11.15.2009

Christmas Music Revisited

Things I still bought after my last post:
Bing Crosby/David Bowie: Little Drummer Boy/Peace on Earth

Barnaked Ladies/Sarah McLachlan:  We Three Kings/God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen

Josh Groban: Ave Maria & Oh Come all Ye Faithful with the MoTab (I succumbed!)

Neil Diamond: Oh Come, oh Come Emmanuel (What's Christmas without the Diamond?)

Barbra Streisand: Jingle Bells

The Holly and the Ivy: Ripon Cathedral Choir - Max asked me to find a version with "4 to 12 voices" and I did.  So picky that one.

Kings College Choir: A few gems on the recommendation of a good and musically savvy friend.

Riu Riu Chiu: When the King Singers sang it with the MoTab.  One of my favorites!

Mormon Tabernacle Choir: Some of my favorites with Audra Mcdonald, Brian Stokes Mitchell and Renee Flemming

Warm December: Brushfire Holidays, Vol 1. - A collection of songs (new and old) by independent-type artists like Mason Jennings, Neil Halstead, Jack Johnson and Rogue Wave.  Really cool.  

Things I didn't buy because they were lame: 
Hall and Oats:  Oh Holy Night

Bob Dylan's Christmas Album:  It's a big commercial 'to heck with you' - it's Awful (capital A)

Things I'm Thrilled About:
Sting: If On a Winter's Night- it's a collection of Old English tunes.  So great.


Things I'm Disappointed In: 
 Prepare your gasps...James Taylor's Christmas Album was less than impressive to us.  His version of "Baby, It's Cold Outside' is Calypso madness  and creepy to boot.  Maybe it will grow on us, but it didn't feel fresh or hearken back to the classic Christmas tunes of our childhoods.  oh.

And I think I've prematurely spend my birthday money on Christmas music.  But what a way to spend it, right?

Things I Already Have that I'm Pumped About:
 Martin Sexton: Welcome to the Camp - a folky Christmas album with only a little bit of indulgence (Welcome to the Camp?  Come on)  One of my favorite Artists and one of my favorite seasons.   

3 comments:

  1. You and I need to get together and exchange Christmas music opinions! I bought James Taylor's Christmas album last year and experienced the same amount of disappointment, but its one saving grace to me is "Have yourself a merry little christmas" which made it not an entirely lame purchase (though I wish we had bought just that one song). My biggest Christmas album regret: Harry for the Holidays (Harry Connick, Jr.).

    One of my personal favorites is "Sleigh Ride" by Ella Fitzgerald, which I offer for your consideration =). Actually the album "Ella Wishes you a Swinging Christmas" is pretty decent, with only a couple of regrets. Michael Buble also has a Christmas album with a couple of decent songs on it.

    I've only bought two so far this season, but I'm liking them: The Christmas Song by Josh Groban, and Oiche Chiuin by Enya (her version of silent night).

    Not to encourage any more spending or anything. =)

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  2. Great suggestions! I have to tell you that, creepy of holiday creepies, right when I read your post I was listening to "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas". woa.

    I think I really tapped out today though...after I bought Low's christmas album. But it was only 7 dollars and I'm really done now.

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  3. lol. There's still over a month before Christmas! Lots of time to get some more music... good luck resisting!

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