Holiday Reading

When the nights are dark and cold, there’s nothing like curling up in a comfy chair, next to a warm fire, with a good book.

Few of us have wood fires these days (though I happen to be sitting beside one at the moment), and in any case there are air pollution issues, but I find I can achieve something almost as good with ducted heating, a few candles, a nice reading lamp with a full-spectrum bulb, and some Christmas lights twinkling on the tree or around the window.

(If the smell of wood smoke is vital for you, you can always get one of those small Hibachis and burn a few pine chips, but make sure your smoke alarms are turned off first if you are going to burn more than two or three.  Or you can get a piney smell by draping a few branches and garlands around the room. I have been known to bring home fresh cut pine when I come across it for the aroma.)

And here are some suggestions for Christmas-themed reading—and a few books, as well, that I think go well with a warm chair in the dark nights:

A Christmas Carol—Charles Dickins — The classic story, which so many people know without having read it.  And it is worth reading (and seeing in a live theatrical production). [on Amazon; ebook version]

The Night Before Christmas — Many of us can recite this poem (by Clement Clarke Moore) by heart, but it helps to have a nicely illustrated version to read aloud on Christmas Eve, and the illustrations in this one, by Charles Santore, are lavish and appealing, albeit very much the expected, traditional thing. [on Amazon]

How the Grinch Stole Christmas—Dr. Seuss — Yet another classic Christmas text we all know by heart, but I suspect many people know it mostly from the original animated TV version, which is charming and terrific, but shouldn’t supplant the original. [on Amazon]

Olive, The Other Reindeer—Vivian Walsh and J. Otto Seibold — The newest edition to the canon of Christmas classics, at least for me—I found it utterly enchanting, first in book form and then in the TV special, with Drew Barrymore doing the voice of a dog named Olive who thinks she’s the other reindeer from the line in the song, “all of [Olive] the other reindeer.” [on Amazon – the ebook is free if you have Kindle Unlimited]

Miracle and Other Christmas Stories—Connie Willis — Hugo and Nebula award-winning author Connie Willis reimagines some of the key themes of Christmas in this collection of warm and generous stories. [on Amazon]

Doomsday Book—Connie Willis — Set in Oxford of the future, when time travel is a research tool for history departments, and in Oxford of the 1300s, when plague stalked the land. It’s a phenomenal read, deeply moving in places, and set during Christmas. An excellent book for curling up with on a winter evening. [on Amazon]

Hogfather—Terry Pratchett — “Everything starts somewhere, although many physicists disagree.”  Sir Terry Pratchett has been called the greatest living satirist writing in English.  Here he turns his satirical, but also always warm and generous, wit loose on Christmas (among other things). [on Amazon]

The Riverside Shakespeare — Shakespeare is always readable, and I’ve spent many a winter’s night curled up with one or another play. “A Winter’s Tale” might seem like the seasonal reading, but I’d suggest giving it a miss. It’s one of the problem plays and doesn’t really have much to offer of a seasonally appropriate nature. Paradoxically, the play I might most recommend for reading during the long nights around the winter solstice is… “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” Its magic, mystery and wonder seem much in keeping with the season, and of course it’s delightful.  [on Amazon]

The Lord of the Rings — Not at all holiday themed, but a book I’ve been curling up with during winters for more years than I care to reveal. Again, as with the Shakespeare, there is something about the mood that it summons in you as you read that does seem to consort well with the mood of the holidays, even when the content has nothing at all to do with Christmas or the holidays. [on Amazon]

In the past I would have included the YA fantasy series by she who must not be named. Not any more. But if you have them and they were special to you, they have nice Christmas scenes in them.

