by jon bosworth jaxvillain@yahoo.com
I used to require a visit to the mall to get into the Christmas spirit. Isn’t that horrible? How “consumerist culture” is it to NEED the mall to feel festive. I violently broke myself of that habit before I had children that would also get indoctrinated with the compulsion to endure thousands of rude people bustling around to pay too much for gifts they didn’t even put any thought into. But the thing that really intrigued me was the juxtaposing Christmas songs being piped into that circus telling lies about smiling faces and joy.
I didn’t throw the baby Jesus out with the bathwater; I just gave up the mall. When I was younger my parents had Christmas albums by Evie and Johnny Mathis. They were torture, even when they were all I knew of Christmas music. But when they took me to the mall I would hear Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, and even The Jackson 5. So to benefit my children, I have spent the last ten years trying to accumulate a terrific collection of seasonal music that will help them get into the spirit, without all of the shopping and capitalizing.
The first CD I put on every Christmas is called Christmas Sing with Frank and Bing. Although my favorite had always been The Bing Crosby Christmas Album, I actually haven’t purchased the CD version yet (gift hint), and of all of the Sinatra and Bing Christmas albums, Christmas Sing with Frank and Bing is my new favorite. On this album, the two crooners talk throughout as though they were hosting a caroling cocktail party, and they make odd jokes about getting drunk. I think they even talk about wife swapping or something. It’s hard to understand their cool-cat mumble in parts. In addition to the candor the stars provide, I also enjoy Frank’s from-the-hip versions of ‘Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas’ and ‘Santa Claus is Coming to Town,’ and the duet of ‘Jingle Bells.’ But the real cherry on this album is their version of Cole Porter’s “Well Did You Evah?’
After adjusting to the traditions of the season with Frank and Bing, I will usually switch to the funkier Christmas jams found on my Jackson 5 Christmas. From Michael Jackson’s hit ‘Little Christmas Tree’ to their version of ‘I Saw Mama Kissin’ Santa Clause,’ nothing is more festive than Michael’s pre-pubescent voice backed up by his siblings and the Motown band. When that album ends, you’re going to be sad, so the trick is this: Put on Someday at Christmas by Stevie Wonder. Although his version of ‘Ave Maria’ is tedious, you can start the album on number three, ‘Little Drummer Boy,’ and the rest of the album is a hit. ‘Christmastime’ and ‘Twinkle Twinkle Little Me’ are among my favorites.
By now you’ve enjoyed some of the traditionals in various forms, so just to finish up the classics, I usually put on A 1940s Christmas because it has all of the classics sung to big band arrangements, including Rod McKuen’s version of ‘Baby, It’s Cold Outside,’ Judy Garland doing ‘Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,’ ‘Jingle Bells’ by Benny Goodman and ‘Santa Claus is Coming to Town’ by the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra. If that doesn’t completely satisfy your craving for the spirit, pour yourself a strong eggnog and hit Dean Martin’s Season’s Greetings. From beginning to end, this album reminds me of the holiday-drunk uncle I never had.
Glenn Miller is great for holiday parties, since they are mostly big-band instrumentals, they play well in the background and make you feel right wearing a bad sweater and holding a martini. Willie Nelson’s Pretty Paper is another classic that we listen to during the annual hunt for a Christmas tree with the whole family piled into the car. Of course no Christmas is complete without If Every Day Was like Christmas, Elvis’ classic holiday album. With 24 tracks, Elvis doesn’t leave anything out, and it even ends with a personal “Merry Christmas” from Elvis and a haunting version of ‘Silent Night.’
To get completely away from the traditions of your parents, grand parents, and even great-grandparents, there are some more contemporary options. On one hand, anyone can go out and get the new Sufjan Stevens’ Songs for Christmas, but I revel a little more in the rarities. By rarities I don’t just mean my Yo! MTV Raps Christmas album Yo Ho Ho, but some of the gems featuring more current artists that are harder to come across. For instance, the compilation album Maybe This Christmas has an amazing version of ‘Blue Christmas’ by Bright Eyes, ‘Have yourself a Merry Little Christmas’ by Coldplay, and a strange duet between Barenaked Ladies and Sarah McLachlan.
Okay, so you’re tired of the same twenty songs by varying artists, here are some outstanding Christmas songs that step out of the tradition. The first one to note is ‘Father Christmas’ by The Kinks. This punkish Christmas song is about a bunch of poor kids robbing Santa Clause. For something a little more recent, look into The Flaming Lips’ original song ‘A Change at Christmas (Say It Isn’t So)’ or the rare, but classic, duet with Tom Waits and Peter Murphy called ‘Christmas Sucks.’ For the most part, you have to dig around on the Internet to find those songs, but another great various artists Christmas album is the import It’s a Cool Cool Christmas, which has songs by The Dandy Warhols, Grandaddy, The Flaming Lips, Teenage Fan Club, The Eels, Snow Patrol, and even Low.
Christmas can have everything from the sarcasm of Tom Waits to the freshness of Bright Eyes, even when they are singing traditional songs.
On the Belle & Sebastian’s Peel Sessions, they perform a set of Christmas songs that include “Santa Clause, Go Straight to the Ghetto’ and their cover of Elvis’ ‘Santa Bring My Baby Back to Me.’ I usually don’t like Belle & Sebastian, but in this performance they avoid their usual pretension and play some great seasonal songs.
|
