'Tis the season

At the risk of offending the sensibilities of Anglicans and any others who wait until the actual 12 days of Christmas to break out the carols, I happen to love Christmas music, so December 7 doesn't seem too early for me. (Yeah, OK, I'm sappy like that.) We'll get back to the alphabet game next month.

"Fairytale of New York," The Pogues
"Happy Christmas (War Is Over)," John Lennon
"Peace at Last," Hem
"2000 Miles," The Pretenders
"Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," Sarah McLachlan
"Blue Christmas," Bright Eyes
"Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer," Jack Johnson
"Please Come Home for Christmas," Jon Bon Jovi
"'Round Christmas Time," Ticklepenny Corner
"Angels We Have Heard on High," Carolyn Arends/Stephen Murray/Jenny Gullen

At least half of those songs are about second chances, about getting by with Plan B now that Plan A has been shot all to Hell. That's appropriate since, after all, that's the whole point.

Recipe for a Christmas song: one part regret/sorrow, one part slender hope, add a dash of cold weather. (Since we're not playing the alphabet game here, how about this: What are some of your favorite songs that follow that recipe?)

Comments

[Mark]

Again, your lack of any Sufjan Stevens makes me wonder if your eardrums were raptured as a child.

From his Christmas EPs:

Silent Night
O Come, O Come Emmanuel
We're Going To The Country!
Lo How A Rose E'er Blooming
It's Christmas! Let's Be Glad!
Holy, Holy, Etc.
Amazing Grace
Angels We Have Heard On High
Put The Lights On The Tree
Come Thou Fount Of Every Blessing
I Saw Three Ships
Only At Christmas Time
Once In David's Royal City
Hark! The Herald Angels Sing!
What Child Is This Anyway?
Bring A Torch, Jeanette, Isabella
O Come, O Come Emmanuel
Come on! Let's Boogey to the Elf D…
We Three Kings
O Holy Night
That Was the Worst Christmas Ever!
Ding! Dong!
All the King's Horns
The Friendly Beasts
The Little Drummer Boy
Away In A Manger
Hey Guys! It's Christmas Time!
The First Noel
Did I Make You Cry On Christmas?…
The Incarnation
Joy To The World
Once In Royal David's City
Get Behind Me, Santa!
Jingle Bells
Christmas In July
Lo! How A Rose E'er Blooming
Jupiter Winter
Sister Winter
O Come, O Come Emmanuel
Star Of Wonder
Holy, Holy, Holy
The Winter Solstice

And then there's a whole bunch of other stuff I can't be bothered to copy and paste, most notably though;

I believe in Father Christmas - Six by Seven
Just like Christmas - Low
O Come O Come Emmanuel - Belle and Sebastien

[Carl]

December 6 is St. Nicholas' Feast Day for the Greek Orthodox. It's the day they celebrate the fact that the real Santa Claus once punched a dude in the face at a conference for bishops for not believing that Jesus is God!

Also, he apparently was pretty good at giving presents.

[cjmr]

I have close to 50 CDs of Advent Christmas music, none of which is in iTunes. I generally listen to the Advent heavy and instrumental only ones during Advent and the vocals during the 12 days of Christmas. A few Advent-y ones I really like:

"Of the Father's Love Begotten" -- Windham Hill's Winter Solstice 3 has a beautiful recording of this played by solo cello

"Lo, How A Rose E'er Blooming" -- my favorite recording of this is a flute/oboe duet, I don't remember which album it's on.

"O Come, O Come, Emmanuel" -- I have so many recordings of this, it's hard to decide which one is my favorite.

Favorite whole album is Chris Rice's the Living Room Sessions: Christmas. It reminds me of Christmas shopping when I was a kid, when Hudson's department store would have a pianist performing near the escalators instead of piping in Musak.

[Stacia]

My favorite Christmas song that fits the formula is the original version of "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas", the one that's in the context of the movie ("Meet Me In St Louis"). Judy's singing it to her little sister who's sad that the family is moving, and after the song ends, the little girl breaks down and runs out into the cold night and destroys some snowmen in hysterics. It's oddly moving.

My favorite Christmas song, ultimately, is "Silver Bells", but it doesn't fit the formula. Not a lot of regret or sorrow in it.

[Ray]

We should buy Fred a copy of Come On Feel The Illinoise!
Or just pester him into buying it himself.
Buy it now, Fred!
Buy it, or I'll italicise all your comments threads!

