What album do you play over the holidays?

Wham! George Michael (solo). R.I.P.

Another great reminder, Jackson Browne. He is by far my favorite of the L.A. Laurel Canyon crowd, a really, really good songwriter, and fine singer. He has also always had a great band. I sure wish he hadn't let his political/social causes take over his lyrical content, but that's artists for ya! Too literal and "sincere", ya know? I felt the same way about Lennon in the 70's. At least Jackson didn't put his wife in his band, and call her Mommy ;-).

Eccentric, crazy?, etc.... There must be some basic aspects of song writers/musicians/performers that drive them and differentiate them from a normal human being.

I think it IS these differences that make their songs speak to us "earthlings"?

I was listening to "Double Fantasy" recently and thought that even though Yoko's voice can be irritating, she did have a basic vocal instinct of musical timing. Whoever...John?, put those songs to music... I found it pretty enjoyable. It was like early Blondie.?

where one draws their inspiration from is (key) I think. However (we) chose to dissect (this) inspiration is of no consequence as far as how a particular song is perceived by the masses.

Surely, John drew great inspiration from his wife. (I think that was a key to his later success after the Beatles).

Have you ever heard an isolation of Paul's wife's vocals in WINGS? I could not imagine Paul putting Linda in a record. Her voice is not at all musical in any form. May she rest.

I don't think Linda M. ever wanted to try to be a singer--I think he pushed that, whereas Yoko was a performance artist in her own right.
+1 for Austin Rhythm and Blues Christmas, some decent covers there.  I only have it on cassette so I'd have to go out to the garage to hear it.