frazier raises the same point.

[Tonio]

Can you suggest other endings for the Rudolph story? What if the taunting drives him over the edge and turns him into Mark David Chapman or John Hinkley? What if his career mirrors that of Elvis, where fame and fortune magnify his emotional issues and he becomes a paunchy, reclusive, drug-addicted wreck? What if the fame turns him into Diana Ross, where the other reindeer must avert their eyes when he enters the stable and they must always address him as Mr. Rednose? What if Santa turns to cloning and produces and entire team of red-noses, leading to bitter resentment from Rudolph Prime?

[Luke]

The problem I have with Sufjan is that the off-kilter stuff makes him sound whiny and needy. Not demanding that I say "you're so pretty" but it's clearly neurotically twee to affect, rather than art.

[car]

Thanks for posting the link - I downloaded it, and there are some really good songs on there.

[andlorr]

My Christmas tradition- John Denver and the Muppets: A Christmas Together. Sappy? John Denver. Sugary? Muppets. SO MUCH LOVE. It makes me cry every time.

ATM, my Christmas playlist has popped up with the Pogues singing "Fairytale of New York." This is the opposite of a sappy song. Fantastic.

[Cat]

Santa Claus is actually the closest thing I recognize to an anthropomorphic deity. Well...not Santa, strictly speaking, but Father Christmas: the guy who spends the shortest, darkest day of the year tramping through the snow to bring bounty and light. He's not really fat or jolly; his joy is the kind of joy that can weather the ice and the storm and the beasts, and months of deprivation. And I believe in him the way that I understand liberal Christians believe in Jesus: no, I don't think a literal man breaks into my house and leaves gifts there; I believe that in the process of giving and celebrating, in denying the darkness by shining with our own light, we become Santa for each other.

[kgtt]

Sentimentality, James Joyce said, is "unearned emotion." That's an apt description of a lot of the sappy treacle that fills the airwaves at Christmastime. But on the other hand, it's cold and dark and the end of a long year
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[kgtt]

Sentimentality, James Joyce said, is "unearned emotion." That's an apt description of a lot of the sappy treacle that fills the airwaves at Christmastime. But on the other hand, it's cold and dark and the end of a long year
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