Ella Fitzgerald – Ella Wishes You a Swinging Christmas – Red Vinyl

Gold (2020, Reissue) 

Merry, merry for those that celebrate Christmas time. As mentioned Friday, more than anything, I love the music. This Ella Fitzgerald Christmas album is a long time favorite of mine, but it took a while for a vinyl version to be released that had everything on it that I needed. Primarily, one of my absolute favorite Christmas songs, “Christmas Island.” That song isn’t on most versions of this album, at least not on vinyl. 

This album originally came out in 1960 and was full of incredible versions of classic Christmas songs like “Jingle Bells,” “Rudolph,” “Sleigh Ride” and the like. But the song “Christmas Island” isn’t on it. I’m not sure where that song originally came from, and you might be surprised to hear I did a bit of research to try to find out. It was hypothesized to be a B side at some point, but I was never able to find a single that had it. It’s possible that it was on some old 60s compilation, but it sure takes a while to dig through those. 

It seems like it really came on the radar in the year 2000 when a remastered version of this on CD came out with bonus tracks. From there on out, any CD or digital version of this album had “Christmas Island” as a part of it. But the vinyl reissues tended to replicate the original vinyl track list. After many years or searching, I finally found this version that came out in 2020 in Ireland. It’s got it, so it’s the one I bought. Sure it’s something I’d only ever listen to in December, but as a whole Christmas album to listen to from top to bottom, it’s one of the very best. 

Ella Fitzgerald – Ella Wishes You a Swinging Christmas:
https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_lGhD5Dp_7nBszDSDnmUjiMrcmel3EW3kw

Joel Paterson – The More The Merrier LP – Red Vinyl

Ventrella / Nu Tone (2023)

Those that know me know how much I love Christmas music. Every year, once my birthday is over, I shift over and start adding some Christmas songs to my daily playlist. And as we get closer to the big day, that music takes over with the 20+ hour long mix I have on my iPod. Additionally, I’m always searching for tunes to add. Whether it be forgotten classics or something brand new.

When it comes to brand new Christmas music, I’m obnoxiously discerning. I don’t want punk Christmas or indie rock Christmas or anything like that. I need the music to have the perfect, 1960s sound that is where the vast, vast majority of my favorite Christmas songs were recorded. Most of the songs served up today don’t make the cut for me, but every so often you’ll have a JD McPherson creep up and uncork a brand new classic. Someone else I put in that category is Joel Paterson,

The More The Merrier is is his second Christmas album. It’s a guitar instrumental album that leans on clean tones, dexterous playing and a keen ear for making songs sound retro and timeless all at the same time. He tackles obvious classics like “Hear Comes Santa Clause” and “Rudolph.” But he also goes for some deeper cuts like “Christmas Island” (More on that song on Monday). This is just the perfect, laid back, but never boring Christmas album to throw on. It works just as good as background music as it does being the center of attention. It's not surf-y like The Ventures, but evokes a similar feeling.  If you’re in the mood to be jolly, this album will fit right in.

Joel Paterson – The More The Merrier:
https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_nMZw_u2Fji6fLEiux46e3NMWSm1j8YjNU

Joel Paterson - Hi-Fi Christmas Guitar LP

 Ventrella (2018) 

This will be my last post for the year, at least until my annual Best Of that I typically put up on New Year's Eve.  And as usual, I'm going to close out with a new Christmas album.  I've been trying to make sure I buy at least one Christmas album on vinyl every year, to keep that collection growing.  I love Christmas music.  It gets a bad rep sometimes from the repetition of terrible songs, but if you do a deep dive, there is so much fun and rocking music to hear.

I do tend to prioritize old Christmas music, mostly recorded in the 50s and 60s.  To me, that's where the action is.  But every so often something new comes out that is actually good.  This happened in 2017 when Joel Paterson first released Hi-Fi Christmas guitar.  I was immediately taken in by his whirlwind of guitars. My very favorite Christmas album is The Ventures' Christmas Album.  While Joel is not playing surf rock, his record has a similar feel being totally instrumental with timeless Christmas melodies being arranged on guitar.

