Posterous theme by Cory Watilo

Just don't ask what the prison cooks put in the Hollandaise sauce

 

Jeff already offered up perhaps the best modern Christmas song out there, and for some reason, John Prine's Christmas in Prison strikes up the same sorts of emotions in me that 'Fairytale" does. There's the same tinge of regret, mixed with the vague hope that someday things will be better. The hope that the magic of the Christmas season can make things right again, even for this man in prison who seems bereft of all over hope. But something about Christmas inspires him to think about, and sing to, a woman he loves and has hurt. Maybe Christmas can open doors. And bring us back from the brink.

 

I Build my Xmas Dreams around this Song

By all rights, the Pogue's Fairytale of New York - the story of a drunk and a drug addict dysfunctional relationship and slow self-destruction - shouldn't be a good Christmas Song.

But it is. In fact, I think it's the best secular christmas song ever written.

From the start, the haggard, world weary rasp of Shane McGowan's voice is instantly captivating. It draws you in. And when the song suddenly jumps into a jaunty Irish ballad, full of flutes and strings, and Kristy MacColl joins in as counter point to Shane's voice, it's got you hooked.

The call and response style has the strength of songs from great musicals - it tells an emotive story. Quickly you go through the joy and excitement of the singer's whirlwind romance, straight through to the anger and bitterness that comes when the shine wears off and reality bears down, and finally to a small note of redemption and soul confessions that I think encapsulate the season's hopes of goodwill and love.

What makes the song so fantastic is that it feels real. And I hope the two young lovers here make it. I hope they turn their lives around. And maybe, just maybe, Christmas can help them do it.

A Christmas Full of Soul

When it comes to good music, you can't go wrong with suggestions from Craig Pittman. Craig shares his top twenty holiday tunes over of Spotify. Check 'em out:

X-Mas Marks the Spot - Spotify (you'll need a spotify account)

Pretty Little Thing, Id'nt It?

It was 2002, and I was in Huntsville for my 10-year high school anniversary. But this morning, I was on another mission - to drive halfway across town for an overpriced CD to get just this one song.

Just months before his death, Bing Crosby sang a duet with David Bowie for his last Christmas special. It's an amazing blemd of harmonies and a message which powerfully resonates, made all the more special by its entertwining with a traditional carol.

I heard it on the radio just a few years before and had been searching for it ever since. I never could find on Napster, and it had sadly been out of print for years... except on a compilation CD called New Wave Christmas. I had been searching record stores for months, and finally discovered it back in my hometown.

Eagerly I grabbed the copy, ripped off the shrink warp, and stuck it in the car. We wife and I sat in the parking lot listening to the song unplay and fill the car with a warm Christmas spirit. As it ended, I said "What a pretty little song".

As it faded out, Bing replied "Pretty little thing, id'nt it?"

Serendipity. And jinx.