I Believe in Father Christmas by Greg Lake of Emerson, Lake and Palmer.
Your Holiday/Christmas Favorite Recordings
As I sit here enjoying a glass of cab, looking at the decorations that were put up today, watching the snow pile up outside(which must be removed tomorrow), and listening to my favorite Christmas CD - James Galaway's "Christmas Carol", I wonder what wonderful music you decide to dedicate to your tt or cd player this time of year? My top five are; 1. Galways "Christmas Carol" RCA RCD1-588, 2. Vince Guardaldi Trio's "A Charlie Brown Christmas" Fantasy FCD-8431-2, 3. David Grisman's "Acoustic Christmas" Rounder CD 0190, 4. Mannheim Steamroller "A Fesh Aire Christmas" Amercian Gramaphone Records AGCD 1988, and 5. Philadelphia Brass Ensemble "A Festival of Carols in Brass" CBS MK7033.
Oh yes, Happy Holidays to All! I've learned so much from so many here at Agon, and I am deeply appreciative.
Oh yes, Happy Holidays to All! I've learned so much from so many here at Agon, and I am deeply appreciative.
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Here are my favorites: Artist or Title Artist Title Label Various Artists Excelsis Box Set 2001 PROJEKT | PROexbox 3-CD Excelsis v.1 ~ a dark noel | 1995 CD Excelsis v.2 ~ a winter's song | 1999 CD Excelsis v. 3 ~ a prelude | 2001 Maxi-CD -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1995's Excelsis v.1 ~ a dark noel has consistantly been one of Projekt's most popular releases. The follow-up, 1999's Excelsis v.2 ~ a winter's song, quickly brought joy to many more fans of darkwave music. In 2001, we added the the not-available-in-stores Excelsis 3 ~ a prelude Maxi-CD to create a trilogy of dark holiday releases. And to make it even more special, we have packaged the three of them in a beautiful tuck box (it is open on the right side, so the CDs easily slide in and out) with no barcode or ugly credits to ruin the design. This package was a big hit for the 2001 holiday season, unfortunately we ran out before many of you had a chance to purchase it. PROJEKT packaged another 500 copies. The Excelsis Box makes a great holiday gift for your friends, or even for yourself. Happy Holidays. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A review from Prick Magazine When Projekt released Excelsis~A Dark Noelin 1995, it became an instant holiday hit amongst fans of darkwave and gothic music looking for an alternative to candy-coated TRL Christmas tunes. Having since released two more volumes in the Excelsis series - 1999's A Winter's Song and 2001's A Prelude - the label is now offering the entire trilogy in this box set. From darker holiday interpretations such as Loveliescrushing's "Jingle Bells (Snowblower)" and Black Tape for a Blue Girl's "Chanukkah, Oh Chanukkah" to surprisingly whimsical renditions like Faith & Disease's "Silver and Gold," this set show's that the holiday season's influence can be felt even in the darkwave underworld. Excelsis includes traditional carols as well as more contemporary tunes such as The Crüxshadows' cover of the John Lennon/Yoko Ono classic "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)," which is not to be missed. - Jonathan Williams (Music Editor) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Excelsis v.1 ~ a dark noel tracks: Arcanta: Carol of the Bells Love Spirals Downwards: Welcome Christmas | MP3 streaming & download FuchiKachis Ethu: Oh Come All Ye Faithful This Ascension: Carol of the Bells | MP3 Download & Streaming Real Audio Area: O Come Emmanuel Thanatos: The First Noel Lovesliescrushing: Jingle Bells (Snowblower) Balderas & Osborne: What Child Is This? black tape for a blue girl: Chanukkah, Oh Chanukkah | MP3 streaming & download Sorrow: The Little Drummer Boy Lycia/The Unquiet Void: We Three Kings Eva O: O Holy Night Faith and the Muse: A Winter Wassail Autopsia: Stille Nacht (g)RAVE remix Attrition: Silent Night Excelsis v.2 ~ a winter's song tracks: El Duende: Gaudete, Gaudete Rhea's Obsession with Athan Maroulis (of Spahn Ranch): We Three Kings London After Midnight: The Christmas Song The Crüxshadows: Happy Xmas (War Is Over) Unto Ashes: Lord Of The Dance The Machine in the Garden: Coventry Carol Faith & Disease: Silver and Gold Lynn Canfield (of The Moon Seven Times): The True Present Sofia Run - Nerotai Hazarurim (Little Candles) Siddal: In The Bleak Midwinter Thanatos: Silent Night Julia Kent (of Rasputina): What Child is This? Rhea's Obsession: Huron Indian Carol Lycia: O Little Town of Bethlehem Human Drama: I Believe In Father Christmas Excelsis v.3 ~ a prelude tracks: Lovespirals: Aspen Glow Lynn Canfield: Edelweiss Audra: Let The Reindeer Live On My Roof | MP3 streaming & download Lowsunday: Blue Christmas Frolic: Angels We Have Heard On High Faith & Disease: Silver And Gold (alternate version) Mirabilis: Riu Riu Chiu Unto Ashes: Krampusnacht (for Krampus, the Christmas Demon) Lynn Canfield: Let Your Little Sister Pet The Kitty Too Merchandise by This Artist PRO2062L Excelsis Angel - L Long Sleeve Sweatshirt Shirt (Projekt, 1995) PRO2062X Excelsis Angel - XL Long Sleeve Sweatshirt Shirt (Projekt, 1995) Artist or Title Artist Title Label Angels of Venice Sanctus 2003 Trine Records | AOV01004 CD Tracks: 1. Carol Of The Bells | MP3 2. