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The Playlist: Holidays 2012 – Best of the New & Old

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Snowman Photo Credit: Jason Bolonski

When last Dappered brought you an article on holiday music, I was asked to shine a light on the new-for-2011 songs and collections of the season. By definition, this excluded just about everyone’s favorites, no matter the genre.

This year has seen a few high profile additions to the canon (like this one, this one and this one), but by and large, it’s a fairly bah-humbug year for good new releases. Mostly. This is pretty fun. And this is an entirely different kind of Christmas music experience.

Which means I can share some of the holly jolly from seasons past. Some are obvious, some more obscure. But for me, they share a common ability to define that which makes the season the emotional and cultural annual experience, those that have already come and gone and those still to come.
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THE CLASSICS:  Vince Guaraldi – A Charlie Brown Christmas – $7.34

The holiday standard. Guaraldi’s eternally hip sixties beatnik jazz is simply the sound of the Christmases of my youth. Chances are, yours too. It’s not Christmas without it. End of subject.

 

Phil Spector – Christmas Gift For You – $6.99

He was a music legend for a reason. This marked the birth of the Christmas album as a Pop album. With his “Wall Of Sound” production and stable of notable pop stars of the day, including Darlene Love, The Ronettes, and The Crystals, this album’s joyous gospel elements brings more to the collection than it gets credit for.

 

Ella Wishes You a Swinging Christmas – $9.71

There never was anyone like Ella Fitzgerald. And there never will be. This 1960 recording is just about the happiest holiday collection ever – Ella doesn’t really do sad, at least not on these favorites. Instead, she treats them with the same originality and sass that she brought to the popular hits of her day. Guaranteed to put everyone in a good mood at your Christmas party.

 

RECENT RECOMMENDATIONS: Annie Lennox – A Christmas Cornucopia – $9.99

Annie’s 2010 holiday collection allowed her to drape traditional, mostly festive holiday songs like “The Holly And The Ivy” and “Angels From The Realm Of Glory” in fittingly friendly arrangements. Her voice has not aged a bit since her days in The Eurythmics, but there is a great deal more gravitas and warmth in these surroundings. Her one original, “Universal Child” is a lovely Christmas lullaby with anthemic aspirations.

 

The Killers – (RED) Christmas EP – $7.74

Brandon Flower’s Sin City-powered modern arena rock would seem a strange context for Christmas music. And sometimes it is. But often it’s every bit as wantonly fun as any of their best singles. “A Great Big Sled” benefits from an inspired lyric, a hugely memorable melody, and a perfect amount of Christmas magic. While “Boots” is a more Cinemascope-like experience: dramatic, moody, over-the-top and ultimately, uplifting.

 

Sarah McLachlan – Wintersong – $7.00

What’s not to like? Even Sarah haters have to admit that this is just about the perfect context for what she does best. It’s all quite tasteful yet it’s far from cloying. Her voice shines in arrangements that feature relatively subtle seasonal attributes like sleigh bells and harp. Pick it up for her interpretation of Joni Mitchell’s “River,” and her own “Wintersong.” Buy it for “Song For A Winter’s Night,” whereupon Sarah transforms Gordon Lightfoot’s original into a remarkably moving and comforting winter hymnal. Her vocals on that track alone are worth the price of the whole album. Also, this is one of the best collections for snuggling up in front of the yule log with your sweetie and a warm winter toddie.

 

NEW ARRIVALS: Various Artists – Holidays Rule – $9.99

This is 2012’s standout collection. With a solid line-up of hipster approved indie artists like Calexico, Andrew Bird, and the Heartless Bastards, Holidays Rule shines on contributions from Fun (“Sleigh Ride”), The Shins (Paul McCartney’s “Wonderful Christmastime”), Rufus Wainwright (with Sharon Van Etten on “Baby It’s Cold Outside”), and The Civil Wars (“I Heard The Bells on Christmas Day”).  Sir Paul himself delivers up a traditional version of “The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire)” with an assist from Diana Krall on piano. This is a really well rounded collection of traditional and less familiar yuletide songs. Best holiday party host gift of the season.

