Lude Generation

Well, tis the season to be jolly is it not? Here's my Top Ten (not 'arf) Christmas music faves. Just wanted to share and hope you guys also have a Top ten seasonal list to compare. Hope you like my selections.

10: Maria Carey – All I want for Christmas is you
Okay, so she’s ballooned up and looks like an over-dressed, overstuffed turkey, and judging by her most recent concerts, she’s apparently lost her octave busting range, but putting that aside, this surely, is her finest moment. A joyously infectious, bop-along Christmas classic, created to melt the most frozen of cold hearts.
9: Chris Rea – Driving home for Christmas
Way-ay-pet. Good old bruiser-voiced Chris plonks us firmly in the passenger seat as he puts his foot down on the way back to the warmth of hearth and home, probably back ‘oop North. Sod the traffic, balls to the pelting rain and pity the fool that gets in his way. This gorgeous track is majestic stuff from one of Middlesbrough’s finest. If this is on your car’s stereo at this time of year then the drive home will be a glorious breeze.
8: The Pogues and Kirsty McColl – A Fairy tale of New York
On paper this collaboration borders on insane. The result however shows that professional body lemonade-artists can, when the stars align, produce work of unrivalled seasonal genius. Perhaps the most un-Christmas, Christmas song here, it nevertheless provides a memorable backdrop to this time of over consumption. Here’sh to you guysh, cheershhhhh…*hic*
7: Greg Lake – I believe in Father Christmas
Famed bass plank-spanker for concept-loving, triple album making, prog-rockers, E.L.P, Greg steps out of the shadows and effortlessly delivers three odd minutes of seasonal genius. A truly magical melody combined with inspired lyrics that bring out the man- child in all of us. Nice one Greg, and yes mate, like you, I do believe in Father Christmas.
6: Band Aid – Do they know it’s Christmas
I hate what it’s become and the baggage it carries, but can’t stop myself from thinking about that skin-tingling moment when I first heard it. This record sums up the best and worst of the 1980’s. Altruism and conspicuous consumption colliding head-on, in a defining, four minute guilt trip, aimed squarely at us. Beyond Bob’s bullshit, I bet there are very few people on earth who don’t know the lyrics to this song. Go on, play it again and enjoy it for what it was, a glorious and never to be repeated, moment in musical time. Stupendous in every way.
5: Nat ‘King’ Cole - Silent Night
Silky, smoky, superb, smooth, supreme. I’ve given up on the superlatives that try to sum up this man’s voice. How about heavenly? Given I’ve chosen his version of this classic carol I think heavenly is perhaps the most apt. This track, for me at least, encapsulates the true meaning of Christmas, in its often forgotten form. Bless you Nat, and thanks for this track.
4: David Bowie and Bing Crosby – Peace on Earth/Little Drummer Boy
The Dame and ba-ba-ba-Bing round the piano, seasonal decorations in every direction, alarming jumpers at 11 and a pairing that came right out of ‘Believe it or Not’. Oh how the musos scoffed and sniggered and yet, listening to it, silenced those doubting Thomii almost immediately. The track then felled them with a musical right cross that knocked them off their feet, then stomped on those idiotic preconceptions for good measure. Aural ba-ba-ba-bliss.
3: Wham! – Last Christmas
This wasn’t about the song was it? It was the accompanying video that nailed it. Christmas in the snow, high in the Alps in a chalet that only millionaires could afford. Surrounded by unfeasibly pretty girls, handsome mates and high jinks a-plenty in the winter wonderland right outside the door. Face it, this is the Christmas we all aspired to and thanks to George and the other bloke, our Christmas wish was delivered on soft-focus video enabling us to live our yuletide dream, year after year. Oh the song, fair to middlin’ however it does contain the killer boy-loses-girl-through-Christmas-party-betrayal lines, ‘Crowded room, friends with tired eyes, I’m hiding from you, and your soul of ice, my God I thought you were someone to rely on, me, I guess I was a shoulder to cry on…’ I hear Andy’s doing very nicely on the royalties.
2: Dean Martin – Let it Snow! Let it Snow! Let it Snow!
The consummate King of Cool before the moniker had even been thought of. A guy who simply didn’t give a damn and yet, his effortless swing brings a joy and warmth to this Tin Pan Alley classic. Sure, most of the Rat Packers covered it, but none in my opinion, as wonderfully as this. So take off your snow-flecked coat, sit yourself down by the roaring fire, and let the swaggering tones of Dino transport you and your loved ones to Christmas heaven.
1: Nat 'King' Cole – The Christmas Song
Chestnuts roasting on an open fire
Jack Frost nipping at your nose
Yule-tide carols being sung by a choir
And folks dressed up like Eskimos
Everybody knows a turkey and some mistletoe
Help to make the season bright
Tiny tots with their eyes all aglow
Will find it hard to sleep tonight
They know that Santa's on his way
He's loaded lots of toys and goodies on his sleigh
And every mother's child is gonna spy
To see if reindeer really know how to fly
And so I'm offering this simple phrase
To kids from one to ninety-two
Although it's been said many times, many ways
Merry Christmas to you

Just perfect, isn’t it?

Let's hear yours then...

drokk Christmas.

There's a few in that list I could drop.
Mariah would be higher than ten
Pogues has to be number 1
I would have to add in Shakey - Merry Christmas Everyone

Speaking of which, a work Christmas party last night with my current clients, that lived up to typical work Christmas party reputation. Leaving aside the usual tears and overly amorous greeetings between member of the opposite sexes... One of the directors (of whom I am quite a long standing acquaintance) was a no show due to going for a 1-1 with the MD at lunchtime from which there was no return, 2 of the guys snogged each other in order to get 2 of the girls to do the same and we then observed another member of the staff pass out twice and hit the deck, first time resulting in claret pouring from a head wound, second time resulting in being out cold for more than ten minutes.

Highlight of the second occurrence was the safety manager, tackling it in his normal calm, totally under control in a crisis manner, coming up to me half way through the 999 call he was on, to ask where his beer was (which was after having told the bouncers to "drokk off" when they tried to intervene, on the basis the guy was already surrounded by more first aid trained staff than you could shake a stick at!)

So, like I say, living up to reputation, but definitely one of the more eventful ones...

Sounds a bit tame wurly

We don't all get to play with live ammo while drunk though phil...