Guy 101: How to Throw the Ultimate Holiday Party
Holiday Tunes - Ditch the usual schmaltz and check out these cool records.
Let’s face it: kiddie songs, schmaltz and show tunes aren’t really the best party soundtracks, but that’s inevitably what you’ll find when you search for holiday music. So we scoured our collections for five albums guaranteed to make your holiday party—if we dare invoke a seasonal adjective—cool.
James Brown’s Funky Christmas by James Brown
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The last word that comes to mind when you think Christmas is “funky,” but what else would you expect from James Brown? On this disc, the Godfather of Soul does not disappoint with socially conscious songs like “Santa Claus Go Straight to the Ghetto.”
A Charlie Brown Christmas by Vince Guaraldi
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A nation grew up with the Christmas special, but the cartoon wouldn’t have been the same without Vince Guaraldi’s iconic jazz score, which works equally well as nostalgia, kitsch and good old fashioned holiday cool. There’s a reason everyone and your mother likes this.
What a Wonderful Christmas by Louis Armstrong & Friends
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Satchmo’s better as a trumpeter and band leader than a singer, but Armstrong’s distinctive pipes liven up this traditional and silly mix, with “Zat You, Santa Claus?” a classic in the second category.
A Christmas Gift for You from Phil Spector by various artists
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Sure, he’s Jewish and just a little bit crazy, but that didn’t stop Phil Spector from overseeing what may be the definitive rock-and-roll Christmas record, which strikes just the right balance of fun and emotion. For our money, Darlene Love’s exultant “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)” is probably the only Christmas song we’re happy to hear year-round.
A Very Special Christmas by various artists
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The first in the series of charity Christmas discs features several superstars, such as Bruce Springsteen and U2, putting their own unique spin on tried and true fare like “Merry Christmas Baby” and “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home).” The sole original cut, Run-D.M.C.’s old school, awesome “Christmas in Hollis,” is icing on the cake.
