'TIS THE SEASON....

One of the irrefutable truths about Christmas is that it is a bit naff, cheesy, sentimental, and certainly not something that can be dressed up as "cool" or trendy. But that is also its appeal: it's a time of certainty in an uncertain world, a time of comfort. Obviously that isn't true for everyone, and it is the duty of those who have to do something to help those who don't. But generally speaking, it is a time when we take comfort in traditions, whether they be religious, cultural, familial, or personal. And one of those traditions, love it or hate it, is the Christmas song. In this age of crass commercialism, i can understand people getting sick of hearing them, especially when every shop is playing them from mid-November (earlier in some cases), but for all that, i love Christmas songs. And when i say that, i use the term to encompass pop songs, hymns and carols, folk standards, classical and orchestral pieces, and everything in between. The only exceptions are when modern pop/r'n'b'/etc artists massacre classics by putting their own twist on them, or write their own half-arsed attempts - i'm looking at you, Lady Gaga, Destiny's Child, Spice Girls etc. No one wants to hear your "bling/sex/chav" rubbish. I may sound like an old fart, but most of the great Christmas pop songs were written in a period from the 1950's until the end of the 80's. Apart from The Darkness' "Christmas Time (Don't Let The Bells End) and Mariah Careys' cover of "All I Want For Christmas Is You", no-one has written or made a great festive record. There are a few minor gems from St Etienne, Kelly Clarkson, Pet Shop Boys, and Coldplay, but these weren't huge hits or popular enough to ingrain themselves in the wider public consciousness. I'm not discounting them - when i put together a few cd's of Christmas music for work (about 4 or 5 hours worth, to avoid the dreaded NOW compilation on infinite fucking repeat), i try to create a diverse playlist, and these lesser known songs always have a place amongst Slade, Wizzard and so on. I love to hear carols and hymns - i'm not a religious person at all, but there is something about hearing a choir singing "Silent Night", "O Come All Ye Faithful", or "Good King Wenceslas" that could not fail to stir the heart of even the most ardent athiest - and so these find their way on to my playlist, along with folk versions, such as those by Kate Rusby, a Yorkshire folk singer who has recorded 3 albums of Christmas music, often traditional Yorkshire songs or well known carols with different tunes.

The old classics sung by Sinatra, Dean Martin, Bing Crosby and Nat "King" Cole always get played, as a Christmas playlist without them is unthinkable. The songs from my childhood and teens will always hold a certain sway over me though, and it's generally been accepted that "Fairytale Of New York", by The Pogues and the late, great Kirsty MacColl, is one of, if not THE, greatest Christmas song of all time. It's a tale of love and hate, happiness and sadness, dreams and hopes lost, but looking to the future with hope. Basically all the emotions that this time of year brings to the surface.
"I Believe In Father Christmas", the 1975 symphonic pop masterpiece by prog legend Greg Lake (of Emerson, Lake & Palmer) is a song with a message, part protest at the commercialisation of Christmas, part meditation on loss of childhood beliefs and innocence - the lyrics tell of the fantasy of the festive season versus the reality, rain instead of snow, the discovery that Father Christmas isn't real - mixed with memories and hopes for peace on earth, before concluding that "the Christmas we get, we deserve". It's a warm sounding song too, all acoustic guitars, symphonic sweeps, jingle bells and joyous trumpets.

Some songs weren't conceived as festive tunes, such as Jona Lewies' "Stop The Cavalry". Written from the point of view of the eternal soldier through the ages, with an anti-war sentiment, the character wishing he was "home for Christmas", something we can all relate to - that need to be at home at this time of year, with family and friends - which, with the songs oompah melody and Salvation Army brass feel, made it a huge hit back in 1980, peaking at No. 3, only held off by two John Lennon singles re-released in the wake of his tragic murder.

Just a few days after originally writing this, Greg Lake sadly passed away aged 69, after a long battle with cancer. RIP to a talented musician,

One of my personal favourites of the festive season is "Ring Out, Solstice Bells" by oddball prog-folkies Jethro Tull. A song that gives the nod to the more Pagan roots, a joyful, almost mediaeval riot of flutes, chimes, handclaps, and changing time signatures. I first heard it on a Best Christmas Album compilation in the mid-90's, and it stood out a mile against all the blatantly - but still magnificent - pop songs. If you watch their Top Of The Pops performance on Youtube they look like they're having a bloody good time!


Here's my Top 10, for what it's worth, in no particular order:
The Pogues ft Kirsty MacColl - Fairytale Of New York
Jethro Tull - Ring Out, Solstice Bells
Wizzard - I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday
Jona Lewie - Stop The Cavalry
Dean Martin - Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow!
Greg Lake - I Believe In Father Christmas
Tom Jones & Cerys Matthews - Baby, It's Cold Outside
The Darkness - Christmas Time (Don't Let The Bells End)
Nat "King" Cole - The Christmas Song
Darlene Love - Winter Wonderland

Merry Christmas to you all.