Spring Break
Holiday Cheer For Your iPod
What Music You Should Be Listening To This Holiday Season
Stephen Ortiz
Issue date: 12/10/07 Section: Finals Extra
Faith Hill's "Where Are You Christmas?" - Featured on the soundtrack for the 2000 film "The Grinch," the song was originally penned by James Horner under the name "Christmas, Why Can't I Find You?" and was performed by the movie's Cindy Lou Who (Taylor Momsen). A longer version of the song was written by Horner and Will Jennings, and recorded by Faith Hill. This song usually is played on most of the "Christmas, all day, every day" stations, but earns a spot on The Playlist because of it's distinct sound. The song is somber - definitely a downer, as compared to most other holiday music. The combination of orchestral strings and a simple piano melody suit Hill's voice well. Powerful and resonating, Hill sings of searching for the lost magic that makes Christmas Christmas, culminating in the final lines, where she sings, "Where are you Christmas / Fill your heart with love."
South Park's "Mr. Hankey's Christmas Classics" - To break up the monotony of holiday music is this gem. What may be considered as crude and inappropriate by most, "Mr. Hankey's Christmas Classics" is a hilarious spoof on holiday tunes performed by the various characters from the long-running controversial series. Some highlights include Cartman's rendition of "O Holy Night" in which some lyrics are altered here and there; Mr. Garrison's "Carol Of The Bells" in which he sings, "Hark hear the bells / Sweet silver bells / All seem to say / Ding, dong, mmk;" and Satan's "Christmas Time In Hell." A lot of the songs are suited to offend, as has been Trey Parker and Matt Stone's mission for 11 seasons now. If you're a fan of the series, or just don't get offended easily, definitely pick this up and enjoy.
"Nightmare Before Christmas" Soundtrack - This one is a bit of a stretch because it's not a true holiday album, but rather a movie score - but one hell of a score at that. Now, I would skip the first few tracks because they're more Halloween-themed, yet they're still fun listens. The key track that puts this collection above and beyond has got to be "What's This?" sung by the movie's main character, Jack Skellington (Danny Elfman). Skellington is the Pumpkin King in Halloween Town and knows little about Christmas. The song is about his observations of the inhabitants of Christmas Town celebrating their traditions and his awe of all of these different ideas. The song soars with absolute Disney style, and the lyrics are quite comical. Elfman sings, "Oh, look / What's this? / They're hanging mistletoe, they kiss / Why that looks so unique, inspired / They're gathering around to hear a story / Roasting chestnuts on a fire / What's this?"
Contact Stephen Ortiz at Stephen.Ortiz@UConn.edu.
South Park's "Mr. Hankey's Christmas Classics" - To break up the monotony of holiday music is this gem. What may be considered as crude and inappropriate by most, "Mr. Hankey's Christmas Classics" is a hilarious spoof on holiday tunes performed by the various characters from the long-running controversial series. Some highlights include Cartman's rendition of "O Holy Night" in which some lyrics are altered here and there; Mr. Garrison's "Carol Of The Bells" in which he sings, "Hark hear the bells / Sweet silver bells / All seem to say / Ding, dong, mmk;" and Satan's "Christmas Time In Hell." A lot of the songs are suited to offend, as has been Trey Parker and Matt Stone's mission for 11 seasons now. If you're a fan of the series, or just don't get offended easily, definitely pick this up and enjoy.
"Nightmare Before Christmas" Soundtrack - This one is a bit of a stretch because it's not a true holiday album, but rather a movie score - but one hell of a score at that. Now, I would skip the first few tracks because they're more Halloween-themed, yet they're still fun listens. The key track that puts this collection above and beyond has got to be "What's This?" sung by the movie's main character, Jack Skellington (Danny Elfman). Skellington is the Pumpkin King in Halloween Town and knows little about Christmas. The song is about his observations of the inhabitants of Christmas Town celebrating their traditions and his awe of all of these different ideas. The song soars with absolute Disney style, and the lyrics are quite comical. Elfman sings, "Oh, look / What's this? / They're hanging mistletoe, they kiss / Why that looks so unique, inspired / They're gathering around to hear a story / Roasting chestnuts on a fire / What's this?"
Contact Stephen Ortiz at Stephen.Ortiz@UConn.edu.
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