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  • Bad Christmas music…

    Bad Christmas music…

    I’m feeling poorly today and in a negative mood. So here’s a post about bad Christmas music.

    I’m sitting here listening to Mariah Carey’s unfortunate slaughtering of her Christmas hit, “All I Want For Christmas Is You”. This song is about twenty years old and has become sort of a holiday staple over the years. But poor Mariah was having some vocal issues and sadly, it’s now become Internet news.


    To be sure, Mariah still has fabulous vocal chops, but this performance is just north of disastrous.

    Chin up, Mariah. Even divas like Aretha Franklin sometimes make bad Christmas music.


    This isn’t as bad as it could be, but I’ve heard Aretha do better… Yikes.

    To be fair, Aretha on a bad day is still better than most singers on a good day. But I still think this was an unfortunate performance.

    Then there’s Christmas music that is bad, not due to the performance, but because it’s just bad… Case in point, here’s a song called “I Farted on Santa’s Lap (Now Christmas is Gonna Stink For Me)”. Appropriately enough, this song is performed by The Little Stinkers.


    I’m sure this is a hit at parties.

    And then there’s the ever popular “Merry Fucking Christmas” by our friends on South Park. For some people, this is probably a valid sentiment.


    Mr. Garrison sings to all the “heathens” out there who aren’t Christians…

    I don’t know if I’d call this “bad” as much as I’d call it potentially offensive. I, of course, think it’s a hoot, but others might not be as generous.

    Ditto for Red Peters’ heartwarming classic, “Holy Shit, It’s Christmas!” Any time you need hamsters as singing partners, you know your song is full of gimmickry.


    I think I like the furry little critters, though…

    Red Peters followed up with another Christmas hit called “You Ain’t Getting Shit For Christmas”…


    Red takes on this song with the Alan Pinchloaf Singers.

    I’m sure everyone has a story of ungrateful friends and family members, right? I know I do.

    Speaking of bad Christmas music involving rodents, I don’t need to hear “Please Christmas Don’t Be Late” by Alvin in the Chipmunks ever again…


    This song makes me cringe.

    I’m sorry this post is more video than writing, but I think I need to go back to bed with a hot toddy. Hopefully your Christmas music is all good and hopefully no one gives you the unwanted gift of sickness.

  • Let the holidays begin!

    Let the holidays begin!

    Thanksgiving is over! Let the holidays begin!

    Okay, I know… Thanksgiving is part of “the holidays”, but as I was stressing like a madwoman over Thanksgiving, I feel like I can relax a little now. I’m not one to get as wrapped up in Christmas music as some people do, but I will admit to having some favorite albums for this time of year. Last Christmas, I made a huge holiday music mix that had songs by everybody from Sting and James Taylor to Kathleen Battle and Eden’s Bridge. My mix has bluegrass, classical, rock, pop, soul, and everything in between. What can I say? I have very eclectic tastes.


    Bruce Springsteen’s “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town” was recorded in 1975, but was pretty popular in the 80s…

    Having come of age in the 80s, a lot of my favorite music comes from that era. Christmas music is no exception. Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band famously covered “Santa Claus Is Coming To Town” in December 1975 and then released it as a B side to his 80s era hit, “My Hometown”. It’s now a holiday staple! But as much as I like The Boss, I find my tastes lean more toward the traditional. Must be a feature of getting old.

    In 1987, Sting made a haunting cover of “Gabriel’s Message” for the 1987 compilation, A Very Special Christmas.


    Love this contemplative Christmas song…

    Years later, Sting refurbished “Gabriel’s Message” for his 2010 album, If On A Winter’s Night.


    Updated with strings and horns, this version is also haunting in a different way.

    Last year, I discovered the wonderful holiday offering Joy- An Irish Christmas by Keith and Krystyn Getty. If you like a little Celtic flavor to your holiday music, I recommend it highly! There’s an exciting mix of exciting fast paced music countered by peaceful beautiful songs.


    “Jesus, Joy of the Highest Heaven” sung here by Krystyn Getty.


    A live version of their “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen.

    And there are also a number of soulful classics available. “Do You Hear What I Hear” by Gladys Knight and the Pips immediately comes to mind… So does the Jackson 5’s Christmas album, which comes complete with Christmas greetings from the brothers. Given that they were Jehovah’s Witnesses at the time they made the album, that must have been an awkward recording session.