A newer addition to my holiday reading is Susan Cooper’s The Dark is Rising which I was turned on to by a social media post by Rob Macfarlane maybe 5 years ago, when he was proposing a winter solstice read. That led to Rob adapting the book as a radio play — which will be broadcast by the BBC in 12 parts beginning on 20 December. I’m very much looking forward to it, and am foregoing my annual read in anticipation. [book on Amazon]

If you are looking for any of these books, or for books as gifts for people you love for the holidays, please shop at independent bookshops as much as possible. If you’re in the San Francisco Bay Area, try Green Apple Books, Booksmith or Borderlands in San Francisco, or Moe’s Books or Mrs. Dalloway’s in Berkeley. They will also ship to you wherever you are.

You can also order from Powell’s Books in Portland, and Book Riot has a handy list of independent bookshops around the country from which you can order online. And if you are in the UK you can support independent bookshops by buying online with Bookshop.org

Filed under: What I Read Today, books, Christmas, eBooks, holidays

Christmas Movies and TV on Amazon

Christmas can be pretty overwhelming. On Amazon.com, it can be a real hassle sorting out the wheat from the chaff when it comes to decent holiday movies and TV specials, and picking between the many different versions available for some of the titles.

Below, for your convenience, are links to what I think are among the best of all the Christmas movies and TV specials available—and to what I think are likely to be the best and most appropriate of the various versions and editions. I have also created an Amazon store containing most of the same entries.

Holiday Movies on DVD from Amazon:

Classics / More Traditional

White Christmas (Anniversary Edition) — the classic. Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye are buddies serving together in the army. After WWII ends, they go into show business together, and are a big hit. Too big. Danny Kaye wants to set Bing up with a woman so he can have a rest. And then they meet two singers, sisters of an old Army buddy, played by Vera Ellen and Rosemary Clooney…

Holiday Inn (3 Disc Collector’s Set) — Bing Crosby starts an inn that only opens on holidays, each time with a special, thematic floor show. Fred Astaire is his best friend. And they’re both in love with the same girl. The film is notable for featuring the first screen performance of the song “White Christmas” by Bing Crosby—which would go on to be the biggest selling single of all time.

The Bishop’s Wife — with Cary Grant, Loretta Young, and David Niven. Hard to go wrong with a cast like this. Cary Grant is maybe typecast—as an angel—but he brings restraint as well as charm, and a level of mystery and seriousness to his performance. One of my favorite Christmas movies. Not at all a religious film, despite the title, which was felt to hurt it at the box office because of confusion on this score. Elsa Lanchester appears in a supporting role.

Miracle on 34th Street (Special Edition) — Santa Claus goes on trial. A bit over-rated—the slightest of the old Christmas classics—a bit too sappy, but Edmund Gwenn is charming.

It’s a Wonderful Life (60th Anniversary Edition) / It’s a Wonderful Life [Blu-ray] — Zuzu’s petals! It’s Jimmy Stewart, Donna Reed and Frank Capra. One of the mega-classics of the season. It can get old after too many viewings, but give it a few years… The sequence with the school dance is still a knock-out.

TCM Holiday Collection: Christmas in Connecticut 1945 / A Christmas Carol 1938 / The Shop Around the Corner / It Happened on 5th Avenue — Shop Around the Corner is the film on which You’ve Got Mail was based, but the original, directed by the great romantic comedy director Ernst Lubitsch and starring a very young James Stewart and Margaret Sullavan, is infinitely superior.

Meet Me In St. Louis (Two-Disc Special Edition) — Vincente Minnelli directs Judy Garland in this integrated music, one of the finest, about the World’s Fair coming to St. Louis. The Christmas scene is a real tear-jerker and has long justified its inclusion in the canon of Christmas movies.

The Sound of Music (45th Anniversary Edition) (Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo) — I’m not entirely sure how this became a “Christmas classic,” but it did, and while it has its weaknesses, it is charming, and of course Julie Andrews is radiant and almost always worth watching and listening to. In one of my households, the tradition was to watch this while wrapping presents and drinking heavily.

