New Leonard Cohen CD To Be Released In January

Leonard Cohen's new studio CD, titled Old Ideas, is scheduled to be released on January 31, 2012. This will be his first studio release since 2004's Dear Heather. Fans who caught shows on his recent world tour will be happy to know that "Darkness" is to be included on the album. However, that is the only one of the songs he debuted on the tour to make it on the CD. What about "Feels So Good," "Lullaby" and "Born In Chains"?

Well, Leonard Cohen has said that "Born In Chains" and the other new ones will likely be on the next album. Yes, he's already thinking about another CD. That's excellent news, indeed. And of course the absence of those three songs on Old Ideas means the inclusion of three songs we haven't even heard yet. And new Leonard Cohen material is always cause for celebration.

There is no word on whether there will be a tour to support Old Ideas. Leonard Cohen did not tour to support Dear Heather or Ten New Songs (2001), his previous two studio albums.

I'm hoping to get an advance copy to review here.

Ray Charles: "Singular Genius: The Complete ABC Singles" (2011) Box Set

Early on in his career the word "genius" was included in Ray Charles' record titles (The Genius Of Ray Charles, 1959; The Genius Hits The Road, 1960; The Genius Sings The Blues, 1961). With anyone else, it would seem the height of arrogance. With him, it somehow seems an understatement. Then last year saw the release of Rare Genius: The Undiscovered Masters. And now we get this amazing box set titled Singular Genius: The Complete ABC Singles. I like that he's gone from "rare" to "singular," because really there is no one else like Ray Charles.

This collection is amazing, featuring all the singles he released on ABC from 1960 to 1973. Yes, the hits are here - "Georgia On My Mind," "I Can't Stop Loving You," "You Don't Know Me" - but there are also the flip sides, and a lot of these tunes have not been available before on CD. (And let's face: a B side from Ray Charles is like an A side from anybody else.)

Ray Charles had already achieved stardom by this point, with songs like "I Got A Woman" and "What'd I Say" released on his previous label, Atlantic. But he was still growing as an artist. This period saw some of his greatest performances, and contains fantastic energy and tremendous playing. Has ever a voice contained so much emotion? Has ever a voice been rough and sweet simultaneously, as it is on "Carry Me Back To Old Virginny"? His voice can drive away my cares and concerns on a tune like "Hopelessly," then get me dancing with a song like "I Don't Need No Doctor." Soul, blues, country, rock and roll, jazz... Ray Charles can do it all, and do it all insanely well, taking each genre and making it his own.

Some of these tracks have an orchestra; some have a more raw feel. Some have both. But all are gems. This is an incredible collection.

Disc One Features "Georgia On My Mind"

This collection begins, oddly, with a female lead singer - Margie Hendrix in an impressive performance. It's not until forty-nine seconds into the first track, "My Baby (I Love Her Yes I Do)," that we finally hear Ray Charles sing. This groovy song has a slow swing with a ton of spunk. Written by Ray Charles, this song was actually the flip side to "Who You Gonna Love."

"Worried Life Blues" is a seriously cool blues tune. The flip side to "Sticks And Stones," it begins with a spoken word intro by Sid Feller. He says, "Say Ray, you sure look mighty sad." Ray responds, "Man, that's because I got the blues." Sid then tells him to go ahead and sing the blues. This song features a short solo on sax by David Newman.

"Georgia On My Mind" is of course the big hit that made Ray Charles a mainstream star. This song reached #1 on the pop chart. Ralph Burns did the arrangement for this beautiful rendition.

"Hit The Road, Jack" is one of the coolest tunes of all time. Written by Percy Mayfield (who also penned the single's flip side, "The Danger Zone"), this song features some great vocal work by Margie Hendrix and the rest of the Raelettes. The only problem with this song is its length. It fades out before the two-minute mark, when it feels to be hitting its stride. I always want more. This was released in August, 1961.

"But On The Other Hand, Baby" is a late-night smokey tune with some wonderful work on horn, blowing sweetly over Ray's piano. That's Phil Guilbeau on trumpet. This song starts with the line, "You know I'm hooked for you, mama," with a reference to Ray's drug habit. "But On The Other Hand, Baby" was written by Ray Charles and Percy Mayfield.

"Baby, It's Cold Outside" wasn't a hit on its initial release in January 1962 (reaching only to #91 on the charts), but it's definitely had staying power, and I'm thankful for that. It's a great duet, a sort of seduction (possibly helped by drugs - "Say, what's in this drink"). Betty Carter provides that wonderful second set of vocals. Betty Carter also sings on the B side, "We'll Be Together Again."

"At The Club," written by Percy Mayfield, begins with the sound of a crowd at the club. This excellent tune features some cool work on bass by Edgar Willis, as well as a wonderfully funny ending. Ray sings, "Because if you're a policeman's woman, just talking to you is a crime." And then a deep voice comes in, "That's right, bud, let's go."

"You Don't Know Me" is one of the most beautiful songs ever recorded. And like most beautiful songs, it's sad. This song reached #2 on The Billboard Hot 100. "You Don't Know Me" plays a prominent part in one of my favorite films, Groundhog Day.

The first disc ends "Careless Love," written by Ray Charles (with a repeated reference to "Amazing Grace" in the line "I once was blind but now I see"). It was released in July 1962.

