Appetite for Deconstruction

Originally publlished December 13, 2009.

Bringing back a holiday goodie from last year…

Mike’s Top 5 Christmas Songs of All Time

A quick nod to the honorable mentions:

• White Christmas (Bing Crosby)
• Frosty the Snowman (Jimmy Durante)
• God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen (Barenaked Ladies & Sarah McLachlan)
• Adestes Fideles (Luciano Pavarotti)
• You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch (?)
• Heat Miser and Snow Miser (Heat Miser and Snow Miser)
• Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer (Burl Ives)
• Christmas in Hollis (Run DMC)
• Winter Wonderland (Ray Charles)
• Happy Christmas (John Lennon)

And now, the big winners:

5. Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town (Bruce Springsteen): Love him or hate him, you have to admit that this is a darn catchy version. The only problem is that all of the radio stations think so, too… so I’ll hear this song 900 times before the weekend is over and be inclined to change my mind. Better post this to the site before it’s too late.

5. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas (The Pretenders): My wife hates The Pretenders… more to the point, she hates Chrissy Hynde’s voice. So, why-oh-why is this the first song I play every Christmas season (and the first one I play Christmas morning to set the tone before the kids come down the stairs)? To torture her? No… at least, I don’t think so (never really thought about it until just now). I just think there’s a certain warmth in her voice… a “hey-let’s sit-around-the-fireplace-with-friends-while-I-sing-you-a-casual-little-ditty-about-Christmas” song. (And maybe to torture her… just a little)

4. Christmas Time (Vince Guaraldi Trio): Want to get yourself the greatest Christmas CD of all time? Get the Vince Guaraldi Trio’s Charlie Brown Christmas soundtrack. Sure, you’ll immediately think of the ol’ special and get tingly flashbacks to when you were a kid. But it’s also just really good, simple and heartfelt stuff. And while the version of this song with the people singing is good, the one without is even better.

3. Feliz Navidad (Jose Feliciano): First of all, the way I feel about Jose Feliciano is how Bill Murray felt about Tito Puente in Stripes (“Y’know, Tito Puente’s gonna be dead, and you’re gonna say, ‘Oh, I’ve been listening to him for years, and I think he’s fabulous.’”). Second of all, even my kids know the words to this (well, sort of… they sing Flea’s Nobby Dog or something equally ridiculous. Hmmph… kids. They never do anything right).

2. The Christmas Song (Nat King Cole): If you did a poll, I think this would be the odds-on favorite to win. And it is a surefire classic… from those first violin notes to Nat King Cole’s not-enough-O’s-in-smooth voice. This is the song you should be listening to on Christmas eve after you’ve put the kids to bed and you and the significant other sit in front of the tree with a glass of wine. Finally, a moment to soak up the true spirit of the holiday… before the wrapping-tearing, traffic-laden, obnoxious relative-enduring trials of December 25th begin. Enjoy it while you can…

1. Little Drummer Boy (David Bowie & Bing Crosby): First of all, it’s freakin’ David Bowie and Bing Crosby!! The most unlikely successful pairing since Tom Hanks and Hooch. You really need to listen to the extended version from the old Bing Crosby Christmas Special, with the inane banter between the two of them. Cheesy… but in a delicious, Christmassy kinda way.