Any Major Dude With Half A Heart

The trouble with acoustic covers of popular songs is that some earnest singer armed with a guitar will slow down Jingle Bells and whisper the lyrics as if they have a deep meaning. I have no principles that compel me to disallow the notion of whispering songstresses, but on this Christmas mix I’ve tried to keep them to a respectful minimum. Still, we have the doses of yuletide angst which the acoustic genre prescribes to go with the upbeat welcome of the merry season.

Don’t be alarmed by the inclusion of three tracks called Christmas Song: they are all different songs.

As always, the mix is timed to fit on a standard CD-R (which, given the opening track, is an even moire ironic than sun on a Christmas Day) and comes with home-baked covers. There is even an alternate front cover, if you don’t like seasonal ornaments!

TRACKLISTING
1. Hello Saferide – iPod X Mas (2006)
2. Slow Club – Christmas TV (2009)
3. Crash Test Dummies – We Three Kings (2002)
4. Brandi Carlile – The Heartache Can Wait (2007)
5. Rosie Thomas – Alone At Christmas (2008)
6. Natalie Merchant – Children Go Where I Send Thee (1997)
7. Alison Krauss – Only You Can Bring Me Cheer (Gentleman’s Lady) (2003)
8. Tift Merritt – I’ll Be Home For Christmas (2003)
9. James Taylor – River (2006)
10. Mindy Smith & Thad Cockrell – I Know The Reason (2008)
11. The Weepies – All That I Want (2003)
12. She & Him – Christmas Wish (2011)
13. Denison Wittmer – A Christmas Song (2002)
14. Bright Eyes – Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas (2002)
15. Catherine Feeny – Christmas Song (2008)
16. Nicole Atkins – Blue Christmas (2008)
17. Sufjan Stevens – Hey Guys! It’s Christmas Time! (2005)
18. Calexico – Gift X-Change (2000)
19. Felice Brothers – Christmas Song (2007)
20. Gramercy Arms & Mascot – This Christmastime (2005)
21. Pierce Pettis – In The Bleak Midwinter (1997)
22. Alexi Murdoch – Silent Night (2000)

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And if you dig the jangly guitar X-Mas vibe, check out Santa If You Do Exist by New York singer-songwriter Jmo. Great fun.

And with that, I wish you a happy, merry, peaceful, blessed, partyful, present-rich, non-hungover and generally groovy Christmas.

…

CHRISTMAS MIXES WITH WORKING LINKS:
Any Major Christmas Soul Vol. 1
Any Major Christmas Soul Vol. 2
Any Major Christmas Soul Vol. 3
Any Major Smooth Christmas
Any Major Country Christmas Vol. 1
Christmas In Black & White
More Christmas In Black & White
Christmas Mix, Not For Mother
Any Major X-Mas Mix
PLUS: Rudolph, a victim of prejudice

More Christmas Mixes
More Mixes

Another cover specially made for this mix by Cheap Gas Music (http://cheapgasmusic.wordpress.com)

The first Not Feeling Guilty mix went down well, and if comments to the post, by e-mail and Facebook (click here to become my friend) are an indication, my rant against the false notion of “guilty pleasures” expressed what many felt.

So here is the second mix. I can’t see much to feel guilty about here. Anyone who might be ashamed of secretly enjoying the sounds of Boz Scaggs does not deserve to hear music. Anyone who dismisses Christopher Cross as a cheesy two-hit wonder self-evidently hates music (yes, VH-1, I mean you). Anyone who fails to funk along, even just a little bit, to the Larsen-Feiten Band, Pablo Cruise or the Climax Blues Band has no ryhthm in their soul. Not that I ought to make anyone feel guilty about not liking music.

The inclusion of Todd Rundgren might raise some eyebrows. Well, I consider his 1970 track a progenitor of the whole soft rock genre. See whether you agree or not.

Andrew Gold, by the way, is the chap who wrote the theme for The Golden Girls. Am I trying to test your resolve not to feel guilty?

1. Doobie Brothers – Listen To The Music (1972)
2. Boz Scaggs - JoJo (1980)
3. Larsen-Feiten Band - Who Will Be The Fool Tonight (1980)
4. Pablo Cruise – Watcha Gonna Do (1977)
5. Climax Blues Band – Couldn’t Get It Right (1976)
6. Atlanta Rhythm Section - So Into You (1976)
7. JD Souther - You’re Only Lonely (1979)
8. James Taylor – Your Smiling Face (1977)
9. Rickie Lee Jones – Chuck E’s In Love (1979)
10. Andrew Gold – Never Let Her Slip Away (1978)
11. Jay Ferguson – Thunder Island (1977)
12. Boston - Amanda (1986)
13. Kansas - Dust In The Wind (1977)
14. Poco - A Good Feelin’ To Know (1972)
15. King Harvest – Dancing In The Moonlight (1972)
16. Sutherlands Brothers & Quiver – Arms Of Mary (1975)
17. Albert Hammond - The Peacemaker (1973)
18. Loggins & Messina – Watching the River Run (1977)
19. Christopher Cross – All Right (1983)
20. Todd Rundgren – We Gotta Get You A Woman 1970)
21. Little River Band – The Night Owls (1981)

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Mirror

EDIT: I have been made aware that I included a badly ripped version of Boston’s Amanda. Below a pristine rip: download it and drop it into the Not Feeling Guilty Vol. 2 folder. My apologies (note to self: check tracks before zipping them).

Boston – Amanda.mp3

Not Feeling Guilty Mix Vol. 1

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