This is the Christmas Edition of WAYLT. Not exclusively a Christmas edition but it's Christmas and I have gone on a mission to rediscover the Christmas music of my youth in digital form. And I am pleased to report that I have got all the Christmas music I will ever need until the day I die.
First off, I'm not a big Christmas music fan. Years and years of listening to everyone from Elvis, Nat King Cole, Bing Crosby, and Mitch Miller, to Britney Spears, Metallica (yes they have a Christmas album), George Strait... well damn near anybody you ever heard of has a Christmas album or two; anyway so much of it's complete record company bullshit that it's turned me completely off to Christmas music.
But then I remembered some of the old albums we used to play when I was little. They were absolutley enchanting. I knew I had the vinyl somewhere and I found it. The Longines watch company put out a 4 disc set in the early '60s called Christmas At the Fireside and sold it through Readers Digest. Later the rights to the music were sold to Shell Oil and they sold the records at gas stations! Anyway, for me this is Christmas music beyond compare. Symphony orchestra + choir. Top notch stuff. So I went out and found it.
That was my mother's influence. On my father's side we have Gene Autry and the original versions of Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer and Here Comes Santy Claus. And yep, I found those digitized too along with a collection of all the Christmas songs Gene Autry ever recorded.
When you add these to the Vince Guaraldi Trio - Charlie Brown's Christmas, that pretty much gets it for me. I have since added Mannheim Steamroller's Christmas which sounds a bit manufactured but I like the synthesizers and oboes and the odd instrumentation. Plus there's no singing on it so that's cool too.
Along the way I had to pick up Manhatten Transfer, Rockapella, and Leann Rimes Christmas albums for Mrs. Dog. I know Fan likes Ho Ho Hoey by Gary Hoey but I don't have that one. So here's what I've been listening to. How 'bout you?
10.(TIE) Kenny Burrell - Midnight Blue, and DC Slater - Follow The Sun. I know, Kenny Burrell is jazz and DC Slater is heavy guitar rock but I love them both.
9. Wynonna Judd - Singin' Chapter 1. Another odd selection for me but wow was I surprised when I first heard this a few days back. It's mostly blues and rock cover songs and actually only a few country numbers. Made me re-evaluate the talent some of these folks have that gets misdirected by record company execs. Sickening.
8. Carey Bell - (2 albums) Tough Luck & Mellow Down Easy. The more I hear him the more I appreciate him. He's way up there among my favorite blues harpists.
7. Ace Moreland - All his albums. He's a now deceased Southern Rock / Blues guitarist who I am just discovering and I like just about everything I hear.
6. The Dirty Dozen Brass Band - Buck Jump. Sophisticated New Orleans-style street jazz. Good stuff!
5. Bernard Allison - The Otherside. Got ahold of a promo copy (album is not scheduled to be released until 1/31/2010) and when it comes out, get it. HOT Blues!
4. Vince Guaraldi Trio - A Charlie Brown Christmas
3. Alien Cowboys - (3 albums) Analogtherapy, Lift, & Zero Gravity. I got an Alien Cowboys album several years ago called Other Space which I really like. So when I saw these, I picked them up. Fast becoming one of my favorite bands.
2. Gene Autry - The Complete Columbia Christmas Recordings
1. Longines Symphonette Society - Christmas At The Fireside
10 comments:
Today at work I listened to Vince Guaraldi Trio and Trans-Siberian Orchestra's trio of Christmas albums in order.
Earlier in the week I listened to the two Buddy Guy and Junior Wells cds. Both are excellent.
Also listened to Lightning Slim. I forget the album name and I'm too lazy to look it up but it's the yellow cover with the red rooster on the cover. The title may be Little Red Rooster.
Been listening to Trans-Siberian Orchestra as well.
Sugarland has a new Christmas CD out this year that is good.
But since I have 3 little ones I have been listening to the Chipmunks, I want a hippopotamus for Christmas, Adam Sandler, The Snoopy song, and for me - Merry Christmas from the Family by Montgomery Gentry.
By the way Dog: I am using your reciped this year for my Christmas Eve ham!
Lightning Slim - Rooster Blues... she done Hoo Doo'd the Hoo Doo Man!
I've been listening to the sound of Flyers fans crying about the refs. Woooo.
OK, seriously...
Charlie Brown Christmas
Both Alligator Records Christmas albums.
The first GRP Christmas album (GRP is a jazz label.)
An Austin Rhythem & Blues Christmas album.
Didn't know Buddy Guy had Christmas albums... will have to check them out.
This is great. A list of the worst Christmas albums ever. How did I miss RuPaul's Christmas album? or Lynard Skynard?
were some of those LP covers photoshopped?????
I think they're the real deal. I remember some of them. That's an excellent list. I can't think of many shittier Christmas albums that those. Laughed my ass off at some of them.
That list that Carpetbaggery posted is an example of just how ridiculous the record industry is.
My favorite to listen to at the Holidays is the "We Three Kings" album by the Roches. Those girls have great voices.
Never heard that Roches album. I totally agree about their vocal talent. I go way back with them. Have their first album on vinyl.
Saw The Roches open for the now deceased Steve Goodman at the now defunct Bayou in Georgetown (DC) back in about 1978 or '79. And they blew me away.
Listening to the new Tina Turner Live album in between shoveling snow today. It's fantastic. She does a couple Stones covers back to back that are unbelievable (Jumpin' Jack Flash & It's Only Rock n Roll).
Straight No Chaser
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