It's the most wonderful time of the year (to listen to music)
Do you have an album or artist that is a perennial favorite for the Christmas season?
I'm a music nut 365 days a year, but the holiday season does always rate a special mention.
Christmas has long been a destination for the commercial music industry. Every year the marketplace is deluged with new Christmas season releases. Even now, when the role of music labels in the retail music scene has dramatically changed, stores start loading up on seasonal music about the time of Halloween.
Each year I am looking for good music to add to my library. This year has been no different. It has, in fact, been a good year as several new releases have proved good additions to my collection.
What do I look for in Christmas music? Foremost, it has to be good music. I also love hearing original songs about the season. And if you are going to do a traditional favorite, I prefer if you bring some new energy or concept to it—though it's hard to do the old favorites better than Bing Crosby or Nat "King" Cole. I have that music as well.
This year I picked up four seasonal releases:
"Silver & Gold" by Sufjan Stevens is a mammoth box set of five discs with 58 songs. Stevens is more than a little extreme about Christmas. This mix of new songs and covers is his second box set of holiday music. He apparently does a Christmas record each year as a gift for friends and family. This is the compilation of those recordings. It's essential for lovers of Sufjan but others might want to sample individual songs. Some of this is extraordinary, and some of it is way too weird for grandma on Christmas Eve.
"CeeLo's Magic Moment" by Cee Lo Green is more traditional with an emphasis on dazzle and glitz. The man has a gift for singing a song even if at times his approach can be a bit too much for me.
"Holidaydream: Sounds of the Holidays, Vol. 1" by The Polyphonic Spree is a terrific choice for someone who enjoys creative variations on traditional tunes. Its highlight might be a lovely cover of John Lennon's "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)."
"Holidays Rule" by various artists has a wonderful mix of innovative and traditional songs. Among the highlights here is a great duet between Rufus Wainwright and Sharon Van Etten on "Baby It's Cold Outside," which radiates its own heat. This collection has many notable artists, including Paul McCartney, The Civil Wars, fun., Calexico, Punch Brothers and others. It is a very nice addition.
There's a lot of good stuff on those releases, but I am guessing none of those titles will crack my perennial favorites. Here is that list:
"We Three Kings" by The Roches. Wonderful voices, great humor and sincere feeling. These sisters are a holiday staple for me.
"A Charlie Brown Christmas" by Vince Guaraldi. Brilliant jazz with great affection for the season. Perfect.
"Jingle All the Way" by Bela Fleck & the Flecktones. This makes the list for its stunning musicianship and wonderful creativity, which includes a throat singer singing "Jingle Bells" in Tuvan. Gorgeous.
"Christmas" by Bruce Cockburn. The brilliant Canadian singer/songwriter has an admirably offbeat holiday album that features his great guitar play as well as a lovely range of songs in multiple languages.
"The Bells of Dublin" by The Chieftains. The Irishman in me can't let this one go by. An all-star cast and the musical talent of The Chieftains makes for a perennial favorite.
"Christmas Album" by Jethro Tull. If you know the voice and flute of Ian Anderson and his work as the creative force of Jethro Tull, then you know all you need to know about this holiday classic.
"A Motown Christmas" by various artists. Motown. Christmas. Enough said.
Do you enjoy music of the holiday season? Is there a particular artist, album or song that you want to hear every year? Do you prefer traditional treatments of Christmas tunes or do you prefer creative variations? Please join the discussion and offer us your thoughts and favorites.
And great listening to all this holiday season.
Follow Shawn Sensiba on Twitter @shawnsensiba.
Dec 13, 2012 at 2:17 p.m.
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It's not Christmas until you hear SOMETHING from one of Ray Connif's Christmas albums....
Dec 13, 2012 at 10:45 a.m.
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Nothing wrong with that...I hope they have pleasant dreams once sleep is achieved!
Dec 13, 2012 at 10:10 a.m.
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Perry Como's recordings are used as a cure for insomnia in Canada.
Dec 13, 2012 at 9:12 a.m.
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No matter how many times I hear "White Christmas" by Bing, both over the years and throughout the season, I always enjoy it. It often takes me back to a small tavern in Germany, Christmas 1972, where I played it on the jukebox, homesick for familiar faces and places.
Dec 13, 2012 at 9:03 a.m.
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Dale Watson Honky Tonk Christmas
Dec 13, 2012 at 8:56 a.m.
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saxcat: There was a lot of great sax playing going on, hope you caught some of it!
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Yes, it was great to see all those people come together, musical artists and all the celebrity and other volunteers in the background. I enjoyed the spirit of the entire concert...excepting one performance.
Dec 13, 2012 at 8:53 a.m.
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White Christmas - Bing Crosby
Dec 13, 2012 at 8:48 a.m.
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Speaking of torture and Christmas songs, "Feliz Navidad" has become that song for me. I used to like it, have nothing against Jose, but it's SO over-played and then that tune gets in my head and I can't get it out!
Dec 13, 2012 at 8:43 a.m.
