Life Is A Roller Coaster

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. Charles Dickens starts the classic novel, "A Tale of Two Cities" with that line. Written so many years ago it some how sums up 2011 for me. I had some very high highs but also some very low lows. As I write this I find myself working for a different company then the beginning of the year, living in a different place from last year. Some of the choices were mine, some were made by others. I am here to tell you that I am better than I have been in years. I have seen the hard times and survived. I did not do this alone, and maybe that is the point to it all. When things seemed the bleakest people stepped up and told me it was OK. There is a poem by Mary Stevenson about footprints in the sand.“You promised me Lord, that if I followed you, you would walk with me always. But I have noticed that during the most trying periods of my life there has only been one set of footprints in the sand. Why, when I needed you most, have you not been there for me?” The Lord replied, “The years when you have seen only one set of footprints, my child, is when I carried you.” Well there were times this past year that there were only one set of footprints and I was being carried by friends. Friends that did more than anyone should ever have to do, and without hesitation. I find myself humbled by they way people have helped me this past year and know that I will never be able to fully tell them how much they all mean to me. Thank you are the only words to use and they don't seem to be enough. So no more of this serious post, let's move on and upward to 2012 but remember this, no man is a failure who has friends. Not bad, a short post and I work in quotes from Dickens and Frank Capra.

You Choose The Tune V

Stress is getting to everyone by now so today a little humor. The 12 Days Of Christmas.Put your choice in the comments and enjoy.

You Choose The Tune, Thursday Edition

Alrighty, here we are just a couple of days before Christmas. Today we have the song, Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.I'm giving you six, that's right six choices, Amy Grant, Crystal Gayle, Carrie Underwood, Frank Sinatra, Luther Vandross and Kermit the frog. Enjoy and remember to use the comment section to leave your choice.

You Choose The Tune Day 3

OK folks here's todays Christmas song. Choose the version you like best and place it in the comments section.Willie Nelson, Roy Orbison or Randy Travis singing Pretty Paper.

Winter Solstice bonus 2000 Miles by The Pretenders, K.T. Tunstall and Coldplay.

You Choose The Tune Part II

Todays Christmas song is The Little Drummer Boy, by Bob Seger, Johnny Cash and Chicago, enjoy. Leave your choice in the comments.

You Choose The Tune

For the rest of the week I am going to post two or three different versions of a Christmas song. You my faithful readers will choose which version you like better. Leave your vote in the comments section and please enjoy the music. Today, Christmas (Baby Please Come Home), your choices are, Darlene Love, U2 and Bruce Springsteen.

Out With The Bad, In With The Good

So you've had enough bad Christmas, here's some of the good songs. My reasoning for a good Christmas song is one that a) you want to hear over and over, b) you can sing it walking around the neighborhood and c) it doesn't make everyone in the room cry. The song that tops the list by far is Irving Berlin's White Christmas, sung by Bing Crosby.This is the Christmas song that all others must compare themselves to. There are many versions of White Christmas, some good and some very, very bad (Otis Redding but I'm not naming names), but Christmas would not be Christmas without the old crooner himself, Bing.
     Some other songs that have one signature voice are, The Christmas Song, by Nat King Cole (even though it was written by the Velvet Fog himself, Mel Torme) and Blue Christmas, by Elvis.Some songs have been recorded by more then one person and they are both or all three good versions. Everyone knows Jimmy Durante's Frosty The Snowman from the TV special but I also like Leon Redbone and Dr. John's version.Winter Wonderland by the Eurythmics or Johnny Mathis. Andy Williams owns The Most Wonderful Time of the Year, even when Staples uses it in September.If you like All I Want For Christmas Is You by Mariah Carey, check out the version from the movie "Love Actually" by Olivia Olson. I like Springsteen's Santa Claus Is Comming to Town  and U2's Christmas (Baby Please Come Home), but I like both of those bands so I'm a little partial. A lot of songs don't have a lot to do with Christmas but we have put them in that category anyway, Baby It's Cold Outside is one for example.I like the song and I really like the James Taylor, Natale Cole version, although The Norah Jones, Willie Nelson version I almost put on the bad list. I like Norah Jones but it was a little creepy having Willie Nelson trying to keep her from going home. Let It Snow? Except that we all shed a tear at the end of the movie "Holiday Inn" when it's snowing and Bing is singing White Christmas. The Pogues, Fairytale of New York takes place on Christmas eve (in the drunk tank) so that puts it on many Christmas CD's (at least by the Irish).
Two songs that have a lot of meaning this Christmas are Christmas In New York Again by Shilelagh Law and I'll Be Home For Christmas by pretty much everyone. Christmas In New York Again is a song to honor the people of New York after 9/11. The song takes place on Christmas in 2011 just a few short months after the attack when people started to live their lives again. I'll Be Home For Christmas is a World War II song of soldiers away from home and longing for home and hearth. This song has as much meaning today as it did seventy years ago. We need to remember those that are in harms way serving our country and missing their families.This is just my choices in music and I have only scratched the surface of Christmas music. So sit back and enjoy the Holidays and put on a CD or two, as long as one is Charlie Browns' Christmas by The Vince Guaraldi Trio.

Time For Those Bad Christmas Carols

OK, so they started playing Christmas music around November 1st and there are only so many songs to choose from, what can a radio station do? They play bad Christmas songs that's what. Go to any department store and see racks of Christmas CD's from everyone and their dogs (dogs barking Jingle Bells). Some songs are nice, some are great songs done with a different flavor and some are just bad. Take for example White Christmas, no Christmas season is complete without Bing Crosby singing White Christmas.Many others have tried and done a nice version but it's still not Bing.Otis Redding, who's song Dock Of The Bay, is one of the great classic rock and roll tunes, butchered White Christmas.That's not to say that Bing didn't have his share of bad Christmas songs, who can, try as they might, forget Mele Kalikimaka and Christmas in Kilarney.  Dean Martin loses me when he calls Rudolph, Rudy in his version of Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer.So here are just a few of the songs you should stay away from this year.
John Denver, Daddy Don't Get Drunk This Christmas
Destiny's Child, Eight Days Of Christmas
Bob Dylan, Must Be Santa
Cyndi Lauper, Christmas Conga
The Beach Boys, Santa's Beard
Cliff Richard, Mistletoe And Wine
Band Aid, Do They Know It's Christmas (at the time it was good but now try and name half the people in the video)
Big Bad VooDoo Daddy, Rockabilly Christmas
Michael Jackson, My Christmas Wish
Yellowman, Yellow Christmas
Billy Idol, Jingle Bell Rock
Justin Bieber, Christmas Love
Clay Aiken, Christmas Waltz
Michael Buble, Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)
[The last three were just because it was Justin Bieber, Clay Aiken and Michael Buble]

That's just the tip of the iceberg, but don't let it get you down, Christmas music is still good and sometimes you find a gem in your search. Coming soon, good music, for a sneak peek take a listen to Frosty the Snowman by Leon Redbone and Dr. John. [Just a side note about Dr. John. He is one of the icons of New Orleans music but every time I see him all I can see is the Muppets, Dr. Teeth]