Christmas is not my favorite holiday. Christmas is for children or parents of small children. The yuletides starting with teenage-hood and ending with putting a santa cap on your newborn basically come down to the following:
a) the stress of buying the appropriate gifts
b) the stress of faking a smile while receiving gifts
c) family dramz
d) increased DUI checkpoints
e) awful, awful christmas music
Who is the only person in the whole wide world who could make Christmas music great? Phil Spector circa 1963. When he debuted his "A Christmas Gift for You," it was released the same week JFK was shot, soooo... awkward! It got lost in the shuffle, similar to the TV show Undeclared debuting right after 9/11. The release timing may have been off, but certainly not the artistry. His wall of sound + killer vocals take boring old folky melodies and make them explode into red and green fireworks. Brian Wilson listed the record as one of his all time favorites alongside Sgt Peppers and Dark Side of the Moon! I may not enjoy decorating a Christmas tree or wrapping presents, but The Crystals version of "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" is some musical genius that will always warm my cold stone of a heart. When singer Darlene Loves wails "you better watch out, you better not cry," you best believe you gotta keep your shit in line. She also plays up the big brother aspect of the lyrics as she hauntingly croons "he sees you when you're sleeping, he knows when you're awake," the wall of sound (err and Phil himself?) constantly threatening to engulf her.
So to Phil Spector, sitting in your cold jail cell, I raise my cup of Egg Nog to you.
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