The Fairy on the Christmas Tree

I got Fernando an alarm clock that lets you record your own wake-up sound. So I recorded a piece of this song on it.

Top Christmas Songs & Album Picks - Sale Edition

Alright, I'm going to give you some Christmas music recommendations. This post isn't that long, there's just a lot of videos in case you need to sample.

To save you money, this list is based on Canada iTunes current "Holiday Music Under $8.00". I looked in the US iTunes store and all they have is a measly list of 15 songs for 69 cents each, so I don't know in which countries this list will apply.

First, though, I found this treasure: 100 Classic Christmas Songs for $6.99. These aren't crappy covers--Bing Crosby, Bobby Darin, Doris Day, Eartha Kitt, Elvis, Gene Autrey etc. If you like 1950s Christmas songs then this is your quickest, cheapest way to build your library.

Now on to the iTunes sale...

(1) There are a lot of hits in the sale--I haven't included those in my review.

 

 

 

 

(2) There are some misses. This is just based on sampling the album on iTunes--albums that sounded unoriginal or soulless. I didn't bother sampling The Usual Suspects like Kenny G.

 

 

(3) One Hit Wonders:

Unless you're a fan of Glee, the only thing worth buying from these fine purveyors of The Whitest Music On the Planet is their "12 Days of Christmas" hit.

 

Mariah's first Christmas album doesn't sound bad, but it's just run of the mill gospel Christmas music--you're better off finding a Mahalia Jackson recording. 

 

However her "All I Want for Christmas is You" is a well known Guilty Pleasure, even for Jack Black: "This is embarrassing to admit but I kinda like this one by the girl who's a little crazy but sings a lot of notes — "All I want for Christmas is youuuu!" --- There's some good melody lines in there. Oh my god, I just lost the last few indie-cred rockers that were in my camp."

(4) Pick and Choose:

Unless you only like acoustic-rock style Christmas music, I wouldn't (and didn't) buy these entire albums. Just cherry pick.

* Bruce Cockburn: "Riu Riu Chiu," "I Saw Three Ships," "Les Anges dans nos campagnes," and "Mary Had a Baby."

* Melissa Etheridge: They're a bit of a downer, but still good -- "Ring the Bells," and a Jimi-Hendrix-esque "O Night Divine."

* Indigo Girls: A bluegrass "O Holy Night" that brings out its demanding side (Fall on your knees or else!), a touching "There's Still My Joy," and a couple originals--a jolly number called "Your Holiday Song" and a quieter "Mistletoe."

(5) Worth the plunge (but at sale prices!)

Jazzy Pick: Harry Connick Jr

I like Harry's style of jazz--1930s New Orleans, but always with his personal stamp. There's some funky dance numbers, boppy instrumentals (think Harry Met Sally soundtrack), and a cool cover of fellow New Orleanian Louis Armstrong's "Zat You Santa Claus?"

Santariffic--a song about the sexiness of Santa. (I believe this style of trombone playing is what, in the 1910s, they called "dirty!")

Classic Pick: Faith Hill

I bought a few songs from this in 2008, but bought the rest this year. A lot of artists go for a classy-classic sound, but it just ends up tinny, or emotionless, or trite. Faith Hill's album sounds simple and reverent and just pretty. It's the one to doze off by the fireside to. Oh--it also has a lovely original song "A Baby Changes Everything."

 

(I think it would be fun to sing backup on Little Drummer Boy, don't you? This choir is awesome.) This is a perfect example of what makes this album great. It starts soft, 2 minutes in it amps up, and then just before you're expecting a wailing-over-the-top-hit-every-note ending, she takes it right back down. Just as you should if singing to a baby.

Now here's a type of songcraft I like--where you take one line, repeat it throughout, and it gradually changes in meaning. And I imagine it mirrors what it really is like to have a baby--scary, hard work, your whole life changes, but also--your whole life changes!

Christmas BD Pick: Sting

BD = Before Dickens. Christmas songs that sound older than A Victorian Christmas. Sometimes he sings so slowly it sounds like someone's playing with the speed on the record--but besides this drawback, it's a dark, interesting Christmas album for your inner pagan. (This is another one that I bought a couple songs from last year, then completed this year.)

