Christmas Songs

A Damaged Christmas Gift For You – Review

December 20, 2021 By neilho27@sky.com

There are several Christmas albums that I would consider essential listening for this time of year. The 2000 compilation Its a Cool Cool Christmas for one, with a host of quality songs from the likes of Eels, El Vez, Drugstore no a personal family favourite, Christmas Boogaloo by Big Boss Man. Christmas by Low, whose Just Like Christmas appears on the aforementioned compilation, is another must listen at Christmas, while a modern classic, Ghost Stories fro Christmas (Aidan Moffat and RM Hubert) jumped straight into my all time favourite Christmas albums list on its release a few years ago.

Of course, one of the all time classics is A Christmas Gift for You, featuring the famous wall of sound in contributions from Darlene Love, The Ronettes, Bob B Soxx and the Blue Jeans and The Crystals.… Read the rest

Pick of the Pops – Xmas songs 2020

December 14, 2020 By neilho27@sky.com

I’m hoping many of you won’t have been in the same position as me, having had the misfortune to hear three monumental fuck ups of Christmas singles. The words-fail-me-how-bad-it-is cover of the greatest Christmas song of all, Fairytale of New York by Jon Bon Jovi, talent vacuum Gemma Collins (I’m hoping most of you don’t actually know who she is, your life will be better for not knowing) duetting with Darren Day. Finally, the cheeky chappie that I wouldn’t tire of smacking in the face with a shovel, Robbie fucking Williams, and his Christmas song, the lyrics of which seem to have been written by a chimpanzee who has an extremely limited vocabulary and has learned most of their words and phrases from watching a succession of idiots on daily COVID 19 briefings, cobbling them together clumsily in a vain attempt to create a song.… Read the rest

Aiden Moffat and RM Hubbert – Ghost Stories for Christmas

December 27, 2018 By neilho27@sky.com

As a self-confessed Christmas lover, I like to buy myself a new Christmas album every year.

This year, it was the turn of Aiden Moffat and RM Hubbert and who followed up the exceptional Here Lies the Body with their triumphant Ghost Stories for Christmas. You won’t hear on this any of the saccharin sweet songs that could only be listened to at one time of year and you tire of after a few listens. This may be a Christmas album, and yes, the songs may have a theme of Christmas to them, but I know I will listen to this all year round.… Read the rest

The Pogues and Kirsty MacColl - A Fairytale of New York

December 6, 2017 By neilho27@sky.com

Its Chriiiisssssstmas

For many it is now that dreaded time of year when they are bombarded with Christmas songs everywhere they go. Actually, for many it is just that dreaded time of year.

Christmas itself is a great divider of opinion. I could go on at great lengths about commercialism and consumerism, the continued Americanisation of our culture (Black Friday) slowly turning us into the 51^st state. Or the age-old religion versus paganism debate about where many of the Christmas traditions came from and what they symbolise. However, I wanted this blog to be about music.

Not all wine and roses

It did get me to thinking though.… Read the rest