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jstwndrn, I watched as long as my bed time permitted. Great show. Unbelievable to see all those great artist just come out and do their 15 minutes thing. great show great cause.
Dec 13, 2012 at 8:41 a.m.
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As a young child the music that would put me into the holiday spirit was from a four record album by Perry Como. In particular (Adeste Fidelius) also known as OH Come All Ye Faithful. Mr. C may not rank in the pantheon of great singers, but to me as a child his music brought the holidays home to me.
Dec 13, 2012 at 8:24 a.m.
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Frank: Glad to see you mention Hanukkah and Adam Sandler's offerings...I wanted to ask. I enjoy those as well and thought of you last night while watching the Concert For Sandy Relief...Adam sang a new rendition of "Hallelujah" that was very entertaining, and then Billy Joel sang a snippet of "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas".
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A bit off-topic, but did anyone else watch? I stayed up way past my bedtime to see Sir Paul...and he did not disappoint!!! The line-up was impressive and I even enjoyed an earlier appearance by the Stones!
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:-)
Dec 12, 2012 at 8:59 p.m.
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Non-Christmas Christmas song: "Wrapping Paper" by Cream...
Dec 12, 2012 at 6:01 p.m.
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Equal time here, Adam Sandler's various versions of his Hanukkah song, while nowhere near musical masterpieces, are a joy.
Dec 12, 2012 at 4:31 p.m.
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They play Joe Cocker's version of the 12 Days of Xmas down at Gitmo to torture the prisoners.
Dec 12, 2012 at 1:56 p.m.
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I don't listen to Christmas music, but "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" is a beautiful song that always makes me sad. I heard jazz vocalist Diana Krall sing it on "The Colbert Report" last night. Very nice.
Dec 12, 2012 at 1:08 p.m.
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"A Christmas Gift For You From Phil Spector".
Featuring:
-Darlene Love
-The Ronettes
-The Crystals
-Bob B. Soxx & The Blue Jeans
Love. It.
Dec 12, 2012 at 1:05 p.m.
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Harry Conick Jr.- When My Heart Finds Christmas.
Dec 12, 2012 at 12:39 p.m.
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No particular artist, but my favorite x-mas songs are:
Pretty Paper - WIllie Nelson
Merry x-mas to the Family - Robert earl Keen Jr.
Grateful for Christmas - Hayes Carll
Dec 12, 2012 at 12:14 p.m.
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Interesting list. My favorite: "One Christmas Catalogue" by Captain Sensible
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=un3G0N-6b...
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It always reminds me of working at Pamida during the holidays. The cheap, terrible Christmas music that spewed from our satellite feed was maddening. But when this weird, weird gem would play, we threw down our boxes and dust mops and rejoiced.
Dec 12, 2012 at 11:40 a.m.
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Lightnin' Hopkins - "Christmas Blues:"
"I went down Main Street in New York City...old Santy Claus had a bell in his hand...You know the poor chillun' was walkin' up hollerin' you gonna come to me Santy...he say 'little girl, please put somethin' in old Santy's hand."...
"Little sister, I said take your stocking now...and hang it up on the head of the bed...Talking to a friend she said take your stocking...and please hang it on the head of the bed...He said you know we all God-sent chilluns...in the mornin' old Santy Claus is gonna see that we all is fed..."
Dec 12, 2012 at 10:09 a.m.
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Oh yeah, my collection of Christmas music covers most everything from Andy Williams to James Brown.
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Favorites in the mix include an instrumental Baroque collection, old faves like Bing, Nat & Deano, Gene Autry (Buon Natale!), Dwight Yoakam (mostly for his very different versions of classics like Silent Night and Silver Bells, and a funny/sad story-song about a broken family, "Santa Can't Stay"), and tons of instrumental stuff ranging from Celtic to Bluegrass.
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I read an anti-Christmas-song comment yesterday in another thread, about lack of variety, and kind of felt sorry for them. Change the channel and/or branch out! :-)
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The Ian Anderson sounds interesting, I'll have to check it out.
Dec 12, 2012 at 9:24 a.m.
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There's a lot of Christmas music I love, and I like a lot of "the new stuff," but the best songs will spark a memory. It doesn't have to be King's Choir singing the Hallelujah Chorus, or a glorious Ave Maria in jazz guitar to strike that chord of nostalgia. I was in the grocery store yesterday, captive audience to canned seasonal music. I'd appreciated some Vince Guaraldi in the produce section, then heard the "Welcome Christmas" song that the Whos sing in How the Grinch Stole Christmas. I remembered how my sister and I would always sing along, singing "Wahoo Porridge" instead of Fah Who Dorres (or whatever). After so many years, I no longer need to watch the cartoon - when I hear that song, the smile blooms across the Grinch's face and he realizes the true meaning of Christmas (just one of the many mental images I thank Chuck Jones for). I walked out of the store smiling and suddenly full of memory. There are so many answers to your question, so many artists and recordings over the years, but that nonsense song can reach my heart, every time.
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