Disc Two

Ray Charles can cover a wide range of material and be true to its sources while adding his own special magic. The second disc begins with his excellent cover of Hank Williams' "Your Cheatin' Heart." Ray Charles has often delved into country music, and in 1962 released two albums titled Modern Sounds In Country And Western Music and Modern Sounds In Country And Western Music Volume 2 ("Your Cheatin' Heart" was on the second volume).

"Take These Chains From My Heart" is another country tune, and clearly on a theme Ray Charles dug ("Unchain My Heart" is on the first disc). Written by Fred Rose and Hy Heath, this song was originally recorded by Hank Williams. In the section that is just piano, bass and drums it has a definite jazz feel, which is wonderful.

A phenomenal live version of "Busted" was included on Live In Concert, released earlier this year. Here in this collection is the original single, released in the summer of 1963. This is a song that really speaks to many of us in this horrible economy, with lines like "A big stack of bills that gets bigger each day" and "I am no thief, but a man can go wrong when he's busted." Ray Charles makes me feel a bit better about being broke. Singing this song will raise your spirits too. Sing it loudly!

Ray Charles eases you into "That Lucky Old Sun." It's a slow and glorious version. He gives a pretty incredible vocal performance here.

"Ol' Man Time" is a fun tune with a big band sound. This delightful song, written by Cliff Friend and Jack Reynolds, features lyrics lines like "Ol' man time is a bugaboo/Every year he changes you/He bends your back, dims your eyes." But there's hope, for there's one thing he can't change: "Love that's true stays the same."

"Something's Wrong" is one of my favorite tracks. It's one of those cool tunes that catches you by surprise. His vocal performance has a bit of a playful quality. This has a slow build. The horns seem to want to take the song in a brighter direction, but each time Ray's voice brings it back down. He won't allow himself to be happy here. After all, something is wrong. And that's not going away. "Something's Wrong" was written by Percy Mayfield.

"Makin' Whoopee" is a live track recorded on September 20, 1964. That show was released as Live In Concert by Concord Music group earlier this year. According to the liner notes of that CD, this is the only recording of Ray Charles performing this song. On that CD, it's a single track. Here it is divided into two tracks, as it was when originally released as a single. The first track fades out after he jokes, "You know what I've been doing." The second track is instrumental. Interestingly, the order was reversed for the single (and thus this collection). It's actually the instrumental section that came first in the actual performance. Ray didn't start singing until approximately two and a half minutes in. This song has a great loose and sexy, yet funny vibe.

Disc Three Features Buck Owens Songs

The second disc featured the two-part concert performance of "Makin' Whoopie." The third disc also features a two-part live track, recorded at the same concert. This time it's "I've Got A Woman," which was also included on Live In Concert. These two tracks are pure fun. The first fades out, and the second picks up where the first left off. "I've Got A Woman" was written by Ray Charles and Renald Richard.

That's followed by another two-part song, the absolutely gorgeous "Without A Song." (Shockingly, this song did not chart.) The first track fades out, but the second has its own fresh start, and could stand on its own. "Without A Song" is definitely a stand-out in a collection of incredible recordings. Just set aside all distractions, close your eyes and listen.

The third disc finds Ray Charles covering three Buck Owens songs. The first, "Love's Gonna Live Here," is a peppy, wonderful little tune with some great backing vocals, nice work on guitar, and a positive attitude. Ray switches gears with "Crying Time," a sad, crying-in-your-beer, end-of-a-relationship type of song. In that one he sings, "Now they say that absence makes the heart grow fonder/And that tears are only rain to make love grow/Well, my love for you could never grow no stronger/If I live to be a hundred years old." I love the fiddle. The third Buck Owens song, "Together Again," is a sweet tune, pulling us out of whatever despair we might have feen feeling during "Crying Time." Ray Charles does a couple of surprising things vocally right near the end of the track.

"You're Just About To Lose Your Clown" features Billy Preston on organ, Don Peake on guitar and Earl Palmer on drums. How's that for a great band? Plus, this is a damn cool song, written by Johnny MacRae. That same group plays on "Let's Go Get Stoned," a song Joe Cocker did on Mad Dogs & Englishmen. This rendition by Ray Charles is so smooth in sections.

"The Train" is a fantastic dance tune with a slow groove. Written by Ray Charles, this is one of my favorites. I could do without the train sound effects at the end, but it's a great track all the same.

Disc Four Features Two Beatles Songs

I love songs like "Here We Go Again," songs with an easy groove, great vocals, and good work on piano. Songs you want to sing along to, or drink to. And this one features Billy Preston on organ. Lillie Fort provides the wonderful backing vocals on this one.

On the fourth disc there are two Beatles covers. First, he takes "Yesterday," and combines the gentle sound of the strings with his incredibly raw vocal performance. The results are intense and highly emotional. This was recorded in 1967, when The Beatles were boldly striking off into new territory. In the second Beatles song, "Eleanor Rigby," Ray Charles changes the vocal rhythm to make it his own. It's interesting. It throws you off at first, but being a bit unbalanced is a great way to come at this song anew. Ray's voice somehow embodies all of the lonely people. It's just this side of magical.

"Understanding" blew me away with its graphically violent passage. Written by Ray Charles and Jimmy Holiday, this song was the flip side to "Eleanor Rigby," and I can't help but think it surprised a good number of people who bought the single.

