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| A Charlie Brown Christmas 1965 |
A Charlie Brown Christmas
Vince Guaraldi Trio
Every holiday playlist begins here. It would be like having a tree without lights to not include A Charlie Brown Christmas on your seasonal soundtrack.
From the opening keys of O Tannenbaum to the Green Sleeves finale, Vince Guaraldi (piano), Monty Budwig (bass) and Colin Bailey (drums) wrapped up THE classic Christmas record in 1965 for an annual television special that's just as essential.
It's nearly impossible to pick a favorite. Mine include Linus and Lucy, Christmas Time Is Here (vocal) and Hark, The Herald Angels Sing.
Feel free to do the Snoopy dance early and often no matter what the holiday.
Feel free to do the Snoopy dance early and often no matter what the holiday.
Horny Holidays!
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| Horny Holidays 1992 |
Mojo Nixon & the Toadliquors
While A Charlie Brown Christmas ranks as the all-time family classic, there is no better late-night adult listening than Mojo Nixon & the Toadliquors' Horny Holidays!.It's rude, nude, juvenile and a rockabilly blizzard that often borders on sacrilegious. It's also impossible to sing the original lyrics after hearing the Mojo version.
For instance, "We three kings of Orient are/drinking whiskey in a nude bar."
Hit the egg nog as hard as you can and make your holidays Toadliquor horny.
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| Hipsters' Holiday Vocal Jazz & R&B Classics 1989 |
Hipsters' Holiday: Vocal Jazz & R&B Classics
Various Artists
If you only get one multi-artist Christmas compilation, it's hard to top this one. But, break out your furs, because this 1989 Rhino Records bash is for the heppest cats only.There's Louis Armstrong on Cool Yule; 'Zat You, Santa Claus; and Christmas Night In Harlem; Miles Davis on the cynical Blue Xmas (To Whom It May Concern); Lena Horne on Jingle All The Way; and Lionel Hampton on Merry Christmas Baby.
While Eartha Kitt purrs through the classic version of Santa Baby, Pearl Bailey tops the wish list with her Five Pound Box Of Money.
The Tim Fuller Experience transforms Silent Night into a cheesy night club number without pandering into parody.
Hipsters' Holiday is your invitation to the coolest Christmas party ever. It makes for quite a night, but not a quiet one.
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| Christmas with Johnny Cash 2003 |
Christmas with Johnny Cash
Johnny Cash
If you're worried about the state of your soul after listening to Mojo Nixon, follow it up with the voice I've always believed that God sounds like - Johnny Cash.
The Man in Black blends his heavenly vocals into a collection of traditional treasures including Hark The Herald Angels Sing, O Come All Ye Faithful, Away In A Manager, Joy To The World and Silent Night.
Lesser known lights include I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day, The Gifts They Gave and Merry Christmas Mary.
The Christmas Guest, The Christmas Spirit and Christmas As I Knew It are the season's story songs of story songs.
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| Elvis Sing The Wonderful World of Christmas 1988 |
Elvis Sings The Wonderful World of Christmas
Elvis Presley
It wouldn't be Christmas without The King.
Given his gospel background, Elvis is as equally sincere on the religious numbers as he is on the rockers.
There are plenty of Elvis Christmas collections available, and the crown jewels of this one are I'll Be Home On Christmas Day, If I Get Home On Christmas Day, and the extended version of Merry Christmas Baby.
The girly shrieks on the live version of Blue Christmas from his 1968 television special also make it among the best early presents you'll ever hear.
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| Christmas In The Heart 2009 |
Christmas In The Heart
Bob Dylan
How would you like to spend Christmas on Christmas Island ... with Bob Dylan?
This 2009 release may be the most surprising one to ever hit the holiday record bins.
This 2009 release may be the most surprising one to ever hit the holiday record bins.
With proceeds benefiting multiple world hunger organizations, perhaps the most accomplished songwriter of all time takes on 15 Christmas classics.
Regardless of whether it's a religious standard such as Hark The Herald Angels Sing or a playful Winter Wonderland, Dylan croaks through them all in his late-career voice and, somehow, it works.
The most astonishing moments are the opening Here Comes Santa Claus, the Cajun-flavored Must Be Santa and the tropical Christmas Island, if for no other reason than you can't believe it's Bob Dylan singing these songs.
He delivers this 16-song card with a message that's not always an easy one to hear. He's appreciative for all his fans have done for him, but he wants the love spread to everyone.
When he opens with Santa Claus Go Straight To The Ghetto, he means it.
Santa's Got A Brand New Bag comes with all the funk/blues trimmings you would expect, and it's a reminder that the soul of Christmas doesn't come from a department store.
Take heed to the Godfather of Soul, "Let's make this Christmas mean something this year."
Break out the guitars, harmonicas and pianos for this smorgasbord of both kinds of blues: those that make you feel better and those that make everyone else feel worse.
This aural shopping bag includes legends such as Louis Jordan (Santa Claus, Santa Claus), John Lee Hooker (Blues For Christmas) and Lightening Hopkins (Merry Christmas and Happy New Year).
Sonny Boy Williamson delivers the one of the best of the 18 songs with Santa Claus in which he pulls out all of his baby's dresser drawers in search of his presents.
Some Christmases are happy. Some are sad. These blues go with either.
Regardless of whether it's a religious standard such as Hark The Herald Angels Sing or a playful Winter Wonderland, Dylan croaks through them all in his late-career voice and, somehow, it works.
