Christmas Music...2009

[Sheriff John Stone]

I saw some Chicago-related posts above and just wanted to recognize a Christmas album that I recently stumbled upon - Peter Cetera's You Just Gotta Love Christmas. It was released a couple of years ago and I don't think it got much press. Peter is in his usual fine voice; he does some good traditional songs along with a couple of original tunes. There are a few duets including two with his daughter, Claire. My favorite cut is "Something That Santa Claus Left Behind"; it's very catchy. If you like Cetera's later work with Chicago, and his solo stuff, you'll enjoy this album.

[Rocker]

Tony Joe White recorded his first (I believe) christmas song and it's available for free download on his website. You'll get the downloadlink sent to your email:
http://www.tonyjoewhite.com/

[Mr. Cohen]

This Christmas, this year, just listen to Phil Spector's A Christmas Gift For You. If it's good enough for Brian Wilson, then it's good enough for you.

[Sheriff John Stone]

This Christmas, this year, just listen to Phil Spector's A Christmas Gift For You. If it's good enough for Brian Wilson, then it's good enough for you.

Not to sound too Brian Wilson-ish, but, since the Spector trial, listening to A Christmas Gift For You is messing with my mind. I'm having problems not thinking of a cell.

EDIT: Oh yeah, I wanted to recognize Frosty The Snowman. It's one of my favorite Hal Blaine performances ever!

[Mr. Cohen]

I hadn't really listened to Phil's Christmas album before,  but now that I have you can really hear its influence on Brian. I feel like I can hear its influence directly on some Pet Sounds tracks. I read a review where the reviewer said that he couldn't understand why people made a big deal about the album, 'it's just  pop music with classical arrangements", according to him (to paraphrase). My reaction was: "EXACTLY!" It sounds simple when you write it down like he did, but it's actually quite an accomplishment to mix classical arrangements with pop music that seamlessly, that naturally. For how obvious it might seem, nobody else has done it quite as well. And the percussion! Who did that before Phil? Now I do think that Phil gets too much credit for the arrangements, but still, this album wouldn't have happened without him. His magic is sprinkled all over it.

BTW, for all of the people tired of the usual Christmas pop music on the radio, try listening to some classical takes on holiday music. There's some great stuff out there.

EDIT: My own recognition is tossed out for "Parade of the Wooden Soldiers", I love that one, and I feel like I can hear it in "You Still Believe in Me" (the sound he goes for with the 12 string guitars), and "I Just Wasn't Made for These Times" ("something good... but what goes wrong" to the chorus, with the way the percussion interacts with the backing track and how it sounds almost like another section of the song).

[donald]

Guess it sounds like pet sounds cause its the same band.  Now THAT, THAT would have been a xmas album!  Beach Boys and Wrecking crew with BDW producing.  We could have truly seperated the Spectors from the Wilson.

[Mr. Cohen]

You're right, it is the same band, which makes you wonder, how much of Brian's mid-60s genius was the responsibility of the Wrecking  Crew? I was listening to some Frank Sinatra songs that were recorded with the Wrecking Crew, and it's amazing how much the arrangements sound like Phil Spector's and Brian Wilson's productions. I saw an interview with Hal Blaine where he claimed that he came up the drums for Sinatra's "Strangers in the Night" all by himself, which means that at least some of it wasn't the songwriters imitating the songwriting of Phil/Brian, but the Wrecking Crew just doing their thing. Could it be that Phil created a template for the Wrecking Crew that Brian and other songwriters could just plug there songs into and get those fantastic arrangements 'automagically'?  Brian was capable of some genius songwriting and arranging on his own, but everything he did in the late 60s and early 70s sported a much different sound and arranging style, more of what you would expect from a rock band.

So maybe you could say that the arrangements on Pet Sounds were half Brian, half the Wrecking Crew, and that the tone of the recordings were largely influenced by the working habits the Wrecking Crew had already established with Phil? I don't know. Listening to "Blueberry Hill" on 15 Big Ones, recorded with some of the Wrecking Crew, you can hear how their presence brings back that old mid-60s sound (Brian, from reports, had little involvement with the actual session, with the instrumentalists setting up before he came in the studio and Brian leaving after the first take). It's quite different sounding from the rest of 15 Big Ones. In fact, it sounds a lot like the work they did for Sinatra.

[Mr. Cohen]

It's also interesting to note that now that Brian has a band that can do some of the arranging for Brian in his 'trademark' style, he suddenly has a resurgent recording career. His current band is like his new Wrecking Crew.

[Sheriff John Stone]

I was just listening to some Beach Boys' Christmas music, and, it occured to me that Carl Wilson has no leads on any Christmas songs. Just found that interesting. Who sang lead on the unreleased "Go And Get That Girl"? Was It Carl?

[Chris Brown]

I was just listening to some Beach Boys' Christmas music, and, it occured to me that Carl Wilson has no leads on any Christmas songs.

