christmas tunes...

one of the best things about this time of they year is that i get to pull out my rather substantial collection of holiday tunes. i'm picky about my christmas music, usually the older the better, but there are exceptions. i decided to list my top 5 songs if i were ever stranded on an island of misfit toys, and none of these are "new". a good christmas song is classic and can stand the test of time. it sounded good years ago, it sounds good now, and it will sound good for years to come. here they are, in no particular order:

harry connick jr. - sleigh ride
harry made a big splash in the 90's but the dude can flat out bring it. he's silky smooth and sinatra-like without the boozy, adulterous, mafia connotations.

luciano pavarotti - adeste fideles (oh come all ye faithful)
ok, never been an opera guy but you HAVE to appreciate the pipes on this old italian. if this song doesn't move you, sorry, you don't have a pulse.

sufjan stevens - once in royal david's city
the only "new" song of the bunch and by new i mean in the last 5 years. sufjan is cool but you'll never hear this on 24\7 christmas radio. this even passed the wife's christmas music test and she has more stringent standards than mine.

ray charles - rudolph the red nose reindeer
among all the reverent standards you need some christmas funk. ray is here to deliver with his jazzy-soul style and signature chops.

vince guaraldi - christmas time is here
if i had to pick an all-time favorite christmas album, this is it. i think it get's better every year. it stands alone as the ultimate christmas record, but pairing it up with the "charlie brown christmas" special earns it extra points.