 

Tracey Thorn – Tinsel and Lights – $9.99

Former Everything But The Girl singer Tracey Thorn retreats from her recent electronica records and gets back to her roots. It is all about her voice. As it should be. Focusing mainly on songwriters from the indie rock world (she covers holiday songs by Sufyan Stevens, Low, Ron Sexsmith and Stephen Merritt), the arrangements are simple and allow Tracy’s voice to shine. This works especially well on Jack White’s “In The Cold Cold Night,”  Joni Mitchell’s “River” and her lovely original “Joy.” Definitely the quiet-time collection of the year.

 

SINGLE SERVINGS: The Pogues w/ Kirsty MacColl – “Fairytale Of New York” – $0.99

This has become something beyond a cult classic. Why is this my personal favorite Christmas song? Because like the holidays themselves, this is by turn sad and empty, robust and hearty and all of a sudden achingly beautiful. It’s also rambunctious and crude. In general, it’s a bit messy. Just like the holidays. And it’s all because the back and forth between The Pogue’s Shane MacGowan and Kirsty MacColl is something to behold. Truly special.

 

David Bowie & Bing Crosby – “Peace On Earth/Little Drummer Boy” – $7.99 (album only)

Recorded for a 1977 television special, this is one of those strange cultural collisions that happened a lot back then. Bing Crosby’s “White Christmas” is the biggest selling holiday song of all time. Was then. Is now. So his pairing with David Bowie, who had recently put his Ziggy Stardust character to pasture and was about to enter his insanely fruitful Berlin era is truly something. But all of that is easily transcended by this moving proto-mashup.

 

Death Cab For Cutie – “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)” – $0.99

Death Cab For Cutie’s Ben… oops, Benjamin, Gibbard is the perfect foil for this melancholic classic. His earnest, boyish vocals are perfect for this plaintive holiday favorite. The band brings their own brand of the famous “Wall of sound” of the Phil Spector’s original  to this version (think reverb on everything), and it works. And like the holidays often can be, a little lonely and sad.

 

Emerson, Lake & Palmer “I Believe In Father Christmas” – $1.29

Easily the most downer Christmas song ever. A dark, cynical and disturbingly affecting hymn to a Holiday that seemed to be more myth than reality as played out here. It’s a bit angry, completely epic (yeah, I hate that word too, but it really seems to fit in this instance) and somehow beautiful.   Best of all is the yummy prog-rock goodness that brings it all together.

 

Brandi Carlile “The Heartache Can Wait” -$0.99

This is simply one of the best holiday songs to come out in some time. And like the best, it’s melancholic and lovely, with a sense of the spareness of a winter’s day. It’s just piano, cello, and Brandi’s vocals. Beautiful stuff.
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UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES EVER – This.

(with the exception of a white elephant gift.)

Tim Johnstone is a former Virgin Records Label Rep and current award winning Music Director and on-air host at KRVB, which was awarded the FMQB AAA station of the year markets 50+.  He also writes a blog that’s a collection of the absolute best the internet has to offer.   It’s a must read, and you can check it out here.  

Comments

  3. Good tracks, and good version by Death Cab for Cutie, but my favorite version of “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)” is by Dustin Kensrue. If you haven’t heard his acoustic tracks, check ’em out. Here is his version from his Christmas album:
    http://youtu.be/1-YS3ALKauA

  4. This has instantly gone to the top of my Christmas song list. I can only hope an entire album is coming.

  5. My estimation of Dappered, which was already high, just went up significantly by including Tracey Thorn.

  6. Great list! I would add Jim James/My Morning Jacket Xmas album. Also Esquivel’s “merry Xmas from the space aged bachelor pad”

  7. Her voice isn’t for everyone but Zoey Deschanel and M. Ward’s band She & Him’s christmas album should definitely be on this list and probably a favorite of alot of dappered visitors.

  9. It’s not Christmas without Vince Guaraldi. Also if you haven’t heard acapella group Straight No Chaser, they are excellent, they have 2 holiday albums, “Christmas Cheers” and “Holiday Spirits.”

  11. Death Cab depresses me. No thanks. Ella – nice. A Bing/David Bowie collaboration – bizarre and yet good.

  14. Great selections, but Ben Gibbard and his monotone delivery absolutely neuters “Christmas, Baby Please Come Home.”

    To get that sense of desperation that’s at the heart of this song (and a glimpse of true musical genius) stick with the original.

