The Christmas Party

We’re almost one month away from the big day—what’s in store for 77 Santas? The second week of December will be a country Christmas. No, not Toby Keith or Kenny Chesney—we’re talking the likes of George Jones, The Louvin Brothers, and Charley Pride. Real country. And of course we have lots more—like 500 songs—to cull from. And remember, we’re always open to requests—as long as you’ve been nice and not naughty.

Reindeer Boogie – Hank Snow
Here’s a little preview of our upcoming country Christmas. And, starting Friday, be sure to check out Big Rock Candy Mountain—each year, the blog has delivered some great country Christmas tunes.

Joy to the World – Clem Snide
A sparse, haunting rendition of this traditional song—nothing else expected from Clem Snide, who did some great reinterpretations of songs. Check out their cover of Christina Aguilera’s “Beautiful” if you don’t believe me.

The Christmas Party – The Walkmen
I love the voice-over throughout this song. This jangle, sloppy version captures the excess and chaos of a Christmas party.

One More Sleep ‘Till Christmas – The Muppets
Kermit and the gang breeze through this holiday song from A Muppet Christmas Carol, which is underrated in my book.

Christmas Card from a Hooker in Minneapolis – Neko Case
Is there a better way to follow-up The Muppets? In a few days, we’ll post a live version by this song’s original singer, Tom Waits. Keeping him in mind, this song chronicles a pregnant prostitute and her sad yet occasionally funny melodrama—now that I think of it, perhaps I should have posted “Green Sleeves” today considering that song’s history. No matter—this isn’t really a Christmas song, but anytime to hear the stunning and beautiful voice of Neko Case is enough to post this song.

Summer Is Over: Disc One

The second week of college football has passed—Penn State climbed to number twelve and their defense has yet to give up a touchdown in a game. PC’s OSU Buckeyes are ranked ten and will hopefully stay undefeated until Oct. 27, when PSU obliterates them at Beaver Stadium. The NFL caps off their first weekend with a Monday night double-header tonight. Yes, fall is in full swing in my mind, no matter the temperatures. It’s time for wood smoke to fog the air, time for leaves to fire over with the colors of autumn, time for baseball playoffs, and time for chilly evening breezes.

Continuing upon PC’s excellent fall-themed post from a few days ago, I’m presenting the first disc of a fall mix series. Two years ago, PC gave me a mix CD called “Longing for the Midwestern Autumn.” It remains one of my favorite mixes to this day and featured that great Kingsbury Manx song he posted. I’ve lifted a few off that mix, reused some from last year’s mix, and stole a few from others. No matter where I got them, let this mix be your soundtrack to fall.

Elysium Number Five – Sir Richard Bishop
If you’re not familiar with Richard Bishop, do yourself a favor and buy everything you can. His solo work is supposedly largely improvisational, all the more impressive considering that he’s one of the very best guitarists alive today.

The Summer Is Over – Gisela and the Spirits
I wish that I knew something about this late-60s track but unfortunately, I can’t find a thing on it. It’s a sublime little song about the loss of summer. The guitar work sounds foreboding to me—maybe because it reminds me of the classic Don Knotts movie The Ghost and Mr. Chicken.

The World Is Cold Without You – Nirvana (U.K.)
No, not that Nirvana, but the late-60s British progressive rock band. Their chamber pop definitely takes a page from The Zombies, but never received the attention they deserved. This song is a small masterpiece that should be a staple on every oldies station.

Honey Dove – Lee Fields and the Expressions
Maybe the best R&B song that wasn’t recorded in the 1960s? That grooving, slow burning guitar mixed with Fields’ passionate delivery sells this song. Throw in an organ and baby, you got yourself a stew!

I’ll Be Around – Bobby Bare Jr.
His dad’s a country legend, but Bobby Bare Jr. is a great artist in his own right. This comes from his 2002 album, but he’s got a new one and I hear that PC loves it—maybe he’ll give us a little sample?

A Little More Time – John Doe
I’ve been digging “A Year in the Wilderness” for about a month now. I’ve always loved John Doe—I’m not an X diehard, but once they went Americana on their later albums, I was hooked. This track features guest vocals but our next artist…

Summerlong – Kathleen Edwards
The voice, the lyrics, the music—Kathleen Edwards is pretty much perfect in my book. This is off “Back to Me,” surely one of my top three favorite albums released this decade. It’s a masterpiece straight through.

