OK so it’s very textured instrumental alt rock. Sounds quite a bit like U2 circa THE JOSHUA TREE. Only problem is…there’s never any moments musically that really stand out a la the slowly builds to a charge “Where the Streets Have No Name” or the subtle menace of “Bullet the Blue Sky”.

I’m not sure what the big deal is here…

OK if there’s a genre I’m REALLY weak on, it’s dance music in general. Read this trying to see if maybe I’ve given it undeservedly short shrift. The jury is still out on that (I’m “consuming” a ton of videos on YouTube of the suggested songs in the club playlists at the end of the book from Shoom, Paradise Garage and others) but it was a good interesting read that managed to explain to me what the heck “Northern soul” actually means (this had been an enigma to me even as an oldies fan for a long time).

I don’t think there’s anyone neutral about this song. Everyone loves it or HATES it. I love it. :)

y Ud. tambien, Jose…

About a tossup honestly because I really love the Roy Orbison original too but I give this a slight edge. The more understated Willie delivery allows you to focus more on the lyrics. (anti-materialism..because is Christmas REALLY supposed to be about “gimme gimme gimme”?)

One of the few times John allowed himself to sound sensitive on disk…

(whispered) “Merry Christmas Yoko…”

Took a long time for me to warm to this one but it’s slowly become one of my favorite Christmas tunes with a “peace” message.

Probably the only Christmas song that tries to explain WHY Santa can get to all the good boys and girls in one night. (“Just a little bobsled we call it old Saint Nick
But she’ll walk a toboggan with a four speed stick
She’s candy-apple red with a ski for a wheel
And when Santa hits the gas, man, just watch her peel”)

http://www.oldielyrics.com/lyrics/beach_boys/little_saint_nick.html

Is it juvenile if I still feel the compulsion to interject “Like a lightbulb!” right after the part that goes “You could even say it glows”?

Was this REALLY one of the best country music had to offer in 2006? I sure hope not. I don’t even dislike Gill…some of his stuff has a chance at making my “lifetime 1000 best songs” list but this was an overlong uninspiring snoozefest full of cliche and boilerplate tunes. Gill really needed someone to help him trim this down to 1 GOOD CD instead of 3 ho-hum ones.