.
The post A Charlie Brown Christmas appeared first on Hero Habit.
]]>Is Miles Davis’ Kind of Blue a better album? Probably. Is John Coltrane’s A Love Supreme more highly revered? Almost without debate. But are any of the so-called giants of jazz played three times an hour on pop stations across America for six weeks of the year? Not even close.
For many music fans, A Charlie Brown Christmas is not only their entry point into combo jazz but the lone record in their collection (or Spotify playlist if you’re into such things). The fact that some of the album’s biggest hits — Linus and Lucy and Skating — aren’t Christmas songs or that the signature Christmas Time is Here is a slow, somber waltz doesn’t seem to diminish the repeated airplay nearly 60 years after its release.
As a soundtrack, the album is a perfect contradiction to the film. Where A Charlie Brown Christmas is crudely drawn and oddly paced, Guaraldi’s trio is complex and deliberate. This is not a “jazzy” soundtrack but a legit jazz album that happens to accompany an animated movie and every year millions of people who claim to dislike jazz will use this music to get themselves into the holiday spirit. There’s a real power to that.
Vince Guaraldi did what no other jazz performer has been able to do since — create a jazz record beloved by people who wouldn’t otherwise go near a jazz record and for that reason alone, this soundtrack stands as one of the most important jazz recordings of all time and will probably remain that way for decades to come.
The post A Charlie Brown Christmas appeared first on Hero Habit.
]]>The post Elvis’ Christmas Album appeared first on Hero Habit.
]]>The album was released October 15, 1957 at the peak of Presley’s appeal and ability and includes several definitive versions of beloved Christmas songs. The genius of this album, which is rarely duplicated among pop Christmas albums, is the seamless integration of traditional holiday hymns alongside straight ahead rock and roll songs. Having a side of rockers and a side of traditionals ensured that grandma and granddaughter would both buy this album and work it into their annual rotation.
The album opens with a beautiful chant of “Christmas” by the Jordanaires to set a solemn holiday mood but that mood is immediately shattered when Elvis enters and delivers a song that rocks and grooves harder than most of his preceding catalog. The song, Santa Claus is Back in Town, is bluesy, dirty, raunchy, and surely at least in part responsible for a few September babies. This is a statement song that, despite its holiday inspiration, this is a rock and roll record.
The following track, White Christmas, is a staple of radio playlists but not quite the definitive rendition of this classic song. It does, however, lead right into a version of Here Comes Santa Claus that is probably in the top three versions of the song. The song ends with a standard Elvis ending, reminiscent of Teddy Bear.
By the time track four, I’ll Be Home For Christmas, is over, listeners probably wondered if the album opener was a fluke as Presley presents three mid-tempo, almost jazzy arrangements in a row. Then he pulls out the big guns.
From the first three notes that ooze out of Presley’s mouth, it’s clear that Blue Christmas is a standout track and, in fact, the second definitive rendition on the album. There’s not a soul who has recorded this song since who didn’t have Elvis in their mind whether it was to consciously mimick him or to consciously avoid mimicking him.
He then follows that song with Santa Bring My Baby Back (To Me) which is, admittedly, a little too close to some of his other hits to be counted as wholly original but nevertheless this quintessential Elvis song is presented on every radio station from coast to coast every winter.
The next side focuses on traditional carols and gospel songs and proves that Presley’s voice is as effortless in the church as it is in a swampy southern rock club. O Little Town of Bethlehem and Silent Night are beautiful arrangements that highlight Presley’s soulful voice as well as the Jordanaires’ exquisite background vocals.
The entire B side of this album is much more solemn in tone and is a unique contrast to the A side rockers. All in all, though, Elvis’ Christmas Album is a rare album that offers something to rock fans and gospel fans without pandering to or alienating either audience. It is a masterpiece of holiday music and a highlight of Presley’s early work that holds up among any other Christmas album that has come around since.
The post Elvis’ Christmas Album appeared first on Hero Habit.
]]>The post The Phil Spector Christmas Album appeared first on Hero Habit.
]]>Despite being a horrible human being and, most likely, a murderer, Phil Spector put his name on some of the era’s most joyous music. A Christmas Gift For You From Phil Spector may be his greatest musical statement.
The artists featured on this compilation are famous for employing Spector’s production style and many of these recordings have become standards. Without this record, there is no All I Want For Christmas Is You by Mariah Carey.
The record was initially a flop, probably in large part to its release date also being the day JFK was assassinated. In 1972, The Beatles’ Apple Records reissued the album and it achieved its highest chart ranking to date. Over the years it would reappear on the Billboard charts with different reissues and in 2018 would actually hit 48 on the Billboard 200.
Rolling Stone ranks this album at number 142 on its list of 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, a testament to the overall quality of the music.
Four of the tracks on this album feature Darlene Love including the album-opening White Christmas. Her song Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) made its premiere on this album and her Winter Wonderland may be a definitive pop rendition.
The Ronettes appear on three tracks — Frosty the Snowman, Sleigh Ride, and I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus — all of which are on heavy radio rotation every Christmas.