Cherry Tree Carol - This is the coolest of all Christmas songs. It's about Joseph giving Mary the shames for getting preggers by another man, and she in turn gives him the beats! Take that old man!

When Joseph was an old man, an old man was he,
He courted Virgin Mary, the Queen of Galilee.

When Joseph and Mary were walking one day,
Here is apples and cherries so fair to behold.

Then Mary spoke to Joseph so meek and so mild:
"Joseph, gather me some cherries, for I am with child."

Then Joseph flew in anger, in anger he flew:
"O let the father of the baby gather cherries for you."

Well, the cherry-tree bowed low down, bowed down to the ground,
And Mary gathered cherries while Joseph stood down.

Then Joseph took Mary all on his right knee,
Crying, "Lord, have mercy for what I have done."

When Joseph was an old man, an old man was he,
He courted Virgin Mary, the Queen of Galilee.

Pop Pick: The Hotel Café Presents Winter Songs - various artists

I take it the Hotel Café started a coffee shop known for female singer-songwriter types, so this album definitely requires you to be in touch with your Feminine Side. But you'll be glad you did. There are few throw-out songs from this, except maybe Katy Perry's dull "White Christmas." There's nice covers, nice originals, and my fave: "Winter Song"  - Sara Bareilles & Ingrid Michealson doing what they do best, being Fragile and Romantic. Also noteworthy, Lenka's "All My Bells Are Ringing"--good for those who are enjoying the current '60s throwback trend.

Some for Everyone Pick: Sugarland

And yet another album that I partially bought last year, and enjoyed enough to complete this year. The covers on this album or only okay, except for the best "O Come Emanuel" you're likely to hear. But it's full of good original songs: a retrospective of Christmases past, through the lens of the "Little Wood Guitar" she once received; a bluesy "yes mother I'm coming home"; a love song "Maybe Baby"; and finally a beautiful Christmas ode to pretty winter nights: "City of Silver Lights." There's a little of everything on this album... unless you hate country music.

Christmas Unpicks: It'll make you ho ho ho

I'm looking through the Christmas albums on sale in iTunes. I see Bob Dylan's masterful comedic work Christmas in the Heart is listed. It's become a warm holiday tradition of mine to sample this album once per year and have a nice laugh. What joy Dylan brings.

Only one song's been uploaded to iTunes, which means it's either heavily protected, or so Blatantly Wrong that no one dares post it. I only found this video of a guy playing "Hark the Herald Angels Sing" to people on the street.


And of course, the youtube comments:

bucketofoatmeal

1 month ago

you fuckin prick - his Christmas carols are the best the ever were

TheAnimelover39

2 months ago

way to be a dick mother fucker

Vandefruits

7 months ago 2

The man's the greatest genius of our time and I think he understands what Christmass is all about better the most people

And let's not forget the most powerful argument ever to be used in the history of art critique...

JLRfalconpunched

10 months ago

It's pretty cool to make fun of a legend for having one sub par song. Would like to see the interviewer do better.

Christmas Music Recommendation: There's Still My Joy

The Indigo Girls have a Christmas album out. I only bought a couple songs, one of which was "There's Still My Joy." I discovered this song through an Oleta Adams xmas album, and it's SO touching. The Indigo Girls version is on youtube so now I can share with you. Yay! Highly recommended.

* Indigo Girls version
* Oleta Adams
* Roberta Flack (I think the song originated on this album)



I took my tree down to the shore
The garland, and the silver star
To find my peace, and grieve no more
To heal this place inside my heart

On every branch I laid some bread
And hungry birds filled up the sky
They rang like bells around my head
They sang my spirit back to life

One tiny child can change the world
One shining light can show the way
For all my tears, for what I've lost
There's still my joy
There's still my joy
For Christmas day

The snow comes down on empty sand
There's tinsel moonlight on the waves
My soul was lost, but here I am
So this must be amazing grace

One tiny child can change the world
One shining light can show the way
Beyond my tears for what I've lost
There's still my joy
There's still my joy
For Christmas day
There's still my joy for Christmas day

More lyrics: http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/m/melissa_manchester/#share

Christmas Music Recommendation: Tori Amos

Last year Tori Amos put out Midwinter Graces and I can highly recommend it. It's partly Christmas, and partly wintry, which suits her very well. Maybe I've always associated her with winter because "Winter" was one of my fave songs on her first album.

