Caroling

In the past few days, I’ve been talking to a lot of people about Christmas music. There’s a lot of it out there, but everyone has their favorites – something they saw on TV when they were a kid, something they sang in choir in school. I’m a sucker for traditional Christmas carols, but they’re all so good, and there are so many of them, so I’m gonna leave them out. Instead, I give you my three favorite alternative Christmas songs. How about you guys?

In no particular order:

1. True Blue Miracle. From Christmas Eve on Sesame Street. Not the crappy version with Bob McGrath and Elmo. The original. Does anyone have a recording of this?!?!?!?

2. Why Isn’t It Christmas Yet? A Sunny Lewis classic, and the first appearance of the famed Arthur the Geniuses (and Marie the…um…sister) on record. You heard it here, folks.

3. Christmas Time Is Here. From Vince Guaraldi’s “A Charlie Brown Christmas.” You’ve seen the special. You know the deal.

7 Responses to “Caroling”

  1. Etan Says:

    You would be one to do this to me, wouldn’t you?

    Do you really insist on individual songs? I’m just going to give you my two favorite CDs out of the many.

    1) Vince Guarladi – A Charlie Brown Christmas
    2) Rockapella – Rockapella Christmas

    I can make lists for days if you so insist.


  2. lol, wtf Says:

    1) It’s beginning to look a lot like X-Mas.
    2) The Alvin and the Chipmunks x-mas song.. although I can only listen to it once or twice before it becomes a bit grating.


  3. Arthur Says:

    Crap – how could I forget the Chipmunks Christmas song?

    Here’s the original. Please listen to it; it’s amazing and severely enlightening. But try not to get too freaked out:

    The Chipmunks, before they were Chipmunks


  4. ari Says:

    1) U2’s cover of “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)”
    2) Nat King Cole’s Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire”
    3) John Lennon’s “Happy Christmas (War Is Over)”


  5. Luke Says:

    I love Duke Ellington’s Nutcracker Suite. Merry, Happy, &c., one and all.


  6. lol, creeped out Says:

    Whoa.. that’s gonna give me nightmares!! They sound really old and yucky! .. are they hot and ugly?? where did you get that? It took me like 10 minutes to listen to it.. my goodness,.. craziness– it’s funny that more people don’t sample the chipmunks in their hip hop — that would be FIYA


  7. dsquared Says:

    My favorite Christmas song is the old carol “Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming” by Michael Praetorius. The tune is beatiful, and so is the imagery of the rose coming out of nowhere to light a dark and cold world. I take it to mean that there’s always hope if you look for it.

    Happy New Year!