Stephen Colbert "America Again"

While I love looking at the Grammy nominee list for all the musical delights, I must confess that when the list comes out I quickly scan down to see who is nominated in the "Best Spoken Word" category.  Bill Clinton, Betty White, Al Franken, Orson Welles and many other folks who, conceivably should not have a Grammy, do, because of this category.

Stephen Colbert already has an Emmy.  If he gets a Grammy, he's halfway to his EGOT!


Hear the clip on Soundcloud.

Stephen Colbert "Another Christmas Song"

Usually around the first weekend in December we buy our Christmas tree.  We like to get it up on the earlier side, though it does become a little crusty by the time Santa actually arrives.

And bringing in the tree, means going down to the basement and hauling up the boxes of Christmas decorations.  Not only things to hang on the tree, but lights for the window, the manger scene, nutcrackers, snowglobes, a mechanical Bob Hope figurine that sings . . . and the box of Christmas DVDs.

When I was a kid, Christmas specials were an event.  You'd study the TV page that came with the Sunday paper, to see when "Charlie Brown Christmas" or "The Grinch" was going to be on.  You'd wait all day for 8pm.  And the tension would build when you'd see that old "Special Presentation" bumper, that let you know that regular programming had the night off---here comes a Christmas special.

And woe be unto you if you missed it.

If a Christmas special aired, and you weren't in front of the TV, then you missed it for the year.  It didn't repeat.  You didn't have it on Tivo.  There were no VCRs to have recorded it.  You missed your chance.

It made watching a Christmas special, an event.

Today is a different experience.

I brought that box of DVDs up from the basement 2 weeks ago.  Since then, I bet my kids have seen "The Grinch" five times already.  And "Frosty" and "Rudolph" and "Charlie Brown" and others.  Hell, it's possible that "Elmo's Christmas Countdown" has been screened daily around these parts.

My kids won't remember Christmas specials as an event.  They'll remember them as a season.

Nowhere is this more evident, than on the DVD in that box, that only I will watch.

Yeah, the kids aren't really into Stephen Colbert.  But I got his Christmas special on DVD and really get a kick out of it.

One of the most on-the-nose jabs at the holiday-special-trope is that at the end of the show, Colbert holds up a DVD copy of the show he is currently in the progress of creating, saying it's for sale and you can watch it again and again.

Of course, unlike the kids, I'll only watch it once this year, like last year.

But maybe that just makes me as old and as crusty as our Christmas tree will be by New Years . . .


Hear the song on Youtube.


See the CBS "Special Presentation" bumper on Youtube.

Matisyahu "Miracle"

So I got this message from an old friend, over the weekend . . .

I'm writing to throw down the gauntlet. I realize that you are turning to Christmas on your blog. However, in the spirit of our UMASS background, I'd like to challenge your musicological expertise to find a great Chanukah song. (Choosing Adam Sandler's song would constitute automatic forfeiture.) If you are successful, I will include your pick and blog link in my social media networks. If you are not successful, your having listened to all the heinous Chanukah music out there is punishment enough. My pick to date would be Stephen Page & the Bare Naked Ladies' Hanukkah Blessings.

Your former RA,
Andrea

Well she's right. Despite giving a pretty thorough run-down of Jewish songwriters who've penned Christmas tunes, I haven't posted anything Chanukah-related. Is it because (as she intimates) there aren't any good Chanukah songs?

I wracked by brain for a bit, and the first things that came to mind were pretty goofy---nothing that could hold up to the religious reverence of "Do You Hear What I Hear?" or the secular reverence of "White Christmas."

Then again, the majority of Christmas hits are way over the novelty border, too (Rudolph, Frosty, Gramma Got Run Over By A Reindeer, You're A Mean On Mr. Grinch, etc).

So here are a few faves, ordered from most reverent to least (while still staying on the tasteful side of that fence, for the most part).

Let's start with painfully earnest:


Hear Peter Paul and Mary on Youtube.


This brand new Matisyahu song is also earnest, coming out of the artist's desire "to get across some of the depth and spirituality inherent in the holiday in a fun, celebratory song." Lyrically, it does that. So don't be fooled by the super-goofy video.


See "Miracle" on Youtube.


The Maccabeats also seem pretty earnest. But the "Glee"/Boy Band vibe isn't my style. But I suppose if you are trying to explain The Festival Of Lights to "Glee" and Boy Band fans, it's a pretty solid genre-effort.


Hear "Candlelight" on Youtube.


And while this scene from "Colbert Christmas" is slathered in holiday irony, it does neatly, sweetly, smartly portray the awkward compare/contrast game that inevitably ensues when Jews try to explain Chanukah to their unaware Christian friends.

Check out "Can I Interest You In Hannukah?" on Youtube.

Feist "Please Be Patient"

For the month of December, my Weekend Posts (usually a look back at obscure tunes from the 80s and 90s) will turn to Christmas. Enjoy a few odd, off-color songs to enliven your holiday!

It starts off sounding like a legitimate Christmas song, then it goes all Colbert on you!


Hear the song on Youtube.