Willie Nelson "Pretty Paper" (1979)

Hello Friends,

Happy First Day of Winter!

Enjoy this little ditty by Mr. Nelson, an all time holiday classic!

Hi-Fi Holidays: Christmas with the Platters

The Platters - "Christmas with The Platters" (1963) - Mercury Records

Hello Friends,

We've got one of the most successful vocal groups of all time helping on the turntable as we get busy wrapping our last few presents and getting the final decorations up on the tree!

This is a great, hip record from the R&B quintet who never sounded smoother!

There's bouncing, upbeat tunes like the great "Jingle Bell Jingle", "Santa Claus is Comin' To Town", the surf rock-ish "Blue Christmas" and the blistering Spector-inspired, "Jingle Bell Rock."

The record was produced by the legendary Buck Ram who handles the arrangements and gets songwriting credit on the nostalgic, "Come Home for Christmas". His influence as an arranger is felt throughout the album especially on the string-heavy "White Christmas" and "I'll be Home for Christmas".

As far as Platters' songs go "Christmas Time" is right up there with their classic, "Twilight Time" and "Silent Night" is heartfelt, sublime & so soulful it hurts.

The only real stinker on the record is the lispy and annoying novelty-song "All I Want for Christmas is My Two Front Teeth".  Ugh... No Thanks!

RATING: 4 sister susie's sitting on a thistle out of 5

The Mattoid - "The Christmas Time" (2015)

Hello Friends,

Its Christmas Party Time with this crazed Finnish rock star.

If this song doesn't get you in the Holiday spirit, then you have no spirit my friends!

Subversive Lo-fi Holiday Deliciousness!

\M/

Joe Perry – "Run Run Rudolph" (2014)

Hello Friends,

It seems even the guitarist from Aerosmith is getting in on the Christmas game.

What's next? A novelty coffee line by the band's drummer?

link

Oh, oops!  

Kay Starr - "(Everybody's Waitin' For) The Man With The Bag" (1950)

Now this is more like it!

A little Kay Starr will really get the Christmas cocktails flowing!

(Although, listening to the lyrics, this song may be about waiting for your Christmas cocaine dealer to arrive!?!  Let it snow?)

Old Mr. Kringle is soon gonna jingle
The bells that'll tingle all your troubles away
Everybody's waiting for the man with the bag
'Cause Christmas is coming again

He's got a sleigh full, it's not gonna stay full
He's got stuff to drop at every stop of the way
Everybody's waiting for the man with the bag
'Cause Christmas is coming again

Hi-Fi Holidays: A Keely Christmas

Keely Smith - "A Keely Christmas" (1960) - Dot Records

Hello Friends,

A fun and fairly mellow offering from everyone's favorite Native American/Irish lounge singer.  Based on what we've heard from Keely Smith from her days with Louis Prima we were expecting a jumpin', jivin' and wailin' LP that really gets the party started. Instead we get thirteen songs-- all very pleasant-- but overall its a very saccharine, very middle-of-the-road affair!

With the exception of the ukulele-heavy "Christmas Island" and the medium-tempo closer "Blue Christmas" nothing really pops off the record player at you.  Come on Keely, you're puttin' us to sleep!

At times it reminds us a little of Ella Fitzgerald's Swinging Christmas LP from the same year which, unfortunately for Keely, is vastly superior.

Now don't get us wrong, not every record is a classic and A Keely Christmas its not a bad record by any stretch!  its just that we were hoping for some flaming rum punch and instead we got some room temperature Harvey's Bristol Cream!

RATING: 3.5 stockings hanging from a big ol' coconut tree out of 5

Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass - "Christmas Song" (1968)

This little gem can be found on Alpert's 1968 Christmas Album.

Surprisingly sweet & understated.

Handsome chap that Herb Alpert!

Hi-Fi Holidays: Christmas Album

Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass - "Christmas Album" (1968) - A&M Records

Hello Friends,

Wow!  What a great schmaltzy & swinging Christmas record by everyone's favorite Jewish, trumpet-playing Santa Claus!

Its like the soundtrack to a Holiday-themed wrap party on The Dating Game featuring plenty of Dubonnet on Ice (how nice!), Leisure Suits, mustaches, side burns and lambskin condoms where you're hoping like heck that the wet spot you just sat down in is someone's spilled cocktail and nothing more!

Oy Vey!

Ten tracks all performed in the TJB style featuring a hybrid of lite jazz and latin arrangements, weaving vocal choruses, zippy time changes and Herb Alpert's signature overly-accentuated trumpet playing.

For better or for worse, its unlike any other holiday record in our collection.

Songs like "Winter Wonderland", "Jingle Bells" & "Sleigh Ride" all begin with a melodramatic "whimper" and end with a spastic and bombastic bang.  Hold on to your sombreros, amigos!

"My Favorite Things" sounds like a mariachi mash-up of The Sound of Music and an early Bond film.

Herb even steps out from behind his trumpet to sing Mel Torme's "The Christmas Song" and Burt Bacharach's "The Bell That Wouldn't Ring".

We're not sure what it has to do with Christmas, but there's even a smooth as silk take on the traditional Mexican birthday song, "Las Mananitas".  ¿Porque no?

You can definitely slow dance to Alpert's dreamlike pacing on "Let It Snow" while looking forward to a striptease by the end of "Jingle Bell Rock" all to be lulled into a gentle and graceful sleep by the strains of Bach's "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring", the album's closer. Classic!

RATING: 4.5 chestnuts roasting on an open fire out of 5

The Darkness - "I Am Santa" (2015)

The Darkness are at it again with this rockingly festive 2015 single.

Best lyric of the song?  How does this sound...

Hungry, hungry for Yule
Yearning, winter is cruel (as is autumn)A picturesque December, all the children are at playAnd I don’t want no chestnuts or Ferrero Rocher

Awesome!