[Jill Smith]

For traditional pieces, there are many that I love, but "O Come O Come Emmanuel" is a perennial favorite - the Burns Sisters' rendition of it is my current top version.

In the 20th-century pop Christmas song category, I can't think of a song that better fits your recipe than "I'll be Home for Christmas" - especially if sung slowly, soulfully, and simply (but not sappily!) with a rather spare accompaniment.

[mike timonin]

How can you not love Come on Feel the Illinoise? It's got a song about Superman AND a song about zombies. Plus, the line "Stephen A. Douglas was the Great Debater, Abraham Lincoln was the Great Emancipator."

[MikhailBorg]

I have a lot of Trans-Siberian Orchestra and Mannheim Steamroller, with a smattering of John Lennon, Crosby / Bowie, the Muppets, Annie Lennox, and the like.

"Christmas Eve / Sarajevo 12/24" is my favorite Xmas song every year, though. It never fails to reach deep into my emotional center and yank, hard.

[wanderingoutlaw]

The only song I have on CD or on computer that might fit this is "Christmas at Denny's" by Randy Stonehill. I haven't listened to it in a year, so I don't remember if there's a sliver of hope in the song.

[MikeJ]

December 6 is St. Nicholas' Feast Day for the Greek Orthodox

For my family, December 6th means listening to David Sedaris' essay, "Six to Eight Black Men".
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AjUFl1mEpX8

text at:
http://people.cornell.edu/pages/bs16/Christmas/6_to_8_black_men.txt

[twig]

Another vote for you getting some Sufjan Stevens. He's got a Christmas album too. His version of "O Come O Come Emmanuel" is ridiculously beautiful.

And Seven Swans is a better album than Illinoise. Actually get them both. And the Christmas album.

[Tonio]

I need help updating my Christmas pop/rock collection. The newest albums I have are the first Very Special Christmas and the first Merry Axemas. I like Christmas pop/rock songs with medium to fast tempos. Can anyone recommend some new songs like this? No offense, but I don't want to hear someone like Kelly Clarkson or James Blunt do the 10,000th version of "Silent Night." Unless of course they put an entirely new spin on the song, like Marvin Gaye did with the national anthem.

My all time favorite is Christmas Baby Please Come Home by Darlene Love. She sings the song on Letterman's show each year.

[Geds]

Fred, don't give in. Don't buy any Sufjan Stevens. Just don't do it. It will corrode your soul in ways a conversation with Scott never could.

Stevens is an unsufferable little dweeb and I'm personally offended that he decided to start out his crappy "CD for every state" attention-whoring campaign in my state. If you want good music from Illinois, just find some Local H or Lovehammers.

[Grey Duck]

How can you leave off the classic Waitresses tune "Christmas Wrapping".

Also, I'm a big fan of the Jonathan Rundman version of "Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming." (If you go to his site, please, for your sake, download the demo for "Librarian")

But currently experiencing heavy play in my rotation is the Peter Mayer album Midwinter.

[balt]

Christmas Wrapping by the Waitresses seems an obvious omission.

Paul Kelly's How to Make Gravy fits your "one part regret/sorrow, one part slender hope, add a dash of cold weather" definition perfectly, except he's Australian, so it's a dash of hot weather.

[Bruce]

The song that always brings tears to my eyes is Stan Rogers' "First Christmas" (mp3 link via Songza). (Video link to cover version).

I am also a big fan of "Christmas Rapping", and at least once during the season, I need to hear Bruce Springsteen singing "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town."

[twig]

Stevens is an unsufferable little dweeb and I'm personally offended that he decided to start out his crappy "CD for every state" attention-whoring campaign in my state.

He didn't, unless you live in Michigan.

[Ray]

Maybe he used to live in Michigan, but was driven from the state for his crimes against correct thought, and quite right too.

[McJulie]

It's vinyl only but this Pedro the Lion version of "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" knocked my socks off when I heard it last year. Also, I am not going to pay 48 bucks for it, but "Sometimes you have to Work on Christmas" by Harvey Danger ought to become a holiday classic.

"Fairytale of New York" is the best Christmas song ever.

[twig]

*cheers to Ray*

[Buhallin]

Pfft. With many radio stations starting 24/7 Christmas music TWO WEEKS BEFORE THANKSGIVING, December 7th seems positively restrained.

I find myself generally sick of Christmas music any more. I try not to be Scroogey about it, but having it crammed down my throat for almost two full months is generally more than I can stand.

I still love Trans-Siberian Orchestra, though...

