RonJonSurfer Posted December 10, 2005 Report Share Posted December 10, 2005 Top 10 Classic Rock Christmas Albums From Dave White, 'Twas the holiday season, and throughout many lands Folks enjoyed Christmas carols by their favorite rock bands ... Typical holiday music is more likely to evoke images of Bing Crosby or the Mormon Tabernacle Choir than of Styx or Jethro Tull. But if you can appreciate Jimi Hendrix playing Little Drummer Boy, the Moody Blues singing White Christmas or Elvin Bishop interpreting Silent Night then this guide to the best Classic Rock Christmas Albums is for you. 1) The Jethro Tull Christmas Album Jethro Tull Tull's unique blend of rock and Renaissance lends itself equally well to traditional tunes like God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen and Bouree, and less conventional fare such as First Snow On Brooklyn and A Winter Snowscape. The music offers a pleasant break from the standard department store holiday mix. 2) Merry Christmas And Happy New Year Jimi Hendrix This five song maxi-single wasn't intended as a Christmas record. It is the result of Hendrix and the Band of Gypsies fooling around as they rehearsed for concerts at Filmore East during the 1969 holiday season. This won't be the first CD you run for when it's time to cue up the holiday music, but it is definitely worth having for its historical and entertainment value. 3) December Moody Blues The Moodies' orchestral backup is well suited to the sounds of the season. Songs range from traditional (White Christmas) to original (Don't Need a Reindeer) to a cover of John Lennon/Yoko Ono's Happy Xmas (War Is Over). 4) SantaMental Steve Lukather This 10-track compilation also features Eddie Van Halen, Slash, Steve Vai, and Edgar Winter lending their rock guitar virtuosity -- and on some tracks, their voices -- to traditional Christmas carols. 5) Christmas Joy The Ventures Christmas on a surf board? Well, not really, but done with the Ventures' signature slide guitars, prominent percussion, and lots of reverb. Arrangements of traditional carols are pretty faithful to the orginals, with a liberal amount of 60s Surf Rock flavoring. 6) Merry Axemas: A Guitar Christmas Various Artists This is THE electric guitar holiday album: Jeff Beck, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Richie Sambora, and Steve Morse (among others) turn in some innovative and sometimes surprising arrangements of traditional Christmas carols. 7) A Rock 'N' Roll Christmas Various Artists Elton John, Bob Seger, The Moody Blues, Elvin Bishop, and Chuck Berry are examples of the eclectic mix of artists represented on this CD. There is a method to the madness -- it is a well rounded sampling of virtually every Classic Rock sub-genre. 8) A Classic Rock Christmas Various Artists Artists that didn't release Christmas albums did occasionally record holiday singles that wound up on compilations like this one. Styx, R.E.O. Speedwagon, Greg Lake (Emerson, Lake & Palmer) and Joe Walsh (Eagles) are among the rockers who tip a hat to the holiday season in this collection. 9) Billboard Rock 'N' Roll Christmas Various Artists Another compilation, this one with a roster that includes Queen, The Kinks, Billy Squier, and Cheech & Chong. This album isn't exactly mellow, but it has a softer edge than you might expect given the artist roster. 10) Christmas Time Again Lynyrd Skynyrd There's plenty of typical Skynyrd here -- Run Run Rudolph and Skynyrd Family (to name two) but there are also a couple of suprises, like the sensitive, acoustic instrumental treatments of Greensleeves and Classical Christmas. Even Southern Rock can have a soft side! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_Laurie_ Posted December 10, 2005 Report Share Posted December 10, 2005 I have the rock and roll christmas.....cd...and I really like the Carpenters Christmas also...very nice listening music. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crazy Don Posted December 10, 2005 Report Share Posted December 10, 2005 Where's Phil Spector's Christmas album? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shawna Posted December 10, 2005 Report Share Posted December 10, 2005 My favorite is the "A Very Special Christmas" CD with various huge stars singing Christmas songs. I love Stevie's version of "Silent Night." Also: the Peanuts Christmas CD. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_Laurie_ Posted December 10, 2005 Report Share Posted December 10, 2005 I have that one too Shawna!!!!surprise we both have the same cd...huh?....I love Bruce's "Merry Christmas Baby"...that's one of my favorites on that cd! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katie_sane Posted December 11, 2005 Report Share Posted December 11, 2005 Xmas! The Beatmas by The Rubber Band is my favourite Christmas album. The Rubber Band are a Danish Beatles cover band who have been around for some time. In 1996 they recorded The Beatmas, 12 Christmas songs sung to the instrumentation/arrangement of 12 Beatles tunes. Someone who is just a casual listener to the Beatles could even be fooled into thinking this is really the Beatles singing. More info on The Beatmas here. If you are a Beatles fan, then this album is definitely worth listening to. It is a lot of fun Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RonJonSurfer Posted December 11, 2005 Author Report Share Posted December 11, 2005 My reputation requires me to cherish album 5 by the ventures. I just listened to the Hendrix mini-CD....I've owned it for a while...he plays the little drummer boy, Silent night,....in ultra distorted, feedback riddled guitar...no vocals. #4 by Lukather is really good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edna Posted December 11, 2005 Report Share Posted December 11, 2005 My fave Christmas CD is sounding now... "Run Rudolph, Run"... Katie, I´m not a casual Beatles listener but first time I heard a Beatmas song I thought it was the Beatles... actually, I thought it was some of those Christmas songs they recorded for their Fan Clubs. I had to ask a friend who was a member of the Fan Club to find the song I was describing wasn´t any he had heard of... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Otokichi Posted December 12, 2005 Report Share Posted December 12, 2005 Since Christmas/Holiday music crowds everything else off the airwaves from the day after Thanksgiving in the U.S., there comes a time when saturation takes place. Then, the Devil pops up, in the form of Dr. Demento, and before you know it, "Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer" is playing on Ye Olde Pismo. Right now, Allan Sherman's "The Twelve Gifts of Christmas" is playing in the combo drive. So, "Dr. Demento Presents The Greatest Novelty CD of All Time" has taken up residence for now. I'm heading for "Christmas At Ground Zero," as the "Christmas Hippopotamus" dances across the keyboard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJKittyKat Posted December 14, 2005 Report Share Posted December 14, 2005 December by the Moody Blues is one of the most amazing Christmas albums I've ever heard. I don't have a top 10 per say but I do have a top 5. 1. December -Moody Blues 2. Sinatra Christmas 3. Barenaked for the Holidays -BNL 4. Twisted Christmas -Bob Rivers Comedy Club 5. An Ally McBeal Christmas -Vonda Shepard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elvish Posted December 14, 2005 Report Share Posted December 14, 2005 Not "rock," but definitely classic: My favorites are the first and last songs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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