There's some jazzy tones, some rock and roll and even a couple of songs that border on that classical guitar virtuoso stuff.  Joel can play his ass off, but he never gets too bogged down in the technicalities and keeps the songs fresh and fun to listen to.  It's mostly standards with renditions of songs like "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Clause," "Silver Bells," "Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree" and others of that ilk.  But for me, my favorite on here is the oft overlooked "Mele Kalikimaka."  It's a Hawaiian flavored tune, probably most famously done by Bing Crosby I guess.  But it isn't one that I typically hear around Christmas time unless it's on my Christmas playlist that I keep.  Joel's version hits all of the right notes and maintains the Polynesian flair of the song while showcasing his guitar chops.

I didn't buy it in 2017, because it was only on CD at first.  Luckily it came out on LP the next year, but I didn't actually realize it until we were in the thick of last year's Christmas and there was no way to get a copy delivered before the big day.  Luckily I was well aware this year and planned accordingly.  2020 has been brutal, but my mood brightens when I hear these songs.

Hope everyone has a great holiday and I'll be back on New Year's Eve with The Absolute Best Records of 2020.

Joel Paterson - Hi-Fi Christmas Guitar
https://joelpaterson.bandcamp.com/album/hi-fi-christmas-guitar

The Mavericks - Hey! Merry Christmas!

Mono Mundo (2018)

I came across this album digging through Connor Ratliff's Rolling Stone article where he reviewed fifty plus Christmas records that had come out last year (I keep waiting for his 2019 version, but alas, it hasn't shown up yet).  I came across that list as I was trying to find records similar to last year's sensational JD MacPherson album.  That is one of the all time great additions to my Christmas playlist, so if I could find more like that, I'd be quite pleased.  That's would led me to this Mavericks record.

While I was originally taken by the fun artwork, it was the opening track "Christmas Time Is (Coming 'Round Again)" that sealed the deal and made me pick up the vinyl.  It has that Phil Spector influenced instrumentation along with a timeless vocal melody that I can really get behind.  There's so many wonderful Christmas songs in the world that have been kicking around for decades.  I'm most excited by the folks writing new songs that fit into that mold rather than a new take on a song I already have seventeen versions of.

The one unfortunate thing is that this first song is probably the highlight of the album.  Aside from the excellent title track "Hey! Merry Christmas!," most of the other songs are merely good.  While fun songs to throw down on a mix, listening to the whole album start to finish does kind of highlight the overall shortcomings of record.  Still, the songs "Hey! Merry Christmas!" and "Christmas Time Is (Coming 'Round Again)" are bonafide hits and many of the others work fine plugged into my sixteen and a half hour Christmas playlist.

The Mavericks - Hey! Merry Christmas! (YouTube full album playlist):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3MEA2U72fk&list=OLAK5uy_kENw09AzNWrPu-gie8MXikAW9vOShbt-E

Los Straitjackets - Complete Christmas Songbook 2xLP

Yep Rock (2018)

Every year I spend a lot of time fine tuning my Christmas music playlist.  It's a yearly tradition where I add some new tunes, remove some that no longer hold up and generally try to set the mood for the holiday season.  This year, nothing from 2019 has really jumped out at me, but I have picked up a couple of records from last year, one of which is this Los Straitjackets LP.

This LP compiles their Christmas 10" Yuletide beat, their LP 'Tis The Season For Los Straitjackets and a few 7" and compilation songs.  Since I already had the LP and 10", I also already had the vast majority of the songs on this double LP, but for some reason I was still drawn to add this to the collection.  Partly for the few extra songs I didn't have, but also so I could have everything in one nice, easy to play package.

These songs are great. Christmas tunes done in the surf instrumental way very similar to what the Ventures did on my favorite ever Christmas album.  Maybe too similar from time to time as the Los Straitjackets version of "Sleigh Ride" is essentially a cover version of the Ventures tune.  But Los Straitjackets also take on songs that the ventures never did and it's here where their contributions to Christmas really shine.  "Marshmallow World" is one of the best and it's actually the song that made me look into these guys in the first place.  I think I heard it first in The Gap one year and my wife managed to figure out who it was.  I'm glad she did as Los Straitjackets have really become one of my favorite yearly Christmas traditions.