Downbound Train – Bruce Springsteen
This was originally going to be on “Nebraska”—I’d love to hear how Bruce stripped it down for that album. Instead, he jacked it up for “Born in the U.S.A.” and it retains its darkness—that desperate run through the front door at the end is one of my favorite Springsteen moments.

The End of the Summer – Dar Williams
My love for this song is unhealthy. I first heard it about a year ago and have listened to it at least once a week since. The imagery is poetic—that’s a cheesy description, but there’s no other way I can say it. There are lines in here that take my breath away: “I passed the farms that made it through the last days of the century.” Williams perfectly captures the loneliness and desperation of youth and America in just over four minutes in what is her finest song.

Flowers in December – Mazzy Star
Dream pop at its very best, Mazzy Star always stops me in my tracks, largely because of Hope Sandoval’s dusty, haunting vocals.

I’m On Nights – Richard Hawley
Here’s a guy who needs more attention. Hawley’s beautiful, acoustic songs are show-stoppers. “I’m On Nights” reminds me of that perfect fall evening, sitting on the porch, wearing a Covington.

I Wish I was the Moon – Neko Case
Oh Neko… Her voice can cure all that ails you.

Crazy as a Loon – John Prine
I was a late bloomer to John Prine—sure, I’d heard of him, but never really listened to him. This one is off his last album and it’s a doozey. He’s a master at the story song. By the time we up in the north woods at the end of the song, you’ll never want to be anywhere else. Relaxed and smooth—exactly how I hope your fall goes.

Committed to Parkview – Porter Wagoner
Another country legend, Wagoner has seen a spike this year with his album “Wagonmaster.” This song, supposedly based on real life experiences, is spare and haunting.

Lately I’ve Let Things Slide – Nick Lowe
Lowe doesn’t get enough respect as an artist. The guy can craft a perfect pop song but damned if no one listens. I love the laid-back shuffle to this song, perfect juxtaposition to a guy who’s watching his life slide away.

Let It Ride – Ryan Adams and the Cardinals
I’m going to see him on Friday and I’m hoping I get this song, among many others. This is a live version, taken from the Loft Sessions, and it’s slowed down from the album. Still, it remains on my favorite songs by him—there’s a restless, aimless draw to this narrative.

Make A Plan to Love Me – Bright Eyes
Yes, lots of people hate him—I’ve been trying to get PC to buy this album since it came out last spring. The strings, the background vocals—it’s like our girl group post all over again.

Hard Sun – Eddie Vedder with Corin Tucker
A cover off the upcoming “Into the Wild” soundtrack which Vedder contributes many songs to. The original, by Indio, is quite good, but a bit too lo-fi for my tastes. I love how big this song sounds—I can imagine it fitting well against shots of traveling America.

Kaleidoscope of Life – John Morgan
Turn it up—the rip’s a bit quiet. But for a seven minute song, it’s well worth it.

Be back later in the week for the second and final disc. Happy fall-ing!

Make-Up Post

That’s right. This is a post where I make-up to you for not posting in several days. So, I’m sorry. But I’ve been busy, lots of people visiting, lots of stuff going on. Anyway, here’s Neko, Eddie, and lots of others worth checking out. This is a down-on-your-luck, kicking-an-old-soda-can, walking-with-your-head-hanging-low kind of mix.

The Mirror Speaks – James Blackshaw

The Dark End of the Street – James Carr

In California – Neko Case

Goddamn Lonely Love – Drive-By Truckers

Girl in the War – Josh Ritter

For the Widows in Paradise; For The Fatherless In Ypsilanti – Sufjan Stevens

Blue Moon with Heartache – Rosanne Cash

$1,000 Wedding – Gram Parsons

Crazy Mary – Pearl Jam

Merry Christmas (In July)!

The big half-way day is finally here.

I’ll Be Home for Christmas – Tift Merritt
Any song that starts with an organ this cool deserves to be listened to. A wonderful version done by the beautiful Tift Merritt.

Christmas Card from a Hooker in Minneapolis – Neko Case
Okay, we can argue about whether this Tom Waits song is really about Christmas. Quite honestly, with someone like Neko Case covering it, I don’t really care. This is quintessential Waits material that has never sounded so sublime.

God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen – Jigsaw Seen
Tapping into “Paint It Black,” Jigsaw Seen tear through a classic that I had previously never thought could rock so hard.

