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Ed
Aguilera
Correspondent
With
the barrage of holiday music every year, it can be
tough to pick what sounds good. From old to new,
here are some Christmas songs that might make good
choices for your CD
player.
1.
“Oy to the World,” from No Doubt, takes a new spin
on the holiday classic “Joy to the World.” No
Doubt asks the question why skaters and punks
can’t get along with each other. It’s an
untraditional song that combines new and old, and
No Doubt does it justice.
| 2.
“Santa Baby” has been sung by everybody from
Everclear, Kylie Minogue to Madonna, but Marilyn
Monroe sang it back in 1960, and she made
“Santa Baby” a classic. Who would have thought a
Christmas song could be sexy?
Monroe does
and she sings it like she means it. |
3.
“Noche de Paz/Silent Night” from Christina
Aguilera on her Christmas CD “My Kind of
Christmas,” sings the classic song in a way that
will make you want to hit repeat. Aguilera hits
every note perfectly and she holds them longer
than most can. The rendition done in Spanish and
English will be sure to please everyone.
4.
“Last Christmas,” by Wham, is a great ‘80s
Christmas song. “Last Christmas” will make you
want to dance with its up-tempo beat. George
Michael sings it happily, even though it’s about
betrayal, but the way he does it makes you forget
that.
5.
“Little Drummer Boy,” sung by Lauren Hill on the
“Rosie Christmas” CD, brings rhythm and blues to a
classic. Hill brings her influence to the song and
she sings it well.
6.
“Winter Wonderland.” Elvis Presley’s rendition of
“Winter Wonderland” is traditional Elvis.
Presley’s guitar playing on this version is done
well and he sings it in his usual
fashion.
7.
“Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” done by
ColdPlay on the “Sounds of the Season” CD, is a
great version on this classic tune. The English
blokes sing it, accompanied by acoustic
guitars and with great vocals. ColdPlay’s
version is done traditionally with a few new
elements that make it a timeless classic.
8.
Michael Buble’s interpretation of “Let it Snow”
sounds like big bands of the ‘40s, and only Buble
could be capable of doing so. Buble’s version is
jazzy with the
trumpets and saxophones and makes “Let it
Snow” sound original and new.
9.
“Ave Maria,” sung by Sarah Brightman, is great.
“Ave Maria” is sung by most church choirs and it
is a difficult song to sing with its insane high
notes that are impossible for most. Brightman
sings all of the high notes with such ease that is
impressive. “Ave Maria” is sung in Italian and
Brightman makes it seem as if the song was done in
English, because you can understand everything
being sung.
10. The holidays
wouldn’t be the same without “Feliz Navidad” by
Jose Feliciano. It has become a holiday classic
that can be heard on every radio station. The song
states what most people would like to say during
the holiday season, “I want to wish a merry
Christmas from the bottom of my heart.”
Ed
Aguilera may be reached at prospector@utep.edu
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