I know that summer is barely over, but in the week when mince pies appeared in my local Co-op and The Archers has a story line about planning the Christmas play, I feel that we should join the bandwagon now.
So, here is what is – without a doubt – the best Christmas song ever.
Of course the answer is David Bowie.
I’ve been accumulating more Christmas records since, erm, January, and have 20-30 new ones to listen to come December. These two cost me 50p each yesterday:
http://i1350.photobucket.com/albums/p773/minibreakfast/DSCN0006_zpst6mlelip.jpg
I have a box of Xmas CDs, although they very rarely see the light of day.
This is a good one, though
http://i1361.photobucket.com/albums/r674/Clennam/220px-Itsacoolcoolchristmas_zpsugmduqa0.jpeg
The list is endless:
http://i.imgur.com/5HZhBas.jpg
Lets step into Christmas.
Lets Fucking not.
That’s the spirit!
(*smiles*)
Indeed.
Christmas, the season of having to spend time with members of your family you barely see all year (with good reason, mostly) and wasting time and getting inordinately stressed about preparing and eating an amount of food in 2 days that would last at least a week in any other situation.
I’m no fan.
This is one of the only things that makes it half bearable.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPm6CheT6rs
With the Waitresses a close second.
Looking at Mr Lake now, I think he should gone a bit easier on the mince pies.
Noooooooooooooooooo
One of the major, major benefits of living in a Buddhist country is the near total indifference to Christmas. They like the decorations and the red and white hats, have a vague understanding of the day being Santa’s birthday, but are free of the dreary, stress-filled grind, the obligation to “celebrate” through over-consumption with “the family”. Does this make them a nation of Scrooges? Nope.
You can be perfectly happy (and even celebrate Christ’s birthday, if that’s your thing) without any of the commercial crap that’s accreted to the idea over the years. But the commercial crap is Christmas. Christmas is nonsense. Actually, fucking horrible. And I thank the historical Jesus that I shall never have to listen to Roy Wood And Wizzard or John Lennon or Slade singing “Christmas songs” again. (No use posting them here – shan’t click!)
We have a ‘Kleessmah pahty’ every year in the restaurant for the assorted full-time and part-time staff plus friends and relations of theirs. ‘Over-consumption’ of food is mandatory on any day of the year for Thai people. The highlights are the X Factor karaoke sessions – solo, duets and massed choirs, which I judge in a Simon Cowell stylee. Taken extremely seriously, with song choices and dance routines having been worked on for weeks before. Large cash prizes on offer, so the competition is fierce.
Also, the ‘name game’ is guaranteed hysteria.
It’s even more exhausting than normal Christmasses.
You’re all wrong. The best Xmas song is Christmas Wrapping by the Waitresses.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2SzjDOk_u9I
If anybody has seen my white vinyl copy, stolen from a party in 1989, no questions asked.
Any fool know that.
Any fool know the that song is dreary over-rated shite, dull American new wave bobbins. Compliments of the season to you both.
It’s a surprisingly “Marmite” song. I love late ’70s New Wave as much as I dislike early ’70s prog rock – I find Greg Lake’s festive hit a dirge, but possibly no great surprise as for the rest of the year I’d rather listen to Blondie than ELP.
Blondie didn’t make any Xmas songs, so the Waitresses did one for them.
I can see your point – I have a 2CD compilation of everthing the Waitresses ever recorded, which *is* largely dull American new wave bobbins. To be honest, I could easily live with this one track, or getting my white vinyl 7″ back.
Pardon? What is this then?
Well, yes, but Waitresses: 1981. Blondie: 2009.
The best Christmas song is either 2000 Miles by the Pretenders, or Santa Claus is Coming to Town by the Crystals.
More recently, it’s Goodbye England (Covered in Snow) by Laura Marling.
Christmas is fantastic, best time of the year. But it’s Halloween first, and I know how much the Afterword loves Halloween…..
Humbug.
Bugger. Beat me to it.
Christmas can be great, but the season starts around Dec 24th and ends around Jan 1st.
Starting it in bloody October is ruinous (I know it’s a retail thing)
Gerroffit. Christmas doesn’t start December 24th. It starts December 1st when you open the first door of the advent calendar and can legitimately start eating mince pies and watching Xmas movies.
Nah! I prepare my Green Christmas CD all through the year. Most tracks have been downloaded/recorded/selected already.
Motherfudger, I put my Christmas decorations up in MARCH.
Christmas rock albums can be worse than the last turkey in the shop. The Bob Dylan, Moody Blues, and Lynryrd Skynrd ones are particularly ropey, IMHO. They do have a sense of “sell any old crap in the holiday season”.
Don’t forget Twisted Sister. Full album here if you are suicidal.
https://youtu.be/Wid6EJnAKrY
Dec 1st starts the countdown to Christmas, which is what an Advent calendar does.
Thanks for clearing that one up!
I actually love Christmas , although it doesn’t often snow…
Only country music really captures the spirit:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=19uFC3KqR8M
Yesterday my local Co-op actually smelled Christmassy thanks to all the new festive stock.
Today, I got my first ‘Best of 2015’ list from a PR company.
IT HAS BEGUN. 🙁
I have been informed today that Nov 30th is “Xmas decoration” day at my school, and that ‘everyone’ will be wearing a seasonal jumper. I am feeling mutinous.
I genuinely believe that Christmas songs should be played in December ONLY. If I could enforce this by law I would.
However, I am not a complete Bah Humbug miserable bastard, & I do like some Christmas songs.
FWIIW, my top 3 Christmas songs are (in order)
1 ) – Waitresses – Christmas wrapping
2 ) – Fairytale of New York – Pogues & Kirsty McColl
3 ) – I believe in father christmas – Greg Lake
These & many others will remain firmly under lock & key/ armed guard until December 1st.
Worst Christmas song? – too many to mention, but I have serious hatred for the
Boney M & Johnny Mathis former Christmas number ones.
Just for you Jack. Christmas in July.
We’re currently trying to get John Lewis to notice ours so I can quit my job. (I actually can’t believe it’s 4 years old.)
I honestly don’t know how anyone could hate Christmas Rapping, but hey, de gustibus etc. A Pretty Good Christmas is a bloody brilliant Xmas choon too, as any fule no. Of ones that haven’t been mentioned yet, I like A Winter’s Tale (David Essex), Little Town (yep, Cliff’s take on O Little Town Of Bethlehem, which is very fine) and December Will Be Magic Again (Kate Bush).
I shall also take this opportunity to big up the best Christmas record ever, which is not the Phil Spector one but Thea Gilmore’s Strange Communion. If you haven’t heard it, get thee to Spotify/Youtube/Itunes/Emusic/wherever and SORT IT OUT.
WE LIKE THEA GILMORE.
In the true spirit of humgation:
Anyone for Thanksgiving??