Ship of Fools: Decent Christmas songs

Thread: Decent Christmas songs Board: Oblivion / Ship of Fools.

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Posted by Schroedinger's cat (# 64) on :

I was thinking the other day that there have been no good - or even reasonable - Christmas songs released in the last couple of decades. Which made me wonder why not - why does no-one write Christmas songs anymore.

Of course, the real problem is that there are very few reasonable - or even tolerable - Christmas songs. "Fairytale" is the best of a bad bunch, and that was 1987, 26 years ago. "I believe in Father Christmas" is, IMO, the only other Christmas song worth mentioning. The usual Slade, Wizzard, The Darkness, Mariah Carey, Cliff stuff is nauseating. OK, I can cope with hearing it once, after enough alcohol. And they are all pretty old too.

But this is not a hellish rant about crap Christmas music. Are there actually decent Christmas songs that might have actually been written by someone before they emptied the bottles? I really want to hear of some good, tasteful Christmas music.

Then, today, Lauren Laverne on 6 music did a thing of recent Christmas music, which largely confirmed what I thought. But there was one song which I think is almost qualifying - Just Like Christmas by Low.

So are there any others? Or is the idea of a good Christmas song something as ephemeral as an x-factor contestant who can sing?

Posted by Ricardus (# 8757) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Schroedinger's cat:
Are there actually decent Christmas songs that might have actually been written by someone before they emptied the bottles?

I believe Bethlehem Down, which actually moved me to tears the first time I heard it, was written in order to fund an "immortal carouse" ...

Posted by no prophet (# 15560) on :

The last decent Xmas carol I recall is Metro's 11 days from Christmas. Everyone speaks just like him around here.

Posted by L'organist (# 17338) on :

Are we talking CAROLS, or religious songs, or are we talking secular?

Carols, I'd vote for Malcolm Williamson's This Christmas Night - OK 40 years old but still good. Or what about Lully Lulla by Philip Stopford - sounds simple but very effective.

Secular - call it cheesy but I still like Wham's Last Christmas. Of course, there's always Let it snow, the only drawback of which is the mental picture one gets of Bruce Willis in a filthy vest... [Snigger]

Posted by mousethief (# 953) on :

quote:
Originally posted by L'organist:
Carols, I'd vote for Malcolm Williamson's This Christmas Night - OK 40 years old but still good.

You're apologizing for a Christmas carol being a mere 40 years old? Oh I get it, you're apologizing for it being so new. Yes there are some good carols less than 100 year old.

Posted by Alicïa (# 7668) on :

One that I love but it doesn't seem to get enough love is Cyndi Lauper - Feels Like Christmas Maybe because strictly speaking it's not a Christmas song at all, and it's not at all recent, being of 1993 but these are minor details darlings.

Posted by Amanda B. Reckondwythe (# 5521) on :

My choral group is doing this one in our Christmas concert this season. It has the audience -- and us -- in tears every time.

Unbelievably, the composer is the same one who wrote "Up on the housetop reindeer pause".

Posted by Lyda*Rose (# 4544) on :

Okay, it's schmaltzy, but I enjoy "All I Want for Christmas Is You". In fact, it's probably the only Mariah Carey song I really like.

Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Lyda*Rose:
Okay, it's schmaltzy, but I enjoy "All I Want for Christmas Is You". In fact, it's probably the only Mariah Carey song I really like.

The only time I've heard that is in "Love, Actually" -- my favorite Christmas movie. (Just re-watched it a few evenings ago.)

Posted by orfeo (# 13878) on :

There are only 2 modern, secular Christmas albums I've ever rated above tolerable.

The first was Aimee Mann's One More Drifter in the Snow. It's been a while since I heard it so I wouldn't necesarrily be able to nominate individual songs.

The other is Tori Amos' Midwinter Graces, and let's be honest, that is at least partly because I'm a rabid Tori Amos fan, but it's also because she manages to mostly avoid the more saccharine aspects of a Christmas album and at times is more winter-solsticey then Christmas-y. Arguably the best 2 tracks are at the end, with Winter's Carol being very much on the solstice side of things and Our New Year being about missing someone who's (dead and?) gone.

