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Adventures, Advice and Questions from a group of Mormon women who met in Queens, NY and have now scattered all over the place.
 

Monday, December 04, 2006

Speaking of Music

Kagey Kage treated herself to a little early Christmas present, and so I have spent the afternoon loading my new ipod shuffle full of Christmas Music....so here is what's playing in my ears this season:


Handel's Messiah

John Denver and the Muppets. If you are a muppets fan, it is worth all $3.88 and much more.

Ella Fitzgerald Swinging Christmas

Osmond Family Christmas. Whenever I hear this, I think of my childhood Christmas Memories.

Manhattan Transfer Christmas

A Ceremony of Carols. THIS LITTLE BABE is one I sang as a child in children's chorus, and it is amazing...if you can get just the one track on itunes, that would be enough...but the whole thing is cool.

Mo-Tab. Silent Night. Not their cleanest recording, but it's the good ole boys and girls of the Mo-tab...can't go wrong.

King's Singers. These guys are awesome, and this cd has a great variety. Really fun.

Il Divo Christmas CD. I stole a few ideas from their cd. I wanted to steal REJOICE, but I could not find the rights. It is a great track. I find Somewhere Over the Rainbow to be pretty random, but the rest of the selections are really inspirational.

Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers Once Upon a Christmas. Do any children of the 80's remember their Christmas special on tv? I have managed to find a few selections on youtube:
Christmas Without You.
Winter Wonderland.
The Greatest Gift of All.

Harry Connick Jr., When My Heart Finds Christmas

Then there are a few random songs:
Baby, It's Cold Outside with Ann Margret is HOT, and hard to find I think...
The Clooney Sisters singing SISTERS, NOT the White Christmas version with Vera Ellen.
Clang, Clang, Clang went the Trolley by Judy Garland, from Meet Me In St. Louis
Cool Yule by Louis Armstrong.
Christmas Time is Here (vocal). From Charlie Brown.

Albums I am interested in looking into:
James Taylor's new Christmas CD
Sarah Maclachlan's Wintersong.



posted by Kage @ 12/04/2006 04:44:00 PM   add to kirtsy


27 Comments:

  • Seriously don't get me started on Christmas music. I just uploaded my collection to my ipod and I think we have about 200 songs. We like to pick up a couple new albums every year. We are looking at the same two you are Kage for this year and maybe the new Kenny Rogers Christmas album, The Gift.

    Here are a few more of my favorite albums:

    Christ Isaak - Christmas
    Jewel - Joy: A Holiday Collection
    Harry Connick Jr. - Harry for the Holidays
    A Winter's Night (Various Artists -a really different album)
    Amy Grant - Home for Christmas (makes me nostalgic for the early nineties!)
    Garth Brooks - The Magic of Christmas
    Christmas Grass (bluegrass-various artists) the Alison Krauss songs are amazing

    And a few of my favorite, totally random songs that I picked up on Itunes:
    The Little Drummer Boy - Johnny Cash
    Santa Claus is Coming to Town - Bruce Springsteen
    Please Come Home for Christmas - Willie Nelson
    I Believe in Father Christmas - Emerson, Lake and Palmer
    Last Christmas - Jimmy Eat World
    A New York City Christmas - Rob Thomas
    posted by Blogger This is Carrie at 12/04/2006 07:30:00 PM  



  • Oh, come now! Where is the Carpenter's Christmas Album???
    My CD player (yes, I know, I'm totally un-with it since this music is not on my ipod yet) has the following:

    Carpenter's Christmas (It is NOT --I repeat --NOT!!--Christmas without it!)
    Osmond's Christmas
    MoTab
    Harry Conick Jr.
    Amy Grant
    Forgotten Carols --McClean
    Andy Williams
    Barbra Streisand (some confusion here. Isn't she Jewish? Why is she singing about the birth of Christ?)
    Manheim Steamroller
    posted by Anonymous Anonymous at 12/04/2006 07:48:00 PM  



  • Well, since DH just gave me the Sarah Maclachlan Wintersong album for my birthday today, I'll have to listen to it tomorrow and tell you what I think! I'm a big fan of hers and I'm really in the Christmas music mood, so I have high hopes. I'll post my review tomorrow. :-)
    posted by Blogger marian at 12/04/2006 08:34:00 PM  



  • Cheryl, THANK YOU. It is NOT Christmas without the Carpenters. That was a staple in my house and I have such fond memories of listening to it in our car. Ahhhh, no one could do those songs better than Karen Carpenter.

