Little Drummer Boy

 Day 3/4 of 20 Days of Christmas

Every year around this time Ryan and I get really excited about listening to our Christmas lps and watching all the Christmas shows (of quality) produced over the years. We also like to indulge in the best of the worst Christmas specials like "A Very Brady Christmas" (I'll admit that's even a little bit too much for me, but Ryan LOVES it) and laugh at the horrible writing, terrible acting, and often disturbing innuendo.

I was going to wait longer to share the following songs, but I decided I needed a laugh. The following are two versions of the same song/script; one is played for seriousness, the other reinterpreted for the modern, irreverent comedy appreciating crowd.

The Sweet & Sentimental

David Bowie and Bing Crosby get together to sing a generation-spanning Christmas song under the pretense of being neighbors (and not knowing who the other is despite their fame). It's lovely!

The Ridiculous & Irreverent 

The following take on Bing and David's song is performed by Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly. Embedding was disabled, but believe me you've got to see this video to believe it. Keep in mind, Ferrell and Reilly are following the same script as the original for much of the sketch!

 http://youtu.be/EJBFD-Wvc7U

Top of the TSMM's! David Bowie Edition

 Not so catchy a title as Top of the Pops...

FACT: There is no one cooler than Bowie in '77.

I love that Bowie is an artist that accompanies a person across many ages, experiences, and tastes. The first Bowie album I fell in love with was Hunky Dory ("She's a queen, such a queen!"), traveled alongside Young Americans to Low and Heroes, and I'm currently into Lodger in a big way; yet more albums await thorough obsession!

It was a sweet experience, in my History of Rock class last year, to realize that Bowie is still shocking. His androgyny remains threatening in its liberation, and unlike artists who these days contrive to shock, David Bowie always had soul; his music endures because it has emotional range.

So much music I love, Punk and New Wave, just wouldn't have happened without this guy....everybody since owes him.

Without further ado, some of my favorites:

"Sound and Vision" from Low

This song makes me dance and sing every time I hear it...I even do vocal keyboard imitations.

I love the joyfulness of the song, and the declaration of artistic intent. 

"Weeping Wall" from Low side 2

This song knocks me out- haunting, filled with yearning. 

 "Red Sails" from Lodger

I love the feeling of barely controlled chaos in this song, and that it feels like a sonic ocean journey. My favorite part is this lyric near the end:

The hinterland, the hinterland
We're gonna sail to the hinterland
And it's far far, far far far, far far far away
Its a far far, far far far fa da da da-da da

"John, I'm Only Dancing"

Apparently this one was too racy for US markets. Love the dissonance of the chorus.

Bowie looks great in this video! It also includes spectacularly weird dancer/alien/people/? things.

"Be My Wife" from Low 

Did I mention Low  is my favorite Bowie album?

Sometimes you get so lonely
Sometimes you get nowhere

 Yes, so the solution is getting married!! ;)

But on a more serious note, it's really cool that Bowie is exploring the loneliness that probably led to his drug use. He had just gotten clean before he made this album, and I think that's one of the reasons it IS such a GREAT album.

"Andy Warhol" from Hunky Dory

Yo, Adrienne, this one's for you! :)  <3

"Queen B****" from Hunky Dory

To quote Ryan, "Not just anyone can rock a blue guitar!"





And finally, in one of his most pleasingly desperate vocals, and a fantastic video:

"Heroes" from Heroes