Desire Avenue

Here's one of mine:

Mike Oldfield ~ On Horseback

Perfect song to listen to on a day like today.







Still one of my favourite 'wintery' songs. The A-side of this single was one of the best Christmas songs ever, too:

Best version of an old favourite:

Warm and Soothing is my most favourite song by Kate Bush.

Much as i love Elizabeth Frasers singing (and Cocteau Twins music as a whole), that Frosty cover does nothing for me unfortunately.

RobB wrote:Warm and Soothing is my most favourite song by Kate Bush.

I still love some of those early piano songs, the first album and things like 'The Empty Bullring' which was the b-side to the Babooshka single. Oddly enough I find Kate's later output leaves me unmoved now, but there's something about that crystalline quality of her voice and the piano on the early stuff I'll always love.

Much as i love Elizabeth Frasers singing (and Cocteau Twins music as a whole), that Frosty cover does nothing for me unfortunately.

Aww, this is one of my favourite Christmas tracks ever! I just love the joyfulness of it, the fact that there's no false sentiment at all, just sheer genuine happiness.

blue wrote: Oddly enough I find Kate's later output leaves me unmoved now, but there's something about that crystalline quality of her voice and the piano on the early stuff I'll always love.

Maybe its because she's older now? Or maybe its because you're older now? I do love her early simple piano & vocal songs though,especially the unreleased songs from the 1976 'Cathy's demos' session.

But when she's not trying to be clever, Kate can still create beautiful songs.....A Coral Room i think is a good example.

Jewel - Winter Wonderland

Gosh I'd totally forgotten about Jewel, haven't heard her for years! I loved that first record of hers, but lost track after that. I actually really love the country feel of this track, it made me smile. Another one for my Christmas compilation.

Rob, 'A Coral Room' was the only track I liked on Aerial as I remember, though I came to like 'Nocturn' as well.

Hmm, didn't like that Cocteau one, I'm afraid-and I like a lot of their stuff (usually when Liz is singing nonsense). Be interested to hear their version of W. Wonderland (which is a much better piece of music than Frosty for starters).

The Kate Bush one is lovely.

This year all I want to hear is Mediaeval Christmas music, which is pleasantly mammon- and schlock-free, but I can't find any good versions on YouTube...

I did find this, which is a classic in this version-just great, really funny but mostly because it's so well done in its style. 'Blue snowflakes', love it :-




and this is a famous piece of schlock, but it's still brilliant-a great chord sequence for us jazzers. This is the best version by Nat Cole; sorry about the glutinous pics:-

sound world wrote:Hmm, didn't like that Cocteau one, I'm afraid-and I like a lot of their stuff (usually when Liz is singing nonsense). Be interested to hear their version of W. Wonderland (which is a much better piece of music than Frosty for starters).

Once again Dave you make me very glad I'm not a musician.

Here's the other track on the Snow EP, then:





I don't like this one much to be honest, not sure why though.

sound world wrote:The Kate Bush one is lovely.

Which one?

blue wrote:Gosh I'd totally forgotten about Jewel, haven't heard her for years! I loved that first record of hers, but lost track after that.

Me too although i think i've got her second album but never really got around to playing it.

Like Sarah Maclachlan, Jewel was just a little too MOR-ish for my taste.

I remember a song called Adrian on Jewels first album though which i really liked but i havn't played it for years.

The Ernest Tubb song reminds me of Christmas visits as a child to my uncle Ken's house....he always had that type of music playing.

Unfortunately i keep getting an 'error has occured' message with Nat's video.

Re: Warm & Soothing,there's a little story to this one. When Kate went into studio two at Abbey Road for the very first time, she recorded this song as a test session to see how her vocals and piano sounded.

Satisfied with the results,she returned a couple of months later to record her Never For Ever album there.