Posted by no prophet (# 15560) on :

Joni Mitchell's River, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GpFudDAYqxY

Which is featured briefly in the movie referenced above, Love Actually. Though the song is actually about the daughter she gave up for adoption in the context of Christmas. Joni Mitchell and Yann Martel (Life of Pi), both of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

Posted by A.Pilgrim (# 15044) on :

It's not in the category of Christmas pop songs, but IMO the most profound modern song about Christmas has to be Mary did you know? as it ponders on the mystery of the incarnation.

I reckon the best recording of it has been done by Kathy Mattea. (Review at bottom of linked page.) I remember hearing an interview with her in which she recounted that the studio recording of this song was done in a single take which in recording terms is not far short of a miracle.

Angus

Posted by Dormouse (# 5954) on :

Personally I think that this album "Strange Communion" by Thea Gilmore is superb with these two songs as my favourites:
That'll Be Christmas - which is great fun and
Sol Invictus - which is absolutely hauntingly beautiful!

Posted by cliffdweller (# 13338) on :

quote:
Originally posted by no prophet:
Joni Mitchell's River, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GpFudDAYqxY

Which is featured briefly in the movie referenced above, Love Actually. Though the song is actually about the daughter she gave up for adoption in the context of Christmas. Joni Mitchell and Yann Martel (Life of Pi), both of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

It's also referenced in a poignant scene in You Got Mail.

Posted by Schroedinger's cat (# 64) on :

It is mainly for pop songs - carols are a whole other area of tedious horror and abomination.

All I want for Christmas is not allowed. It may be slightly better than some, but that is just because it is a dried dog turd, not a liquid one.

Joni Mitchell River is sort of working for me. So far the only suggestion making it into my tolerable list. It is exactly what I am after, in fact - really talented people delivering something that actually reflects their talents, not just some bouncy jingle that can make them some money.

Posted by Eutychus (# 3081) on :

Read the title as "Decadent Christmas songs", leaving disappointed.

Posted by MrsBeaky (# 17663) on :

A. Pilgrim - I agree "Mary did you know?" is profound and quite lovely

A few years ago Sting produced an album called "If on a winter's night" which I think is fabulous. It is seasonal music, some Christmas, some winter and a lot of old stuff reworked in his own inimitable style. I just love it.

Posted by Alicïa (# 7668) on :

I quite like Christmas Lights by Coldplay which is a lot more recent (2010)
I realise how marmite they are and all but I like it anyway, despite not doing so at first. [Smile]

The Joni Mitchell - River as posted above is really good. Oh I love threads like these. [Smile]

I love Winter by Tori Amos, although I can't listen to at present due to the onset of [Waterworks]

[ 13. December 2013, 19:29: Message edited by: Alicïa ]

Posted by ArachnidinElmet (# 17346) on :

I find any number of serviceable, if uninspiring, Christmas songs are made unbearable by repetition. The next person to yell "It's Christmas" in my ear gets a punch in the throat (Apologies for the un-Heavenly outburst).

My vote goes to "2000 Miles" by The Pretenders and Jethro Tull's "Solstice Bells".

Posted by georgiaboy (# 11294) on :

For many years I counted my Advent Purgatory as beginning with the first hearing of 'Jingle Bell Rock' performed by Alvin and the Chipmunks.
All ye non-US shippies may have managed to avoid it, I dunno.
Thankfully, the last several years it seems to have dropped away. May that continue!

Posted by Schroedinger's cat (# 64) on :

The Pretenders 2000 Miles gets on the list, which is still very short. This is on because Chrissie Hynde is the God of awesomeness, and has never done a bad song. If you haven;t heard her version of "Creep", do, because it is better than the original. Unlike most other covers of this.

Posted by ArachnidinElmet (# 17346) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Schroedinger's cat:
The Pretenders 2000 Miles gets on the list, which is still very short. This is on because Chrissie Hynde is the God of awesomeness, and has never done a bad song. If you haven;t heard her version of "Creep", do, because it is better than the original. Unlike most other covers of this.

There is a pretty good K T Tunstall version of this (2000 Miles, not Creep).

