Alt Christmas Compilation Suggestions

First suggestion is the California Guitar Trio's Christmas Album. Dock them a point for a version of Happy Christmas (War is Over) but you can programme that one out and the rest is a good record, all instrumental and well arranged and played.

Beyond that there's Tull's Ring Out the Solstice Bells, and from later on "Another Christmas Song" (an album track on Rock Island).

Pete.

Snap!

For the past four years I've been doing just the same thing, an Xmas compilation (together with artwork) of a different "alternative" kind. It started off as a nice idea but is now fiercely compettitive with a friend, and it gets that bit more difficult each year.In fact I have the strong suspicion that he's putting together a christmas DVD! I usually have a theme for the cover and for the last two years it's been on a Dylan basis as in "The Freestealin Santa Claus" and "Bringing it all Back to Santa", I'm resisting the Temptation to do "Santa Claus Lane Revisited" this year! The covers and inserts etc are what takes the most time.

Check out Hawksley Workmans christmas EP, the Low "Christmas" EP and there are loads of blues Xmas compilations Amazon and Play.com have a nice selection. Oh and if you know anyone who's into REM they have a whole raft of fan club xmas singles over the years.

Good luck

Chris

Snap2
I've been doing a best of the year which along with artwork gets sent out with a similarly themed christmas card. Trouble is evryone's now at it, all the music mags issue there own and I expect this year the Broadsheets and tabloids will be following suit.
So the fight this year is to not follow suit so I'm broadening my selection to whatever music has crossed the threshold this year.
Have been considering: "Peaced Off" a Peace/Anti-war compilation Steve Earle, RL Jones, Galliano etc.; "Folked Up" - obvious and "Test Tickles" - essential songs for testing/demoing my&other systems.
Past themes have included "Get Yer Wah Wahs Out" - favourite tracks with wahwah effected instruments; "Sturm Und Twang" a dbl compo of fav countryish songs and "Covered" fav and intriguing cvr vers eg Let's Dance-Transfiguration Of Vincent-M Ward.

I'm also up for swapping any of these if u r.

Last year LittleS (Mrs) bought " A Celtic Christmas" ALL your Xmas favs with a Celtic twist.
Dire or what? I love Celtic music but Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer on Fiddle and whistle etc yeeeaachh!
I stopped her picking up Scotish Christmas Favs whilst in Edinburgh recently.


Howard

"Santa, where's my f&*king bike?" by some nutter Oz fella whose name I can't remember.

Scanned through my CDs last night and also found the following to add to the tracklist

Badly Drawn Boy - Donner and Blitzen
Shane MacGowan - Christmas Lullaby
Noel Gallagher - Merry Christmas Everybody
Saw Doctors - Christmastation Border
The Watersons and Martin Carthy - Emanuel (Sort of Christmassy!)

Jonathan

I make compilations (not usually with a particular theme though) for some friends in Australia. I'm recording one now including the track Christmas in New Zealand by the Long Ryders. Going to post it with their Christmas card.

Jim

Christmas Morning - Loudon Wainwright off his 1999 Social Studies album.

Andy

'Christmas wrapping' by The Waitresses is brilliant; especially the line 'you've forgotten cranberries too' near the end. In fact most of the Ze Christmas compilation from 1981 or so is great.

Nigel

I've got all four Crepuscule Xmas compilations, which contain some great, great music (as well as some shit), including:

THE DURUTTI COLUMN - ONE CHRISTMAS FOR YOUR THOUGHTS
MICHAEL NYMAN - CREAM OR CHRISTIANS
CABARET VOLTAIRE - INVOCATION
TUXEDOMOON - WEINACHTSRAP
AZTEC CAMERA - HOT CLUB OF CHRIST
THE FRENCH IMPRESSIONISTS - SANTA BABY

and, best of all:
THE SWINGING BUILDINGS - PRAYING FOR A CHEAPER CHRISTMAS

Kevin (BBC Radio 4: the Moral Maze)

A few suggestions:

• XTC - Thanks for Christmas
  
• Paul Simon - Darling Lorraine
  
• Bruce Cockburn - Riu, Riu, Chiu
  
• The Pogues w/Kirsty MacColl - Fairytale Of New York
  

-=> Mike Hanson <=-

quote:

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Originally posted by Shayman:
4. River - Joni Mitchell

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If you want to take this a bit further, go for the cover on the tribute album, "Back to the Garden". It's performed by Hugh Marsh, Jonathan Goldsmith, Rob Piltch and Martin Tielli, in a wonderfully haunting and heartwrenching fashion.

-=> Mike Hanson <=-

Robert Earl Keen - Merry Christmas From The Family - this is my favourite the first lines are "Mom got drunk and Dad got drunk at our Christmas Party"

Also
John Prine - Christmas in Prison
Randy Newman - Christmas in Capetown
and not forgetting George Dubya's all time no. 1 - Steve Earle - Christmas Time in Washington

CNC

James Brown's Funky Christmas always makes a welcome return to the 3.5 in December.

Jono

Stevie Dempster - you are thinking of Kevin Bloody Wilson, the track is called "Hey Santa Claus you c**t"...

Does that follow "Daddy Caught Mummy Shagging Santa Claus?"

H

Okkervil River's "Listening To Otis Redding At Home During Christmas".

The Pogues w/Kirsty MacColl - Fairytale Of New York

As I paged down, I was wondering if someone would mention this one - Mike you beat me to it. So I'll add:

Dressy Bessy's "All the Right Reasons"
MJQ "England's Carol"

cheers

Dan

As a big Pogues fan I avoided FONY as it does get somewhat overplayed at Christmas although it is a fantastic song and may well yet make it to my final disc. Depending how unsuitable songs such as "Santa Where's My F***ing Bike" are for family listening.

Jonathan

PS Oh and Jeff Buckley Corpus Christi Carol is another I thought of.

quote:

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Originally posted by Mike Hanson:

quote:

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Originally posted by Shayman:
4. River - Joni Mitchell

---

If you want to take this a bit further, go for the cover on the tribute album, "Back to the Garden". It's performed by Hugh Marsh, Jonathan Goldsmith, Rob Piltch and Martin Tielli, in a wonderfully haunting and heartwrenching fashion.

-=> Mike Hanson <=-

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Taking it even further still (or, in this case, perhaps taking it less far), check out James Taylor's new version of Joni's River, offered as a free download at jamestaylor.com/

It's incredibly moving and beautiful, as one would expect ... there's probably more than a little bit of James in Joni's original.

He's released this in conjunction with the release of his new album, simply titled A Christmas Album (available only at Hallmark card stores), which I highly recommend as one of the best Christmas albums I've ever heard. While it is true that I've accepted James Taylor as my personal savior, I would still recommend this even if I hadn't.