And I like<\/em> the music. Yes, really. I know that certain songs are overplayed, and people get sick of them by the Sunday after Thanksgiving (if not sooner). And I am no fan of Band Aid<\/strong>‘s \u201cDo they Know it’s Christmas\u201d nor Wham<\/strong>‘s treacly \u201cLast Christmas.\u201d And though I am a lifelong Paul McCartney<\/strong> acolyte, I too think \u201cWonderful Christmastime\u201d is a stinker.<\/p>\n My favorites, though, include Roy Wood<\/strong>‘s perennial UK favorite, \u201cI Wish it Could Be Christmas Everyday,\u201d John and Yoko<\/strong>‘s \u201cHappy Xmas (War is Over),\u201d and the still officially unreleased full version of The Beatles<\/strong>‘ (admittedly repetitive) \u201cChristmas Time is Here Again.\u201d And there’s a special place in my heart for the instrumental genius of Dave Amels<\/strong> (Reigning Sound<\/strong>) and The Smithereens<\/strong>‘ Dennis Diken<\/strong> (and friends) as found on Husky Team<\/strong>‘s delightful Christmas in Memphis<\/em>. Find that one if you possibly can; it’s a gem, and fun in any season).<\/p>\n I mention all this not to fill space but to give you the context for the point of view I bring to the capsule reviews of this baker’s half-dozen of holiday season offerings. In short, I enjoy Christmas music as a style enough to appreciate the fine examples of it. But that doesn’t mean that I’ll still be playing any of it come Boxing Day; at that point it all (with the exception of Husky Team) goes back on the shelf until next year. But in the meantime…<\/p>\n Happy Holidays. And there ain’t no \u201cwar on Christmas,\u201d despite what the FOX propagandists might have their mindless followers believe.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/musoscribe.com\/images\/david_ian_xmas.jpg\")
<\/center>David Ian \u2013 <\/strong>Vintage Christmas Wonderland<\/strong><\/em>
\nIf you like your holiday music in a classic vibe \u2013 think Frank Sinatra<\/strong>, Julie London<\/strong> and Mel Torme<\/strong> rather than Mitch Miller<\/strong> \u2013 then you’ll find plenty to like on this five-song EP. Ian on subtle, jazzy piano is joined by an upright bassist and drummer (mostly on brushes) for this low-key affair that also features tasteful string work and (on three cuts) an assortment of smooth male and female vocalists. Ian goes for a Vince Guaraldi<\/strong> vibe (also see below) on an instrumental reading of \u201cO Little Town of Bethlehem\u201d in this all-standards offering. Brief but fun.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/musoscribe.com\/images\/john_fahey_xmas.jpg\")
<\/center>John Fahey \u2013 <\/strong>Christmas Soli<\/strong><\/em>
\nWhat little I knew about Fahey suggested that his music would be a stiff affair. And maybe a bit pretentious: \u201cSoli?\u201d In my neighborhood we call ’em solos. But this set \u2013 compiled from among the readings of public-domain Christmas songs found on four Fahey albums \u2013 is filled with heartfelt yet precise fingerstyle acoustic guitar work. A couple of the songs are not strictly solo pieces (er, soli<\/em>) as they feature guitarist Terry Robb<\/strong> alongside Fahey. But for those who enjoy this style of music, this is a fine collection of traditional holiday songs within a folk instrumental idiom.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/musoscribe.com\/images\/mad_men_xmas.jpg\")
<\/center>Various \u2013 <\/strong>Mad Men Christmas<\/strong><\/em>