The fourth disc ends with a sweet and slow rendition of the Gershwin tune "Someone To Watch Over Me."

Disc Five

The fifth disc opens with "Laughin' And Clownin,'" a wonderful bluesy number written by Sam Cooke. Recorded in 1968, but not released until January of 1970, this track features Freddy Robinson on guitar.

"Feel So Bad" is a seriously cool, funky tune written by James Johnson and Leslie Temple. It features excellent work by Don Peake on guitar and Carol Kaye on bass. Ray is clearly having a ball with this song.

Ray Charles gets insanely playful in his rendition of "Look What They've Done To My Song, Ma." I've always loved Melanie Safka, and Ray's version of one of her biggest tunes is absolutely wonderful. He introduces the French section by wsaying, "Now girls, if you don't mind, I'd like to hear this in French." And then he gives it a go himself, before concluding, "My French must be pretty bad/I'd better do this in English." It's little touches like that that prove delightful. But he's still true to Melanie's song.

The flip side to "Look What They've Done To My Song, Ma" is "America The Beautiful." Now I've never claimed to be patriotic, but Ray Charles' rendition of this song is so gorgeous that I almost wish I could be.

"Hey Mister" is an impassioned plea (or demand) to the government to solve the poverty problem in this country. It even mentions impeachment ("The poor people know that they can't impeach you/They're just hoping that their cries will reach you.") This record came out in November of 1972. Ray sounds truly angry on this one. It's excellent. I love these lines: "Foreign aid is well and good/But why don't you give some of that money to the neighborhood?"

John Denver's such a great songwriter, and Ray Charles does a excellent job on "Take Me Home, Country Roads." This is such a beautiful song. The end is wonderful with the backing vocalists.

This disc, and thus the collection, ends with a strange rendition of "Ring Of Fire." It's quite a bit different from Johnny Cash's version, and concludes with Ray whispering, "The ring of fire/Your ring of fire burns," and then giving a whispered laugh. It was released in April, 1973 (though it was actually recorded in May of 1970).

CD Track List

Disc One

1. My Baby (I Love Her Yes I Do)
2. Who You Gonna Love
3. Sticks And Stones
4. Worried Life Blues
5. Georgia On My Mind
6. Carry Me Back To Old Virginny
7. Them That Got
8. I Wonder
9. Ruby
10. Heardhearted Hannah
11. Hit The Road, Jack
12. The Danger Zone
13. Unchain My Heart
14. But On The Other Hand, Baby
15. Baby, It's Cold Outside
16. We'll Be Together Again
17. At The Club
18. Hide Nor Hair
19. I Can't Stop Loving You
20. Born To Lose
21. You Don't Know Me
22. Careless Love
    

Disc Two

1. Your Cheatin' Heart
2. You Are My Sunshine
3. Don't Set Me Free
4. The Brightest Smile In Town
5. Take These Chains From My Heart
6. No Letter Today
7. Without Love (There Is Nothing)
8. No One
9. Busted
10. Make Believe
11. That Lucky Old Sun
12. Ol' Man Time
13. Baby, Don't You Cry
14. My Heart Cries For You
15. My Baby Don't Dig Me
16. Something's Wrong
17. No One To Cry To
18. A Tear Fell
19. Smack Dab In The Middle
20. I Wake Up Cryin'
21. Makin' Whoopee (Vocal) (Live)
22. Makin' Whoopee (Piano) (Live)
    

Disc Three

1. Teardrops From My Eyes
2. Cry
3. I've Got A Woman (Part 1)
4. I've Got A Woman (Part 2)
5. Without A Song (Part 1)
6. Without A Song (Part 2)
7. I'm A Fool To care
8. Love's Gonna Live Here
9. The Cincinnati Kid
10. That's All I Am To You
11. Crying Time
12. When My Dreamboat Comes Home
13. Together Again
14. You're Just About To Lose Your Clown
15. Let's Go Get Stoned
16. The Train
17. I Chose To Sing The Blues
18. Hopelessly
19. I Don't Need No Doctor
20. Please Say You're Fooling
21. I Want To Talk About You
22. Something Inside Me
    

Disc Four

1. Here We Go Again
2. Somebody Ought To Write A Book About It
3. In The Heat Of The Night
4. Something's Got To Change
5. Yesterday
6. Never Had Enough Of Nothing Yet
7. That's A Lie
8. Go On Home
9. Eleanor Rigby
10. Understanding
11. Sweet Young Thing Like You
12. Listen, They're Playing My Song
13. If It Wasn't For Bad Luck
14. When I Stop Dreaming
15. I'll Be Your Servant
16. I Didn't Know What Time It Was
17. Let Me Love You
18. I'm Satisfied
19. We Can Make It
20. I Can't Stop Loving You, Babby
21. Claudie Mae
22. Someone To Watch Over Me
    

Disc Five

1. Laughin' And Clownin'
2. That Thing Called Love
3. Till I Can't Take It Anymore
4. If You Were Mine
5. Don't Change On Me
6. Sweet Memories
7. Feel So Bad
8. Your Love Is So Doggone Good
9. What Am I Living For
10. Tired Of My Tears
11. Look What They've Done To My Song, Ma
12. America The Beautiful
13. Hey Mister
14. There'll Be No Peace Without All Men As One
15. Every Saturday Night
16. Take Me Home, Country Roads
17. I Can Make It Thru The Days (But Oh Those Lonely Nights)
18. Ring Of Fire
    

Singular Genius: The Complete ABC Singles is scheduled to be released on November 15, 2011.

Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer Song Analysis

There are a lot of songs associated with the Christmas holiday. Some are pretty good, some aren't so good. And then there is "Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer," one of the worst songs ever written.

Reindeer Knowledge

It starts off, "You know Dasher and Dancer/And Prancer and Vixen/Comet and Cupid/And Donner and Blitzen." So right off the bat it is establishing that You, the listener, are some sort of reindeer expert. You know the names of all of the reindeer. And then in the very next line it asks you, the reindeer expert, "But do you recall/The most famous reindeer of all?"

Now if someone is aware of all the obscure reindeer like Prancer and Vixen, wouldn't it stand to reason that he or she would be able to recall "the most famous reindeer"? In fact, wouldn't a reindeer expert be insulted by the question? That's like saying that you know Nolan Reimold and Bengie Molina, but have you ever heard of Babe Ruth?

Glowing Nose

The song continues, "Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer/Had a very shiny nose." The repetition of the word "nose" like that is the mark of sloppy, lazy songwriting. It continues, "And if you ever saw him/You would even say it glows." By saying "You would even say it glows," it's implying that at most his nose glows. And that might even be a slight exaggeration.

I don't know how many of you have ever driven in the fog. But you want lights that do more than simply glow. You want a bright beam. It's not like Santa Claus needed to alert other flying sleds of his presence. No, he needed light to be able to see the rooftops and telephone poles and such things so that he wouldn't crash.

Which brings to mind another problem with the song. If Santa's elves are able to build all these wonderful toys and electronic gadgets, why couldn't they build him some headlights for his flying sled? Seriously. He wants to put his own safety as well as that of the rest of the reindeer in the hands of a slightly glowing nose? That's insane. Santa is crazy.

Mean Reindeer

The song also establishes that the other reindeer are juvenile and mean. "All of the other reindeer/Used to laugh and call him names." Names like "Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer"? The very name of the song is mean. Why call him by his one imperfection, his one oddity? Doesn't he have a last name? Defining him by his deformity is cruel. Do any of you like to be defined by one feature, by one physical attribute? No, of course not.

Then, like the little sycophants that they are, the other reindeer love Rudolph as soon as Santa shows him some favor. Once Santa asks him to guide his sleigh, the songs says, "Then all the reindeer loved him/And they shouted out with glee/Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer/You'll go down in history." Even at the end, they're still calling him "the red-nosed reindeer." Clearly, the love they show for him is merely superficial flattery.

By the way, what has Rudolph been doing all this time? Was he not even in the Christmas Eve reindeer lineup until that one night? Was he just hanging around until there was some fog? Or did he work in some other capacity at the toy factory?

Montgomery Ward Origins

"Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer" was written by Johnny Marks. But the song did not mark Rudolph's inception.

Rudolph was actually created for Montgomery Ward as a promotional tool in 1939. Montgomery Ward gave away coloring books each year to children, and decided to save money by coming up with its own character.

Robert L. May came up with Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. But the red nose almost didn't happen, because a red nose is traditionally associated with drunkenness, and so thought inappropriate for a Christmas character.

But as we all now know, imbibing is an important part of the holiday, and without a little alcohol, a lot of folks wouldn't make it through the day.

"Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer" is a poorly constructed and conceived song, but it seems to be here to stay. Fortunately, its airplay is limited to a few weeks out of the year.

(Note: I originally posted this on December 8, 2010 on another site.)

Christmas Music: Covers Of Traditional Holiday Songs

There are a lot of traditional songs associated with Christmas, and they all get a lot of play during the holiday season. (Yes, there is entire season during which these songs are played - not just on the holiday itself. Why is that? Why do we accept that?) Sadly, the great majority of these songs are irritating and obnoxious, and there is just no getting away from them. They are played in every store and most restaurants, as well as on the radio, all through the month of December (and even in late November, damn them).

However, there are some good versions of a few of these songs available, by artists such as Bruce Springsteen, The Ventures and Joan Jett & The Blackhearts. So for those who wish to be festive but not obnoxious in their holiday music selections, here are a few ideas.

"Little Drummer Boy" by Joan Jett & The Blackhearts

Joan Jett & The Blackhearts are an excellent rock and roll band. And they still put on an energetic and entertaining concert. For those who haven't yet had the opportunity to see this band perform, it's highly recommended that you make the effort. The band's newer material stands up with their early classics.

And Joan Jett has always chosen interesting songs to cover. Her version of Tommy James And The Shondells' "Crimson And Clover" is a great example. And on that same album, I Love Rock 'N' Roll (1981), is her cover of the Christmas song "Little Drummer Boy."

"Little Drummer Boy" is one of the better songs played during the Christmas holidays, and this version by Joan Jett & The Blackhearts is probably the best ever recorded. It's close enough to the original to not upset the traditionalists too much, but has a wonderful rock edge to please everyone else. The rock element takes over nearly three minutes in for the instrumental section of the song, and features some great guitar. Joan Jett has an awesome voice, and the backing vocals are also particularly wonderful on this rendition.