TCM Greatest Classic Films Collection: American Musicals (The Band Wagon / Meet Me in St. Louis / Singin’ in the Rain / Easter Parade) — These are all very good musicals —Singin’ in the Rain, obviously the greatest… and Easter Parade perhaps the weakest, in part I think because Fred Astaire is playing a role better suited to, and originally meant for, Gene Kelly. All fine and must see viewing for anyone interested in the musical.  Musicals in general seem particularly festive, particularly suited to the holiday season, and the inclusion of a “Christmas classic” in Meet Me in St. Louis gives some additional justification for including this here.

Modern Classics/Favorites

Scrooged — Bill Murray is a TV exec who schedules a live musical version of “A Christmas Carol” for Christmas Eve, has his secretary send his brother a present, and fires a guy. Then this ghost shows up. Bill Murray is… Bill Murray, and the movie is surprisingly charming in parts, even touching. I actually never get tired of this movie.

The Polar Express (Widescreen Edition) — Tom Hanks gives an interesting performance, and it is technically quite impressive. It’s not without its touching moments, but overall it feels a bit cold to me, I think largely because of the animation style. Still, for many people a very good Christmas movie.

Love Actually (DVD) — and, you know, actually I do love this movie—just a little, but still. The cast is truly stellar: Emma Thompson, Alan Rickman, Colin Firth, Bill Nighy, Hugh Grant… and of course Bilbo Baggins, porn stand-in.

A Christmas Story — I avoided this for years because of the picture of the kid on the cover/poster and the description, which made it sound a bit like a cheesy, low-budget Hallmark special. I was stupid, boneheaded, wrong. It’s great, and has a very Christmasy feel without being overly treacly and twee. The best, really, of all the more modern movies that have been designated as Christmas favorites.

Bad Santa — Has to be seen. Billy Bob Thornton plays a conman who takes a job as a mall Santa to rob the place with the help of an elf. But they run into a troubled kid and… Kind of genuinely heartwarming in the end.

Die Hard — Weirdly, for many people, this has become a sort of Christmas classic… It’s set during Christmas time, and has a happy ending and all that. And I think lots of us appreciate the change of pace that automatic gunfire provides…

Gremlins — Like Die Hard, a movie set during Christmas that has become a quirky alternative classic.

Holiday TV Specials on DVD from Amazon:

How the Grinch Stole Christmas — The original, one and only. Directed by the great Chuck Jones, narrated by Boris Karloff (aka The Mummy, Frankenstein’s monster—in one of the most inspired and deeply weird bit of casting of all time) and a theme song sung by Tony the Tiger (no kidding—actually the voice of Thurl Ravenscroft, who did the original Tony in the TV ads).

A Charlie Brown Christmas (Remastered Deluxe Edition) — You might get tired of Charlie Brown’s tired tree, but it’s impossible to ever grow tired of the dance sequence. And of course the music is terrific. And the way the adult voices are handled is smart, funny, and apt.

Olive the Other Reindeer — The “Christmas classic” is a tough market to break into, but for me at least, Olive the Other Reindeer jumped straight into the category. I can’t wait to share it with people who haven’t seen it yet.

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964 Rankin/Bass version on DVD) — Is this a classic? I’m not sure. But for people who saw it as kids, it might seem like it from pure nostalgia. Try watching it with your kids and see if it still can cut it after Shaun the Sheep, Toy Story and Polar Express, etc. Maybe the animation is too dated. And of course the story was always suspect, being a made-up marketing ploy.

Santa Claus Is Comin to Town — A 1970 claymation TV special that tells the story of Santa’s origins. Like Rudolph, it’s possible that its charms are primarily those of nostalgia and it won’t do as well with the sophisticated tastes of today’s 8 year old. But it is narrated by Fred Astaire and features the voices by Mickey Rooney and Keenan Wynn, and at times reflects the “hip” values and imagery of the late 60s/early 70s. I might have to watch this again.