\nConceptually, this one’s a bit of a head-scratcher. The album’s subtitle \u2013 \u201cMusic From and Inspired By<\/em> the Hit TV Series on AMC\u201d (emphasis mine) \u2013 gives the compilers some breathing room, insofar as a a few of the twelve tracks are contemporary tunes. Those are by the likes of Jessica Par\u00e9<\/strong> (the totally-not about-the-holidays instrumental \u201cZou Bisou Bisou,\u201d which sounds more like Pizzicato Five<\/strong> than anything else) and Nellie McKay<\/strong>‘s more thematically relevant \u201cChristmas Waltz.\u201d But ringers from Tony Bennett<\/strong> and Rosemary Clooney<\/strong> go some distance toward conjuring that pre-Beatles<\/strong> 60s vibe. Available exclusively at Target.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/musoscribe.com\/images\/guaraldi_xmas.jpg\")
<\/center>Vince Guaraldi \u2013 <\/strong>A Charlie Brown Christmas<\/strong><\/a><\/em> <\/em>
\nIn 2012, Concord re-re-released this album with unreleased tracks; this favorite contains the jazz songs that people who don’t like jazz, like. Disliking this will earn you the title \u201cScrooge,\u201d as it’s delightful and \u2013 at least for members of a certain generation \u2013 evocative of pleasant childhood memories gathered ’round the TV set. The Library of Congress calls it a “culturally, historically, or aesthetically important” sound recording. Now in 2013, Concord has yet again reissued this set, this time making the digipak into a clever die-cut piece than can be manipulated into the three-dimensional shape of Snoopy’s doghouse.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/musoscribe.com\/images\/percy_xmas.jpg\")
<\/center>Ernie Kovacs \u2013 <\/strong>Presents a Percy Dovetonsils Chrithmath<\/strong><\/em>
\nTelevisionary Ernie Kovacs created a simpering character called Percy Dovetonsils, unknowingly presaging the public personae of Charles Nelson Reilly<\/strong> and Paul Lynde<\/strong> by more than a decade (though Kovacs’ character was more erudite and subtle). This limited-edition 10″ vinyl picture disc is a swell companion to the pink vinyl album from 2012<\/a>. True, the humor is dated, but get past that and this is a hoot. One track from the …thpeaks<\/em> album plus five unreleased poetry vignettes from the Kovacs Unlimited<\/em> TV show make up this set. The jokes run right through the printed track lithting and liner noteth. Thilly.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/musoscribe.com\/images\/psychout_xmas.jpg\")
<\/center>Various \u2013 <\/strong>Psych-Out Christmas<\/strong><\/em>
\nWhere Cleopatra Records are concerned, Santa’s gift sack is best described as a grab bag. How else to characterize this mishmash of covers and new material from the past and present? Hot modern psych band Elephant Stone<\/strong> are on hand with a dodgy cover of The Beatles<\/strong>‘ \u201cChristmas Time is Here Again.\u201d The Fuzztones <\/strong>rewrite \u201cFarmer John\u201d as \u201cSanta Claus.\u201d Iggy Pop<\/strong> ruins \u201cWhite Christmas.\u201d Other current acts turn in psych-inflected readings of holiday classics, but what, pray tell, does The Zombies<\/strong> classic \u201cTime of the Season\u201d have to do with this<\/em> season? Perhaps Sons of Hippies<\/strong> know. Still, fun.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/musoscribe.com\/images\/waitresses.jpg\")
<\/center>Special mention:
\nThe Waitresses \u2013 <\/strong>Just Desserts: The Complete Waitresses<\/strong><\/em>
\nNot a Christmas album at all, this new 2CD collection from Omnivore Recordings does include the group’s \u201cChristmas Wrapping,\u201d originally from their 1982 EP I Could Rule the World If I Could Only Get the Parts<\/em>. Patty Donahue<\/strong>‘s sing-song delivery was and remains an acquired taste (one to which I have found myself largely immune) but the arty arrangements are outstanding, in a distaff Roxy Music<\/strong> sort of way. Art rock and white-boy reggae are filtered through a new wave sensibility. And \u201cChristmas Wrapping\u201d injects the holiday season with a much-needed bit of levity and irreverence, 80s style.<\/p>\n
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