Like the aforementioned Lennox album, it's a real album, not just "oh let's sing some carols." In most cases she's taken a traditional carol and embroidered around it to make her own song, with beautiful results. Here are a few of my faves from the album:

Winter's Carol - an original song - very early Kate Bush - a nice mix of dark and bright


Harps of Gold - traditional (Gloria In Excelsis Deo) with Tori -  a more upbeat guitarishy sound


A Silent Night With You - This is the sort of original Christmas song that I wouldn't be surprised to hear others cover one day.


Star of Wonder - another Tori-ized traditional carol - She creates this Middle East sort of sound, for the kings of the east, and then you get hit with the traditional chorus. Win!


Winter - from her first album - boy, doesn't this woman know how to emote? (sarcasm) (breaks down sobbing as she watches video)

Annie Lennox's Christmas album

I've given Annie Lennox's Christmas album the first listen, and it's pretty much a perfect blend of reverence and artistry--not so artsy that the simple beauty of the original songs is lost, but not so reverent as to be dull. Lennox's voice has grown much deeper as she's aged, and I love how she still knows how to use it to best effect. -> As the review on iTunes says, for once an artist didn't just slap together a packet of Christmas carols, but really set out to make a good album. [You can try one of the songs below, or the 6 min summary someone made, which I pasted at the bottom.]

God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen -- and Lennox showing that she's still the original "Lady Gaga." Such a great video.


This may be the first time I've ever loved "Little Town of Bethlehem." Jewel put out a creepy version which was interesting, but this is just lovely.


A 6 min summary:


Next: I'll be checking out Mariah's new Christmas album.

Christmas Music: Joan Osborne

I love Joan Osborne's voice, and her first studio album (it had great songs beyond just "What if God Was One of Us"). But since then she's mostly done blues music which isn't my thing. So if you like blues (with a little country gospelly twang), you might like her Christmas album, which I just came across (from 2005.)

Now this is worth bothering to anticipate!

To help wash the taste of Bob Dylan's Christmas album from our musical mouths... Annie Lennox is finally putting one out!! The couple Christmas songs she's done were great, and she totally has the voice and Ethereal 'Tude for this kind of music. Fingers crossed!!

From the upcoming album:


From Scrooged:


From the first A Very Special Christmas album, in the 80s:

Christmas starts out with a meh

It's Christmas music time, now. I thought Susan Boyle's album might be good, since I do enjoy traditional Christmas music. But it sounds like a funeral dirge. And she's included a cover of "Hallelujah" which, yes, is a spiritual song, but also one about sex and pain and so forth. Not really what I associate with Christmas music, and sung in the same dirge-style.

Christmas Music Update: Don we now our gay apparel

* I bought the Tori Amos and am enjoying it. I think I like her original pieces better than the covers, but it's still early days.

* I only bought two Sting songs, because on the samples his voice sounds weird. Like someone put him on the wrong speed. He's allll sllllooooowwww. I only bought two songs, but they're good.
- The Burning Babe
-Soul Cake

* I bought three songs Sugarland Christmas songs, and they're all great.
- City of Silver Dreams
- Maybe Baby (New Year's Day)
- O Come, O Come, Emmanuel

I'm starting to like these Sugarlanders. I googled to see if the guy in the band is gay (after watching this ad), and discovered that--whether either of them is gay or not (or their third ex-member who used to roadie for the Indigo Girls)--they have a gay following. Coolio!

Sugarland's Jennifer Nettles is out and proud of her fans, no matter what their sexual orientation. When asked if she knows about her gay and lesbian fan base, the singer told ChicagoPride.com, "I've been aware even before Sugarland. I've actually performed at Gay Pride in Atlanta three times in my career. I've always had a large gay following, particularly in the lesbian community. I am grateful for that. To me, it means my music transcends categories. It also means that I'm a cute girl singing a rock song in an alto voice!"