Posted by Ariston (# 10894) on :

Slate recently did an article on why there haven't been any good (or even new!) Christmas songs in a long while; basically, it concludes that there's not really much of a market for new songs. And, let's be honest, it's a lot easier to take a set of well-known carols with nostalgia value, grab one of America's best composers to arrange an orchestrate them, and have a well-known folk singer perform them. Why do the work when you can mine several hundred years of English, German, and French carols, some of which might even be familiar to your target audience?

Beyond the half-cynicism, half "I'm listening to Joan Baez, don't bother me with lesser music right now," I think it's also the case that, for Christmas music, tradition and nostalgia have a lot of weight—more than in other genres, a cover of something familiar is going to be able to take advantage of this weight, while something looking to break into the Tradition is going to have to overcome it. So what do we get? Lots of covers in various styles, so that everyone can have their Tradition painted over with whatever slant or novelty they want. Hard rock? Trans-Siberian Orchestra's been selling millions of tickets doing just that, as the closest thing we've had in recent years to a successful group doing new Christmas music. Animal sounds? Yup. More horrors that are probably best left unGoogled? Be glad it was my eyes and ears, and not yours.

Now, there are a few exceptions to the rules—probably more exceptions, actually, seeing as we don't hear about them. Of course, most of them are regional carols and songs from such "exotic" places as Brittany, Italy, and Washington. Things that most people may know in one place may be absolutely unheard of pretty much anywhere else—and good luck to them catching on outside their home territories.

That said, if someone wants to do an album of "Best Christmas Songs from Dalmatia," I might just be second in line.

Posted by mousethief (# 953) on :

No, no. This is Christmas music from Washington.

Posted by Tree Bee (# 4033) on :

Joy by Tracey Thorn came out last year from her downbeat and beautiful album Tinsel and Lights.
It touches me deeply.

Posted by S. Bacchus (# 17778) on :

Elvis Costello's St Stephen's Day Murders certainly has the best lyrics of any recent(ish) Christmas song, other than aforementioned 'Fairytale of New York'.

[Code edited to work. "Tinyurl" is your friend when urls are too long to fit. - Ariel.]

[ 15. December 2013, 19:58: Message edited by: Ariel ]

Posted by Sparrow (# 2458) on :

It's not that new but I like Chris Rea's Driving Home for Christmas.

Posted by Enoch (# 14322) on :

Can't say I was struck by any of the ones linked to. I must admit though, that corny though it may be, this one from a year or two ago, a take off of a well known modern Christmas number, always cheers me up. I even know someone who looks a bit like the seal.

Posted by Enoch (# 14322) on :

Another good one IMHO, with spectacular harmonies, but not sure if it counts as it's a New Year song. I think it was released for Christmas 2008.

Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Schroedinger's cat:
... All I want for Christmas is not allowed. It may be slightly better than some, but that is just because it is a dried dog turd, not a liquid one..

Quotes file! [Killing me]

Posted by Gill H (# 68) on :

At this time of year I dig out:

Maddy Prior and the Carnival Band - 'Carols and Capers'
The King's Singers - 'A Little Christmas Music'
The Christmas Survival Guide (snarky, funny revue)
A Broadway Christmas (lesser known seasonal songs from shows)

Oh, and Michael Buble's Christmas album for pure cheese.

Posted by la vie en rouge (# 10688) on :

I don’t know if it counts as modern, exactly, more an old thing in a modern version, but I think the Pentatonix Carol of the Bells is very cool.

Posted by ArachnidinElmet (# 17346) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Enoch:
Another good one IMHO, with spectacular harmonies, but not sure if it counts as it's a New Year song. I think it was released for Christmas 2008.

I absolutely love this song. The BBC played a 'Folk Music at Christmas' concert with Bellowhead and Thea Gilmore, and the Unthanks sang that song. I have it sat on my PVR waiting for Christmas day.

Posted by Albertus (# 13356) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Schroedinger's cat:
The usual Slade...stuff is nauseating.

What! Outrage! 'So here it is, Merry Christmas' may or may not be the Nodmeister [Overused]

's finest achievement, but it's good beery blokey stuff that doesn't take itself too seriously.

