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SONG OF THE DAY - Coldplay - "Christmas Lights" (Album of the Day)
Released in 2010, “Christmas Lights” is Coldplay's contribution to the holiday canon. Co-produced by Brian Eno and recorded while Chris Martin and company were preparing their MYLO XYLOTO album, it's a stand-alone digital single that reached the Top 10 in several countries across Europe. The signs of the season are reflected through a broken love affair in this mid-tempo number, which retains its universality even as it name-checks several locales near and dear to the hearts of the U.K. quartet (who visited them in the song's memorable video, which plays as one continuous shot). Though of relatively recent vintage, “Christmas Lights” has the sound and feel of a holiday perennial, and it's our Song of the Day.
In the Christmas Spirit (Album of the Day)
Booker T. & the M.G.'s defined Southern soul as the Stax Records house band (playing on classics by such artists as Otis Redding, Sam & Dave and Wilson Pickett, among others) and as hitmakers in their own right. IN THE CHRISTMAS SPIRIT, the instrumental quartet's fourth studio set, is an enjoyable romp through a dozen seasonal standards including Billboard-charting single “Jingle Bells,” “Winter Wonderland” and R&B favorite “Merry Christmas Baby.” Keyboardist Booker T. Jones, guitarist Steve Cropper, bassist Donald "Duck" Dunn and drummer Al Jackson, Jr. are in peak form throughout the 1966 Stax/Atlantic collection – holiday music never got funkier than on IN THE CHRISTMAS SPIRIT.
Chicago Christmas: What's It Gonna Be Santa? (Album of the Day)
It's appropriate that Chicago's 25th album would focus on December 25th; THE CHRISTMAS ALBUM was helmed by E Street Band mainstay Roy Bittan, and was certified Gold upon its 1998 release. Five years later the legendary band returned to the studio with producer Phil Ramone to add 6 new tracks to the original 14 and create WHAT'S IT GONNA BE, SANTA? With horn arrangements that any fan of the group's '70s hits will love, the Rhino collection has the polish listeners expect from a Chicago album, and a little something more – call it the Christmas spirit. Shared vocal and instrumental showcases allow every member a chance to shine and the band sounds like they're having a great time on all these recordings, with “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” “Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!,” “Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer” and “Jolly Old St. Nicholas” among the many highlights. Put WHAT'S IT GONNA BE, SANTA? underneath the Christmas tree of your favorite music lover this year!
Christmas Album (Album of the Day)
Hawaii might not qualify as a winter wonderland, but the holiday spirit is strong there to judge from Don Ho's CHRISTMAS ALBUM. The 1967 Reprise collection frames Ho's vocals with choral and orchestral backing arranged by Gordon Jenkins (a veteran of Sinatra sessions), and the singer's easy-going style meshes perfectly with these 11 songs. There are plenty of seasonal chestnuts here, including wonderful versions of “Silver Bells” and Mel Torme's “The Christmas Song,” but there are also unusual selections that reflect the set's tropical origins - “Mele Kalikimaka” and the Hawaiian equivalent to “Silent Night,” “Po La'i.” You can have a Honolulu holiday without setting foot on a plane just by cueing up THE DON HO CHRISTMAS ALBUM.
25th Day of December (Album of the Day)
From rock 'n' roller to pop crooner to folk-rocker, Bobby Darin's career was defined by surprising turns and THE 25TH DAY OF DECEMBER is no exception. The 1960 Atco collection, produced by label head honcho Ahmet Ertegün, celebrates the religious aspect of Christmas with a mix of traditional hymns and gospel songs. And while a couple of the usual seasonal suspects are present (such as a heartfelt version of “Silent Night”), the track selection is mostly off the beaten path – spirituals like “Go Tell it on the Mountain” and “Jehovah Hallelujah,” both with rousing accompaniment by the Bobby Scott Chorale, are a particular joy. Turn to Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Bobby Darin for some inspiring holiday music on THE 25TH DAY OF DECEMBER.