Jennifer insists that she and singing partner Kristian Bush just set out to make music that "celebrates the human condition" -- no matter what age, race, sexual preference ... or hometown!

"I had a friend write me that our music was being played at Gay Pride in New York, which is a big compliment," she said. "In the biggest city in the country with the most culture and the most grit -- I love it." (article from here)

2009 Christmas Music Roundup or Broadway Cares but I Don't

Ahhh. Nanowrimo is over, work's caught up, it's the weekend. Time to check out some Christmas music.

First and foremost, the best Christmas comedy album of the year: Christmas in the Heart by Bob Dylan. Here's one review:

Think of the old Christmas records your grandparents used to play, complete with sleigh bells and sugarcoated backing vocals. Now, substitute Bing Crosby or Perry Como’s croon with Dylan’s ragged croak. If you can imagine that combination, you have Christmas in the Heart in a chestnut shell.

There's no way I'm buying it, but sometimes I go into iTunes and click on the sample of "Hark the Herald" just to give myself a smile. You can go to his web site, click choose a song, and listen for yourself. Check him out singing in Latin on Adeste Fideles. He basically sounds like a parody of himself. You know, when you make your friends laugh by saying: "Okay, now sing it Bob Dylan style! Mah hahahahah..."





______________________________________________Broadway singers doing Christmas. Absolutely nothing original here.




______________________________________________Let's see how Very Special Christmas is this year... most iTunes peeps are giving it one star, and it does indeed sound bland. But I wouldn't kick "Do You Hear What I Hear" or "Last Christmas" out of bed for eating crackers. They're cute, as far as pop renditions go.







______________________________________________This pop rock compilation is pretty forgettable except for Spirit of the West's "Christmas Eve." What I don't get is covers that just try to sound like the original. That's why I dislike most covers of "Santa Baby"--they never bring anything new. And same goes for the "Little Saint Nick" on this one. Why not just buy the Beach Boys in that case?

But... if you want your funny-punk Christmas song for the year, I vote for Third Eye Blind's "One of Those Christmas Days." Here's the entire lyrics:

I'm gonna stuff my present up your chimney
And the melted snow will make it all wet
Cuz it's gonna be one of those Christmas days
Spent in bed
I will be your little drummer boy
I'll beat it till you feel no pain
Cuz baby you're my Christmas joy
When you're sucking on my candy cane



It's no "Fairytale of New York" but... how many songwriters can combine Christmas magic, drunks, fights, humour, a punk sensibility, and beautiful romance? (Answer: Exactly 2 people - Shane McGowan and Jem Finer.)



______________________________________________
On the topic of "Fairy Tale" there's a new cover this year from Stars. It's... pretty, but just wrong. If you're gonna call someone a scumbag and maggot you gotta sound like you mean it.






______________________________________________I decided to invest in a classic this year, Vince Guaraldi's Charlie Brown Christmas. I love the instrumental version of "Christmas Time is Here."





______________________________________________
I've never been a big Bocelli fan, but in the genre of Sentimental Christmas Songs, this is quite lovely--from his new Christmas album.



Then I wondered if it was a new song, or an original, and came across another "I Believe" song:



And this also led me to a 90s one hit wonder I'd forgotten about.






______________________________________________Now if you want spooky-wintery-feeling type holiday albums, there are a couple new ones.

Sting's If On a Wintry Night - this is "Soul Cake"



Tori Amos' Midwinter Graces - this is "Star of Wonder" (when the chorus comes, it's awesome.)



"Winter's Carol"






______________________________________________Sugarland for the country folk. Their "O Come O Come Emmanuel" (iTunes link) is really good. I don't know why they haven't posted it on their site or myspace--it's the most downloaded song. Speaking of cover songs, I just discovered Sugarland has a great live album with some cover songs.

Okay sorry, back to Christmas...




______________________________________________If you like Glee... or you like your Mission Impossible mixed with your "We Three Kings" then the new Straight No Chaser might be your thing. The album includes their viral hit from last year, "12 Days of Christmas" culminating in "Africa." "9 ladies milking, they were miiiilking just for meeee!"






