From the Archives: My Top 5 Christmas albums

I know it’s getting a little late in the season. But in 2017, I published on Christmas Day, a list of my Top 5 Christmas albums.

In the interest of saving our environment, I am going to recycle and give you the same ones. Stop, don’t hit that button that sends you away from what you are reading, (namely this).

I didn’t get caught up in the Christmas music thing as much this year. There are several reasons for that. My big old honking iPod with more than 600 holiday oriented songs is dead.

Actually it has been dead for a long time. It also has several thousand non-Christmas songs on it

Below is a listing of my Top 5 Christmas albums. Click here to get the full story.

No. 1: ‘Blue Yule.’  (1991) The holiday as a joyful time can be force fed so as to render you blue.

No. 2 Sufjan Stevens ‘Songs for Christmas (2006)

Five ep cd’s in one package, from this indie rock genius.

No. 3  The Roches “We Three Kings.” (1990)

These three sisters from New Jersey kill it with harmonies.

No. 4  Phil Spector ‘A Christmas Gift for You’ or reissue “Phil Spector’s Christmas Album’ (1963, Original date)

Phil Spector’s records featuring girl groups and happy/sad songs.

No. 5 George Winston – December (1982)

The soft touch on piano never fails to induce sleep. And that’s a good thing at this stage in my life.

NOTES: I have a Jimi Hendrix CD where he does Little Drummer Boy, among other songs and, of course, he could not restrain himself from using four dimensions of feedback. I also have a red hot CD of a punky group  called the Fleshtones  playing Christmas musicOther discs that deserve honorable mention include Festival of Lights (various), Best of  Cool Yule (various) j Before and After Christmas (Love Tractor), Go Tell it on the Mountain (The Blind Boys of Alabama), The Best of Cool Yule (various), Christmas in Swing Time (Harry Allen), Christmas, Christmas (Bruce Cockburn) and  Caravan (Squirrel Nut Zippers).