    “Give Love On Christmas Day” by the Jackson 5.

    Or there’s blue-eyed soul by Hall & Oates…


    I must admit, I like this song for the video…

    And “Please Come Home For Christmas” by The Eagles…


    Pat Benatar also does a fine version of this bluesy Christmas staple, but I am partial to Don Henley’s soulful vocals.

    Here’s Pat singing “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”.


    Talk about a classic. This was done in 1988, when I was still a lass.

    My all time favorite Christmas album, though, has to be James Taylor’s A Christmas Album, which he made in 2004 for Hallmark. The album was produced by Dave Grusin, who wrote all the wonderful arrangements of the music. James later re-released the album with two more songs. I didn’t buy the re-released version because I already had all the songs on it.


    “Go Tell It On The Mountain” is one of my favorite JT Christmas songs!

    I’m sure as the month wears on, there will be more posts about Christmas songs… but for now, I think we’ve gotten things off to a festive start! Hope your December has gotten off famously!

  • Ugh… Thanksgiving stress!

    Ugh… Thanksgiving stress!

    I’m going to the States next week for Thanksgiving. It’s stressing me out.

    You know how it is, right? If you don’t, count yourself lucky. The holidays are upon us and for many people, that means things are about to get stressful. I try to maintain a sense of humor about these things because stressful family gatherings are just a fact of life. Since I use music as a coping tool, I thought today’s post (which will likely be the last one until after Thanksgiving) should be about keeping cool… or at least maintaining a sense of humor.


    In 1976, the late Andrew Gold penned this song about a “lonely boy” who grew up resentful of his parents and the little sister who came after him…

    In all fairness, I read that Andrew Gold did not mean this to be an autobiographical account of his upbringing. Given that his mother was the amazing sing Marni Nixon and his father was Ernest Gold, an Austrian born composer, one would think Gold’s childhood was full of music. And how can anyone not be happy in a musical household? As one who also grew up in a musical household, I can answer that with one word… “Easily.” But anyway, from what I’ve read, Andrew Gold simply made up the song, “Lonely Boy” and added a few of his own autobiographical details because they were convenient.

    Another song that comes to mind this time of year is by none other than my old friend, James Taylor (we’re not really friends, I just lean on him when I feel down…).


    Here James Taylor sings “Raised Up Family” with Mark Knopfler.

    “Raised Up Family” is basically about the joy of breaking free of family ties once one becomes an adult. I love my family, but damn, it was a wonderful thing when I was finally on my own. I’m sure it was for my parents, too. There’s a lot less squabbling when you aren’t physically close to family members anymore. That’s one aspect of my upbringing that I don’t miss… and I kind of dread when I face my mom and my sisters next week at our Thanksgiving celebration and my dad’s memorial service.

    Actually, as stressful as I think Thanksgiving is liable to be, I find Christmas with my family of origin a lot more difficult. That’s why I don’t do them anymore. Red Peters offers a comical spin on parents who want to plan for a nice Christmas and instead get left behind…


    I’m sure a lot of people can relate to this…

    I think holidays are often laden with heavy expectations. We want them to be idyllic and exciting and full of love. We expect them to be more than just a simple date on a calendar. When they fall short, they cause a lot of angst, which can lead to fighting.

    I have actually made some plans, though, in an attempt to avoid family strife. I have made a dinner appointment with my husband, Bill, on the night after Thanksgiving. Ordinarily, we’d be going to the big party my family throws every year, but since we will be memorializing my dad that day, I doubt I’ll feel much like a party. I’d rather be waited on, and in the company of someone whom I know won’t say anything to piss me off and whom I know won’t be pissed off by anything I say. That way, I won’t feel the need to sing this song…


    Though in fairness, most of the people who currently irritate me don’t have dicks.

    Or this one…


    When the stress starts to build, it’s easy to start hating the world.

    Here’s a friendly reminder to all of you out there in Internetland. Keep the holidays in perspective. If things get too stressful or weird, get in your car and take a drive. Remember that it’s just a day on a calendar and this too will pass. And when all else fails, indulge in something you enjoy. For some, it may be chocolate or a cup of coffee. For some, it may be a brisk walk in the woods. For me, it’ll probably be copious amounts of wine.

    Cheers! Happy Thanksgiving!