I've been working on the Christmas mix tonight (with some unsubtle suggestions from TheGirl) and it's about done. It's mostly Christmas carols with a few regular tunes thrown in there and some unorthodox renditions mixed in with a lot of classics. I discovered a bunch of new Christmas songs while doing this that I really like, so it was also a learning experience. God Bless Itunes. Anyway, here is the tentative lineup, and if you are a friend of the Offering, you may just get a Christmas CD in your stocking this year.
Carol of the Bells-Mannheim Steamroller- A classic Christmas tune, nothing says shopping in a department store like this tune.
O Holy Night- I got a generic verision of this one after listening to about 20 different ones...this is my favorite carol but none of them were just right.
All I Want for Christmas Is You- Mariah Carey- I hate Mariah Carey like poison, but this is the best rendition of this tune and it's a must-have for the mix. Sorry.
God Only Knows-The Beach Boys- This is the first non-Christmas song, but it's used in lots of holiday movies (for example, Love Actually), and it's a great tune.
Rondine al nido-Luciano Pavarotti- Pavarotti is the only repeat artist on this thing, because he'll help out on Nessun Dorma for the last track. This is probably my favorite aria of all time. Perfect words, perfect music, and nobody does it better than the man.
White Christmas-Bing Crosby- TheGirl loves Bing, and he sings this one better than anyone. This is the 1942 Holiday Inn rendition of White Christmas.
Can't Get Enough of Your Love, Babe-Barry White-Most definitely not a Christmas carol, but I'm on a Barry White kick right now and this song seems to fit for the holidays. Find yourself some mistletoe and a morally casual friend.
Sleigh Ride-The Ronettes- a courtesy pick for TheGirl and all the traditionalists out there, this is the best-known rendition of this tune. Not bad, but fairly standard.
The Christmas Song-Frank Sinatra-Can't go a whole Christmas collection without a song from Frank Sinatra, and I like this one. Nobody knows the name of this song, but everyone knows every word when it comes on.
If I Could-Phish- A sentimental favorite, this ballad has Alison Kraus on vocals and dates back to 1994. A favorite slow song by Phish.
Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)-Death Cab For Cutie- I almost put the U2 rendition of this one on the album, but 1) everyone's heard that a million times, and 2) this has been a Death Cab year for me more than any other, so they get a track on the holiday album.
O, Come All Ye Faithful-Nat King Cole- And the trifecta of Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, and Nat King Cole is complete. This is an underrated carol in my opinion.
Love is all Around- Wet Wet Wet- A fun holiday tune done by some cheesy british band. It's a heartwarmer.
I Want You Back-Jackson 5-I didn't want anyone falling asleep here, so I dusted this baby off. Classic tune, upbeat yet not inappropriate for a Christmas party.
You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch-The MGM Studio Orchestra- A crowd favorite and a good tune to boot. I like this song.
Ave Maria-Andrea Bocelli- I went back and forth on who I should put on the album singing this classic, and I went with Bocelli because it's a nice, well-done version. I have a good one with Domingo and Vienna Boys Choir, but it's a little too falsetto-freaky for me.
Little Drummer Boy-.38 Special-This was a controversial pick according to TheGirl, but the slow, brooding hard-rocking style of .38 Special just fits this tune. I agree that it doesn't work for some other carols, but I really like this one.
It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year-Andy Williams- Probably the most oft-played song on this album, from commercials to radio to movies to pretty much everyone's stereo. Can't leave it off. It encapsulates holiday cheer, which I have a lot of.
Easy-Commodores- Not a Christmas song, but Easy like Sunday morning is how I feel around the holidays...it has always been about a nice long break from school/work, sitting around fires, sleeping late, and not moving too fast. I thought it was appropriate.
Do You Hear What I Hear-Martina McBride- I have really no idea who this Martina McBride is, but it was this or the Vanessa Williams rendition, which is also pretty good. I forgot how much I like this song, and I think it sounds better with a female singer.
Nessun dorma- Luciano Pavarotti & Zubin Mehta (Conductor)-A monster aria to finish things off, with one of my favorite singers, performed live in Rome. Not a typical Christmas aria like Ave Maria, but it's famous enough that even non-opera fans usually enjoy it and I've always liked it a lot.
That's it, an even 20 songs and just over an hour. If you don't celebrate Christmas, you are still welcome to enjoy the album, we're non-denominational here at the Offering (despite our noticeable bias toward Christian songs).
I'll be burning these soon.
Only 19 more days of being good until Santa arrives. Stay strong.
t
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