[Mnemosyne]

Also, I am not going to pay 48 bucks for it, but "Sometimes you have to Work on Christmas" by Harvey Danger ought to become a holiday classic.

I should have known someone would beat me to it. It was also on a Christmas album that one of our local morning radio shows put out a few years ago titled "Santa's Swingin' Sack," but it doesn't even show up on eBay.

Fred introduced us all to "The Christians and the Pagans" last year, and it's one of my new favorites. I also really like Phantom Planet's version of "Winter Wonderland" from when Jason Schwartzman was still drumming for them. A cool arrangement and an oddly melancholy way of singing what is usually a happy song.

For people who want the strange and unusual, look for the "Maybe This Christmas" compilations. There are three that I know of, I don't know if a new one came out this year. It has stuff like Pedro the Lion, the Raveonettes, etc.

[scyllacat]

Ok. A. I can't just come here on "Left Behind" Fridays, my brain, it 'splodey.

B. I get "Merry Christmas, Darling" stuck in my head sometimes, and it's not so bad. Karen Carpenter understood me as a child. Sweet and tragic. (Karen, not the song.)

C. I will umpteenth everyone on "Come, Emmanuel"... I'm also in favor of "Greensleeves," "The Holly and the Ivy," "Carol of the Bells," and "I Wonder as I Wander" -- which takes the cake for melancholy in my book.

[Rusty Shackleford]

I've always liked that bombastic one by the guy from ELP (Greg Lake?). Something about believing in Father Christmas and the Israelites.

[Craig Richardson]

Another thumbs-up for Trans-Siberian Orchestra, but I'm surprised no one yet mentioned their version of "Old City Bar", which seems like it fits the sorrow/hope/weather formula perfectly...

[Hob]

"Christmas in Prison" by John Prine. Makes me weepy every damn time I hear it.

[not someone else]

Hm. I prefer the joyful ones, myself.

Good King Wenceslas, Adeste Fideles, Silver Bells, Carol of the Bells... that sort of thing.

And TSO and Jethro Tull's Ring Out, Solstice Bells. Need more solstice songs...

[Dave]

"Baby It's Cold Outside" if the above mentioned slender hope can be an erotic one. I particularly like the rendition done by Leon Redbone and Zooey Deschanel for the movie, "Elf".

"Once in Royal David's City" for the sacred element.

"Zat you, Santy Claus" by Louis Armstrong cracks me up every time.

My all time favorite though is "I'll Be Home for Christmas" done by the Mills Brothers.

[Mark]

"I've always liked that bombastic one by the guy from ELP (Greg Lake?). Something about believing in Father Christmas and the Israelites."

"I Believe in Father Christmas" by Greg Lake, though I find the Six By Seven cover version much better. It's an awesome song, if only for stealing parts of Prokofiev's "Lieutenant Kije" (Suite: IV. Troika apparently).

[Izzy]

I tend to like older songs: either the uber-mysterious minor-key stuff like "We Three Kings" and "Ideo" and "Do You Hear What I Hear" or the very very hearty variety like "Deck the Halls," "Joy to the World," and "Good King Wenceslas."

And I really wish I could find recordings of all the above with full sung lyrics--and ideally in the older style, not re-worked by Mariah Carey or the Backstreet Boys or whatever artist-of-the-hour one wants.

[Boze]

Carolyn Arends! I didn't know anyone else knew of her

Jars of Clay always has excellent Christmas music

[kodiak]

I vote for "river" by Joni Mitchell. Ok, it's not really all that christmas-y, but it's always been a really accurate reflection of how I feel in December. And there's that hopeful thought that you could skate away from your troubles and leave the world behind... does that count as a plan B?

[Comrade Rutherford]

Timbuk 3's classic "All I want for Christmas is world peace" which has the great line, "Looks to me like World War Three underneath the Christmas Tree." And who won't get kissed when standing under Missile Toes?

I was raised on Gene Autry's Christmas album...

http://www.geneautry.com/musicmovies/musiccds/rudolphtheoriginal.html

[Comrade Rutherford]

I haven't thought of that song in years, thanks Fred.

'Deck the halls with great balls of fire'

'Chestnuts roasting on the VCR'

'Please dear Santa, Mr. Santa please
Can't you make the firing cease?'

[Geds]

He didn't, unless you live in Michigan.

Wait, so Stevens has actually made more than one album in his crappy little project? Yeesh. I just kind of assumed he'd started in Illinois since I couldn't imagine actually wanting to follow through on such stupidity and I don't actually care enough about Sufjan to want to know any more than is absolutely necessary.