(For another good version of "Little Drummer Boy," check out the rendition by Bing Crosby & David Bowie.)

"Santa Claus Is Coming To Town" by Bruce Springsteen

As for rock versions of traditional Christmas songs, Bruce Sringsteen's version of "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town" is among the most famous and most loved. Bruce Springsteen introduces his rendition by asking his band if they've all been good "and practicing real hard." He then asks the audience if they've been good. The audience responds, but not as enthusiastically as Bruce might have hoped, so he teases them, "That's not many. You guys are in trouble out here."

This is certainly one of the only versions of this song worth listening to, mostly because Bruce Springsteen is clearly having fun with it. Another thing that makes recording worth listening to is the part where he breaks the song down and sings, "You better be good for goodness sake." He does that twice during the song. And the last thing making this worthwhile is of course Clarence Clemons on saxophone.

This is a live recording from December 12, 1975. This song is included on the 1995 holiday compilation Christmas Of Hope.

"Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town" by Joseph Spence

For a much stranger and even cooler version of "Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town," check out Joseph Spence's rendition. His is the absolute best version of "Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town." Joseph Spence hardly sings it at all, just mumbles a few of the lines, and that's what helps to make it such a great version. Because, seriously, those lyrics aren't any good.

It's wonderful how Joseph Spence calls him "Santy Claw." And his guitar work is fantastic. This is a live recording. It's included on 1995 Dr. Demento compilation Holidays In Dementia.

"Jingle Bells" by The Ventures

Some Christmas songs only work as instrumentals. The Ventures prove that "Jingle Bells" is one such song with their excellent rendition of the holiday classic. The electric guitar does what would be the vocal line, and it sounds great.

The Ventures take what is normally a rather stupid song, and make it cool. Versions of this song are included on The Ventures albums Christmas Album (1965) and Christmas Joy (2002).

"Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!" by Wynton Marsalis

Another excellent instrumental version of a holiday song is Wynton Marsalis' rendition of "Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!" Wynton breathes new life into the song, finding interesting place for improvisation. His version was recorded in from 1989 and appeared on his album Crescent City Christmas Card.

"Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!" was also included on Christmas of Hope (1995).

"Joy To The World" by Aretha Franklin

Aretha Franklin can really belt out a tune like nobody's business. She makes "Joy To The World" seriously rock in this gospel-flavored number. This is certainly one of the best versions of this song ever done. There is enough power here to make even the staunchest of atheists cry out "Hallelujah."

"7 O' Clock News/Silent Night" by Simon & Garfunkel

Simon & Garfunkel do the most interesting and innovative version of "Silent Night." They sing the first section of the song, while over it a news broadcast is heard. The song begins with the vocals and piano, and the newscast begins only a few moments later, and then increases in volume.

The broadcast includes bits about Martin Luther King and a proposed march in Chicago, as well as information on a series of murders. The juxtaposition of the newscast with the beautiful voices of Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel singing "Silent Night" is incredible and effective. This song is just under two minutes long.

This song was included on Parsley, Sage, Rosemary And Thyme (1966).

These choices should help folks who are hoping to put together a good mix for their holidays. There are also several excellent original rock Christmas songs that should round out the collection.

(Note: I originally posted this on December 4, 2010 on another site.)

Christmas Music: The Best Original Christmas Songs

Christmas is a time for folks to go a little mad. And there are plenty of reasons for it - the stress, the shopping, the relatives, the flashing lights, the weather, the trash, the expense, the disappointment... and of course the music. By and large, Christmas music is just awful. And you can't get away from it. It's everywhere.

But cheer up, because there are some good holiday songs out there. The following are some excellent Christmas songs.

"Fairytale Of New York"

Who would imagine that the best Christmas song would be by an Irish folk-punk band? And who could guess that a song with the line "Happy Christmas, your arse, I pray God it's our last" would be one of the sweetest songs ever recorded? Well, "Fairytale Of New York" by The Pogues is by far the best song ever written for this holiday, and it is indeed truly sweet.

It starts out on Christmas Eve in the drunk tank, and the man's thoughts turn to his woman and he says, "I've got a feeling this year's for me and you/So happy Christmas/I love you, baby/I can see a better time when all our dreams come true."

The woman's part is included too, as she reflects back on their relationship: "When you first took my hand on a cold Christmas Eve, you promised me Broadway was waiting for me." They trade compliments and insults, while "The boys of the NYPD choir were singing 'Galway Bay.'" The female vocals are sung by Kirsty MacColl.

She says, "You took my dreams from me when I first found you."

He replies, "I kept them with me, babe/And I put them with my own/Can't make it all alone/I built my dreams around you."

"Fairytale Of New York" was originally released on the band's 1988 album If I Should Fall From Grace With God. It was also included on their 1991 compilation Essential.

"2000 Miles"

Another surprise for the Christmas holiday is "2000 Miles" by The Pretenders. On the same album that found Chrissie Hynde in the "Middle Of The Road" and "Back On The Chain Gang" The Pretenders included this beautiful and moving Christmas song.

The song fades in, like it's approaching the listener, like a warm light in the distance. Chrissie sings, "In these frozen and silent nights/Sometimes in a dream, you appear/Outside under the purple sky/Diamonds in the snow sparkle/Our hearts were singing/It felt like Christmas time/2000 miles is very far through the snow/I think of you wherever you go."