Los Straightjackets - Complete Christmas Songbook:
https://losstraitjackets.bandcamp.com/album/complete-christmas-songbook

JD McPherson - Socks LP - Green Vinyl

New West (2018)

If you know me well, you probably know how much I love Christmas music.  While it seems that Christmas music can be a source of frustration for many, I have always embraced the warm sounds of songs singing the praises of Santa Claus.  I've be curating a playlist of Christmas songs for years now, fine tuning it constantly. Adding new songs, purging ones that don't quite cut it, it's a living breathing organism that I play with every year.  This year, I was able to add the best new addition I've found in ages, Socks.

I discovered this album on Instagram.  I follow a guitar maker called TK Smith and they posted a picture of this album on their feed.  As I picked up on the Joel Paterson Christmas album from them last year, I figured I would check out JD McPherson and see what it was all about.  What it's about is probably the best Christmas album released in the last forty years or so.  Every single song on this album is incredible and each deserves to be enshrined as classic Christmas songs going forward.

The album has a retro, 60s rock feel to it.  The tempo of the Beach Boys mixed with the energy of the Phil Spector Christmas album mixed with the vocal story telling of Gene Autry.  It's a conglomeration everything I love about Christmas records.  "All The Gifts I Need" has a horn accented swing feel to it, while "Bad Kid" is more of a Ventures-style (though with vocals) guitar track.

I've been debating which song on this album is my favorite and it tends to come town to the title track "Socks" and "Hey Skinny Santa."  "Socks" is a wonderful tale of disappointment in opening up the gift you've been waiting for all year only to find footwear waiting for you.  "Hey Skinny Santa" is a culinary tour of various cities and foods that Santa needs to make sure he's at the appropriate level of rotundness by the time the big day rolls around.

The thing about this album that makes it special is not only is it an incredible Christmas album, it's an amazing album period.  It's easily one of my favorite albums that has been released the entire year.  Even though this record will likely be relegated to December spins going forward, I can't fathom not listening to it every year for the rest of my life.  It's going to be a new staple of the season and I cannot recommend it enough.

JD McPherson - Socks:
https://jdmcphersonjr.bandcamp.com/album/socks

Gene Autry - Christmas Favorites LP

CBS (1981)

Excluding the Ventures' Christmas Album, this Gene Autry LP is hands down my favorite Christmas record.  While it certainly isn't as rocking as the Ventures and likely may not appeal to everyone that typically reads this website, there's something about these songs that are so ingrained into me that I can't get into the Christmas mood without them.

My dad had this album on cassette when I was a kid and when it was Christmas time, it would always get broken out.  The songs, by Gene Autry - the singing cowboy, are very obviously geared towards children, which was probably a lot of the appeal.  About ten years ago or so, I picked up a CD that contained every Christmas song that Gene Autry recorded for Columbia records.  It covers everything that is on this LP plus another dozen or so more songs.  That tends to be my go to this time of the year, but I wanted to have these songs on vinyl and I really wanted the specific album I listened to as a kid.  Luckily while kicking around on eBay, I found a copy that was brand new, still sealed and it was only ten bucks.  An easy decision.

The songs on this album are some of the most classic every written.  You have "Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer" (the song that Gene originally made famous), "Here Comes Santa Claus" and "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town."  There's no way you haven't heard these before as they are the very essence of traditional Christmas music.  

For me, it's the deep cuts on the album that really make it for me.  "If It Doesn't Snow On Christmas" spins a tale of how could Santa Claus get to your house if there's no snow and he can't use his sleigh.  It's full of charming imagery of Santa flying a plane and other unusual modes of transportation.  "Christmas Waltz" is a slow, wonderful song about a couple dancing together while the spirit of the season affects everyone around them.  