Christmas Will be Just Another Lonely Day – Brenda Lee
It wouldn’t be Christmas without Brenda Lee. This is one of my favorite Christmas songs by her, filled with her smoky, sexy voice and backed-up with melancholy strings.

Hard Candy Christmas – Dolly Parton
One of Dolly’s best, in my opinion. During the chorus, you believe she’s only repeating that things will be fine only to convince herself.

Santa Claus Is Watching You – Ray Stevens
A novelty classic. One year, during a visit to Hershey Park in Hershey, PA, my cousin Travis and I kept repeating, “Cause Santy Claus is watching you!” And then Travis would do, “He’s everywhere! He’s everywhere!” in a perfectly-pitched imitation of Ray Stevens. I should point out that this happened about six years ago, when we were both over twenty-years-old.

In the Bleak Mid-Winter – Sarah McLachlan
This song was written in 1872 by Christina Georgina Rossetti, though it wasn’t published until 1904, well after her death. One website claims that Rossetti wrote this poem in response to a call for Christmas poems in Schribner’s Magazine. Whatever the muse, she left us with a haunting and beautiful song perfectly

God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen – Aimee Mann
Like Jigsaw Seen, Aimee Mann knows how to spice up a classic. The horns and marching drums make this sound like a whole new song.

Hardrock, Coco, and Joe – The Three Little Dwarfs
Hardrock, Coco, and Joe, a Chicago-land classic and, thanks to super station WGN, a national classic too? Must be because we grew up in Central Pennsylvania and love this little film. Every Christmas morning the short was played on Bozo. Though the films have copyright info, the video quality is so poor, it’s nearly impossible to read. IMDB dates the film to 1951. Wikipedia credits it to a company called Centaur Prodictions. It’s certainly unlike anything you’ve ever seen. Originally called “The Three Little Dwarfs,” most remember this song as simply “Hardrock, Coco, and Joe.” The three are Santa’s helpers and deliver an unforgettable chorus.

O Holy Night – Nat King Cole
The king of Christmas music, Nat King Cole’s stunning voice carries this beautiful version. By the end, his delivering is moving and passionate. Each time I hear this song, I get chills.

Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas – Judy Garland
Not that I have anything against Entertainment Weekly (subscriber for twelve years—I love you, EW!), but last year, after 77 Santas posted a history of this song, EW printed a very similar article in their magazine. Probably no correlation, but I like to think so.

I’m going to call “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” the most depressing Christmas song. In fact, it was originally even more somber than the version that we know today.The song was written by Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane. Judy Garland made the song famous in her 1944 film Meet Me in St. Louis. Garland found the original lyrics too sad for a Christmas song. There is a fatalistic view on the world—there is talk of everyone being together, of muddling through, friends once gone who will come back. It reminds me a hymn almost, that promises a great reward in Heaven, where all friends and family will one day meet each other again.In fact, the original version, which Hugh Martin didn’t want to rewrite, did include religious undertones.Have yourself a merry little ChristmasIt may be your lastNext year we may all be living in the pastHave yourself a merry little ChristmasPop that champagne corkNext year we may all be living in New York.No good times like the olden days,Happy golden days of yore,Faithful friends who were dear to usWill be near to us no more.But at least we all will be togetherIf the Lord allows.From now on we'll have to muddle through somehow.So have yourself a merry little Christmas now.

Garland’s version probably has the most recognizable lyrics. There is a tender delicateness to this version—that quiet, music box-like introduction that draws the listener into the word. It’s beautiful.

Happy Xmas (War Is Over) – John Lennon
I’ve always loved “Happy Xmas (War Is Over)” but probably never more so than in the past few years. While the song was topical on its initial release, the song has sadly remained as relevant as ever and will probably always be. But it’s the message of this song that remains with me—war is over, if you want it.

Christmas Baby (Please Come Home) – Darlene Love
No surprise that we’re closing out the summer season with this, one of my favorite songs ever. The best commentary I’ve read on the song appears here, and is reprinted below.

The lyrics in this song work so well because of their simple understatement. As in the title, the single word “Christmas” is repeated by the background choir to begin each line of the song. Darlene Love then describes, in the briefest of sketches, familiar elements of Christmas: “The snow's coming down,” “Lots of people around,” “Pretty lights on the trees,” etc. Each verse ends with the same line: “(Christmas) Baby, Please Come Home!”

