Beyond all the holiday pap blaring from department store speakers at this time of year, there really is some good – OK, maybe more fun than good – holiday musical cheer to be had. Here are some of our favorites.
Dave Begel
Columnist
Pick: "Pretty Paper" by Roy Orbison
My favorite song during the holidays is "Pretty Paper." It was written by Willie Nelson in 1961 and recorded by Roy Orbison. Nelson was just getting his career started then, but he recorded the song in the late 70's. I like both versions. I like the song for its simplicity and for the message of hope and help for those who are less fortunate. The sadness of the homeless man in the song never fails to move me.
Matt Mueller
Staff writer
Pick: "The Christmas Song"
"The Christmas Song" – Because my heart is made of coal, black volcanic rock and broken childhood dreams, I’m not much of a Christmas music person. I loved the holiday classics when I was a kid, but hearing the same 10 or 15 festive ditties played to mind-numbing delirium by the middle of November has done a lot to crush my childhood cheer.
One song, though, has always managed to crack into my obsidian heart and avoid my Christmas music diatribes: "The Christmas Song." Which one? Doesn’t really matter. It’s just a beautifully written song, simple in its message, sweetness and warmth. It’s a Christmas song that actually feels like Christmas.
Jim Owczarski
Staff writer
Pick: "A Charlie Brown Christmas" by Vince Guaraldi
It's not Christmas until you hear that signature track of "Linus and Lucy." My favorite holiday song of all time is Bing Crosby's rendition of "White Christmas" and album is Mariah Carey's "Merry Christmas," yet there is something about the mixture of Guaraldi's piano and Charles Schulz's iconic characters that signifies the holiday. While I'm sure there are musical elements to this soundtrack that people like or dislike, honestly, I'm not too interested in all that – this soundtrack elicits a feeling that is just ... Christmas.
Molly Snyder
Associate editor
Pick: Esquivel's "Merry Christmas from the Space-Age Bachelor Pad"
This was the last record released in 1996 by Latin lounge legend, Juan Garcia Esquivel, often known as just Esquivel. This album is essential for any holiday cocktail party, stirring the zoom-zoom-zoom with the martinis and the mistletoe. But don't reduce this record to a bowl full of kitschy, a couple of the songs, particularly his version of "Jingle Bells," are really quite good. And "I Feel Merely Marvelous" could easily be a theme song for the most festive of los barrachos.
Bobby Tanzilo
Managing editor
Pick: Jazz, reggae and soul Christmas music
Over the years, I've come to realize there are only a few kinds of holiday music I really enjoy. One is a trio of jazz Christmas records by guitarist Kenny Burrell ("Have Yourself a Soulful Little Christmas"), organist Jimmy Smith ("Christmas Cookin'") and Vince Guaraldi ("A Charlie Brown Christmas"). Another is '60s soul and loads of great Stax and Motown artists and even James Brown made Christmas records. Finally, I enjoy a lot of Christmas reggae, including the numerous examples produced at Coxsone Dodd's Studio One and Jacob Miller and Ray I's classic, "Natty Christmas." They all put a little grit and a much needed beat into what can be some seriously dull-edged songs.
Andy Tarnoff
Publisher
Pick: Adam Sandler
OK, I won't be that guy who writes that he hates all holiday music, because it's not true. I've yet to hear a Hanukkah song that I actually like, beyond the kitsch value of Adam Sandler's stuff, so my picks are the instrumental version of "Sleigh Ride" (because it reminds me of trying to learn that challenging saxophone part in high school); "Let It Snow" (because it's a winter song, not a Christmas song), and "White Christmas" (because it was written by a Jewish guy, and it's a nice tune, to boot).
