4 posts tagged “holiday music”

Those who know me well know I have an unhealthy appreciation of holiday music. Don't know why; just do. It certainly stems from the overall corniness and positivity that somehow infects me every year when the holidays start to pop up on the radar; but beyond that, I just like me some good ol' fashion holiday music. And you can rest assured that, with Halloween now firmly in the rear-view mirror, I'll slowly but surely start working some of my seasonal favorites into my listening repertoire over the next few weeks. Believe it!

Still though, this is bad. Real bad. It's completely over the top. Even I think so. If I think it's too much too soon, than it is.

Coltrane's take on "My Favorite Things," especially live versions. I've got one from a 1961 show at Birdland that is sublime. If McCoy Tyner's piano doesn't fill you with holiday cheer, it's likely nothing will, my friends.

What song gives you the most holiday cheer?
Submitted by Roxy.

You're lucky. You get to be a witness to musical history. Go behind the scenes at the recording studio as Burl Ives lays down the vocals to his beloved holiday classic, "Have a Holly Jolly Christmas."

"OK, Mr. Ives. We're ready when you are."

[Music starts]

"Have a holly, jolly Christmas, and when you walk down the street
say hello to friends you know, and everyone you meet..."

"Have a holly, jolly Christmas, it's be best time of the year.
I don't know, if there'll be snow, but have a cup of cheer...."

"Cut! Sorry, Mr. Ives. Bit of a technical problem. Shouldn't take too long."

"Muthafucka! I don't give a shit about no fucking technical problem. Sheeuuhht. Do you know who I am? I'm Burl muthafuckin' Ives!"

"Mr. Ives, sir? I'm sorry?"

"No shit, excuse you, cracker! God damn, man, when Burl Ives gets going, baby, you got just let Burl Ives go. Burl Ives don't give no shit about your fuckin' honkey-lipped fancy mechanical stuff in there."

"Ohhh...kay, um, Mr. Ives, I really do apologize. Shouldn't take more than a minute or so."

Short pause

"OK, ready to go. 3...2...1..."

Ding, dong, ding,
Ding, dong, ding,

"Oh, ho, the mistletoe, hung where you can see
Somebody waits for you, kiss her once for me"

"And that's a wrap! Well done, Mr. Ives. Let's break for lunch."

"No fucking shit that's a wrap, beotch! Burl Ives knows when he hits his notes. Sheeuhht. Burl Ives is hungry as a motherfucker. Let's go get some lunch, bitches."

"That's what I just said, sir."

"I don't give a shit! No one tells Burl Ives when to eat some lunch except for Burl Fucking Ives! Sheeuhhht..."

One of my favorite holiday traditions is a simple one: Watch "A Charlie Brown Christmas," which ABC shows every year about this time. It was on last night, so I made the wife endure yet another viewing.

I don't know what it is about that damn show, but I love it. Well, I do know, actually: The music, for one. For anyone who's yet to listen to the Vince Guaraldi Trio's sublime soundtrack for "A Charlie Brown Christmas," get it now and listen to it over and over again between now and Christmas. You won't tire of it. It's the single best album of holiday music you'll ever come across.

Beyond the music, the show itself remains relevant and entertaining 40 years after its debut. It was highly prescient in its bemoaning the commercialization of the holidays, and the humor in the dialog remains witty (Lucy's Christmas dreams of real estate instead of toys being a prime example). And even though we're bombarded with ads further commercializing the holidays in during the breaks, its still one of the things I truly look forward to every holiday season.

Unfortunately, the one thing that annoys me about ABC's programming is that they always follow up the original with this insipid, horridly unfunny Charlie Brown Christmas show they put together a few years back. It's dreadful. It actually seems to go against everything the original stood for. At least the first 30 seconds or so, because that's usually all I can stomach of it before I turn on college basketball.

Looks like the next thing worth watching is 24 hours straight of "A Christmas Story" on TNT starting Christmas Eve. Lots of made-for-TV crap between now and then.

But, hey, there's always "Santa Clause 3"!