The Original Christmas Classics (Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer / Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town / Frosty the Snowman / Frosty Returns) [Blu-ray] — a grab bag including some of the best of the old TV specials—Rudolph, Santa Claus. With Frosty Returns thrown in, I suppose out of some need for completeness or a round number; despite the voice of Jimmy Durante, skippable.

The Original Christmas Classics (Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer/Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town/Frosty the Snowman/Frosty Returns/Mr. Magoo’s Christmas Carol/Little Drummer Boy/Cricket on the Hearth) — a non-Blu-ray grab bag with the same good ones, and Mr. Magoo. I was never a fan of that guy.

Tchaikovsky: Nutcracker – San Francisco Ballet (DVD) — not exactly a TV special, but a great performance of a traditional “perennial holiday tradition” that I think most people have never actually seen, and which these days, in the live version, is beyond most people’s budget.

Filed under: Movies, TV, Christmas

Scenes of the Season: It’s a Wonderful Life

Frank Capra’s 1946 film, It’s a Wonderful Life, has become one of the most watched films of the holiday season.  I can remember years when it seemed like it was showing on a loop—at least if you had cable.  This year, astonishingly, it doesn’t seem to be showing anywhere.  I know that can’t be right. Can it?

It hardly seems necessary to say anything about it—like Casablanca it’s one of those movies that even if you’ve never seen it, you probably still know the gist of it.

[mild spoiler alert] James Stewart is George Bailey, a small town guy with big dreams. He wants to shake that small town dust off his feet and see the world. And build things. Then he meets Mary (Donna Reed). Life seems pretty good, despite the fact that he never does get out of that small town. He runs the Savings & Loan that his father started and is the most popular guy in town. It’s Christmas Eve, and his brother  is returning for the holidays after being given the Congressional Medal of Honor for heroism during the war. But then things go terribly wrong over the course of Christmas Eve, and he ends up wishing he’d never been born. And an angel grants his wish.

The scenes where George meets Mary and where they decide to marry alone are worth the price of admission. And if you’ve wondered who Donna Reed was and why she had her own TV show, you’ll find out.

The film was a bit of a box office dud when it came out. It’s not as tight as other Capra movies; at 125 minutes it feels a bit long, and could have used some editing. And Capra’s corn-fed populism seemed to have run its course, as the strong turn towards noir in the post-war years might suggest. In fact, Capra never really made another major film, certainly none that are remembered or watched today. His heyday was the 1930s, when he had a string of hits that are still popular: Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939), Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936), You Can’t Take it With You (1938)—a personal favorite—and what is his most critically acclaimed film, and after Wonderful Life the one most frequently watched today, It Happened One Night (1934), with Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert.

Directors working with the same actors on a number of films were fairly common in the heyday of Hollywood, but Capra’s working relationship with his staple actors was particularly rewarding. Lionel Barrymore in You Can’t Take it With You and Wonderful Life—a bit curmudgeon-y in both, but charming in the former and cruel in the latter.  Jean Arthur—astonishingly charming, “the quintessential comedic leading lady”—in You Can’t Take it With You and Mr. Deeds.  And James Stewart. James Stewart in two of his most remembered performances, in Mr. Smith and Wonderful Life, as well as in You Can’t Take it With You, in which he’s great.  Stewart has been better, and been in much better movies—including another holiday movie, The Shop Around the Corner (1940), directed by Ernst Lubitsch.  But Stewart’s roles and performances in the Capra movies tend to really stay with people.

As I said, I haven’t been able to find when and where It’s a Wonderful Life is showing on TV this season, but you can watch the whole movie online on YouTube:

For more…

• It’s a Wonderful Life – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
• It’s A Wonderful Life Uncut 1946 DvDrip[Eng]-greenbud1969 (download torrent) – TPB.
• Amazon.com: It’s A Wonderful Life (Two-Disc Collector’s Set).
• Frank Capra – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
• Jean Arthur – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
• Frank Capra – IMDb.com.