    Our other staple growing up was Handals Messiah - listened to it every Christmas morning and I just love it.
    posted by Blogger chloe at 12/04/2006 09:32:00 PM  



  • And although Babs is indeed Jewish her rendition of Silent Night is my all time favorite (next to Kage's, of course).
    posted by Blogger chloe at 12/04/2006 09:33:00 PM  



  • Don't get me wrong, I love tradition, but I have to admit sometimes I feel that a lot of the traditional Christmas music all sounds the same. So I've found some familar tunes that have been spiced up by some of my FAVORITE artists.

    Let it Snow by Michael Buble
    O Holy Night by Mercy Me
    Happy Christmas (War is Over) by Celine Dion
    Silver Bells by Gavin DeGraw
    Winter Wonderland by Jason Mraz
    Misleoe and Holly by Leigh Nash

    I also love The Gift by Aselin Debison. Not traditional but sweet. The Elf soundtrack is fun too! Fun gift also would be the Happy Feet soundtrack. Not Christmas music BUT WAY AWESOME!
    posted by Anonymous Anonymous at 12/04/2006 09:42:00 PM  



  • cheryl, funny. you are totally right about the carpenters. As soon as I finished the post I bought Christmas Waltz and Merry Christmas Darling....

    I also like the Barenaked Ladies/Sarah M. version of God Rest Ye Merrry Gentleman A LOT.

    As for Babs. I am a huge Babs fan. I used to have her album, and then I decided it just wasn't right, so I kept a few of my fave tracks:...ok maybe just one, b/c she has the BEST version of JINGLE BELLS.

    I do not like Manheim Steamroller....I don't know why...just don't
    posted by Blogger Kage at 12/05/2006 04:36:00 AM  



  • I just went to the Jim Brickman holiday concert last night up in Omaha, his Christmas album is a great mix-in (all piano, except one). He also had Jake Simpson with him (he was a star search winner and was on Oprah's 20th anniv. show and she surprised him by having him sing Isn't she lovely with Mr. Stevie Wonder himself) He was fantastic.
    posted by Blogger wendysue at 12/05/2006 06:35:00 AM  



  • ws, I would not have known who Jake was except for that very excellent description...I do remember him on that Oprah
    posted by Blogger Kage at 12/05/2006 06:55:00 AM  



  • Yay! I'm glad I'm not the only Karen Carpenter fan. :)

    I also think Barbra's Jingle Bells is BRILLIANT. Seriously, she's a genius.

    I forgot to add that I have to listen to the classics of Bing Crosby and I have this crazy recording (back when downloading was legal) of him and David Bowie singing the "Little Drummer Boy".

    OH! And now I also have Kristy Glass in my CD player. That girl can sing! :)
    posted by Anonymous Anonymous at 12/05/2006 06:58:00 AM  



  • ok....this thread is making me happy. Here is what I downloaded last night after I finished the post:
    Song for a Winter's Night Sarah M
    Snow Bing Crosby, Peggy Lee et al
    Jingle Bell Rock Brenda Lee
    Santa Baby Macy Gray
    Christmas Waltz & Merry Christmas Darling Carpenters
    Some Children See Him, Jingle Bells, and Go Tell it on the Mtn James Taylor

    Another song that I like:
    Boogie Woogie Santa Claus

    I think I must obtain Bing Crosby singing Melkelikimaka....and maybe I will add the Nutrcracker to my collection too....
    posted by Blogger Kage at 12/05/2006 07:12:00 AM  



  • I'm listening to Wintersong (Sarah Mclachlan) for the second time now, and I like it. Kage, I think you picked the best song to download (Song for a Winter's Night).

    I love classic Christmas music, and some of the MoTab recordings can bring me to tears. But a couple of my non-traditional favorites are:

    Sound the Trumpet, Bob Marley
    One Little Christmas Tree, Stevie Wonder - also available on iTunes
    posted by Blogger marian at 12/05/2006 07:31:00 AM  



  • Kage,

    You are right, the Barenaked Ladies version of God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen RULES!! It is on the "A Winter's Night" album I mentioned before which, I will say again, is GREAT! I highly recommend the entire album.

    And Chris Isaak (I just noticed I made a bad typo in his name on my earlier comment - whoops) has a great version of Melkelikimaka.

