Twelve Days of Christmas

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas

Here’s an unfamiliar face x3

A Christmas Together (1979) by John Denver and the Muppets. So I realize that John Denver was just brought up not that long ago, but this has the Muppets as well, so it’s different. Right??? ^^;

Well that and this is the only Christmas vinyl that I own…

Denver and Henson were pretty close friends and Denver showed up on the Muppet Show multiple times. Growing up I fondly remember a combination of Sesame Street and several Muppets movies. My interest in Muppets actually reignited in high school after discovering several old Muppets episodes online on places like YouTube. To this day, I still really enjoy Muppets’ fun sense of humor and I’ll occasionally catch a Muppet movie now and then.

While this album was promotion for the upcoming Christmas TV special that year, it actually features different recordings than the ones used for the show. Here’s the slightly different “Twelve Days of Christmas” on the special HERE

Also I normally just display a photo of the cover, but the inside of this LP is really cool! It features these awesome illustrations for each of the songs. Well, just wanted to share this extra little bit of detail. Have a Merry Christmas everybody!! ^^

You Want It Darker –

String Reprise / Treaty –

What’s that?? “All my LPs so far have been from the 70s or earlier?” Well I’ve only done three so far, but honestly that is what you should expect from “LP Mondays.” I have plenty of surprises up my sleeve though. How about an album that’s so new that it even hasn’t been out for a full week yet??!! :3

You Want It Darker (2016) by the late Leonard Cohen. Technically this album came out late October, about half a month prior to L. Cohen passing away (R.I.P.), but the vinyl printing didn’t come out till last Friday. I’m a huge Cohen fan, and I remember being extremely saddened upon hearing about his death. Pre-ordering his final album on vinyl was a no-brainer for me.

The album (fittingly) tackles matters of the frailness of death and his struggles with religion. Cohen was born into a Jewish family and had considered himself Jewish, but it’s really interesting listening to the lyrics within this album about his conversations with his higher power. Even if he does not provide all the answers in this album, there is still a contentness expressed between the opening track “You Want It Darker” and the closing track, a reprise of the of the album’s second song “Treaty.”

You might argue it’s not as brilliant and captivating as Bowie’s farewell album Blackstar also released early this year (I would actually probably agree honestly), but that doesn’t discount this album in any way. All in all, it’s a beautiful, deeply moving album that is worth a listen from start to finish. The album would release to critical acclaim (Rolling Stones ranked it 9th best album of the year) and become “Gold” certified in his home country of Canada before his death on November 7.

I Want You (She’s So Heavy)

Here Comes the Sun

Alright. So fully aware that my first two picks were a little more obscure, let’s fix that. Before I strike out with three strikes I figured just about everybody is familiar with this album.

Abbey Road (1969), the second last Beatles album (last recorded with the whole band), as if it needed any introduction. The best Beatles album ever made? One could easily make that argument, although critics initially hated it for its heavy use of technical effects and reliance on instruments like the Moog synthesizer. If The Beatles (White Album) consisted largely of them playing around with different sounds, Abbey Road could be considered their refining of those sounds with an incorporation of blues and progressive music, as well as musical styles that would later be associated with alternative rock.

My favorite Beatles album is probably the other most likely candidate for “Beatles Best”: Sgt. Peppers. Even if it is hard to pick the best album, every true Beatles fans has their favorite Beatle. That one’s easy for me. George Harrison. While I do enjoy Harrison’s Beatles songs a lot, (see “Here Comes the Sun” for proof) it really is his solo works after the Beatles that seals him in my mind as my favorite. Don’t be so surprised to see one of his albums pop up here eventually :3