This Christmas (Album of the Day)
More than 40 years into one of the most legendary careers in music history, Aretha Franklin cut her first holiday album, THIS CHRISTMAS, in 2008. Franklin began that career in the church (her father was one of Detroit's most prominent ministers), so songs like “Ave Maria” and “Angels We Have Heard on High” fit her like a glove. But the collection goes well beyond traditional carols, encompassing R&B with a Gamble & Huff composition and the Donny Hathaway title track (in which Aretha duets with son Edward). And she puts a sassy stamp on “'Twas the Night Before Christmas” that's sure to put a smile on your face. The Queen of Soul may be gone, but on THIS CHRISTMAS, that glorious voice still rings out joyfully.
The Christmas Attic (20th Anniversary Edition) (Album of the Day)
For more than 20 years, progressive metal group Trans-Siberian Orchestra has cornered the market on holiday concept albums. The second installment in a trilogy, THE CHRISTMAS ATTIC tells the story of a little girl who spends nights in an attic filled with Yuletide reveries, a concept that TSO's sweeping soundscapes play to the hilt. Solo and choral vocals soar over the septet's rock orchestral backing across 16 tracks interweaving traditional and classical material with compositions by bandleader Paul O'Neill and cohorts. “Christmas Canon” would become a signature song for TSO, and this 1998 album and subsequent tour helped turn the group into a commercial juggernaut. The new 20th Anniversary Edition of THE CHRISTMAS ATTIC includes a previously unreleased on CD and vinyl version of “Christmas Jam (Live).” Merry Christmas from Rhino and Trans-Siberian Orchestra!
Grab It! (Album of the Day)
Rachel de Rougemont and Elana Cager were South Florida teenagers who bonded over a shared love of hip-hop; rechristening themselves Lady Tigra and Bunny D, the pair formed L'Trimm. Named after a then-popular brand of designer jeans, L'Trimm had a sense of style along with a sense of rhyme, and the girls' first album, GRAB IT!, remains infectiously entertaining. The 1988 Atlantic collection is sure to appeal to fans of old school rap with such tracks as “Cuttie Pie,” the title song and “Cars With the Boom,” an ode to autos with supercharged subwoofers that Rolling Stone recently included in their list of Top 100 Hip Hop Songs of all Time. If you're interested in the Miami bass sound – or just want something fun to dance to – seek out L'Trimm's debut and GRAB IT!
Trini Lopez at PJ's (Live) (Album of the Day)
When Dallas-born singer Trini Lopez made his way to Southern California to follow his dreams, he wound up at PJ's nightclub (later to become the Starwood), where Frank Sinatra caught wind of his act. Sinatra was sufficiently impressed to sign the young hopeful to his Reprise label, and with TRINI LOPEZ AT PJ'S, a star was born. Produced by Don Costa, the 1963 live collection features energetic versions of folk and pop songs including “La Bamba,” “What'd I Say” and “If I Had a Hammer,” which was released as a single and became a Top 10 hit (the album itself reached #2). Lopez displays plenty of charisma here, aided by a good band (drummer Mickey Jones later backed Dylan on his legendary 1966 tour) and an enthusiastic crowd. Just a couple of years before folk-rock exploded in Los Angeles, you can hear the excitement building with TRINI LOPEZ AT PJ'S.
Inside Information (Album of the Day)
Three years after the smash AGENT PROVOCATEUR, Foreigner returned with INSIDE INFORMATION. The 1987 collection was the band's sixth studio album for Atlantic Records – and their last featuring the core quartet of guitarist/keyboardist Mick Jones, vocalist Lou Gramm, bassist Rick Wills and drummer Dennis Elliott. Jones and Gramm came up with another fine set of originals here, including Top 10 hits “Say You Will” and “I Don't Want to Live Without You,” and the album earned a Platinum sales certification. Neatly balancing the group's signature guitar rock with '80s electronics, INSIDE INFORMATION was produced by Mick Jones, and we'll give it another spin now to celebrate the Foreigner founder's birthday.