The most astonishing moments are the opening Here Comes Santa Claus, the Cajun-flavored Must Be Santa and the tropical Christmas Island, if for no other reason than you can't believe it's Bob Dylan singing these songs.
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| Santa's Got A Brand New Bag 1988 |
Santa's Got A Brand New Bag
James Brown
James Brown has a Christmas list for Santa and it's not filled with frivolous requests.He delivers this 16-song card with a message that's not always an easy one to hear. He's appreciative for all his fans have done for him, but he wants the love spread to everyone.
When he opens with Santa Claus Go Straight To The Ghetto, he means it.
Santa's Got A Brand New Bag comes with all the funk/blues trimmings you would expect, and it's a reminder that the soul of Christmas doesn't come from a department store.
Take heed to the Godfather of Soul, "Let's make this Christmas mean something this year."
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| Blue Yule 1991 |
Blue Yule
Various Artists
Break out the guitars, harmonicas and pianos for this smorgasbord of both kinds of blues: those that make you feel better and those that make everyone else feel worse.
This aural shopping bag includes legends such as Louis Jordan (Santa Claus, Santa Claus), John Lee Hooker (Blues For Christmas) and Lightening Hopkins (Merry Christmas and Happy New Year).
Sonny Boy Williamson delivers the one of the best of the 18 songs with Santa Claus in which he pulls out all of his baby's dresser drawers in search of his presents.
Some Christmases are happy. Some are sad. These blues go with either.
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| Little Steven's Underground Garage Presents Christmas A Go Go 2008 |
Little Steven's Underground Garage Presents Christmas A Go Go
Various Artists
Keith Richards' cover of Run Rudolph Run makes this worth searching out no matter what else is on it.
But, this is a Little Steven production, which means plenty of psychedelia from the Underground Garage with loads of guitar ribbons, girl group bows and stocking stuffer surprises - including Bob Seger's Sock It To Me Santa, Darlene Love with the E Street Band on All Alone On Christmas and Soupy Sales' Santa Claus Is Surfin' To Town.
There's also blues, hot rods, British sounding Santas, and even one from Joe Pesci (the hilarious If It Doesn't Snow On Christmas).
By all means, dig this Christmas A Go Go.
There's also blues, hot rods, British sounding Santas, and even one from Joe Pesci (the hilarious If It Doesn't Snow On Christmas).
By all means, dig this Christmas A Go Go.
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| 'Tis The Season For Los Straitjackets 2002 |
'Tis The Season For Los Straitjackets!
Los Straitjackets
Los Straitjackets prove once again that nearly any song can be ridden onto a wave of surf guitars and that sometimes Santa wears a Mexican wrestling mask.
This 13-song instrumental collection from 2002 includes Here Comes Santa Claus, Jingle Bell Rock, Frosty The Snowman and, of course, Feliz Navidad.
Los Straitjackets put another present under the tree in 2009 with Yuletide Beat.
Cowabunga Christmas time!
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| We Three Kings Christmas Favorites 2005 |
We Three Kings Christmas Favorites
Rev. Horton Heat
When the Rev (Jim Heath) decided to make a Christmas album, he debated playing it straight with his own brand of guitar chaser or twisting the tunes for adult ears only.
Ultimately, Rev. Horton Heat rode the former route to holiday royalty on this 2005 release. The trio rips through 13 familiar favorites with plenty of psychobilly solos.
The shiniest ornaments are Frosty The Snowman, Santa Looked A Lot Like Daddy, Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer and Run Rudolph Run.
"A little for Santa, a little for the reindeers, a little more for Santa."
Queen, George Thorogood & The Destroyers, The Beach Boys and the Dave Edmunds Band also add to the rock 'n' roll revelry.
Billy Squier, Weid Al Yankovic, Foghat, Canned Heat, and The Kink's Father Christmas tie the bow on the collection.
Sprinkle this magic dust liberally.
Merry Christmas
I've purchased everything she's put out since and, while nothing has topped I Am Shelby Lynne, she's never disappointed. Willie Nelson loves her too. She's a staple almost anytime he does one of his multi-artist projects.
Her Christmas collection is mostly acoustic, Southern drawl sultry and undeniably sexy in a subtle way.
"I'll bring the nog/You put on the log/It's a Christmas party."
What time and where? I am so there; because, you are so right, "Ain't nothin' like Christmas."
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| Billboard Rock 'n' Roll Christmas 1994 |
Billboard Rock 'n' Roll Christmas
Various Artists
Cheech & Chong's Santa Claus And His Old Lady is the stoner Christmas classic and reason enough to have this compilation."A little for Santa, a little for the reindeers, a little more for Santa."
Queen, George Thorogood & The Destroyers, The Beach Boys and the Dave Edmunds Band also add to the rock 'n' roll revelry.
Billy Squier, Weid Al Yankovic, Foghat, Canned Heat, and The Kink's Father Christmas tie the bow on the collection.
Sprinkle this magic dust liberally.
Merry Christmas
Merry Christmas
2010
2010
Shelby Lynne
I readily admit to having a crush on Shelby Lynne and her work after 1999's I Am Shelby Lynne.I've purchased everything she's put out since and, while nothing has topped I Am Shelby Lynne, she's never disappointed. Willie Nelson loves her too. She's a staple almost anytime he does one of his multi-artist projects.
Her Christmas collection is mostly acoustic, Southern drawl sultry and undeniably sexy in a subtle way.
"I'll bring the nog/You put on the log/It's a Christmas party."
What time and where? I am so there; because, you are so right, "Ain't nothin' like Christmas."
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