What I Really Want For Christmas

[Aegir]

I was listening to some other Christmas CD, a really cheap one (both in price and quality) with an amateur choir backed by what sounds like a single synthesizer or MIDI track for most of the album. As each song went by, I was thinking to myself, "Something's missing.. what can it be?" Then it hit me.

Brian Wilson and co. I've only had WIRWFC for a month or so, and already the songs have become the definitive versions in my head.

[I. Spaceman]

Bummer!

[Aegir]

Bummer!

Hardy har har har.

[I. Spaceman]

 

[TV Forces]

This album completely blew it away.  I LOVE IT and I can't wait until next winter to start diggin' it again.  The title track "What I Really Want For Christmas" is gorgeous.  Wonderful lyrics and melody.  The best original Christmas song I've heard in years and years.  "God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman" has a killer arrangement, as do the beautiful "Hark the Herald Angels Sing" and "The First Noel."  Blew me away!  It's #1 in my book.  Say goodbye, Phil Spector.

[Aegir]

What's with you weirdos that only listen to Christmas CDs in December? Do you only listen to early Beach Boys CDs in the summer?

Music is music; look past your predetermined limits.

[TV Forces]

What's with you weirdos that only listen to Christmas CDs in December? Do you only listen to early Beach Boys CDs in the summer?

Music is music; look past your predetermined limits.

I don't think of Beach Boys music as summer music.  But Christmas music is Christmas music.
I can't really get into the mood in June to bust this one out.  Plus, the holidays depress me
and if I surround myself with it all year, I'll go mad.

[Andrew G. Doe]

This album completely blew it away.  I LOVE IT and I can't wait until next winter to start diggin' it again.  The title track "What I Really Want For Christmas" is gorgeous.  Wonderful lyrics and melody.  The best original Christmas song I've heard in years and years.  "God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman" has a killer arrangement, as do the beautiful "Hark the Herald Angels Sing" and "The First Noel."  Blew me away!  It's #1 in my book.  Say goodbye, Phil Spector.

Sorry bud - Blue Board's that way.

[Sir Rob]

What's with you weirdos that only listen to Christmas CDs in December? Do you only listen to early Beach Boys CDs in the summer?

Music is music; look past your predetermined limits.

I don't think of Beach Boys music as summer music.  But Christmas music is Christmas music.
I can't really get into the mood in June to bust this one out.  Plus, the holidays depress me
and if I surround myself with it all year, I'll go mad.

I remember one of those articles in 'The Guardian' were writers are invited to attack their favourite (or least favourite) sacred cows.  One guy was having a pop at 'Pet Sounds' and one of his criticisms was that Brian Wilson made songs about summer that sounded like Christmas records.  Well, it was one of those moments when I could see what someone meant even though I really didn't want to!

[Aegir]

Haha, I love the jingle bells in Beach Boys songs.. they make a good song even better. I Can Hear Music is a wonderful example of how great they can fit in with pop music.

[Jim McShane]

Okay, it's almost mid-March, and I still can't stop listening to this disc. Sorry Andrew, your comment to TV Forces above seems very inappropriate to to me.

Yes, some of the traditional carols are just worn out in my head, but I just put in the disc and the minute Jeffrey started singing I couldn't stop smiling. What a great fun arrangement that is, great falsetto, great sax and guitar work, it really rocks! But more surprising, when WIRWFC started up with those amazing acapella vocals I simply couldn't help but tear up a bit. That song just slays me, it's been stuck in my head for months. All the vocals are breathtaking, and Brian's lead is so expressive - I can feel the emotion of the lyrics as he sings.

The lyrics are so poignant. As a person who travels a lot and is away from home too much, the line "lucky to be home when some are all alone" is very meaningful to me.

I think it may be the best Brian Wilson song in the last 20 years. Christmasey, On Christmas Day, Auld Lang Syne - I can't get enough of these cuts.

So point me to the Blueboard too Andrew - because I think this is the best Christmas album I've ever heard. And it sounds wonderful in March too.