Filed under: Movies, Christmas, Classic Films, Frank Capra, holidays, James Stewart, Jean Arthur

Fake TV, Fake Fireplace, Fake…

FakeTV FTV-10 Burglar Deterrent

The FakeTV simulates the light from the screen of a 27″ LCD HDTV, with simulated scene changes, color changes, and on-screen motion.  And it comes with a light sensor and timer, and it can be set to run for 4 or 7 hours after dusk, etc.

As a burglar deterrent, this seems brilliant—much more effective than leaving a light on, or even putting a few lights on timers and maybe a radio.  Everyone has seen the flickering of TV lights in apartment windows in the evenings.  I imagine this would be utterly convincing.

So why do I find it, the whole idea of it, depressing?

Since this is meant to protect your home when you are away on holiday, I thought I’d look into other holiday-oriented fakery.

More depressing—really, really depressing:

Realistic Holiday Fireplace Fiberboard:

Now every child can have his or her Christmas stockings hung with care. This unique 30 tall by 38 wide artificial fireplace is crafted of sturdy fiberboard and is easy to assemble. We even include a burning Yule log inset sure to warm your heart. This great holiday 3-dimensional decoration will become a cherished Christmas tradition for your family!

I don’t know about you, but my kids would go back to bed in tears if they came out on Christmas morning and found their stockings hung from this thing. When we haven’t had a fireplace or mantle, we’ve hung them from the tree if it would handle it, from a window, or just laid them beside the tree.

And it’s not the only incredibly crass, cheap and cheesy one of these things on the marketplace. Amazingly, just when you thought you had plumbed the depths of awfulness, you come across this:

Cozy Christmas Scene Setter — brought to you by “Party America.” Even Wayne and Garth would not say “Party on” if confronted with this:

The Cozy Christmas Scene Setter features warm, holiday images of a fireplace with a burning log, stockings hanging, candles on the mantlepiece, and a wreath above. It measures 33 1/2″ wide x 65″ tall, and can be used alone or with a scene setter roll (try the “Deck the Walls” Room Roll for example).

If they’d go back to bed in tears with the other one, they’d probably run away from home if we tried to put this thing over on them.

Not quite as bad:

Fireplace DVD: Real Wood Burning Fire (Anamorphic – FullScreen Edition)

If you must have something on the TV during the holidays—other than White Christmas, Bishop’s Wife, Grinch, etc., with the kids in the evening—then you could do a lot worse than this.

Fireplaces are nice, although there are the carbon footprint and air pollution issues to consider.  But nicer… a genuine, heartfelt Christmas where what matters are the traditions and experiences created out of love and togetherness, not matching some impossible, middle class ideal from a hundred years ago—or really from books and movies and television.

Filed under: Gadgets, Christmas, depression, fakery, modern living, postmodernism, technology

Songs of the Season: Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring

Some classical music with no obvious, overt connection to the holiday has nonetheless become associated with Christmas over the years—at least in the United States. Bach has a Christmas Oratorio, but his choral movement known as “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring” also seems to have become something of a Christmas tune (as well as a popular piece for weddings).

Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring is the English title of the 10th movement of the cantata Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben, BWV 147 composed by Johann Sebastian Bach. A transcription by the English pianist Myra Hess (1890–1965) was published in 1926 for piano solo and in 1934 for piano duet.[1] The British organist Peter Hurford made his organ transcription for the chorale movement as well. Today, it is often performed at wedding ceremonies slowly and reverently, in defiance of the effect suggested by Bach in his original scoring,[2] for voices with trumpet, oboes, strings, and continuo. Written during his first year in Leipzig, Germany, this chorale movement is one of Bach’s most enduring works. (via Wikipedia.)