______________________________________________If you like KT Tunstall she does a good job of "Baby Please Come Home" (though I still think U2 did the definitive rock version.) It's on the Now compilation this year, but is actually from 2007. Which begs the question... why is the compilation called Now?




______________________________________________
You want to know what's the #1 Christmas single, every year, on Canadian iTunes? It pretty much never leaves that spot.






______________________________________________If you want to imagine how Prince might have written a Christmas song, back in his dirty days, listen to Lady Gaga's Christmas song. Chorus: "Light me up with me on top lets falalalala lalalala." (Actually Prince did write a Christmas song called "Another Lonely Christmas" and it's about a guy's lover who died on Christmas.)



Well... that's about it.

yay christmas song time!

It's getting on time for Christmas albums to be released. Yay! I think the Sting one holds promise, cause he's a very wintry sort of guy, and I love The Cherry Tree Carol. More promise than the Bob Dylan anyway.

Mary Gives Joseph a Smackdown (or "The Cherry Tree Carol")

from genericeltica to harry belafonte

My first Christmas song purchases this year...

"Calling on Mary" - an original song from Aimee Mann

Allison Crowe's 6 song album - this is stripped down and very un-produced, which is its appeal. (As a work friend said the other day, there's something different about hearing music the way it comes out, as opposed in post-production.) She has a full album as well.

"Mary Mary" Harry Belafonte - I'd actually never heard this song before last year, by Sarah McLachlan

"Behold That Star" - The Christmas Revels -- gospel song

"Mistletoe" - Colbie Caillat , who's all In and Popular right now--I heard her first on Myspace! (Heard and thought was boring. But this is a nice, original Cmas song.)

One of these 12 songs for 6$ generic Celtic Christmas albums that you can usually buy off a booth in gift stores!

And last week I bought a couple songs off Donna Summer's HORRENDOUSLY tinny, horribly accompanied by generic keyboards Christmas album. Only for her voice, would I accept such crap. Too bad, because she does interesting things with the end of O Holy Night.

And un-Christmassy, the new Alicia Keys. I wasn't crazy about her last album, but haven't given up yet.

A Good-Humoured Christmas Chapter

"Happy, happy Christmas, that can win us back to the delusions of our childish days; that can recall to the old man the pleasures of his youth; that can transport the sailor and the traveller, thousands of miles away, back to his own fireside and his quiet home!" (Dickens' Pickwick Papers)

So. I enjoy Christmas. When I was in my late teens my family and I attended a church that kept Old Test holidays, so we didn't keep Christmas for about 7 years--and this is one of the most beneficial things I got from that church experience. We had 7 years of collective playah hating--of trashing the materialism and lack of values of the holiday... it was a very deconstructionist period in my life. And now that that's out of my system, I can enjoy myself.

My family and I have since kept Christmas (usually in January or February, and then we called it Winterval or Festivus - the airing of grievances!) but with no pressure, no expectations, no disappointments and fights, no turkey dinner, no hours of prep and cooking and stress. Christmas became an excuse to get together and eat chips and shortbread cookies and hang. Once you strip away the bullshit, you can take a new enjoyment out of such things.

And since my husband grew up in that same church, this is something my in-laws *get* as well. I buy a few presents for my sisters-in-law and co., but it's all very low scale. The only other presents I buy are for the managers at work, and that's fun. We hang up stockings in the office and stuff them with treats and junk.

I think the other thing that kept Christmas down-graded in my life was this working retail--you just can't commit to stressful dinners and events and parties when you have one day off in the biggest retail week of the year. Fernando works at a hospital, so he only gets Cmas or New Years off. Usually I sit alone at home and watch A Christmas Carol and eat. If Fernando's home then we watch Heidi and eat veggie burgers.

So all in all... it's just a Not Big Deal. (I don't mean the commercialism and materialism etc. aren't problems. But my philosophical beliefs don't tend to drive my day to day emotions.) The first year I am no longer working for a retail store, I will do a little more than veggie burgers--maybe fly out and spend Christmas with my mother for the first time since I was, like, 16.

