Holiday Cheer For Your iPod

What Music You Should Be Listening To This Holiday Season

By: Stephen Ortiz

Posted: 12/10/07

While the weather outside might not be as frightful as some wish, it's still the holiday season and you know what that means:

Holiday themed music from Thanksgiving until after New Year's! May the human race let out a collective groan. Now obviously I can't change the set lists for radio stations across America, but I hope to offer an alternative. With this special holiday edition of The Playlist, I hope to spread my holiday cheer and some of my favorite tunes that the radio stations don't seem to play enough of.

And that "Christmas Shoes" song is really wearing on my nerves.

"A Charlie Brown Christmas" Soundtrack - The Vince Guaraldi Trio's masterpiece was released in 1965, the same year as the CBS holiday special of the same name, and is a timeless classic that can be enjoyed by any age group. The collection of songs is short and sweet, 12 tracks that amount to around 40 minutes, but really racks up points in nostalgia. Just listening to the original cast sing "Christmas Time Is Here" conjures up memories of Christmases throughout the years. From classic moments of the kids skating on the frozen pond in the aptly named, "Skating," to the ever-so-memorable theme, "Linus and Lucy," the Guaraldi Trio's smooth jazz never gets old. Oh, and nothing tops the kids singing "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing." Heartwarming, to say the least.

Bruce Springsteen's "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town" - Where do I begin with the Boss' rendition of "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town?" For starters, it is hands down the best recording of the holiday classic. Featured on his single, "My Hometown," Springsteen's rendition of the song has a certain magic about it, mostly due to the support he receives from the E Street Band. The song was first recorded in 1935 by Tommy Dorsey and the Dorsey Brothers Orchestra and has been re-recorded countless times since then by many big-name artists, yet none appeal quite like Springsteen. Maybe it's his familiar voice, the warm charm of the introduction when Springsteen asks saxophonist Clarence Clemons if he "had been rehearsing real hard, so Santa would bring him a new saxophone" or Clemons' wonderful saxophone solos. Well, whatever it is, it's magical.

Faith Hill's "Where Are You Christmas?" - Featured on the soundtrack for the 2000 film "The Grinch," the song was originally penned by James Horner under the name "Christmas, Why Can't I Find You?" and was performed by the movie's Cindy Lou Who (Taylor Momsen). A longer version of the song was written by Horner and Will Jennings, and recorded by Faith Hill. This song usually is played on most of the "Christmas, all day, every day" stations, but earns a spot on The Playlist because of it's distinct sound. The song is somber - definitely a downer, as compared to most other holiday music. The combination of orchestral strings and a simple piano melody suit Hill's voice well. Powerful and resonating, Hill sings of searching for the lost magic that makes Christmas Christmas, culminating in the final lines, where she sings, "Where are you Christmas / Fill your heart with love."

South Park's "Mr. Hankey's Christmas Classics" - To break up the monotony of holiday music is this gem. What may be considered as crude and inappropriate by most, "Mr. Hankey's Christmas Classics" is a hilarious spoof on holiday tunes performed by the various characters from the long-running controversial series. Some highlights include Cartman's rendition of "O Holy Night" in which some lyrics are altered here and there; Mr. Garrison's "Carol Of The Bells" in which he sings, "Hark hear the bells / Sweet silver bells / All seem to say / Ding, dong, mmk;" and Satan's "Christmas Time In Hell." A lot of the songs are suited to offend, as has been Trey Parker and Matt Stone's mission for 11 seasons now. If you're a fan of the series, or just don't get offended easily, definitely pick this up and enjoy.

"Nightmare Before Christmas" Soundtrack - This one is a bit of a stretch because it's not a true holiday album, but rather a movie score - but one hell of a score at that. Now, I would skip the first few tracks because they're more Halloween-themed, yet they're still fun listens. The key track that puts this collection above and beyond has got to be "What's This?" sung by the movie's main character, Jack Skellington (Danny Elfman). Skellington is the Pumpkin King in Halloween Town and knows little about Christmas. The song is about his observations of the inhabitants of Christmas Town celebrating their traditions and his awe of all of these different ideas. The song soars with absolute Disney style, and the lyrics are quite comical. Elfman sings, "Oh, look / What's this? / They're hanging mistletoe, they kiss / Why that looks so unique, inspired / They're gathering around to hear a story / Roasting chestnuts on a fire / What's this?"

Contact Stephen Ortiz at Stephen.Ortiz@UConn.edu.