It is, or at least can be, stately, beautiful, serious but also full of joy. You can see why people like it for occasions such as weddings and Christmas. The Windham Hill version is pretty much my favorite version as a “holiday” song:

David Qualey, “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring” – from A Winter’s Solstice

The numerous other versions available can vary greatly in appeal:

• “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring” – a traditional version
• a version with English lyrics
• Jay C. Wingard – from Christmas Collection
• Daniel Ho, from his album, Christmas Ukelele Style
• an organ version
• a version on cello with choir

Sarah Brightman also included a version on her album, A Winter Symphony.

For more…

• Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring – Wikipedia
• If you liked the ukelele version, these albums have all the Christmas standards performed on that instrument: Hawaiian Style Christmas 2 and  An Ukulele Christmas. And you can check out other albums by Daniel Ho.
• Bach: Voices Of Angels – Amazon
• Bach Cantatas – Ton Koopman, Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra & Choir – Amazon
• A Winter’s Solstice: Windham Hill Artists

Filed under: Song of the Day, Bach, Christmas, classical, holidays, music

Christmas is coming, the geese are getting fat

I’m dreaming of a media Christmas
Just like the ones I used to know
Where the music glows
and the  TV shows
holiday classics all day long…

And to help you find music and movies for the holidays, I’ve knocked together a few quick guides (which are listed to the right as well):

Christmas Shows and Movies on TV—When to Watch

Christmas Movies and TV on Amazon

Christmas Music on Amazon

(The two “Amazon” lists use affiliate links; any money generated will be donated to the less fortunate.)

I know I’ve left out some of your favorites.  Let me know in comments and I will add them as I am able.

Also, keep an eye out for two more lists: one on holiday reading; and A Pirate Christmas—with links to (ahem) alternative sources for many of the titles I feature in the other lists.

Filed under: Pop Culture, Amazon, Christmas, Film, movies, music

A new Christmas tune, from CeeLo Green and the Muppets

Generally, I’m very much a traditionalist when it comes to Christmas tunes: carols and Nat King Cole, that sort of thing.

But this hits my sweet spot.  What it has is sincerity.  CeeLo is not snarky.  He digs the Muppets, and he’s singing from the heart.  It may be somewhat slight musically, but it comes from the heart.

As they say, it’s the thought that counts. Mostly we don’t really “buy'” that—because we want someone to buy us that particular something tasty. But CeeLo and the Muppets remind us that all we need is love… Christmas can get pretty clichéd, but what sets the same old tunes, stories and so on apart is sincerity, heart.  And CeeLo’s got a big heart.

It’s the most wonderful time of the year.  If we put our thoughts and our heart into it.

(Jeez—am I sappy or what.)

Filed under: Music, Christmas, Muppets, R&B

Scenes of the Season: Linus Explains It All

Some of us are Christians, some of us aren’t. I know Christmas is supposed to be about the birth of Jesus Christ, but I relate to it much more as a Winter Solstice celebration. Here’s Linus with his take on the meaning of Christmas:

Whether you celebrate Christmas or Hanukkah or Kwanzaa or the Winter Solstice or nothing at all, I wish you all the best during this time of year – light and life, peace and goodwill, joy and happiness.

Filed under: TV, Christmas, holidays

Scenes of the Season: All I Want for Christmas

is love. And of course I am not alone in that, which is why this movie resonated with so many people, found an appreciative audience.

A great cast, including Emma Thompson, Alan Rickman, Colin Firth, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Bill Nighy and Laura Linney. Very solid directing by Richard Curtis, writer of a number of excellent British productions of recent years, including the TV shows “Blackadder” and “The Vicar of Dibley” and the movie Four Weddings and a Funeral – and most recently the fun comedy Pirate Radio (aka The Boat That Rocked). And lots of happy endings.

Roger Ebert called it “a belly flop” and you can sort of see his point. There are too many love stories, and the quality of them is uneven, and some of the situations do seem contrived or far too obvious. But when you read what Ebert has to say about the movie, you get the idea that he enjoyed it far more than that “belly flop” would suggest. And with performances like those of Hugh Grant, never more winning than he is here, and Bill Nighy who, as usual, steals the show, there is plenty to enjoy – even if, in the end, there is maybe too much over all. But in any case, I am truly a sucker for holiday fare and I genuinely enjoyed this movie.

