I'm not really down with the crooner thing any time of the year. Yeah fine I can listen to "White Christmas" once or twice and I have it on a compilation album, but I don't have a whole album of Bing Crosby Christmas stuff. It just doesn't do anything for me.
Most of my holiday music collection falls into two camps: on one side I have more traditional albums by female singers and on the other side I have albums by more alternative pop/rock artists. I don't know how that happened; it just shook out that way over time.
One of (if not the first) holiday album I ever bought was Jewel's holiday album. Maybe I should be embarrassed about that. Not really. Most of it is good, except I always skip the "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" she does with her mom. She does a pretty good "Ave Maria" and "O Come All Ye Faithful". Then just for shameless radio play they threw some bells and stuff into "Hands" from her second album and called it a holiday song.
When I started buying more holiday music, Pandora pointed me to Charlotte Church's Christmas album from 2000 or so. I listened to it and thought, "Damn this girl can sing." It's weird because she was only 12 or 13 I think when she did that album. Most of the traditional holiday songs like "Silent Night" and such are represented on the album and a few new songs too. The good thing when I listen to it in the car is that if I start to get drowsy and she gets to one of the high notes it'll wake me right up.
In recent years I bought a couple more operatic Christmas albums. I got the Josh Groban one but I didn't like it as much as I thought I would. Maybe it was too corporate and by-the-numbers. Or maybe I just don't like dudes singing opera as much as women. Does that make me sexist? Or reverse sexist maybe? Hurm...
Anyway, I got the Sarah Brightman Christmas album and it was pretty good. Again she can sing the shit out of those traditional songs. A year or two later I also got the Hayley Westenra Christmas one. I liked that one maybe a little better, except for her version of "River." That's only because before that I bought the Sarah McLachlan Christmas album and her version of "River" is a lot better because her voice sounds a lot sadder and more mature, which fits the song better. Westenra's voice is too sweet by comparison. (Incidentally, James Taylor's version is gawdawful.) Here are YouTube clips of both so you can decide for yourselves. I've never actually heard the original Joni Mitchell version, which might be better. Or worse.
Version 1: The Sarah McLachlan version
Version 2: The Hayley Westenra version
So by now you've probably figured out I have a lot of weird hang-ups when it comes to holiday music. Which is funny because I don't care that much about the actual holidays anymore.
Monday will be the epic conclusion where I discuss my alternative favorites.
I Haven't enjoyed Christmas music for as long as I remember. To this day the holiday is full of mixed emotions for me. Glad you like so many of the songs.
ReplyDeleteWell when you look at men vs. women, you are talking about completely different styles of music. Josh Groban, Andrea Boccelli (spelling?), etc. are going to be tenors. Sarah Brighton is soprano. So maybe what you like is sopranos vs. tenors. Does the Vienna Boys' Choir appeal to you at all? They are soprano because of their age.
ReplyDeleteI for one tend to like both. For example, my favorite Christmas song of all time is "Oh Holy Night" sung by Michael Crawford. It is so powerful, and I just like the lyrics. I was not always atheist. It took me a great deal of my life to arrive at this conclusion, and it required me to do a lot of research on my own into science, the way physics explains the birth of the universe, and other things to realize that traditional religion has got it wrong (in my opinion). But Christmas carols have consumed so much of my youth, the twenties, and early thirties that I appreciate good singing like what Michael Crawford can do.
Michael Buble's record (by the way) is a huge international bestseller. It's doing better than Justin Bieber's own (that should tell you something) although it hasn't eclipsed Susan Boyle's millions-setting record.
I saw your tweet about no one visiting on Friday. Sometimes it takes a little longer for us to make the rounds. Also keep in mind that your post stays up for the weekend thereby getting more views on Saturday and Sunday.
adieu...this comment is long.
You're lucky in that you can post a picture of a cat doing something dumb and get 100 comments on it.
ReplyDeleteLOL. You know...I comment and visit a lot of blogs. I just go down my blog reader and comment/read them. Do you do that? I honestly think if I didn't, no one would ever visit.
ReplyDeleteYes, you do seem quite into Christmas music, which might indicate you're more into the holidays than you want to admit. For me, Christmas music makes me feel nostalgic.
ReplyDeleteJosh Groban's version of Oh Holy Night always makes me cry and I am not a religious person. I believe his Christmas cd is now the best selling of all time- he just kills those songs (in the best possible way).
ReplyDeleteCeltic Thunder has done some great Christmas songs too.
I am a huge McLaughlin fan though and Wintersong, the song itself, is in my top three favorite Christmas songs of all time. As far as River goes, I prefer Sarah's version to the original, and I also like Ben Jelen's version which is quite different but just sweet to me.
I will admit a sentimental fondness for Do They Know It's Christmas back from the 80's by Band Aid because I was prohibited by my family from listening to Christmas music back then (I never celebrated the holidays growing up) and used to blast it in my car the winter after I got my drivers license.
I'll also say that a new favorite and the one I can't stop listening to (besides U2's version of Christmas (Baby please come home) is Coldplay's release from last year, Christmas Lights.
I just Love. That. Song. I heard it was originally written to be included with their Mylo Xyloto album (which I am mad about) but decided to release it as a christmas single because it didn't quite fit. I'm so glad they did.
Found my way to your blog from Andrew's. I'm liking it here so far!
~bru
I remember when Charlotte Church made her big debut. Wonder if she's still recording?
ReplyDeleteFor Christmas music, nothing beats TSO - Trans Siberian Orchestra.
For holiday music I listen to some artists I'd never normally listen to ...like Mariah Carey or Martina McBride. I really appreciate their voices, but can't stand their regular songs.
ReplyDeleteAs for crooners, my hubby and I love them. We had only crooner and swig music at the reception for our wedding. It's also my fave holiday music. :)