Posts by Alby

We're creeping up on the 40th anniversary of the U.S. release of "London Calling," the double album that validated punk as an essential rock genre while simultaneously transcending it by…

This one's for Donald, who is finding that waiting is indeed the hardest part. The lead single from 1981's "Hard Promises" reached No. 19 on the Hot 100 but No.…

In the UK, where singles are still a thing, bands frequently write and record Christmas songs in the hopes of scoring a seasonal hit. Greg Lake released this one in…

There's a reason this sounds nothing like a Christmas carol -- it wasn't written as one. In 1914 Ukrainian composer Mykola Leontovych was commissioned to create a song for choir…

In 1962 the Philadelphia Orchestra under Eugene Ormandy recorded "The Glorious Sound of Christmas," setting a standard for orchestral Christmas music that has never been exceeded -- the LP went…

Nobody, not even the prolific Johnny Marx, has written more Christmas songs than multi-instrumentalist Sufjan Stevens, who has released two Christmas albums, each consisting of more than 50 tunes on…

Did you know that there was one version of this song -- out of the more than 500 that have been recorded -- that angered composer Irving Berlin so much…

The era of audio-only music might have ended with MTV, but we're now into an age in which viral video is the best way to break into the music business.…

The best punk Christmas song, period. There are other punk-style efforts, but they just sound like punk songs with a few words about the holiday. Ray Davies, as usual, had…

Jethro Tull's Ian Anderson has written several Christmas songs, and he's also given many traditional carols new, jazzy arrangements that show off the band's chops. This is one he played…

TRIGGER WARNING: When this was written by Raymond Scott in 1934, it was perfectly acceptable for white men to mock black society and call it comedy (this was shortly after…

Brothers singing harmony always sound special, but we rarely got to hear these two together because they each led their own bands. Both Johnny and Edgar were musical prodigies, performing…

Donny Hathaway had a lofty goal when he wrote and sang what's easily the most soulful song ever to attain the status of a Christmas classic -- he wanted it…