I never really thought of that, but it's an interesting observation.  I think in the case of their 1964 Christmas album, Carl having no leads was due to the fact that he was still a few years away from becoming a "lead voice" for the group.  Had the album been made a few years later (in a parallel universe), I think he would have shared some of Brian's leads.

[matt-zeus]

I'm really enjoying George Michael's new Christmas song;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Hbwa00VEMc

[Aegir]

I was just listening to some Beach Boys' Christmas music, and, it occured to me that Carl Wilson has no leads on any Christmas songs.

I never really thought of that, but it's an interesting observation.  I think in the case of their 1964 Christmas album, Carl having no leads was due to the fact that he was still a few years away from becoming a "lead voice" for the group.  Had the album been made a few years later (in a parallel universe), I think he would have shared some of Brian's leads.

He sings on two songs, I think, on the 70s Christmas album, but they're the least Chirstmasey songs on the album.

[Sheriff John Stone]

Merry Christmas, Beatles' fans....

OK, how would you rank these:

Ringo Starr - "The Little Drummer Boy"
Paul Mccartney - "Wonderful Christmas Time"
John Lennon - "Happy Christmas (War Is Over)"
George Harrison - "Ding Dong, Ding Dong"

[Ganz Allein]

Merry Christmas, Beatles' fans....

OK, how would you rank these:

Ringo Starr - "The Little Drummer Boy"
Paul Mccartney - "Wonderful Christmas Time"
John Lennon - "Happy Christmas (War Is Over)"
George Harrison - "Ding Dong, Ding Dong"

IMHO...

1. "Wonderful Christmas Time" - A perfect, cheery pop gem that never gets cloying (as Paul is sometimes wont to do).
2. "Happy Christmas (War is Over)" - Great song diminished a bit by Yoko's singing. The children's choir doesn't drown her out enough.  I'd love to hear a remixed version that eliminates her voice.
3. "Ding Dong, Ding Dong" - A pretty good song with a lively arrangement, but it's brought down by George's strained/hoarse singing. This was recorded during the period when he was having vocal problems.  If only he'd waited until his voice recovered.
4. "The Little Drummer Boy" - It's nice but nothing special.  And I wish his backing band would come up with something else besides faux Beatle harmonies for a change.

[Sheriff John Stone]

1. "Wonderful Christmas Time" - A perfect, cheery pop gem that never gets cloying (as Paul is sometimes wont to do).

Yes, I'll defend this song any time. For me, it's actually become as much of a Christmas standard as any other Christmas song.

[Sciencefriction]

I love Wonderful Christmas Time and Happy Xmas (War Is Over), they're part of my Christmas season.

My favorite Christmas single this year though is I Wish It Was Christmas Today by Julian Casablancas.  It's a cover of the SNL track, and is just a great, poppy Christmas tune.  I was lucky to grab a copy of the UK 7" recently, so it will become a mainstay in my Christmas' to come.  His performance of it, along with the writers, last night on Late Night w/Jimmy Falon was pretty cool too.

Julian Casablancas - I Wish It Was Christmas Today
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1wS-k66MKgs

Julian Casablancas - I Wish It Was Christmas Today (Live on Late Night)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ADqW68r44JU

[dogear]

Roy Wood: I Wish it Would Be Christmas Every Day - listen to this, Phil!

[Amy B.]

Merry Christmas, Beatles' fans....

OK, how would you rank these:

Ringo Starr - "The Little Drummer Boy"
Paul Mccartney - "Wonderful Christmas Time"
John Lennon - "Happy Christmas (War Is Over)"
George Harrison - "Ding Dong, Ding Dong"

I've only heard two of these. I cannot stand "Wonderful Christmastime." It sounds so phoned in. I love Happy Christmas (War is Over), which maybe is just as simple but somehow achieves a sublime quality.

[Sheriff John Stone]

Alright, how about these two:

The Beach Boys' "We Three Kings" vs. Carnie & Wendy Wilson's "We Three Kings"

[Rocker]

Alright, how about these two:

The Beach Boys' "We Three Kings" vs. Carnie & Wendy Wilson's "We Three Kings"

Never heard Carnie&Wendy's but you can't beat the BBs version. The vocal arrangement and delivery is just extremely great. Probably one of the Boys' best vocals of their carreer. And just to think that they could pull it off acapella on a TV-show (see youtube) and don't have any sour notes in there is incredible.....
I don't expect too much from Carnie&Wendy to tell you the truth, but maybe I'm wrong on that one

[Chris Brown]

I don't expect too much from Carnie&Wendy to tell you the truth, but maybe I'm wrong on that one

I actually heard a version of Silent Night that they did several times over the last few weeks, and it was pretty damn good.  It even had a few patented Brian Wilson chord changes.  I'd be curious to hear their version of "We Three Kings," although I agree that nobody could touch the Beach Boys' version.

[Sheriff John Stone]

It's actually a medley - We Three Kings / Silent Night / The First Noel - and it times out at 6:44, but don't be fooled by the medley aspect. The production is stunning, Carnie's vocal is especially great, and it includes (a la Dennis?) a nice little Christmas message. I think it's the best track on the album.