This song was included on The Pretenders' 1983 release, Learning To Crawl. It was written by Chrissie Hynde.

"Christmas Wrapping" by The Waitresses

"Christmas Wrapping" by The Waitresses is absolutely one of the best Christmas songs ever written (probably second only to The Pogues' "Fairytale Of New York"). It's totally fun, it has a great rhythm, and it has a sweet and happy ending. Who knew forgetting cranberries could lead to bliss? And this is the band that had a hit with "I Know What Boys Like."

"Christmas Wrapping" was written by Chris Butler, and included on the 1982 record by The Waitresses, I Could Rule The World If I Could Only Get The Parts. "Christmas Wrapping" was also included on the Dr. Demento compilation, Holidays In Dementia, as well as the Christmas rock compilation, A Rock 'N' Roll Christmas.

"Father Christmas" by The Kinks

"Father Christmas" is one of the best Christmas rock songs. For those who are unfamiliar with this Christmas tune, here are some of the lyrics: "Father Christmas, give us some money/Don't mess around with your silly toys/We'll beat you up if you don't hand it over/We want your bread, so don't make us annoyed/Give all the toys to the little rich boys."

The first line is, "When I was small I believed in Santa Claus, though I knew it was my dad." "Father Christmas" was written by Ray Davies. It was originally released as a single, and then included on the 1986 double album Come Dancing With The Kinks.

It is also available on A Rock 'N' Roll Christmas (1994).

"I Believe In Father Christmas" by Emerson, Lake & Palmer

Emerson, Lake & Palmer's "I Believe In Father Christmas" is a beautiful song about the loss of innocence. It was written by Greg Lake and Peter Sinfield.

This song features some excellent lyrics, including these lines: "They sold me a dream of Christmas/They sold me a silent night/They told me a fairy story/'Til I believed in the Israelite/And I believed in Father Christmas/And I looked to the sky with excited eyes/When I woke with a yawn in the first light of dawn/And I saw him and through his disguise."

It's available on the compilation, A Rock 'N' Roll Christmas.

"The Pause Of Mr. Claus"

Arlo Guthrie is most famous for his wonderful song "Alice's Restaurant," which tells a funny story about Thanksgiving, littering and the draft. There are a couple of other songs in which he tells a nice, long tale, such as "The Motorcycle Song" and "The Pause Of Mr. Claus."

"The Pause Of Mr. Claus" is dedicated to the members of the F.B.I., and in his introduction to the song Arlo talks about the difficulties of having that job. Like "Alice's Restaurant," the song itself is quite short. Here are some of the lyrics: "Santa Clause has a red suit/He's a communist/And a beard, and long hair/Must be a pacifist/What's in the pipe that he's smoking?"

"The Pause Of Mr. Claus" was included on Arlo Guthrie's 1968 album Arlo.

"Do They Know It's Christmas?"

"Do They Know It's Christmas?" is an excellent song by Bob Geldof and Band Aid. This was released as a single in November of 1984. Everybody from the pop world is on this recording, including David Bowie, Duran Duran, Culture Club, Wham, U2, Spandau Ballet, The Boomtown Rats, Big Country and Bananarama.

Dan Hicks And The Hot Licks

And if all of this is not enough, check out this year's holiday release from Dan Hicks And The Hot Licks, titled Crazy For Christmas. This entire album is actually really good, and it includes some wonderful new material, as well as some excellent covers of traditional holiday songs.

That should help those who wish to put together some good original music for the holidays. There are of course several other good Christmas songs, including some excellent covers of traditional tunes.

(Note: I originally posted this on November 27, 2010 on another site.)

November 2011 Concert Calendar

Here is a list of concerts you might be interested in for the month of November. Most of these are bands that I've reviewed, though some are some bands that I haven't yet written about, but really like. If you can, try to check out at least a few of these shows. I will be adding listings throughout the month, so please check back again later.

November 1, 2011 (Tuesday)
Diana Jones - The Greystones, Sheffield, United Kingdom

November 2, 2011 (Wednesday)
Gaelic Storm - Great American Music Hall, San Francisco, CA
Great American Taxi - Golden Light Cantina, Amarillo, TX
Diana Jones - The Biddulph Arms, Stoke-On-Trent, United Kingdom
James McMurtry - The Long Center For Performing Arts, Austin, TX
Yonder Mountain String Band - Stage AE, Pittsburgh, PA

November 3, 2011 (Thursday)
Great American Taxi - La Zona Rosa, Austin, TX
Dar Williams - Symphony Space, New York, NY
Yonder Mountain String Band - House Of Blues, Cleveland, OH