[ 17. December 2013, 05:18: Message edited by: Albertus ]

Posted by balaam (# 4543) on :

quote:
Originally posted by ArachnidinElmet:
I absolutely love this song. The BBC played a 'Folk Music at Christmas' concert with Bellowhead and Thea Gilmore, and the Unthanks sang that song. I have it sat on my PVR waiting for Christmas day.

This one?

Posted by Sir Kevin (# 3492) on :

quote:
Originally posted by L'organist:
Are we talking CAROLS, or religious songs, or are we talking secular?

Carols, I'd vote for....Lully Lulla by Philip Stopford - sounds simple but very effective.

We sing that in our Celtic choir. We like it a lot.

Posted by Hugal (# 2734) on :

I have a soft spot for Cliff Richard's Saviour's Day. We heard it sung by the writer Chris Eaton. He also wrote the music to Cliff's very good version Little Town.

Posted by ArachnidinElmet (# 17346) on :

quote:
Originally posted by balaam:

quote:
Originally posted by ArachnidinElmet:
I absolutely love this song. The BBC played a 'Folk Music at Christmas' concert with Bellowhead and Thea Gilmore, and the Unthanks sang that song. I have it sat on my PVR waiting for Christmas day.
This one?

Yep, that's the bunny.

Posted by Baptist Trainfan (# 15128) on :

It was a fabulous concert, although I personally find the Winterset a bit dreary (prefer some of their other stuff). I love Bellowhead, they are such fantastic musicians - but they do have a tendency to be TOO LOUD in concert.

Posted by St. Gwladys (# 14504) on :

This http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CugcfrR83c8 is pretty good! We had a singing workshop with members of the Carnival Band last weekend, and everyone who attended was overjoyed when we heard we would be singing it!

Posted by kingsfold (# 1726) on :

Came across this. Rudolph as you've never heard it before (in a good way, you understand [Smile]

)

Posted by Drifting Star (# 12799) on :

I love A Spaceman came Travelling.

This morning someone on Facebook (who is not unfamiliar around her) kindly sent me the link to Merry Christmas You Suckers in an attempt to dislodge an earworm that was becoming tiresome.

Posted by Starbug (# 15917) on :

Brian Wilson's version of God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen is marvellous. He's taken my favourite carol and made it sound as though it was written in 1965. [Yipee]

My other favourite is the March of the Wooden Soldiers from Phil Spector's sublime Chirstmas album.

Posted by Sandemaniac (# 12829) on :

BBC 6Music has just played All I Want for Christmas is a Dukla Prague Away Kit.

Erroneous Monk, I'm sure, will agree with me that that's a fact well worth reporting.

AG

Posted by Earwig (# 12057) on :

Can't believe no-one's mentioned Sujfan Stevens yet! And he's a Christian. And depressive. And brilliantly insane.

SC - I think you'd like Sufjan. He's recorded a loads of Christmas EPs; he hoped to do one a year but I don't think that's quite happened. They're collected as Songs For Christmas and Silver and Gold.

He mixes covers of traditional songs and his own tracks. If you want cheerful, there's "Lumberjack Christmas". If you're feeling down, there's "Justice Delivers Its Death". Perfect! [Two face]

Posted by Sandemaniac (# 12829) on :

I think I need to get my mind cleaned. I keep seeing the thread title and wondering what might make an indecent Christmas song...

AG

Posted by Galilit (# 16470) on :

"As with gladness men of old"
with the immortal line:
"At thy cradle , rude and bare"

the height of indecency when I was 8 years old!

Posted by Alicïa (# 7668) on :

I had forgotten about Christmas Whether You Like It Or Not - Mitch Benn (of "The Now Show" R4 Infamy)

It's one of those comedy parody types & he has put a whole digital album of those kind of xmas songs online this year so hopefully you may find one to amuse you, or not.

[ 20. December 2013, 11:35: Message edited by: Alicïa ]

Posted by Alicïa (# 7668) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Tree Bee:
Joy by Tracey Thorn came out last year from her downbeat and beautiful album Tinsel and Lights.
It touches me deeply.

This one is great, and yes deeply moving. Don't know how I missed this last year but thanks, I really like Tracey Thorn as an artist.

[ 20. December 2013, 11:40: Message edited by: Alicïa ]

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