To inspire you to think outside the gift box this season, I just took a stroll up to the third floor music area and flipped through the stacks to see what's in right now that will put some ho-ho-hoedown in your holiday. Or, something like that. I think I ate too many cookies today.
1) James Brown's Funky Christmas - HUH! WAAAAAAH! He might not be the first singer that comes to mind when you think of Christmas, but come on, make a place for the Godfather of Soul. You can get a taste of this one here on YouTube: "Santa Claus Go Straight To The Ghetto." I love him hearing exclaim, "Tell him James Brown sent you!" It is funky but surprisingly heartfelt.
2) Sing Christmas And The Turn Of The Year - On Christmas Day, 1957, "Alan Lomax assembled and narrated a holiday celebration on the BBC, featuring music (much of it live) from all walks of British folk styles: skiffle, Welsh choral music, children's choral music, folk ballads, a flute band, a brass band, and more." With all that going on, there's bound to be something you like! I clicked on a sound sample and heard an original tune about Christmas in London done in a Trinidad calypso style - really! It's all just a little bit weird but if you wanted normal you could just put on LITE-FM, no?
3) Bummed Out Christmas - I occasionally suffer from seasonal depression and perhaps you do, too, so give a listen to "Bummed Out Christmas." Released in 1989, Amazon still has it available on audio cassette, should you feel like truly reliving the 1980s. This is a compilation much like a violent mood swing, so it's the Everly Brothers advising that "Christmas Can Kill You," the Sonics' stray cut strutting through "Don't Believe In Christmas," on through George Jones making a "Lonely Christmas Call." Samples here.
4) Music Box Melodies, volume 1 - Yes, it's just what it sounds like. 33 tracks of Christmassy tunes, performed by music boxes. From the familiar, like "Silent Night," O Come All Ye Faithful," ("Adeste Fideles" is also listed - same song, but in Latin. Does the music box translate???) and "Hark The Herald Angels Sing," to music not at all associated with Christmas, like "Jesus, Lover Of My Soul" and "The Skater's Waltz." One reviewer on Amazon calls this "the best Christmas CD." I think it would drive me stark raving mad. You make the call.
5) Merry Xmas From The Space Age Bachelor Pad (I am not making that up) by Esquivel! - Esquivel! was Juan Garcia Esquivel, considered by many the king of 1950s-1960s era "Lounge" music. His groovy chorus of vocalists often sang only nonsense syllables, like, "zooma-zooma-zoo...POW!" His instrumentation was overloaded and quirky - kettle drums, mariachi bands and Chinese bells all thrown into his Mixmaster. And that's exactly what happens here, transforming your favorite Christmas songs and even "Auld Lang Syne" into an otherworldly experience. Esquivel occasionally speaks on the recording, like a heavenly Ricky Ricardo, awash in echo and Theremin. Charming and eerie all at the same time.
Yep, there's more: A Very, Very Yellow Christmas with reggae artist Yellow; Tiny Tim's Christmas album; and for you traditionalists, three Christmas recordings by Roger Whittaker.
1 comment:
Much like my reading tastes, my holiday music favorites lean towards the humorous and even bizarre sounds of the season. Bob Rivers Twisted Christmas and More Twisted Christmas CDs are at the top of my list. Toy Sack (to the tune of Love Shack) is hilarious. Other laugh out loud songs include Parking Spaces, It's the Most Fattening Time of the Year, and for your Beatles fix, All You Need is Elves sung to the tune of All You Need is Love. Sometimes all you need is laughs!
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