For more…

• Love Actually – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
• Love Actually :: rogerebert.com :: Reviews

 

Filed under: Movies, Christmas, Film, holidays

Songs of the Season: In the Bleak Midwinter

Winter Solstice – the longest night, hinge of the year…

Considered one of the finest carols by choirmasters and choral experts, this song is not so well-known by the general public, at least here in United States – but it’s one of my favorites, and the version from Windham Hill’s “Winter’s Solstice” series is particularly fine, one of the absolute gems on those collections …

Pierce Pettis, “In the Bleak Midwinter” – from A Winter’s Solstice III

While I like that very much and it is where I first recall hearing “In the Bleak Midwinter,” there are a huge number of other versions out there. Some of the artists who’ve covered this carol in versions that are available now include: James Taylor, Indigo Girls, Shawn Colvin, Loreena McKennitt, King’s College Choir, Academy of St. Martin in the Fields, The Moody Blues, John Fahey, Julie Andrews… and the list goes on.

Filed under: Song of the Day, Christmas, holidays, music

Songs of the Season: All I Want for Christmas is You

Olivia Olson, “All I Want for Christmas is You” – from Love Actually (2003)

A modern classic?

Perhaps – I don’t know. It doesn’t feel that Christmasy to me. It takes more than references to the holiday and some jingling bells to make a real Christmas song. For me there are two main kinds of Christmas songs: those that capture the magic and mystery of the solstice, of the darkness and the lights, of the cold and the firelight and hearth- and heart- warming of foods, fire, family and friends; and those that are associated with the holiday through long-standing traditions.

The latter include all those songs we heard as children, including the ones from holiday movies and TV specials – songs like “Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer” and the ones in “A Charlie Brown Christmas.” The former can be found in some of the better of the Windham Hill collections, among other places.

Since “All I Want for Christmas is You” featured prominently in that feel-good holiday film Love Actually (and in its promotional campaign), perhaps it has or will have that same quality for people in their teens and twenties. Will they feel about it in twenty years the same way my friends and I feel about “Linus and Lucy”? Perhaps… I kind of hope not – it just seems too pop and too commercial. And you could never sing it while caroling… But like “Winter Wonderland” and some of the other peppier, poppier holiday songs, it’s fine to get you in the mood for shopping, skating, wassailing.

The song was written and originally recorded by Mariah Carey and released by her as a single in 1994.

For more…

• All I Want for Christmas Is You – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
• Love Actually soundtrack – Amazon.com
• Love Actually Original Soundtrack – Download from 4shared.com
• Love Actually (DVD) – Amazon.com
• Love Actually (2003) – Download from megaupload.com – .avi download
• YouTube – Love Actually – All I Want For Christmas Is You – a fan-created video featuring the song and clips from the movie – quite sweet

Filed under: Song of the Day, Christmas, Film, holidays, movies, music

Scenes of the Season: Bing Crosby and David Bowie singing A Little Drummer Boy

David Bowie joins Bing Crosby on his 1977 Christmas special – and the pair sing one of the more popular versions of “Little Drummer Boy” in recent years.

Watch it: YouTube – Little Drummer Boy – David Bowie & Bing Crosby (HQ Audio)

Or listen to it: David Bowie and Bing Crosby, “Little Drummer Boy”, available on Bing Crosby – Christmas Classics

For more…

• Peace on Earth/Little Drummer Boy – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
• Peace on Earth / Little Drummer Boy (CD) – Amazon.com
• Bing Crosby – Christmas Classics – Amazon.com
• David Bowie And Bing Crosby Little Drummer Boy Vip Files Net – Download from rapidshare.com
• David Bowie and Bing Crosby – Little Drummer Boy (download torrent) – TPB

Filed under: TV, Christmas, holidays, music