I love the catalogues, I love all the new products coming out, the new albums, the new books, the gadgets... I love going to the Basket Company to see all their cool crap and buy a couple stocking stuffers. I love going to 10 Thousand Villages to buy a couple decorations. I like to curl up in my jammies with catalogues and maybe a Christmas magazine. The most money we spent in past was buying the handmade decorations that Fernando's foster mother made (a big source of income for his foster parents.)

I absolutely DETEST the cold, so the coming of Christmas provides me with a sort of gentle lead-in to The Horror The Horror. Because of my behaviouralistically built in positive associations with the lights, the stories, the movies, the music, and the baking... If I have enough energy left over from school then I put up my little fake tree and decorate it. I feel all warm and fuzzy until January hits me in the face with a snow shovel.

And the final reason I love Christmas: A Christmas Carol is one of my favourite books ever, and this is the time of year I get to enjoy it. It's fun to have certain things that you only enjoy at one time of the year. I either reread Dickens, or listen to my Patrick Stewart audio while baking, or watch Alistair Sims, or Mr Magoo. And my ALL TIME FAVE audio version, with Mr Pickwick on the B side! (Ooh I'm ready to write my first hiphop-reggae Christmas song! "Mistah Pickwick on da B side...")

The nice thing about Dickens is that you get to enjoy Christmas, and honour your philosophical/spiritual beliefs. ;-)


``Spirit! are they yours?'' Scrooge could say no more.

``They are Man's,'' said the Spirit, looking down upon them. ``And they cling to me, appealing from their fathers. This boy is Ignorance. This girl is Want. Beware them both, and all of their degree, but most of all beware this boy."

``Have they no refuge or resource?'' cried Scrooge.

``Are there no prisons?'' said the Spirit, turning on him for the last time with his own words. ``Are there no workhouses?''

A lotta tv, a little christmas, and no homework

Alright - a little more Christmas music trickling into iTunes.

Rick Springfield
Colin James

Umm. I think I can give Rick a pass. He sounds like he's in pain while singing.
Colin's pretty zippy--he's sounding more and more like Harry Connick Jr, which is a little disturbing.

Why would I even give Rick Springfield the time of day (except for "Jessie's Girl"?) Because I just haven't been able to bring myself to do homework today. I watched Open Water on tv. Showered. Tried to sleep but had leg cramps (I've had them for three days.) Tylenol eventually kicked in and I fell asleep with Nombly on my back. Got up. Supper (spaghetti sandwich.) Watched an episode of The Last Chapter II on Illico. Watched the first episode of The Last Chapter I on Illico.

Then I did some work on adjusting my grades--so I was able to pretend to be working while watching Beauty and the Geek (excellent episode, I might add.)

And now here I am, listening to Rick Springfield's Christmas With You.

The good news is the battery on the computer will soon run out, and I'm too lazy to plug it in. I'll have to go back to my room and read homework. After I listen to this Neil Young song I haven't heard in forever.

Let the Holidays Begin!

Oh no! Christmas album season has come to iTunes. Ohhh I love it. I get all sucked in and listen to everything! As I said last year, it's the ultimate cover genre, and I love cover genres.

Up this week - Gloria Gaynor, and Hall & Oates! I don't get more cheezy and random than that. But I think I'll have to pass... hold out for something truly great or truly crap.

Speaking of holidays, my cooking mood seems to have survived through September. Last semester whenever I got fed up with homework I went and baked brownies or something, and then ate them all, which didn't do my Petite Waistline any favors. This semester I still find that restlessness, but have discovered that I can quench it by cooking anything, doesn't have to be sweets. Well it can be sweets... yesterday I made pumpkin bread, and last week little low fat brownie cookies, but I'm learning to pre-wrap and freeze these things, so there's a mild barrier between cooking and scarfing.

But I also make chick pea sandwich filling, or try fake cheese recipes, or stuffed mushrooms... and I watch whatever I've taped off tv at the same time. And then I go back to my readings with my little treats. And then there's food in the fridge to take to school! It's all rather revolutionary.

So all this to say--bring on that inevitable holiday cooking mood! This year I'll be ready!!

My 2006 Christmas Music Reviews

Are here on my old blog.