More snow in the south. I woke last week to two inches of snow on the ground with more still falling. The snow eventually gave way to rain later in the afternoon (making me thankful I don't have to drive anywhere tonight. Everything was slush when I went out for groceries earlier in the day). From what I heard most of the schools were closed and everyone stayed off the roads. Contrast this to Michigan where this much snow doesn't even change people's driving habits.
I saw one kid going door to door offering to shovel snow. He had a garden hoe. Obviously these people are completely confused by winter weather.
Since I fell behind late last week, Today's is a jam packed edition of the nice list. Trying my best to catch up.
Song #16: Run DMC - Christmas in Hollis
Rap is one of those genres of music that doesn't often delve into the Christmas tradition. Outside of Snoop Dogg's take on The Night Before Christmas and De La Soul's excellent Millie Pulled a Pistol on Santa (which could have easily made this list had I considered it) I really can't think of too much Christmas inspired rap.
Thankfully the boys from Run DMC did their part and came out with a superb Christmas infused hip-hop song. Sampling heavily from a song that was already featured on this list (Clarence Carter's Backdoor Santa) as well as Christmas staples such as Frosty and Jingle Bells, Run DMC throw together an excellent and soulful back beat just dripping with jingle bells and chimes. This song perfectly exemplifies the beauty of the Christmas tradition as an inspiration for popular music. If you use just enough Christmas imagery and a few traditional elements properly, you can produce some truly inspired and original Christmas music.
Song #15: John Lennon - Happy Christmas (War is Over)
This is my father's favorite Christmas song, and it is a great one to choose for that honor. Lennon's Christmas classic throws out most of the traditional imagery we associate with the holiday season and instead focuses on the idea behind the season. Making things better for those around us.
Of course this isn't a surprising twist from a man who sang Imagine and spent two weeks in bed for peace (Maybe I should dedicate all the time I spend on the couch to a higher calling). Lennon knows how to write a pop song, and his use of a children's choir is spot on. This song may not delve as deep into the kinds of Christmas tropes we are used to, but it is a poignant and touching reminder of the deeper meaning of Christmas.
Song #14: Jackson 5 - I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus
While John Mellencamp did an admirable version of this song that rocks just as well as any Christmas song out there, the definitive version remains the Jackson Five recording. Michael Jackson may have been a lot of things, but first and foremost he was an entertainer, and his ability to elevate a song shines through on this recording. The RnB arrangement suits the song perfectly, and Michael's youthful vocals and spoken arguments with his brothers toward the end of the track fit perfectly with the childlike tone of the song.
Song #13: Alvin and the Chipmunks - The Chipmunk Song (Please Christmas Don't Be Late)
When it comes to slightly gimmicky Christmas songs, The Chipmunk Song has to take the cake. It is a great mix of childish Christmas concerns, humor, and of course non-traditional vocals. Where songs like Hippopotamus and Gettin Nuttin for Christmas are sung by actual children, The Chipmunk Song uses the time honored tradition of speeding up a vocal track. When I was young, well before I developed a real interest in vinyl records, I used to play them and speed the 33's up to 45 speed and laugh like an idiot--you know what they say about simple minds. The Chipmunks may be campy and childish, but if this song is good enough to lead off the movie Almost Famous, it is good enough for this countdown.
Song #12: Mariah Carey - All I Want for Christmas Is You
I'll be honest, I am a sucker for pop music, and that extends to this particular Mariah Carey track as well. Some songs just call for bombast and showmanship, and nobody delivers that quite as well as Carey, the woman who never met a vocal run she couldn't make, a note she couldn't hit or a lull that she couldn't embellish with probably another vocal run. While less is often more, Carey proves on this one that more can sometimes be just right. The bass pulsates underneath, driving the song along with the rattle of jingle bells and one of the strangest piano tracks I have ever heard (literally jamming on the same note over and over again for two bars at a time).
Carey's tendency to get too into herself and her talent may hurt her in some cases (cough, her acting career), but in this song she is right at home, and there might not be another female vocalist out there who could have done more with less.
Song #11: Paul McCartney - Wonderful Christmastime
I suppose in the grand scheme of things, this song should have been right next to Lennon's Happy Christmas. The two songs perfectly illustrate the differences between the dueling creative forces of The Beatles. Lennon's Christmas song is rock and roll with a heart. McCartney's Christmas song is pop flare. Both remain geniuses as song writers, but as a fan of both the Beatles and each artist's solo career, it still feels weird to separate the two.
Song #10: Charles Brown - Please Come Home For Christmas
Yet another song that can't help but show up on this list twice, Please Come Home for Christmas is the kind of blues meets Christmas standard that keep holiday music from swinging too far in the direction of sappy pop and blatant commercialism. Where the Eagles play their version of this song with more rock and roll swagger, Brown does with straight blues--something he does very, very well. It isn't the kind of song you are likely to hear at the mall or on the radio much around the holidays, but it's the kind of song you might hang around the store a few extra minutes to finish if you did.
Song #9: Frank Sinatra - Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
There isn't much to say about this song and it's place in the top ten that isn't readily apparent from just one listen. Sinatra, ever the showman, hits every note impeccably and wrings every bit of emotion that he can from this old holiday standard. Of all the versions of this song that have been recorded, this might be the most widely known, and for good reason. It is almost certainly the best.
Song #8: James Brown - Merry Christmas, Baby
Sometimes an artist and song come together so perfectly that it is a wonder they weren't made for each other. When it comes to the old R&B Christmas standard Merry Christmas, Baby, absolutely nobody does it quite as well as the Godfather of soul himself.
Brown is somewhat uncharacteristically reserved for most of this track. His voice is soft with an almost whisper-like quality. For a man who made his living pushing his voice to the absolute limits, Brown shows just how adaptable a singer he is, squeezing as much energy and passion out of these words as he can. By the end of the song he finally breaks out a few yells for added impact, and they fit perfectly with the music that has built up for three minutes. All of this is backed by an impeccable score utilizing horns, strings, and a beautiful electric guitar over top of a simple blues rhythm section to provide a slowly building R&B track. Part of the reason Brown's vocals are so effective is the way he plays them off of the music. The horns pack a punch and the strings build the tension allowing Browns voice to float underneath until the end of the song.
All in all this is one of the best examples of an artist taking a song and making it his own. Brown sings it like no one else and provides one of the best R&B Christmas songs ever recorded.
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