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen MP3 3. Little Drummer Boy 4. Polorum regina - Llibre Vermell (14th century) 5. What Child Is This 6. We Three Kings 7. O Holy Night 8. Silent Night 9. Edelweiss 10. Good King Wenceslas 11. Dance Of The Sugar Plum Fairy BONUS TRACK: 12. Carol Of The Bells (vocal version) Total Time: 50:02 BRAND NEW Angels of Venice Christmas CD (official release date October 31, 2003)!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This is Angels Of Venice first release since 2000! This highly anticipated new CD consists of traditional Christmas songs arranged in ways your ears have never heard before! The song styles range from danceable world music with middle eastern influences to ethereal, medieval, renaissance, baroque and classical. There is a victorian/gothic-styled "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy" that would easily fit in A Nightmare Before Christmas or The Adams Family as well as danceable world music versions of "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" and "Little Drummer Boy" (DJs take note!). Instruments include harp, flute, cello, percussion, violin, Gregorian vocals, oud, sitar, temple bells, church bells, chimes, lush string sounds and more. Band comparisons would be Dead Can Dance, Enigma and Loreena McKennitt. Sure to be a holiday classic! Other Albums by This Artist AOV01001 Music for Harp, Flute and Cello CD (Angels of Venice, 1994) AOV01002 Awake Inside A Dream CD (Angels of Venice, 1996) AOV01003 Carol Tatum's Music For Harp CD (Angels of Venice, 2000) Merchandise by This Artist None at this time. Taken from the PROJEKT web site. Thanks SAM |
Tvad, you have some very interesting points about the song. I always felt it was an anti-commercial take on Christmas but not necessarily an anti - Christmas song. The last line really sums up what I feel to be his intent. The Christmas you experience is usually the experience you want it to be or wind up with depending on your behavior towards it and mankind. I enjoyed your points. |
I don't have the patience to write a tome, like some of the previous posters, but here is my short list. 1) Bing Crosby's Merry Christmas 2) Contemporary Christian Christmas. Margaret Becker's "O Come, O Come Emmanuel" is fantastic. Very well recorded disc, with dozens of artists. 3) Trans-Siberian Orchestra, I listened to it Saturday, but can't remember the name?!? 4) Traditional German Christmas - Various artists |
Ok, i see the thread i was looking for is gone....so heres two unusaul finds....'An American Christmas' Norman and Nancy blake, Roy Huskey Jr, Vassar Clements, Ronnie McCoury, James Byran. A relaxing authentic traditional take on Christmas, no show boating, just nice.....now, if you can find 'A Christmas Cocktail' by Jaymz Bee and the Royal Jelly Orchestra, your in for a treat. From strait jazz to just plain weird, this CD is a hoot. Good sound too, i love it. Well if i feel better im off to the local Manifest to look for something new, see ya. |
Christmas in Suburbia by Martin Newell (from The Greatest Living Englishman) Going home for Christmas in suburbia Where the sodium lights are golden in the rain On the plastic and the chrome of the people going home They will jingle jangle by electric candlelight Christmas time I'll celebrate a shoestring saturnalia With a cracker or two and some cheap old sherry wine (sherry wine about a quid or two) We'll have tofu (???) You can let the turkey go I'm not killing over Christmas in suburbia any time Party round at my place after closing time You can bring your own there's none at home I drank it all You might have known! All the stars are shining in suburbia As you wake up in a room that's not your own There's an angel in your bed, and you wonder what you said Then you realise its Christmas in suburbia Christmas time There's an angel in your bed, and you wonder what you said Then you realise its Christmas You realise its Christmas You realise its Christmas in suburbia Christmas time Merry Christmas darling... As a side note, you can see Martin Newell in action with Captain Sensible (of the Damned), performing their Punk Aid charitable single here. Windows media player clip.. |
For classical music fans, here are some LP selections I've been listening to this week that regularly return to the turntable even outside the Christmas season: In Dulci Jubilo, Christmas Music of the 15-18th Centuries, Jurgens/MonteverdiChHamburg, Telefunken SAWT 9419 Christmas Music from Medieval & Ren Europe, The Sixteen, Hyperion A66263 Gregorian Chants-Hungary Vol.1-Christmas, Schola Hungarica, Dobszay/Szendrei, Hungaraton SLPX 11477 On Christmas Night, Christmas Carols sung by the Choir of King's College, Willcocks/ChoirKingsColl/LSO, Preston -org, Argo ZRG 5333 Responsoria of Matins at Christmas, Estrada/Schola de Montserrat, Archiv 2533 158 Handel, Messiah, Davis/LSO, Philips 802 721/3 (this year's choice for enjoyment) Christmas Hymns and Carols, Vol 1, Robert Shaw Chorale, RCA LSC 2139 (well, this one pretty much only shows up in December...) And on CD: Aquitania - Christmas Music from Aquitanian Monestaries, Sequentia, Harmonia Mundi 77383 Thys Yool - A Medieval Christmas, Martin Best Ensemble, Nimbus 5137 On Yoolis Night - Medieval Carols & Motets, Anonymous 4, Harmonia Mundi 907099 Best wishes of the season to all, |