[LostSailor]

"Fairytale of New York" is the best Christmas song ever.

Amen. Can't listen to this one without choking up.

< return to lurk mode="on"/ >

[GailVortex]

I was raised on Gene Autry's Christmas album...

Me too, Comrade. I wonder if the grooves eventually got worn all the way through and tossed or if someone in my family still has it?

I suspect I'm the only family member who still owns a turntable, so it's possible that all the vinyl I grew up with hit the landfill a while ago.

[Comrade Rutherford]

Gail,

My mom still has the album, but our has had all the grooves worn off... She made a cassette for me, but I just couldn't listen to it, too much noise. I was so sad...

My family still has all their vinyl, as do I.

And here's a joke for everyone over 30:

How many grooves are on a record?

[daniel]

McJulie et. al - Merry xmas from Pedro the Lion (someone ripped it to mp3 just for you!), Belle & Sebastian, Low, Damien Rice, Feist, Bright Eyes...

(Yes, his God Rest Ye... is absolutely haunting. Actually, I Heard the Bells is even more so. I'll try to find it; if not, I'll upload it myself.)

[Jeff]

My all time favorite is Christmas Baby Please Come Home by Darlene Love. She sings the song on Letterman's show each year.

One of the few Xmas songs I adore. I have a perverse love of the Coventry Carol, about the Slaughter of the Innocents.

I "YouTube"ed Sufjan Stevens and no thanks. On the other hand, love the "Lovehammers". I discovered them when Marty was on Rock Star, and I like their work (although Storm Large was and is my favorite from the show).

[JayDeeJaye]

Labor of Love, by Andrew Peterson. I've been singing it every year for 3 years, and it still brings tears to my eyes.

[Geds]

On the other hand, love the "Lovehammers". I discovered them when Marty was on Rock Star

They are excellent. I didn't even know Marty had been on Rock Star until a couple months after I heard of them. It was a little weird for some reason.

Labor of Love, by Andrew Peterson. I've been singing it every year for 3 years, and it still brings tears to my eyes.

Everything off AP's Christmas CD is good. I actually like the fact that he decided to put everything in context and tell the stories. Also, "Matthew's Begats," is beyond great. An entire song just about the geneology...

[dude]

I've gotta chime in also to say Low's Christmas album is awesome...

[jamoche]

Buhallin, you and me both. I have an *excellent* memory for music, which serves me well in the choir, but is pure torture when it comes to songs that are easy to remember and overplayed - and Christmas music is both. A 5-second fragment of a catchy song that I already know is enough to stick it in my head for hours.

Luckily our choir director picks unusual music for Christmas (actually, our big liturgical event is this Saturday midnight, because we're a university choir and on Christmas itself our usual congregation is gone) - this year it's a version of "Corpus Christi Carol" and "Fecit Potentiam" from Rutter's "Magnificat". And we rehearse the carols exactly once.

[Painini]

Between the 'risk of offending sensibilities' and the recipe above, I cannot resist a shout-out for Vienna Teng's 'Atheist Christmas Carol.' I'm generally an anti-Christmas music killjoy, and not even an atheist - but oh, it is gorgeous.

[Geds]

Everclear's "I Will be Hating You for Christmas" has always amused me. But I don't think that song has a happy ending...

[Jake]

Shonen Knife's "Space Christmas", because I love you all and want you to be happy.
The entirety of the Beach Boys' ill-fated 1977 Christmas album, because I hate you all and want you to be sad.

More seriously, uh, Omega's "Kiskarácsony-nagykarácsony"? I don't keep much Christmas music around. Or even [CK]?han+uk+ah? music.

[daniel]

Pedro the Lion - I heard the bells

[cjmr]

How many grooves are on a record?

In Michael Palin's latest auto-biography, there's a bit about the Pythons discussing whether it were possible (for the B-side of one of their recordings) to put four grooves on in such a way that where the initial needle set down occurred governed which of the four alternate tracks the listener got to hear on that play of the record. He never said if it was determined to be possible or not.

[Jeff]

In Michael Palin's latest auto-biography, there's a bit about the Pythons discussing whether it were possible (for the B-side of one of their recordings) to put four grooves on in such a way that where the initial needle set down occurred governed which of the four alternate tracks the listener got to hear on that play of the record.

I seem to recall that one of the sides of one of their albums (Matching Tie and Handkerchief?) has two grooves.

A record has only one groove. If you try to groove the other side, the record will be too thin and fragile. (Too obscure?)