The chorus fills in the sketchiest of details.

They're singing “Deck the Halls,”
But it's not like Christmas at all,
'Cause I remember when you were here,
And all the fun we had last year!

And that's all we're told really. Boy and girl together last Christmas. Boy and girl not together this Christmas. Girl misses boy. So the apparent conflict is in their separation.

But there's something else going on here. There is no happy ending. The boy never shows up. If we listen closely to the lyrics and their delivery, though, we can feel another kind of tension. There is another conflict occurring, and that is between the forced joy of the season and the singer's own personal feelings of being sad and lonely. Once we become aware of this implicit conflict, the pieces of the song fall into place. We realize that the background choir is a group of people singing the single word “Christmas” over and over in a monotone, the effect being almost oppressive. In contrast, Love's individual vocal is marvelously expressive, her voice caressing and playing with every word, every syllable.

In this new light, the details of the season can be seen as constant tugs to involve the singer in the traditional, social events of the season, to give up her feelings of loneliness and isolation, to “go with the flow.”

With this tension in mind, let's see how the conflict plays out and reaches resolution.The song opens quietly. Strings quaver in the background, foreshadowing the emotions to come. Christmas bells ring on the beat. A lonely, halting bass line climbs the scale and then descends repeatedly. We work our way through the simple chord structure for one verse. Then the drums accelerate and launch us into the first vocal verse.

The vocal verses are richly layered. Multiple percussion instruments play interlocking rhythms, strings play counterpoint to the vocal, what sounds like a saxophone is used to add to the rhythmic surge.

Darlene Love's magnificent vocal soars in and around the pounding rhythms, like a surfer working her way through heavy swells, just beyond the reach of the undertow, harnessing all that power, playing with it.

A saxophone solo serves as punctuation. It is rich and warm, reminding us of the intimacy lost, the closeness needed but no longer available.

Another chorus, then the final verse. Darlene Love's voice quivers on the final word of each line, as if on the verge of tears, near breakdown. “If there was a way, I'd hold back this tear, but it's Christmas Day, please...”

Now the background singers echo her plea, “Please...” The call and response continues, accelerates, trading this one word back and forth, faster and faster, a piano now building in the background, begging for release, gradually climbing the scale, the pounding of the drums accelerating, until Darlene finally explodes, “Baby, please come home!” The piano soars now. Darlene repeats her request. The drums run free, no longer just carrying the beat but improvising, as the power of the climax winds down into release. Conflict between seasonal reminders and personal feelings are resolved, as the singer expresses her emotions fully and completely. Liberated from all restraint, she pours her true emotions out, honestly and openly, without shame or remorse.

It's instructive to compare this recording to another belonging to a prior generation, but with very similar lyric and thematic content. “One For My Baby (And One More For The Road)” was one of Frank Sinatra's favorite songs. This is a similar tale. Boy meets girl. Boy loses girl. Boy misses girl. And similarly, the tension in this song is also between the need to control and suppress one's feelings and the need to express them. The setting for the Sinatra song, though, is in a quiet bar late at night. The singer is able to express his feelings only to the bartender, and only after several drinks. He expresses his feelings with great restraint, referring to them indirectly, saying that he has to tell someone, or he “soon might explode.”

Given all these similarities, what is interesting is how different the two recordings are. The resolution of the Sinatra song is in the bar closing, the singer getting himself under control, successfully suppressing his feelings. The resolution of the Spector song is in the singer completely expressing and releasing her feelings. Whereas Sinatra successfully avoids an explosion, Love successfully explodes. The lyrics to the Sinatra song are clever and ironic. The lyrics to the Spector song are direct and effective. Sinatra offers a wonderful interpretation of “One For My Baby,” playing the part almost as an actor might. Love simply uses the words and melody as a starting point, with the real effect coming in the arrangement and vocal delivery. Instrumental backing for the Sinatra song is spare and low-key, echoing the reserve of the singer, and emphasizing the understated irony of the lyrics. Instrumentation for the Spector song is rich and multi-layered, representing the powerful opposing forces at work in the song, and the ultimate emotional release of the singer.

All in all, this masterpiece from Spector and Love is a wonderful example of the new aesthetic offered by rock music.

Thanks for spending the holiday season with us—check back in during November and December for oodles of treats. Until then, check in regularly for regular updates.