Then there are my two personal favorites: "The Night Before Christmas (In Texas That Is)" and "Merry Texas Christmas You All."  Both put a cowboy spin on the traditional Christmas story, and I have to admit, they have an even funnier, more personal connection for me now since my wife is originally from Texas.  It's impossible for me to say enough good things about this album.  I just love it to bits and rest assured it's going to be played pretty non stop for the next few days.

This will be my last proper review of the year.  Right around New Years, I'll post my Absolute Best Records of 2017 list, but aside from that I'll be taking a break and doing a lot of eating.  Hope everyone has a nice holiday and a happy new year.

Gene Autry - "Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xjLTDaCUYuQ

Gene Autry - "If It Doesn't Snow On Christmas":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Aekf4JAyCg

Gene Autry - "Merry Texas Christmas, You All":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=onGs1BaA7co

V/A - Christmas In Soulsville LP - Green Vinyl (/500)

Stax (2015, reissue)

I'll admit it.  I bought the wrong soul Christmas album.  I thought I was buying Soul Christmas with "Gee Whiz, It's Christmas" by Carla Thomas and "Back Door Santa" by Clarence Carter.  I was wrong.  Christmas In Soulsville, focuses more on later era Stax Chirstmas releases.  Moving more into that 70s funk/Hot Buttered Soul sound.  There's two Isaac Hayes songs on this one.

My issue is twofold.  One, I don't really like the direction that Stax moved to when they started doing the Isaac Hayes era releases.  I prefer my soul a little earlier and a bit more upbeat.  That brings me to my second issue with this compilation; there's just too many slow songs.  Both Isaac Hayes songs are excruciating to get through, they're just so damn slow.  "Please Come Home For Christmas" by Johnny Taylor and "What Do The Lonely Do At Christmas" by The Emotions are similar in that they don't feel festive to me.

That being said there are still great songs on this.  It's a Stax record after all, they were bursting at the seams with talent.  Otis Redding's "Merry Christmas Baby" makes an appearance and is a show stopper.  "Winter Wonderland" by Booker T and the MG's isn't my favorite of their Christmas tunes, but it's still a solid entry.  I also really enjoy "I'll Be Your Santa Baby " by Rufus Thomas and "Santa Claus Wants Some Lovin'" by Sir Mack Rice.  

This wasn't a wasted purchase as there are plenty of great Christmas songs on here.  But, it's just not the non stop hit factory that Soul Christmas is.  So that's going to have to be top of the list next year.

V/A - Christmas In Soulsville:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDS10pns3BNI86se54TR2tPQLGMDrGnol

Los Straitjackets - Yuletide Beat 10" - Red Vinyl

Yep Roc / Spinout (2009)

As has been my tradition the last few years, I try to buy at least one new Christmas album for the holiday season.  After last year's discovery of Los Straitjackets, I've been keeping an eye out for their other Christmas album, Yuletide Beat.  Thanks to eBay and a record seller in Germany I was able to add it to the collection this year.  At $25 shipped, it was a little more costly than a typical record purchase, but considering it's been out of print for a few years, I was happy to grab it when it came up.

Like The Ventures before them, Los Straitjackets have arranged some traditional Christmas carols into surf inspired rock songs.  While they never quite capture the same kind of magic that The Ventures were able to harness, it's still a strong collection.  Opening track "Deck The Halls" is probably the highlight of the bunch, with a upbeat rocking version of the song.  Another standout is the horn tinged rendition of "Joy To The World."  It puts some real soul into a song that's often times something of a downer.

In comparison to their first Christmas Album "Tis The Season for Los Straitjackets," the song selection isn't as good for my personal tastes.  That album focused more on upbeat songs of the season, while Yuletide Beat has an awful lot of more religious type songs.  Granted, make them instrumental and rocking and they're still pretty good, but I just prefer my Christmas music to be about snow, candy and Santa Claus.  Regardless, it's a great pick up if you like Christmas music, but still have the need to rock out a bit during this time of the year.

Merry Christmas!

Los Straitjackets - Deck The Halls:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IL_Md3zdcc0