First off... I'm a fan of Christmas music. During the year, when I put my ipod on shuffle, I will often get a litany of christmas songs. Louis Armstrong, Sufjan Stevens, Amy Grant, Nat King Cole, etc. I try to reserve Christmas music for just this time of year, but sometimes I can't help myself. However, in light of the 30 days of Christmas that is being played at our local Christian music station, I must comment on the state of current Christmas music.
Without sounding too much like the Grinch or Ebenezer Scrooge, current popular Christmas music - CCM or otherwise - sucks. When I hear "Christmas Shoes" or the horrifying "Christmas and You" by Go Fish (which is what I wish they would do) or perhaps the melodramatic strains of the ridiculous Josh Groban or perhaps the newest version of "Christmas Shoes" by Steven Curtis Chapman called "All I want for Christmas" or, maybe one of the worst - The Brooklyn Tabernacle Choirs "Merry Christmas Jesus" - oh fine...now i'll just list them:
Faith Hill's "A Baby Changes Everything"
Anything by the Trans Siberian Orchestra (Silver Bells does not need a face melting solo!)
Any version of "Do You hear What I Hear"
I could go on, but it's not worth any of our time. These are the songs that I patiently put up with while I wait for the odd Nat King Cole or Bing Crosby track. I'll even clap when "I want a hippopotomus for Christmas" comes on, shattering the mind numbing monotony of banal Xmas music. I use "Xmas" dripping with sarcasm.
I have my own pantry of Christmas albums which I return to terribly often. Even throughout the year, just for a pleasant pick-me-up. Sufjan Stevens 5 disc set of Christmas tunes, both original and traditional is, beyond just good listening, an easy way to get me in the Christmas mood. Also, the Charlie Brown Christmas by Vince Guaraldi (or however it's spelled). It is Christmas the moment "O Tanenbaum" moves from the solo piano traditional to the jazzy shuffle half a minute in.
After talking with a friend and laughing at the silliness of some Christmas tunes, we came to the divisive statement of liking Christmas or not. He doesn't see the big deal, outside of Jesus and all that. I love the festivity of it all, the time with family, the presents, and of course Jesus. By proxy, he hates the music that comes with it. The traditional tunes he'll put up with, but outside of that.... geeeh. I've already stated my dislike for so much pop christmas music so I won't retread that, but, after listening part of the way through the Holiday Mix that NPR's All Songs Considered put together on a recent show, I have to say that Christmas music is great and creates fantastic conversation.
The Ravonettes "The Christmas Song" is a slippery pop gem. Snowden's melancholic version of "White Christmas," Laura Gibson's stripped down "It Came Upon a Midnight Clear," and the double entendre filled "Santa Lost a Ho" by the Christmas Jug Band... all great additions. Adding the entries of Sufjan's "Come Thou Fount" to the show only brought a bit more reverence to the gathering. It is interesting to hear radio hosts comment on sacred hymns. And this got me thinking. What the world calls Christmas music is, in large part, reworkings of the hymns of the Christian faith. Sure there's "Jingle Bell Rock" or "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus," but "Little Drummer Boy," a delicate explanation of meaningful gift giving is still covered by bands ranging from Jars of Clay to the Scandinavian discotheque master Lindstrom. Josh Groban, who knows what he thinks of when he belts out in his overly dramatic vocals: "Chains shall he break, for the slave is our brother." I can see him gargling the words out in the studio then turning to shout at his producers to get him an 80 degree cup of chamomile tea. A certain reverence is lost when I think like this, but at the same time, whenever "O Holy Night" comes on the radio I cannot help but think, "Wow, this has to impact someone. The lyrics can't be lost on all of us. Can they?"
Anyway. I'd been meaning to blog for a while and upcoming will be both my year end best of music list as well as a recap of what the decade meant for music for me.
If you can, and don't feel too overly flustered by the fact that "Christmas Shoes" is being played once an hour on the soft rock station, pick up one of Sufjan's Christmas albums and listen to it with only the lights on the tree. Or pour yourself some Eggnog and waltz in the living room to Guaraldi's "Skating." It's well worth it and transcends all of the glitz of the season, and can... can even remind us that there is something more important than putting bows on packages and making sure that we spent even amounts on everyone's gifts. From the old traditional "The Friendly Beasts" I leave you with this... "Jesus our brother, strong and good.
Merry Christmas.
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