    Ms. Love, ready when you are….

  15. Both of the Sufjan Stevens Christmas box sets are great, but you’re robbing yourself of the full experience if you just download the tracks. Even if you usually just download albums or individual songs, those sets are worth it for everything else that comes along with them.

  16. Sort of similar to Vince Guaraldi is Dave Brubeck’s album, “A Dave Brubeck Christmas,” which is a solo jazz piano Christmas album you’ll never want to turn off. It’s been my Christmas soundtrack since it came out in 2003.

  21. Pretty solid offering from Dino. I’ve seasonally wanted to add this to my rotation, but never can seem to (legitimately) find the mp3s. There’s a remastered and slightly different version around, but still – I’d prefer the original. Luckily several tracks can be found on Pandora, via their Swing Christmas channel, IIRC (or whatever personal one you may chose to create).

    http://www.amazon.com/Christmas-Dino-Dean-Martin/dp/B0002W4TQM

  22. Oh, and yes, Christmas ain’t Christmas without some Vince Guaraldi Trio on the turntable… err… Sansa Clip+… err… *both*. Great call!

    I’m also quite partial to *Merry Christmas* by Johnny Mathis, and *Elvis’ Christmas Album* by, well… Elvis.

    And the kiddos have been enjoying some *Christmas Is For Kids* and another similar 33-1/3 from my youth, which I recently dug out of storage: the Peter Pan LP *Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer*, featuring the Peppermint Kandy Kids. With those at our disposal, our stereos frequently blare such great childish gems as “Who’s That Up On The Roof,” “10,000 Santa Clauses,” “Morris the Moose,” “The Day Before The Night Before Christmas,” and “Roly Poly the Polar Bear” – tunes that both my wife and I grew up listening to, long before we met.

  23. Complete agreement. One of my favorite Christmas albums, especially due to his original This Good Night Is Still Everywhere.

  26. Hijacking the top comment to recommend using Spotify to listen to all/most of these albums for free!

  29. Just read that he passed away! RIP.

    That’s a great album though. You should also check out Chet Baker’s “Silent Nights”. There are very few “real jazz” Christmas albums.

  30. Johnny Mathis – Merry Christmas is a classic and an essential to have. Winter Wonderland, Sleigh Ride, It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year, Silver Bells… you can’t go wrong.

  39. Tracks above on Spotify under “Dappered Christmas” playlist (couldn’t find Christmas by Death Cab for Cutie, if someone does let me know and I’ll add it).

  43. I suppose for some people, music just isn’t important enough to be anything other than something free and in the background. John Waters once said ‘If you go home with someone and they don’t have any books, don’t fuck’em.’ I think the same thing should apply to an actual music collection.

  44. I agree. Don’t pretend that music is an important part of your life if you don’t think it’s important enough to spend a few dollars on.

  45. JT knows how Texans do it. Pair this with Willie Nelson’s Pretty Paper Christmas Album and you’re done.

  46. Eh.

    I completely disagree.

    That’s like saying clothing couldn’t possibly be important to someone because they shop at a thrift store or Goodwill.

    When you listen to Spotify you are paying for it, just not with cash. You pay by generating ad revenue when you use the service (70% of that revenue is paid out in royalties). [You do pay cash if you subscribe to the premium service, however.]

    I could understand if you were ripping on people who pirate music but he mentioned a completely legitimate means of enjoying music.

  47. You still pay money by shopping at a thrift store or Goodwill. Unless you’re a subscriber to the premium service, you’re not paying out of pocket to listen to the music.

  49. For what it’s worth, artists don’t make much of anything via streaming services like Spotify.

  52. That Ella Fitzgerald album is great, especially New Years Eve, but she’s just amazing throughout. Tony Bennet did a great version of “My Favorite Things” on his album Snowfall.
    No love for actual Christmas carols though? I’m talking the real deal, choral choir recordings (Kings College Cambridge, The Royal College of Music Chamber Choir, Chanticleer, etc.)? IMO they’re better than 99 percent of the pop stuff by a country mile.