[JRauch]

I definetely second that post, especially about the title song. I honestly think it´s one of the best songs Brian has EVER written.

Very emotional, catchy as hell, incredible intro. The production is also interesting, because it´s very minimalistic, compared to most of his other work. The verses are mostly Brian and a piano, almost "unplugged". I also noticed that his voice is somehow less "polished", compared to the other tracks on the album. And these facts, as cheesy as it sounds, give me the feeling that I´m at his home, sitting next to him, when he is playing the song on his piano.

[CosmicDancer]

I give this one a 3.  I think the vocal arrangements are fantastic on this one and it is played very well but personally, I just dont really like Christmas music that much!  I do think the new origianls are lovely and I hope Brian can continue with great productions like them.

[TV Forces]

Okay, it's almost mid-March, and I still can't stop listening to this disc. Sorry Andrew, your comment to TV Forces above seems very inappropriate to to me.

Thank you Jim and JRauch.  And to think I was sad that Andrew Doe left us! 
God forbid I talk about how much I love what Brian has done on the Smiley
Smile boards! 

I'm glad I'm not alone in thinking "What I Really Want For Christmas" is
Brian's best original song in years.  It's absolutely great melodically,
lyrically, and production wise.  It really blows me away.  Blueboard or no.

[Jim McShane]

Thank you Jim and JRauch.  And to think I was sad that Andrew Doe left us! 
God forbid I talk about how much I love what Brian has done on the Smiley
Smile boards! 

I'm glad I'm not alone in thinking "What I Really Want For Christmas" is
Brian's best original song in years.  It's absolutely great melodically,
lyrically, and production wise.  It really blows me away.  Blueboard or no.

You know, WIRWFC (the song) really is unique in a lot of ways. It's really in many ways the first song written and arranged for the current band to sing. And it's interesting to ponder that the debate between the "BBs sing better than the BW band" or vice-versa discussion takes an ironic twist in WIRWFC. For me at least - I can't imagine the old BBs singing WIRWFC. Especially the last verse in the higher key - the "peace is more than just a sentimental card" line is the BW band at its finest vocally IMHO. The airiness, the angelic overtones, the "lighter" tonal balance - it's perfect for that melody and that lyric. And the result is staggeringly beautiful.

[andy]

Yeah, they did really nice on that song. I think it's the highlight of the album.

[Aegir]

I think Brian's backup singers, especially on WIRWFC, sound like a community choir or some such (that's not a bad thing). I think it's because he has a woman or two in the mix. Perfect for the Christmas atmosphere.

[Jim McShane]

I think Brian's backup singers, especially on WIRWFC, sound like a community choir or some such (that's not a bad thing). I think it's because he has a woman or two in the mix. Perfect for the Christmas atmosphere.

Well, obviously Taylor Mills is there, and her voice is very much present in the mix.

I never heard a community group choir sound like that though! 

[Smilin Ed H]

I wish he'd covered Snowflakes, Morning Christmas, New York is a Lonely Town (Why not?),Child of Winter (minus the spoken word bit!!!), Alone on Christmas Day and Winter Symphony and ditched some of the traditional Christmas songs, although not O Holy Night, which I think is a superb version.

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

Actually, I would've loved it if he would've tried the spoken bit on CoW these days.... 

[wolkensohn]

 I like this Album very much! I bought it on Vinyl.
I think I will listen to this Album on every christmas time!

The titel track is - imo - one of the best new songs that Brian wrote... in the last 20 years!
And Bernie´s Lyrics are wonderful too!

[Ron]

I'm still listening to this album, popped it in... AGAIN, yesterday in May.  Great album.

"the Man with all the toys" not my favorite, but definately competant and I like the 'bop bop' backup vocals.  Jeff's falsetto IS impressive on this.

