1: “Santa Claus Is Coming To Town”:This Jackson 5 tune rocks as a Christmas song. Its catchy, it’s fun, it’s sweet, and it is from Mr. Jackson less creepy years. 2: Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol”: A lovely book to read with the entire family, I just love this book because it’s filled with beautiful language and the holiday spirit. 3: “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer”, as sung by Cody Elliott: Who wouldn’t love one’s 9-year-old sibling running around the house singing this song? I don’t think it would be Christmas with out my little brother singing this to me. 4: “White Christmas”: I am talking about the Louis Armstrong version of the song, because I just love the way Louis sings it. It truly feels warm and filled with sprit. 5: “Santa Clause: The Movie”: This movie rocks! It is just what a Christmas movie should be-fun. I can remember sitting up watching when I was but a wee child. 6: A Christmas Story: This is a classic because we all have memories of sitting up late watching its endless play on TNT. You curse while trying to put together a big wheel that “Santa” got for your little brother and Santa wants it assembled and under the tree for Christmas morning. It is also just a fun movie. 7: “The Night Before Christmas”: A classic book that many people have found memories of having it read to them as children and reading it to their children.8: Santa Clause: A right “Jolly old Elf.” He also have a army of elves to do his bidding, and who would not want that. 9: “Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer” movie: This is a classic. It isn’t quite Christmas until you see this movie. It may have cheesy animation, but you can’t help but love it. 10: “It’s a Wonderful Life”: They start playing the movie o Thanksgiving and don’t stop until the New Year bell tolls. It’s classic, wistful fun, and highly enjoyable in a nostalgic way.
Shannon E.
1. Spinal Tap”Christmas With the Devil””The rats ate all the presents/ The reindeer ran away/ Chrismas with the Devil!” Need you any more explanation?2. Darlene Love”Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)”Most people think this is the best song off of ’60s producer Phil Spector’s Christmas album for good reason. Singer Love belts out this pleading melody, complete with sax solo (a necessity for a Love song). It’s big, it’s loud, and it drips with Christmastime love. Isn’t that what Christmas is all about?3.Eartha Kitt”Santa Baby”When Eartha sings, she doesn’t just sing-she purrs. Everyone, from your 50-year-old smoker aunt to your little brother, tries to mimic Kitt’s breathy vocals, but she’s untouchable. This song did to drab Chrismas tunes what Marilyn Manroe did to “Happy Birthday.”4. Roy Orbison”Pretty Paper” There’s a reason this song isn’t on many Top 10 Christmas Songs lists: It reminds people just how selfish and stingy they are during the Season of Giving. Orbison’s heartbreaking voice is perfect on this song about the homless during the holidays.5.Vince Guaraldi Trio”Christmas Time Is Here” Listening to the classic theme from “A Charlie Brown Christmas” is a bit like curling up into a La-Z-Boy recliner in front of a fireplace, glass of eggnog in hand. It’s soft, warm, and as much a necessity to the holidays as a security blanket is to Linus.6. Otis Redding “Merry Christmas, Baby” Everyone, from The O’Jays to Elvis, has recorded this song, but Redding’s organ-happy version is truly original. When Redding sings, “Merry Christmas, baby,” he sings it like he means it. Merry Christmas, baby!7. Wings “Wonderful Christmas Time”This song definitely rates as one of the Top 10 Wings songs, and maybe solo Macca songs too. Paul and Linda McCartney were too cute for words, proving that, yes, it is possible to be married, make music together, and feel the holiday spirit.8. The Carpenters”Merry Christmas Darling”Karen Carpenter is possibly one of the most underrated vocalists of the last 50 years. This holiday pop perfection is as cozy as a cashmere sweater. Listen and enjoy.9. The Monkees”Riu Chiu”This pop group’s a cappella take on the traditional Spanish holiday song might seem odd at first. Not to worry, it’s only the 5/4 time signature. Michael Nesmith, Micky Dolenz, and Peter Tork nail the three-part harmony.10. The Crystals “Parade of the Wooden Soldiers”Another track from the Phil Spector Christmas album. If ever there were a group of adults who pretended they were toys, and did it with success, it would be the ladies of The Crystals. The proud trumpets and gleeful xylophone help round out the driving big beat.
