(no subject)

[camwyn]

Since I'm not going to be able to do the backed-up Advent spiels in time for tomorrow (curse you, Real Life!), I thought I'd ask you guys:

Shall I continue them? You know, one for each day remaining from 7 Dec. to 25 Dec., just... y'know, horribly late? Shall I do one each week, or stick to my schedule of 'whenever I can scrounge up time'? Should I let it drop?

Thought I'd ask.

On an only tangentially related note, I shall now inflict upon you:

Ten Christmas Songs I Could Happily Do Without Ever Hearing Again.

10. "And So This Is Christmas", orig. by John Lennon, covered by ANYONE. Yes, John. It's Christmas. Thank you for your vague feeling of 'Have you done anything morally decent or otherwise significant this year? Only I'm not going to come out and directly say it. Also, war is bad.'. Exactly what does this have to do with Christmas that couldn't be equally easily associated with New Year's?

9. "Wonderful Christmastime", Paul McCartney. JESUS MARY AND JOSEPH there is no meaning in this song ANYWHERE. "Yay! Christmas spirit!" "What's Christmas spirit?" "Parties and standard imagery." "Oh." Riiiight.

8. "Little Drummer Boy", nearly any version other than Chicago or the Bing Crosby / David Bowie version. Chicago is the only group I know of that made the words 'pa-rum-pa-pum-pum' sound like they meant something other than 'I have to fill up the meter here', and the Crosby/Bowie version, while weird in terms of the image of those two singing together, sounds quite lovely. I may make an exception for Nat King Cole, too, but that man could sing the phone book and I'd be happy to listen, so.

7. "Blue Christmas", Elvis Presley. I don't mind this one so much, but it annoys my mother, so I'm putting it in for her sake.

6. "Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree", any cover. "You will get a sentimental feeling"? "Dancing merrily in the new old-fashioned way"? It sounds like it was written by marketing executives to cater to the youth market in about 1962.

5. "Mele Kalikimaka", Bing Crosby. EARWORM. EARWORM. EARWORM. I thought this one dead and buried until they started playing it in Penn Station last week.

4. "The Christmas Shoes". I dunno who sings it. But for all that it claims to be about the spirit of Christmas and what Christmas is about, it's basically emotional arm-twisting. "Look how bad other people have it, and they're still trying to be nice to people worse off than them! YOU SUCK! Oh, and Jesus is involved! ANd little kids!"

3. "Christmas Don't Be Late", the Chipmunks. Just... yeesh.

2. "Dominic the Donkey". It's annoying in tune, it contains bad donkey braying, and it caters to Italian stereotypes. My family has names in it like Losurdo, okay?

And, at #1:

"Feliz Navidad", Jose Feliciano orig., covered by anyone. More repetitive than "The Song That Never Ends", and no real feeling, spirit, or indication of anything other than the singer having to put out 3 minutes of song time and filling it all with "Merry Christmas!" in two langauges. WRITE SOME REAL WORDS, JOSE.


I feel better now. I will do ten Christmas songs I favour after dinner. Okay?

Comments

[kyrielle]

#4 makes me cry. And not in the good way but in the fits of tears, please make this song go away, sick and sad feeling way. It so does not fit the holiday spirit.

[filkerdave.livejournal.com]

Joan Jett actually did a tolerable cover of "Little Drummer Boy" back in the last 1970s (on the initial vinyl release of her debut album).

But...god..."Dominic the Donkey"

I have so far managed to avoid hearing "The Chipmunk Song" and "Dominic the Donkey" this year. Actually, I've avoided your entire list by the simple expedient of not listening to any radio but NPR and the new station since Thanksgiving.

[autographedcat.livejournal.com]

Because I give this link out to everyone, because it makes me happy:

http://www.trismccall.net/pop_music_abstract_xmas.html

[kaikias.livejournal.com]

I have only heard of three songs on that list (though those three I utterly despise RAARGH). I think I shall count myself fortunate.

[whobunkyboo.livejournal.com]

I still prefer the Ray Coniff original of LDB. It must be the harmony.

On the other hand, if I never have to hear the Bob Seger cover version again (HOW COULD YOU BOB!!!!) I will be happy.

[goweli.livejournal.com]

I have to confess that I like 9 and 10, so I'm a bad, bad person.

On the other hand, I have donated money to two of the mentioned Advent charities, and strangely getting teary eyed over the Grameen Bank (I think that's the name) stories about things are made better when you donate. Then again, I may just be a sap. Uh, anyway, that was a vote to continue, because I would rather here of personal opinions of worthy charities, than tear my hair out trying to decide through one of the big sites, who I should donate to.

[dragonwhishes.livejournal.com]

I near passed out from not being able to breathe because of I was laughing too hard due to this.

I have to go look at something else or else I won't be able to breathe.

[tibicina.livejournal.com]

I don't think I've heard Dominic the Donkey or The Christmas Shoes. Apparently I should be glad.

You know, I like The Little Drummer Boy.... when I was about 8. I had a really pretty picture book of it, even. And I would happily sing it. Now... it's... well, yeah... it gets *really* old. *really fast*.

I wouldn't mind 'So This Is Christmas' so much if they hadn't been playing it about every half hour on the radio station my office manager likes.

[almeda.livejournal.com]

Best Cover Ever of 'Little Drummer Boy': a local acapella-rock group does it. Two tenors and a bass doing harmonies ... and their human-beatbox 'accompanist' doing really cool drum solos throughout. :-> 'Pa rum pa pum pum' is vocalized in their cover, but mostly it's a drum solo.

[batyatoon]

"The Christmas Shoes" MUST DIE.

[almeda.livejournal.com]

I've actually never heard 2, 4, or 5. I suppose I should be grateful. :->