"What I Really Want For Christmas" is a spectacular song.  The harmonies in the acapella intro are a great testament to Brian's brilliance as an arranger.  If you're trying to point at Brian still 'having it', this song is a perfect way to showcase that.  Some of the high notes that the band reaches to behind him are beautiful, and Brian's voice sounds incredible to me.  For him to come from where he was vocally in the late 70's all the way back to the shimmer you hear in "sooooooOOOO be goood...." really does strike me as unbelievable.  He confidently handles the lead... then breaks it up another key towards the end.  Beautiful.

"It came upon a midnight clear" is alright, I like the guitars but the harmonies sound a bit strained in the refrain of the song.

"Hark The Herald" is a flat-out wonderful arrangement.  One of Brian's attractions has always been his youthful outlook or point of view of things, and only a child would come up with "Hark The Herald, MERRY CHRISTMAS!!! OOH, OOOH OOOH OOOH, MERRY CHRISTMAS!" when you first hear that, you think 'uh... that's silly'... then he sings this beautiful classic Christmas song with a greatttt lead vocal, then as the song breaks all the way down to a bassline... it suddenly rolls back in with a full band, full string section, and a full Brian led band harmonizing "HARK, THE HERALD!!! MERRY CHRISTMAS!!! OOOH, oooh OOOH OOH!!! MERRY CHRISTMAS!" the result is extremely powerful emotionally in my opinion.  Just so f*cking beautiful.

"The First Noel", this is my favorite version of my favorite christmas song.  His lead is dead on, so beautiful in my opinion.  The melody of this song has always been beautiful to me, sounds like something Mozart would write or something, certainly a treasured standard... and Brian totally delivers with the production, the harmonies, and of course his lead.  Towards the end, there's an incredible moment where the band comes in harmonizing about twice as strong as the rest of the track "AAAAAHHHH, AHHHHH, ahhhhhh AHHHHH!!!" and Brian takes the opportunity to once again slide up into his legendary falsetto, "Noel, Noel.... NOELLLLL, NOELLLLL!!!~!" and it just blows me away every time. "Triumphant"

"Little St. Nick" rocks a little harder than the original, but I think I prefer the original because of the cool vibe of it.  I actually like Mike's laid back vocal, I think it adds to the song because it's a bunch of cool cats from school singing to the children or something.  How cool is this lyric, Mike, Brian?  "And haulin' through the snow at a frightnin' speed, with a half a dozen deer and a Rudy to lead".  Come on.  That's brilliant. 

"Deck The Halls" I love the instrumental parts.  Especially the breakdown before the sax solo (I think it's a sax).  When Brian performed at Disneyworld on television for those children at Night, they edited the video package together to show all the children running around playing in the dark with the Disney electric parade going on during this part, and it was just shot after shot of the kids totally elated to be at Disneyworld, the song served that part well, nice solid cover.

[SG7]

Medicore with a capital M




Okay I wasn't expecting Pet Sounds but he kind of let me down on this one. Sorry Brian.



I give it a 3 because I'm nice   

[Jim McShane]

Finished up the prototype of my new passive preamp yesterday, and was looking in the CD drawer for some music to audition it with. I picked Gershwin's An American In Paris, Chet Baker's "Chet", and once again, out came WIRWFC.

It still kills. It's just beautiful, there's so much great music on it...

BTW, the passive turned out great! (shameless plug) I should have it on the market in 60-90 days.

[Andrew G. Doe]

Sorry Andrew, your comment to TV Forces above seems very inappropriate to to me... So point me to the Blueboard too Andrew - because I think this is the best Christmas album I've ever heard. And it sounds wonderful in March too.

My point (made with tongue firmly in cheek) is that entirely uncritical gushing over Brian's released output has its place. I was merely indicating the direction of said location. 

Parts of the album are very nice. The rest of it... really doesn't matter. I'd possibly be happier if Brian had more control over the proceedings, but as that's an entirely moot point, I'll not belabor it. It's not that good - dammit, Pet Sounds itself isn't that good.

And anyway, criticizing a Christmas album is like voting against world peace, isn't it ? 

[I have no idea what this means, but it amuses the hell out of me]