November 4, 2011 (Friday)
Anita And The Yanks - Ireland's 32, Van Nuys, CA - 9:30 p.m.
Antje Duvekot - Moab Folk Music Festival, Moab, UT
Entrain - Playhouse On Park, W. Hartford, CT
Gaelic Storm - Aladdin Theater, Portland, OR
Great American Taxi - Granada Theater, Dallas, TX
The Greencards - Club Helsinki, Hudson, NY - 9:00 p.m.
I See Hawks In L.A. - Cinema Bar, 3967 Sepulveda Blvd., Culver City, CA - 9:30 p.m.
Free show
Cyndi Lauper - Club Nokia, Los Angeles, CA
James McMurtry - Antone's, Austin, TX
Ryan Montbleau Band - Sam's Burger Joint, San Antonio, TX - 9:00 p.m.
Tickets: $15 advance/$20 at door
Ellis Paul - Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center, Old Saybrook, CT - 8:00 p.m.
Martin Sexton - Festine Auditorium, Rome, NY
with special guest Chris Trapper
Wagons - Meeniyan Hall, Meeniyan, Australia
Dar Williams - Wilmington, DE
Tickets: $30

November 5, 2011 (Saturday)
Antioquia - Starry Plough, Berkeley, CA
Antje Duvekot - Moab Folk Music Festival, Moab, UT
Entrain - Tupelo Music Hall, Londonderry, NH
Gaelic Storm - Neptune Theatre, Seattle, WA
Great American Taxi - Fitzgerald’s, Houston, TX
The Greencards - Club Infinity, Clarence, NY - 7:30 p.m.
Diana Jones - St. Bedes Club, Chorley, United Kingdom
James McMurtry - The Firehouse, Houston, TX
Ryan Montbleau Band - The Kessler Theater, Dallas, TX - 8:00 p.m.
Ellis Paul - Music At Lillypads, 27 North Rd., Peace Dale, RI - 7:30 p.m.
Mieka Pauley - SIR Studios, New York, NY
Martin Sexton - Rams Head On Stage, Annapolis, MD
Wagons - Thornbury Theatre, Melbourne, Australia
Dar Williams - Catham, NJ - 7:00 p.m.
Tickets: $30

November 6, 2011 (Sunday)
Antje Duvekot - Aspen Meadows House Concerts, Nederland, CO - 7:00 p.m.
Gaelic Storm - Bing Crosby Theater, Spokane, WA
The Greencards - Beachland Ballroom, Cleveland, OH - 7:30 p.m.
James McMurtry - Dan's Silverleaf, Denton, TX
Ryan Montbleau Band - George's Majestic Lounge, Fayetteville, AZ - 8:00 p.m.
Tickets: $10
Martin Sexton - Rams Head On Stage, Annapolis, MD

November 7, 2011 (Monday)
I See Hawks In L.A. - Joe's Great American Bar & Grill, Burbank, CA
(at Ronnie Mack's Barndance; special show in honor of Gram Parsons)
Ellis Paul - Slates Restaurant, 169 Water St., Hallowell, ME

November 8, 2011 (Tuesday)
Bullied By Strings - The Viper Room, 8852 W. Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood, CA (CANCELED)
Gaelic Storm - The Knitting Factory, Boise, ID
Ryan Montbleau Band - WorkPlay Theater, Birmingham, AL - 8:00 p.m.
Tickets: $12

November 9, 2011 (Wednesday)
Gaelic Storm - The State Room, Salt Lake City, UT
I See Hawks In L.A. - Maverick Saloon, Santa Ynez, CA - 7:30 p.m.
Ryan Montbleau Band - New Earth Music Hall, Athens, GA - 9:00 p.m.
Tickets: $7

November 10, 2011 (Thursday)
Great American Taxi - Brick and Mortar, San Francisco, CA
James McMurtry - Cheatham Street Warehouse, San Marcos, TX
Ryan Montbleau Band - Eddie's Attic, Decatur, GA - 8:00 p.m.
Dar Williams - Bethlehem, PA
Tickets: $25

November 11, 2011 (Friday)
Jim Bianco - Hotel Cafe, Hollywood, CA - 10:00 p.m.
Gaelic Storm - Stargazers Theatre, Colorado Springs, CO
Great American Taxi - Auburn Events Center, Auburn, CA
James McMurtry - Granada Theatre, Dallas, TX
Ryan Montbleau Band - Backbooth, Orlando, FL
Dar Williams - The Birchmere, Alexandria, VA - 8:30 p.m.
(with Ellis Paul opening) Tickets: $38.50

November 12, 2011 (Saturday)
Antje Duvekot and Cheryl Wheeler - Chandler Music Hall, Randolph, VT - 7:30 p.m.
Tickets: $20
Gaelic Storm - Gothic Theatre, Englewood, CO
Great American Taxi - River Theater, Guerneville, CA
James McMurtry - Floore's Country Store, Helotes, TX
Ryan Montbleau Band - Skipper's Smokehouse, Tampa, FL - 8:00 p.m.
Tickets: $12
Ellis Paul - New Hope Winery, 6123 Lower York Rd., New Hope, PA - 8:00 p.m.
Wagons - Vanguard, Sydney, Australia
Dar Williams - The Birchmere, Alexandria, VA - 8:30 p.m.

November 13, 2011 (Sunday)
Great American Taxi - Nelson Family Vineyards, Ukiah, CA
The Greencards - Oneida Casino, Oneida, WI - 7:30 p.m.
Ellis Paul - Tupelo Music Hall, 2 Young Rd., Londonderry, NH - 7:00 p.m.
Wagons - Vanguard, Sydney, Australia
Dar Williams - Lyric Theater, Blacksburg, VA
Tickets: $29

November 14, 2011 (Monday)
Great American Taxi - Humboldt Brewery, Arcata, CA
The Greencards - Oneida Casino, Oneida, WI - 7:30 p.m.
Ryan Montbleau Band - The Pour House, Charleston, SC - 9:30 p.m.
Tickets: $10

November 15, 2011 (Tuesday)
The Greencards - Oneida Casino, Oneida, WI - 7:30 p.m.

