The Friday Five: December 16, 2011
Friday Five : ‘frī-(,)dā,-dē ‘fīv : On the sixth day of every week, I hit the shuffle button on my iTunes, then share the first five tracks and thought for each track. Sometimes there is a playlist involved, occasionally we’ll have a guest, but most of the time it’s just me. The rest is up to you, our friends and readers! Fire up your media player of choice and share the first five random track of your shuffle in the comments.
The Five:
“I’ll Be Home for Christmas (If Only in My Dreams)” by Frank Sinatra (from Christmas With the Rat Pack, 2002)
This is a perennial favorite. The (somewhat) ironic thing is: this was not part of the music that I grew up with. Sinatra was, in the words of my parents, “old people music.”
“Winter Wonderland” by The Andrews Sisters (from The Time-Life Treasury of Christmas, Volume 2, 1987)
Without Bing, I don’t know that I care much for The Andrews Sisters.
“Santa Claus Is Coming to Town” by Michael Bublé (from Christmas, 2011)
Damn you, Michael Bublé. Damn you straight to hell.
“Baby, It’s Cold Outside” by Leon Redbone & Zooey Deschanel (from Elf, 2003)
Wait up, Bublé; make room for Ms. Deschanel. Okay, to be fair, I love this version. Despite a deep, burning—not unlike the time Dave Lifton’s mom gave me the clap—dislike for Will Farrell, I love the film it comes from. For more unbridled scorn of Zooey head over to Popdose for today’s installment of Jeff Giles’ & Jason Hare’s Mellowmas.
“The Little Drummer Boy” by Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band (from A Very Special Christmas, 1990)
I take no issue with Bob Seger’s overwrought, overproduced version of the holiday classic. Listen to those swelling synth pads and gospel choir vocals! This is what Christmas is about, y’all.
What’s on your shuffle today?
The Friday Five: December 2, 2011
Friday Five : ‘frī-(,)dā,-dē ‘fīv : On the sixth day of every week, I hit the shuffle button on my iTunes, then share the first five tracks and thought for each track. Sometimes there is a playlist involved, occasionally we’ll have a guest, but most of the time it’s just me. The rest is up to you, our friends and readers! Fire up your media player of choice and share the first five random track of your shuffle in the comments.
The Five:
Being that it is December, I’m going to start shuffling exclusively through my holiday tunes!
“Rexroth’s Daughter” by Winterbloom (from Winterbloom: Traditions Rearranged, 2009)
I’m not certain how this qualifies as a Holiday record. Winterbloom was a one-off collaboration between singer/songwriters Natalia Zukerman, Antje Duvekot, Meg Hutchinson, and Anne Heaton. Apparently, this is a cover of a Joan Baez tune about poet Kenneth Rexroth’s daughter. Again, I’m not certain how this qualifies as a Holiday record. Next!
“Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer Mambo (Malibu remix)” by Billy May (from Merry Mixmas: Christmas Classics Remixed, 2005)
Did he just say Halle Berry? What is this! I’m going to go out on a limb and say the only reason this is in my library is for the remix of “All I Want for Christmas (Is My Two Front Teeth).”
“White Christmas” by Tommy Emmanuel (from All I Want for Christmas, 2011)
This is the most recent — and most welcome — addition to my Christmas music library.
“White Christmas” by Darlene Love (from A Christmas Gift for You From Phil Spector, 1963)
It’s a toss up between A Christmas Gift for You From Phil Spector and A Charlie Brown Christmas for the nod as my favorite Christmas record. I can, and do, listen to either album multiple times over the holiday season without any hesitation. I’d have to say it is a tie!
“Santa Claus Is Coming to Town” by Michael Bublé (from, Christmas, 2011)
Ah, Michael Bublé … the cougar’s Justin Bieber. I’ll cop to having this at my wife’s request. Wait, does that mean my wife is a cougar? Crap.
What’s on your shuffle today?