The Crystals are credited on Santa Claus is Coming to Town, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, and Parade of the Wooden Soldiers. The first of those songs being one of the most enduring of the set.
The lone male voice on the album is found on the two tracks credited to Bob B. Soxx & The Blue Jeans: The Bells of St. Mary and Here Comes Santa Claus. These tracks are probably the least remembered of the album with the focus leaning significantly on the girl groups of the time.
The album closes with a version of Silent Night which features every artist on the album. Half of the song is Phil Spector himself delivering a speech so this track is rarely, if ever, played on the radio.
It would be a challenge to find another Christmas album that premiered a new holiday standard and delivered definitive versions of several Christmas classics and if that were Spector’s sole musical legacy it would be an enormous accomplishment.
So many of these songs have been used in films, television shows, and commercials that it has become the gold standard of holiday music. David Letterman invited Darlene Love onto his show to perform her iconic song every year for three decades and the sound of this album has been mimicked by hundreds of Christmas albums.
The modern holiday soundtrack would be immeasurably changed had this Phil Spector Christmas album never been released. For all his many faults and shortcomings, it can never be said that Phil Spector didn’t know how to perfectly orchestrate the feel of Christmas.
beyond.globalpranichealing.com/profile/
The post The Phil Spector Christmas Album appeared first on Hero Habit.
]]>The post The Jackson 5 Christmas Album appeared first on Hero Habit.
]]>The album was the fourth for the band –their third album of 1970 — and would top the charts as the best selling Christmas album of the year.
If you find yourself in an argument about the genius of The Funk Brothers, Motown’s crew of session players, spinning this Christmas album will surely settle the score. Pay close attention to the bass work on these songs as it is as funky, inventive, and brilliant as anything released on Motown.
Motown refused to credit their session musicians on records so it isn’t exactly known who is playing on these tracks. It is safe to say that either Wilton Felder or James Jamerson are the bassists on these sessions.
The album opens with a somber version of Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas. Although the arrangement is lush with strings, the Funk Brothers rhythm section is holding the whole thing together.
Track two, Santa Claus is Coming to Town, is where this album explodes. Opening up with the chorus, the verse breaks down into a funky half-time feel. The bass work is nothing short of stellar and the electric guitar work, somewhat buried in the mix, is playing extraordinary leads.
Up On The House Top, the fourth track, is another funky groove suitable for any non-Christmas Motown classic. The bass and guitar double on an incredibly complex lead line that is somehow busy and right in the pocket simultaneously.
Frosty the Snowman is a straight ahead rocker but even Motown rockers swing pretty hard and the wah-wah guitar is propelling this song forward.
Little Drummer Boy is usually the low point of most Christmas albums but, again, driven by the Funk Brothers, this track grooves.
Give Love on Christmas Day is a gorgeous ballad that has gone on to be a Christmas standard. Had the subject matter been less tied to the holiday, this track would have certainly been a giant hit for the band.
The album closes with I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus, arguably the best version of this song. The track works best with a kid singing lead and the band’s call and response are as iconic as any of their biggest hits.
Overall, this record is anchored in the performances of some of music’s greatest players but the talents of the Jackson 5 as vocalists shouldn’t be undersold. There are great lead and background vocals on every track of this album which is why it has endured.
In a marketplace filled with generic-sounding Christmas albums, the Jackson 5 Christmas album still stands out as the best of the best and deserves to be heard in June as much as it does in December.
The post The Jackson 5 Christmas Album appeared first on Hero Habit.
]]>The post Funko Pop Christmas Checklist appeared first on Hero Habit.
]]>Funko Pop Christmas figures are bringing adorable vinyl to your decked halls.
There are two different series released for this line. Although connected and sharing characters, each has its own numbering sequence. The Funko Town Christmas series features a character alongside a village building which lights up for a festive display.
The second line, simply Funko Pop Christmas, includes the many inhabitants of the fictional Christmas Village including Santa, Mrs. Claus, some hard-working elves, and the mayor of the city, Patty Noble (who is a Christmas tree).
Unlike the majority of Funko products, the characters in this series are not licensed properties which allows Funko to build an entire universe and backstory for each new figure.
Serious Funko collectors will love displaying this holiday village every year and with seemingly endless possibilities for new releases this will, no doubt, become a highly sought after collection in the future.
Our checklist lumps all the figures together but note that the figures packaged with a building are in a different series than those without.




| # | Character | Building | Variant | LE | Exclusive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Santa Claus & Nutmeg | Santa’s House | |||
| 1 | Santa Claus | ||||
| 2 | Alice Cranberry | Crescent Moon Diner | Funko Shop | ||
| 2 | Mrs. Claus & Candy Cane | ||||
| 3 | Frosty Franklin | Post Office | GameStop | ||
| 3 | Mayor Patty Noble | ||||
| 4 | Mayor Patty Noble | City Hall | |||
| Combo Pack | Randy & Rob |
The post Funko Pop Christmas Checklist appeared first on Hero Habit.
]]>