November 16, 2011 (Wednesday)
Ryan Montbleau Band - The Double Door Inn, Charlotte, NC - 8:00 p.m.

November 17, 2011 (Thursday)
Black Party Politics - Elevate Lounge, Los Angeles, CA - 9:00 p.m.
Great American Taxi - Moon Brewing Co., Bend, OR
The Greencards - The Maintenance Shop, Ames, IA - 8:00 p.m.
James McMurtry - Down East Saloon, Homer, AK
Ryan Montbleau Band - Jammin Java, Vienna, VA - 8:00 p.m.
Tickets: $15
Ellis Paul - The Four Corners, 40 Andover Rd., New London, NH - 8:00 p.m.

November 18, 2011 (Friday)
Antje Duvekot - Concerts At Our House, Seattle, WA - 7:30 p.m.
Tickets: $20
The Greencards - LAFTA at the 7th Street Loft, Lincoln, NE - 7:30 p.m.
Lovrbomz - Genghis Cohen, 740 N. Fairfax Ave., Los Angeles, CA - 9 p.m.
James McMurtry - Latitude 62, Talkeetna, AK
Ryan Montbleau Band - World Cafe Live, Philadelphia, PA
The Nields - CSPS, 1103 3rd St. SE, Cedar Rapids, IA
Ellis Paul - The River Club Music Hall, 78 Border St., Scituate, MA - 8:00 p.m.
Alice Wallace - Kulak's Woodshed, North Hollywood, CA
Tickets: $10 (Special album-release show)
Dar Williams - The Ark, Ann Arbor, MI - 7:30 p.m.
Tickets: $35

November 19, 2011 (Saturday)
Antje Duvekot - Concerts At Our House, Seattle, WA - 7:30 p.m.
Tickets: $20
Great American Taxi - Mt. Tabor Theater, Portland, OR
The Greencards - Knuckleheads, Kansas City, MO - 8:30 p.m.
James McMurtry - Sydney Laurence Theatre at Alaska Center For Performing Arts, Anchorage, AK
Ryan Montbleau Band - City Winery, New York, NY - 8:00 p.m.
The Nields - This Old House Concert, Berwyn, IL
Ellis Paul - Common Ground Coffeehouse, 25 Old Jackson Ave., Hastings-On-Hudson, NY - 7:30 p.m.
Dar Williams - The Ark, Ann Arbor, MI - 7:30 p.m.

November 20, 2011 (Sunday)
Great American Taxi - Tractor Tavern, Seattle, WA
The Greencards - Dyck Auditorium, Hesston, KS - 4:30 p.m.
James McMurtry - Vagabond Blues, Palmer, AK
The Nields - Old Town School Of Folk Music, 4544 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago, IL
Ellis Paul - The Vanilla Bean, Pomfret, CT - 7:00 p.m.
Dar Williams - Rex Theater, Pittsburgh, PA

November 21, 2011 (Monday)

November 22, 2011 (Tuesday)

November 23, 2011 (Wednesday)

November 24, 2011 (Thursday)

November 25, 2011 (Friday)
Ryan Montbleau Band - Rock N Roll Resort, Kerhonkson, NY
Ellis Paul - The Red Cat, 2901 2nd Ave., Birmingham, AL - 8:30 p.m.
The String Cheese Incident - Thomas Wolfe Auditorium, Ashville, TN

November 26, 2011 (Saturday)
I See Hawks In L.A. - Pappy And Harriets, Pioneertown, CA - 7:30 p.m.
Ellis Paul - Eddie's Attic, 515 North McDonough St., Decatur, GA
The String Cheese Incident - Fox Theatre, Atlanta, GA

November 27, 2011 (Sunday)
The String Cheese Incident - Georgia Theatre, Athens, GA

November 28, 2011 (Monday)
The String Cheese Incident - Ryman Auditorium, Nashville, TN

November 29, 2011 (Tuesday)
Kinky Friedman - The Aardvark, Fort Worth, TX

November 30, 2011 (Wednesday)
The String Cheese Incident - Lyric Opera House, Baltimore, MD

November 2011 Update

Howdy, everybody. At the beginning of each month, I'll include a link to the blog entry that lists all of my articles, arranged by subject, so that they're easy to find. That link is this:

List Of All My Music Articles

It's been my intention with this blog to let people know about all the great music that's out there. So I tend to write about CDs and bands that I like. Sure, there might be an exception now and again. But I have no desire to tear apart some new band that's out there struggling to find a fan base. What I want to do is let people know about new bands they might not have heard of yet, and to remind them of some bands they might have forgotten. And to keep people up-to-date with all the great new releases, as well as concert listings. Basically, to share my love of music with anyone who cares to read this.

And for anyone who might be interested, I thought I'd let you know that my friend Jason and I started a greeting card company (yes, seriously), and a series of short films that are tied in with the characters from the greeting cards. And of course we have a blog. For anyone who'd like to check it out, the company is called Grandmother's Fanny Game.