Bah Humbug-Bad Christmas Music


there is a radio station in my area which replaces their light rock format for the entire Decemeber for Xmas music 24/7--I keep it on all day on a small transister radio, so I have been hearing lots of it-

My conclusions, lots of good Xmas music, but amongst it of course, quite a few not to my taste----I find that it is best to stick as close to the original as possible, even if the artist themselves has their own signature---

My worst so far
-anything my Mariah Carey
-Transiberian Ochestra
-Barbara Mandrell-Must have been the mistletoe
-a track by the band Chicago didn't cut it for me
-the Glee cast did a remake of Last Christmas by Wham!,-I like the original, the Glee remake is terrible.

On a positive note, I have never been a Barbara Streisand fan--but love her version of My Favorite Things

Your hit list?
128x128justlisten
On the other hand, give the Star of Wonder on Reference Recordings a try. It's the only Christmas music I like and I really like this one. Almost makes me believe.
Atco released a compilation of mid-to-late 60's soul Christmas tunes back in the day...Otis Redding, Booker T., etc. My favorite cut is "Back Door Santa" by Clarence Carter. I was surprised to see it for sale last year in CD format at my local music store. Probably out there again this year.
Much of the standard radio is aweful. But, go back to the classics. Frank Sinatra, Perry Como, Bing Crosby, then throw in some of the major orchestras like the Boston Pops, add artists like James Taylor, Judy Collins and a little Charlie Brown and you can can get some pretty good Christmas music.
Same deal here in Richmond - mostly bad stuff they play. Why don't they put some of the newer cd's in their rotation? We put the squeezebox on holiday shuffle here at home and have wonderful Christmas music - everyone from Annie Lennox, Sugarland, McGarrigles, Bruce Cockburn, Jewel, Indigo Girls, Shelby Lynne, K.T. Tunstall, Emmylou Harris, and old standards by Dean Martin and Perry Como! No Kenny G or Josh Groban in the mix!
Added yet another great Christmas album, Etta James "The 12 Songs of Christmas". There is great Christmas music out there if you avoid mainstream. I own "Jazzy Christmas" with Dexter Gordon, Branford Marsalis and others each doing their own tracks. Ella's are great albums. Avoid Andy Williams and the ilk.