Newspaper Page Text
[TjFLAGPOLE vesc&tK?e-£. ra,r9?6
THe good,
^nd THe
(mjm,
THe b^d,
I've got a good friend, Dan, who lives in Virginia
who has been turning me on to new and different music
since grad school. Years later, Dan is still into music,
but he’s acquired what I think is an odd collecting habit.
He collects Christmas music — the weirder, the bet
ter. About five years ago, this obsession began in
vading the lives of his friends. Every year we receive
a cassette with the weirdest compilation of Christmas
songs you've ever heard — done by the Beatles, Wall
songs you ve evw irealu — uuiicujru~i ,
of Voodoo, Dreams So Real. Gene Autry, The Judybats, I would actually listen to this without force:
. • r- . . _ : I.-.* ••**« Omni ilrl hi l\/ OnH HI
Elvis, Michelle Malone, Merle Haggard and Fats
Domino.
I think the recipients of the tapes, began to get a
bit competitive, so we've sent Dan Christmas music,
even in July, in hopes that one of the songs off an
album we submitted would make it onto his annual
compilation (I always sent him the Flagpole Christ
mas release.) It's hard for me to get into the holiday
spirit until Dan's Christmas tape arrives. So, while I
check my mailbox in anticipation each day, I'm listen
ing to stuff Flagpole and othe r s have provided to im
prove my spirit.
I d like to dedicate this article to Dan, and to my
first ex-husband who never thought I had any Christ
mas spirit Well, I've discovered my Christmas spirit,
and the fact that I'm also allergic to Christmas trees,
which explains why I've been sick every Christmas
since mom threw out that damn shiny silver aluminum Jones, mo
Major and minor repair %/T^T ■%/fl
of German, Swedish, and —
Japanese autos. Volvo
and Saab specialist of
Downtown Athens.
New Location! 945
College Ave.
tree in the early 70s. With a
healthy Christmas spirit, I
will now tell you about the ,
Christmas music you can
go out and buy to liven
up any office party, 4n
family affair, or even a
get-together with friends. (No
specific order - the stars ’ indicate whether
* = strait-
jacket, ***** = would actually buy and play for my
friends). Most were issued this year, but all are readily
available for purchase almost anywhere.
Venous At°T£TS
Old Fashioned Country
Christmas/Polygram. 1994
This isn't necessarily my
favorite of the bunch, but be
cause it's got a tune performed
by Faron Young (God rest his
soul), I'm a bit partial to it. Faron,
as you know, left us last week and
ironically the tune he performs is “If
We Make It Through December" by
Merle Haggard. This includes a num
ber of other good tunes by George
Venous ARTISTS
Come All Ye Faithful: Rock for Choice
/ Columbia. 1996
This CD is a benefit for Rock 4 Choice and in
cludes many of the now alternative artists like Sponge,
Bush, Luscious Jackson, Mike Watt, The Presidents
of the United States and others. All the songs are origi
nals unless otherwise noted. Henry Rollins opens
with a spoken word “Twas the Night Be
fore Christmas," and the songs are
about what you'd expect —
interesting, often thought-
provoking, but unlikely to be
added to the cadre of traditional
yuletide carolers
£ repertoire.’”
Venous
Artists
New Wave Xmas
/Rhino, 1996
This is part of Rhino's 15-
volume series “Just Can't Get
Enough: New Wave Hits of the ’80s." Its
pretty good and has a collection of songs
I've not collected on 'other CDs. This
album includes songs by Squeeze,
XTC, Los Lobos, Timbuk 3, Wall of
Voodoo, and believe it or not, Athens' Buzz of
Delight. My favorite has to be "2000 Miles" by
' the Pretenders, but I've always liked the
Timbuk 3 song “All I Want for Christmas,"
which I think every parent should listen to
before they buy their children toys of de
struction. *”**
Venous ai°tsts
Tinsel Tunes: More Holiday
Treats from Sugar Hill/Sugar Hill, 1996
More in the country (or perhaps I should say tra
ditional and alternative country) vein, this tuned out
to be another good one. I'd buy this one alone for the
first song, Chris Hillman (former Gram Parson Flying
Burrito Brothers partner) and Herb Pedersen's “Blue
Christmas Lights’ was written by Buck Owens and
Red Simpson (and rumor tells me is part of local
Starroom Boys’holiday lineup). This CD includes blue-
grass, swing, a good version of “I'll Be Home for Christ
mas’ and a hilarious novelty song by Robert Earl Keen
(“Merry Christmas From the Family") that includes
enough references to weird relatives, alcohol, guns,
etc., to make you glad you booked that cruise for you
and your significant other. ****
Venous ai°t&t^
The Real Meaning of Christmas
/Benson Music Group, 1996
This isn't my typical kind of music,
but come Christmas time sometimes we
want to forget Santa Claus and the elves.
This is an excellent collection of songs
performed by mostly soul, jazz and gos
pel artists. It's truly beautiful. The CD is
a compilation of traditional songs 'ike
“Away m a Manger" performed by Ben
Tankard or “0 Come All Ye Faithful’ by
Angelo and Veronica; and a number of
originals" “He Is the Reason and Go
Gabriel" by 'red Hammond, Kim Rutherford and David
Ivey; and “Sweet Little Jesus Child’ by Percy Bady.
TNY TIM
Tiny Tim's Christmas Album / Rounder, 1996
This one really surprised me. Tiny Tim (God rest
his soul) has probably put out the best release of his
career. This CD contains 12 songs, but only a few are
the typical Tiny Tim songs with the high voice and
ukulele, and those songs were quite appropriately re
corded that way. One, “Rainbow on the River was a
543-7982
imP©RT DIAGNOSTICS
.OLD
[KiaCK
DOG;
Store Closing Saie!!!
The Old Black Dog Bookstore
WILL BE CLOSING ITS DOORS FOREVER
CHRISTMAS EVE, 1996. PLEASE COME BY
TO BID A FOND FAREWELL AND TAKE
ADVANTAGE OF THESE GREAT PRICES
ON WONDERFUL BOOKS!
DEC. 1-8 30% OFF EVERYTHING
DEC. 9-16 40% OFF
DEC. 17-24 50% OFF
These discounts cannot apply to "special orders"
WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR ALL YOUR SUPPORT
THESE PAST ELEVEN YEARS.
Lumpkin Cafe will continue serving meals as usual.
5 POINTS 549-2449
S - r=||
|g
firnAi c*\
(
FLAGPOLE
subscriptions are
•
2;
^\centiments
!
>
k .
only
$20
for 6 months
•
T
flowers, (pfanis & Antiques
t.
i
I
Qreat Selection of
and
One-cf-a-kind gifts.
$38
I
Qift certificates available
i
for 1 yeor.
Send your name.
•
•
I59J S Lumpkin (next to Subway)
1
k
address, phone I.
•
i
354-1888 • Mon.-Sat. 10 to 6 • Sun. 1 to 5
!
and a check or
money order to:
[•i
VISA / MasterCard accepted. ^
FLAGPOLE
PO Box 1027
v. Athens. GA 30603>
r
Gift tins of cookies, i
Never Pay Retail
40 % off all hardback
NYT Bestsellers
Chapter IT
»The Discount Bookstore.
124 Alps Road
* Prices So Low, You’d Think We Were Going Bankrupt.
Athens location only.
Offer Good Through 12/25/96