Holiday Music
 

Its that time of year. There is a lot of awful seasonal music out there. Maybe you don't like any of it. Maybe you love it all. In this season when Griffs relatives conspire to make him miserable, he likes to keep the home atmosphere laid back and the relentless consumerism at bay. So here we go Griffs holiday music list. I'm not gonna dig around for the album names, they'd be easy enough to figure out.

1) Aaron Neville- soulful stuff

2) Mahalia Jackson- great pipes can just plain bring it

3) Vince Guaraldi- Charlie Brown Jazz

4) Chieftans- Bells of Dublin

5) A Baroque Christmas- by Some Guy

6) Celtic Heartbeat Christmas- various artists

7) John Fahey- folkie guitarist

8) Charlie Byrd- classical guitarist

9) Jorma Kaukonen- dude from Hot Tuna guitar

10) John Denver and the Muppets

uh, i like manheim steamrollers stuff and the trans-siberian orchestra. i generally like orchestral and more subtle christmas music. i picked up some bing crosby christmas cd yesterday but havent listened to it yet. last year i listened to a celtic themed christmas cd almost exclusively. it was really good and if i find it ill post the name.

~james

Some of you might have seen the Target commercials featuring "The Christmas Song" as done by Stevie Wonder and India Arie. I've got to find that...although, nobody can beat Nat King Cole on that song. He is to that song what Bing Crosby is to "White Christmas."

The A Very Special Christmas albums are great, although I don't own any of them. You gotta love "Christmas in Hollis" by Run-DMC. I'm also fond of the Vanessa Williams version of "What Child Is This."

My parents have a ton of old shit...Mantovani, Johnny Mathis, Barbra...much of it on 8-track or vinyl.

I should go out and buy that NKOTB Xmas CD...just for shits and grins. :)

A few years ago I found a 60s LP at Hymies Used Records for a few bucks. Ramsey Lewis- The Sound of Christmas. Mr. Warch received it from santa. Its a favorite. Its instrumental, with one side really jazzy and the other more traditional piano. I'm not sure if it exists in anyother form than vinyl.

Just for a laugh-
 

"Christmas with the devil", by spinal tap. Too bad they didn't do a whole album for Christmas. I'm sure it would have been a blast.

Seriously now, I'm not here to crash the party in any case. It's all in good fun. These are a few Christmas albums I have always cherished:

Elvis, all of the Christmas stuff. And how lucky am I to be the first to say?

Wow, I can't really think of anything that could possibly top that in my mind. Even if I was drunk. Just my every day off the wall opinion.

:]

James Brown's- Slay Ride is one of my favorite alternaholiday tunes and of course, the South Park version of "O Holy Night" my kids love to sing "Jesus was born as so I get presents."

Why do you speak of Elvis in the third person?

The trick with any of this music is to not OD on it. Too much, too early, is bad. But the classic song White Christmas (its gotta be Bing Crosby), melts my cold cold heart. I'm still waiting for the snow here, but sounds like it smacked NWPA.

we listened to that just as i put the topper on our tree sunday night. it was really nice.

the crash test dummies do a rendition of 'the first noel' that i just love. dont know what cd its from, i only have the mp3. if anyone does happen to know where its from, id love to hear about it.

~james

5 degrees F with 4" of fresh powder this morning in NEPA. Drove the yutes to school since our bus was delayed. I was waiting for a quick thaw to put up my snow fence. I think my window of opportunity just froze shut. We're slowly mixing in the holiday stuff cuz yer right we don't wanna burn it out. I am gonna start working on some santa tunes on the ole mandolin.

I meant "NE", but was being dyslexic. I've always liked "God rest ye merry gentlemen" That would sound good picked with a little vibrato and/or bravado. As a kid I used to go caroling with some band friends with instruments. I loved it (even though we were horrible).

Slang is from NW PA I believe...snow on the ground up there?

Griff, I hate you. :)

I dare not say-
 

Judging from the context of your question, you might just take my answer a little too seriously. Don't think too much about it is all I can say and I surely hope you weren't offended as it certainly wasn't a "poke" at Elvis. It just happens to be my favorite, that's all, and to all a very merry heart felt cheers: ]

Elvis,
Are you REALLY everywhere?

We were born
 

born in the fifties-

Sting, with the POLICE. As much as I love crash test dummies, I don't know where you will find their unique version of the first noel. Somebody HELP!

;]

well it looks like the crash test dummies have a brand spanking new christmas album. guess ill be stopping at best buy on the way home tonight.

~james

p.s. the first noel is on it. not sure if its the version im referring to, but i bet it is.