    And I think I vaguely remember that my parents had the Carpenters vinyl album that we would play on our monsterous record player (that was actually like a piece of furniture) every Christmas. I wonder if they stil have it?
    posted by Blogger This is Carrie at 12/05/2006 07:33:00 AM  



  • I guess I'm old-school- to me it's not Christmas without Bing Crosby...
    posted by Blogger tracy m at 12/05/2006 07:37:00 AM  



  • Just FYI: Song For Winter's Night (Sarah Maclachlan) is also on the "A Winter's Night"album.
    posted by Blogger This is Carrie at 12/05/2006 07:44:00 AM  



  • In addition to a lot that has already been mentioned here, I absolutely love The Cambridge Singers, directed by John Rutter. This time of the year always brings back memories of singing in Christmas concerts in my high school choir. We sang arrangments of christmas songs by John Rutter and I love the traditional choir sound that they have. One of my favorites of theirs is Christmas Day in the Morning . It has a mix of some old favorites like I Saw Three Ships with some less familiar but breathtaking songs.
    posted by Blogger Belle at 12/05/2006 07:45:00 AM  



  • My absolute fav if you can find it is Neil Diamond! Oh and I just got Trans-Siberian Orchestra, which is really upbeat and helps me get all my Christmas shopping done fast!!
    posted by Anonymous Anonymous at 12/05/2006 08:21:00 AM  



  • jessiejo, I Just heard a little Neil Diamond on XM...liked it.

    michelle, we ALWAYS sang Rutter growing up....so I might look into that album....I love choral music at Christmas time.

    carrie-gonna check out the chris isacc melikiliadlfjlfmaka song.
    posted by Blogger Kage at 12/05/2006 08:49:00 AM  



  • my fave albums this year are Sarah McLachlan's "Wintersong" & Chris Botti's "December". thanks for all of the suggestions for downloads!
    posted by Anonymous Anonymous at 12/05/2006 11:42:00 AM  



  • I personally love the Ray Charles song on Christmas Vacation. It plays when Chevy Chase gets stuck up in the attic and starts watching old home movies. Great Scene! Great Song!
    posted by Anonymous Anonymous at 12/05/2006 11:58:00 AM  



  • Oh, one I forgot that you have to have for a little comedy is "12 pains of Christmas", my favorite is the "lights" guy. Good for a laugh.

    Oh, and Kage, I was exactly the same way about Jake, it was written in the program, that's how I knew who he was too!
    posted by Blogger wendysue at 12/05/2006 04:43:00 PM  



  • I love to buy the Christmas music CD's from Pottery Barn, Banana, Old Navy, and Restoration Hardware! I have gotten many a great song on these.

    One that hasn't been listed, though, I must mention!
    "Christmas Island" by Jimmy Buffet!

    With the oh-so-catchy "Ho Ho Ho and a bottle of Rhum" I was hooked! All the songs are great though too!
    (And I do realize that I like this song the same way I liked "Red,Red Wine" from the 80's and my mother would always make some dissaproving comment about how the somg is about alcohol...come on! IT'S A SWEET SONG!)
    posted by Anonymous Anonymous at 12/05/2006 08:27:00 PM  



  • I saw the Trans-Siberian Orchestra recently. Spectacular christmas music. I love that it's not the usual set of slow schmoopy christmas songs that everyone and their mom has recorded.
    posted by Anonymous Anonymous at 12/05/2006 10:54:00 PM  



  • What a great post! I've gotten so many new ideas - thanks all! I love choral Christmas music as well (thanks for the John Rutter tip). One I wanted to add, Caroling Caroling by Lex de Azevedo. Choral arrangments of Alfrud Burt Carols. It's fabulous!
    posted by Anonymous Anonymous at 12/06/2006 03:37:00 AM  



  • This is a great post. I love being reminded of some of my all time favorties, learning of new great ones and sharing one of mine. Jon Schmidt Christmas music - I love him.
    posted by Blogger Melissa at 12/06/2006 09:59:00 PM  



  • I'm not into holiday music for some reason, but was kind of suprised this album wasn't recommend: Christmas by Low.

    This indie band is made up of an LDS husband-wife duo (I think they have 2 kids as well), along with a bassist.
    posted by Blogger tamrobot at 12/08/2006 10:39:00 AM  



  • I just love to cuddle up by the fire with my mug of egg nogg and listen to Axl Rose singing White Christmas (yeah...he really did it)...Here's a link to a bunch of good country christmas album
    posted by Anonymous Anonymous at 11/20/2009 01:30:00 AM  



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