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This disc is proven to kill people from sheer Holiday Schmaltz.
(it was originally developed by a joint team of NASA Scientists and 5-star Generals to deploy against Russia back in the day for Total World Domination.)
Oddly, I'd have to say Christmas Caravan by The Squirrel Nut Zippers. Christmas day has always been horribly frantic for us (two brunches, two dinners, an hour drive into the city and back) and we don't get to exchange our presents to each other until midnight. We light a fire, pour some wine and put on that album because it's nice and mellow.
Somebody gave me Glenn Miller's Christmas 1943 Live album a couple of years ago, and it's surprisingly moving. And, the semi-bizarre cover art not withstanding, Diana Krall's Christmas Songs is coolly workmanlike. Peggy Lee Christmas usually gets played at my house, too.
Perry Como. I hate hate hate the Andy Williams album because my mother plays it every damn year and has since before time began for me. But I love Perry Como! I also like the Osmonds (shut up) xmas album, The Carpenters, Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers, and Mahalia Jackson.
Slightly newer xmas stuff I like: Vince Gill, Martina McBride, and select songs from AKUS and Patty Loveless.
I wish I knew what comp it was on, but I grew up listening to one highlighted by Jim Nabors singing "Go Tell It On the Mountain". Make that belting. It's almost over the top, but his voice is in great form.
I'm liking the Aimee Mann album, and I'll check out the MacLachlan (hopefully before Christmas is over!).
I used to be really big on "Little Drummer Boy" but I think I'm a-rum-pum-pum-pummed out.
(Oh, and in our house, a Christmas staple is a fantastic recreation of the medieval Play of Daniel by the University of Chicago Chapel Choir using 13th-century instrumentation and chords. The lyrics are all vulgate Latin and there are lots of bells -- it sounds Chinese.
The dang thing is decades out of print and I want to transfer the vinyl to CD.
My parents say it did not influence my first name.)
New Orleans gospel/blues singer Marva Wright, My Christmas Song. Listen to the title track (track 2) RealAudio sample on that page. If she sang with any more feeling, she'd have to go on Prozac. She lost EVERYTHING in Hurricane Katrina, but she's still going.
I often have the pop music tastes of a 1960s housewife, so I adore Andy Williams. I'm also very fond of Perry Como, but I think my favorite Christmas album is a Lennon Sisters album I've got from when I was a little girl. My mother played a lot of Jim Nabors and I like that too. Right now I'm playing a Kingston Trio album that's pretty good.
Although, yesterday my friend Jack played two cuts on his radio show from a Yo La Tengo Christmas album, and damn I liked those a lot.
There's also lots of classical music I like to play at Christmas, with Handel's Messiah leading the pack.
photo by splunge
photo by TheophileEscargot
photo by Kronos_to_Earth
photo by ethylene