Elizabeth S/S
10. I can’t stand the holly-jolly gushy Christmas crap that comes on TV. “Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer” has to be my least favorite movie. Every year, the networks play it. The story may be a classic, but the shaking, clay-and-fuzz reindeer has to go.9.Chirstmas Albums: There are few instances where a Christmas album is any good at all. They’re normally crap, so they make my anti-Christmas list.8. Christmas carols are getting on my nerves as well. Some are classics that can’t be touched, for instance “Silent Night.” But there are some that get under my skin like ticks. “Frosty the Snowman”? Painful. “Rudolph”? Too jolly. “Jingle Bells”? Nope. Bah Humbug.7. You know all those “made for TV” Christmas specials? I don’t think I have to explain why these are evil. There are ones like “Rudolph” that the networks play every year, but there are those pesky new ones that pop up once and you never hear of them again. I hate those. 6. Adam Sandler. OK, he gave us that Chanukah song, and it was like a beacon of religious freedom in an oppressed pile of Christmas cheer. He, however, also created the film “Eight Crazy Nights.” I’ll never forgive him.5. Advertisers get a huge hard-on at the thought of all the dough they’re going to make with cheesy, phony Christmas ads. TV, billboards, magazines, newspapers, all of them will be tainted by the greed of advertisers in red and white floppy hats. 4. “A Christmas Carol.” I’ve seen it, read it, and it never gets any better. 3. “It’s a Wonderful Life.” I hate this movie. I know there are some of you out there who are sick and tired of watching this movie every Christmas, and with you I proudly stand. 2. Elves. Will Ferrel isn’t funny.1. Santa Claus. Tiny children read no further, for I shall reveal to you the truth-Santa Claus doesn’t exist! His real name is “Moneybags” and he comes every year to eat your cookies and take responsibility for the expensive gifts yout parents buy you! He’s been in ads, television, movies, books, magazines,and cartoons. Santa Claus is a sneaky bastard.
John H.
10. Radio stations: Leave it to them to get a hold of holiday music, play it, and completely ring out every last drip of its jolliness, (particularly Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas”). The music is inescapable. Looks like CDs for me right about now! 9. Christmas decorations: No offense to those who have those lovely icicle lights hanging from their eaves, but there’s something quite creepy about driving down a street at night, icicles alit, and the entire thing is lined with glowing snow. It’s a neighborhood bombardment of ’50s tract housing, ala digital age, holiday style.8. Lack of snow: Having grown up here in iffy-weathered San Francisco, I’ve yet to experience a “White Christmas.” Yet every year, I secretly await one. Some would say that it’s a good thing it doesn’t snow here perhaps, but I have no evidence to make that an educated decision. It kind of makes me feel deprived, watching a 10-year-old boy lick a frozen telephone pole, and not knowing what exactly he’s feeling.7. Christmas plays: It’s that “Scrooge” time of year again. Not that the play is bad, nor that the classic story, but it seems as though there is a “Scrooge” play, or some other repetitive pageant proceeding in multiple theatres around the Bay Area. I probably wouldn’t be so against these productions, if they weren’t the same exact ones every year.6. Politically correct terms:Working in retail, it is vital that I remember to wish people “Happy holidays,” and not let the usual “Merry Ch
ristmas” slip my lips. Not at all that I want to offend anyone, but I am only human, and it’s bound to happen from time to time.5. Limited editions: Every year, the Coca-Cola Company supplies us with a new holiday packaging. This year, Pepsi has given us the one of a kind Pepsi Spice, limited edition in competition with Coke. And then there’s the special Christmas collector’s toys and stuffed animals, or anything else marketers could think of to make some extra holiday cash.4. Shopping: Going to local malls is bad enough. But when you’re on a mission to knock out some of your Christmas shopping list, I urge you to get away. Shop far, far away from here. Parking is nonexistent, people are irate, and chances are there is nothing left on the shelves or racks anyway, especially the exact item you’re shopping for. 3. Toy of the year: Every year, there is a toy on the market that every child asks Santa for, and every parent, has a hard time finding until the very last minute. 2. Maxed out credit cards: Now is the time you begin to buy food and other necessities in bulk. For the next few months, you will be scrounging and saving every penny earned or found, until you pay off those wonderful, sky-high interest rated credit cards that you maxed out while shopping for loved ones.1. Working in retail. Because Christmas may be the happiest time of the year for most citizens, but for those of us who work in retail, it’s exactly the opposite. Long mall-hour shifts, restless and nearly evil people emerging from their holes. Nicole G.
