Category: country

Old Glory should wave proudly for us all. But i guess we only really figure the military need to see it.

Dyer Highway power ballads “Red White and Blue Christmas” about missing out while serving. It’s a strong song about complex feelings.

A slight twist off ‘Blue Christmas” comes from Bishop M.B. and Dr. Brenda Johnson singing “Red White and Blue Christmas” to the troops. Jazzy but uplifting pop.

Patty Speelt laments the Christmas missing with her “Red, White and Blue Christmas.” Soulful country. Buck up, kids. You have to.

“A Red White and Blue Christmas” seems to feature all the artists from Hilltop Records. They try to outdo one another with harmony. One for all, with a patriotic lawrence welk flair.

George Pardo and Dr. J Gale Kilgore (not fake names i’m sure) tap on a tambourine and rage on a rhythm machine for their “Red, White, and Blue Christmas Song” diatribe. Be patriotic or be stupid.

Jack Greene weaves us yet another soldier holiday song. But “Red White and Blue Christmas” dissects the experience of a lonely Army man from Tennessee. Jack’s voice is tremulous from the power of his song, and his need to retire ten years ago.

Some people gotta make sure we recognize the Armed Forces by making as much noise as possible. If you don’t as well you should probably get punched. This patriotism by amplitude usually results in cringe-worthy crooning.

Ronald James Sorenson does not make me cringe, however, and his while his “Fly Our Flag for Christmas” may not win any grammy awards i rather enjoyed the gentle strumming and pleasant assumptions made.

On the homefront we fret and worry about those men away from home in the crosshairs of danger–not Santa’s elves, no no.

How much does it suck? Reed Robertson tosses us a tune about what wonderful things the boys over there Don’t get, and what paltry things they Do get. “Camouflage and Christmas Lights” is not a recruitment video. Not even when Rodney Carrington dresses it up with studio quality.

Jenny Brown sings awful pretty folk country in “Camouflage Christmas.” It’s not too maudlin although she clearly misses her man. Best i can say.

Most WWII songs are subtle enough to want us to revere the troops and pray for their return, without acknowledging that dang ol’ killing  machine over the Atlantic. (I wish i could find a Punch Hitler/Tojo for Christmas tune–lemme know if there is one.)

The musical ‘Annie’ gets historically metaphorical with “A New Deal for Christmas” Anthony Warlow and Lilla Crawford which branches the Depression to the 2nd ToDo. So let’s skip over this. I mean it’s linekicking fun, but heigh ho.

Still nothing consequential about the Holocaust, Axis v. Allies, or that atom bomb thing.

[Although i did stumble across young Ty Martin wise cracking about Pearl Harbor to a Christmas tune: “Ty’s Patriotic Christmas Song.” Kids today!]

So, let’s settle for a pretty piece of electric country: “My Ol’ Pal Joe” by Sean Castillo. It’s about GI Joe, which is definitely American. And it’s sweet.

While we’re being sweet, snuggle up for some calm country with MissyG Band and “My Handwritten Letter to Santa.” It wants you to wax nostalgic, but that bass beat keeps asking you to git up and dance to’t. Choose your point of view.

Dance parties are a tradition around the holidays, if you can dig out the barn from the piled high drifts and drifters. Them country fellas know how to celebrate.

Why lookie here, it’s Michael Martin Murphy plunking and plodding left foot first to the “Cowboy Christmas Ball.” Catchy (and i think the Riders in the Sky are backing him up, right?)

Yeah, The Riders in the Sky lighten the mood (to a very strangely playful tune) with “The Prairie Dog Christmas Ball” which seems to be going on right under the feet of the other ball we’re a-having. Yikes! Move your feet higher!

Cledus T Judd adds his own version of comedy to the idea that a ball is just a party and there’s not much dancing (well, i’m not sure who’d ask him). “Cledus’ Christmas Ball” is that old fashioned cartoon that pokes fun at all the celebrities in the room. Wry as toast.

An update on frontier comedy comes from, naturally. Garrison Keillor with “The Sons of Knute Christmas Dance and Dinner.” It matters who saw ya, doncha know?

It’s better when The Killers get percussive and electric with their “The Cowboy’s Christmas Ball.” That back beat won’t let ya wallflower–not tonight. (But, don’t call the ladies heifers again.)

Some dances are so simple we just count out the steps. The two-step is a ballroom maneuver even morons who move to country-western music can manage. So slow-slow, quick-quick let’s get to it.

John Brack and Jeff Turner chortle out with electric (nee disco) country the “Christmas Two Step.” (Psst–it’s code for sex!) When country music tries to be subtle and clever we steer clear.

Suzy Bogguss gets down home and fiddling’ with  “Two-Step ’round the Christmas Tree.” And, though this is a well-covered constant of country Christmas albums, i do enjoy the showmanship of Michael Martin Murphy even cooped up in a sadly decorated studio as seen here. You can tell he REALLY wants you to scoot your boots to his “Two-Step ’round the Christmas Tree.”

Santa’s job is a lonely one, unless you get weird anthropomorphizing  those reindeer…

and if he had another guise, he would be well suited to a singular occupation out on his own.

I’ve covered Trucker Santa is some detail a couple months ago, so let’s turn to Cowboy Santa. Most little boys want to be one but not the other, why not the Sleigh-master as well?

Maybe cowboyism is just a hobby. Mike Jenkins sort-of sings “Santa and His Cowboy Sleigh” for children without an ear for music everywhere.

Charley Jenkins gets swinging with what-the-kids-might-say “If Santa Was a Cowboy.” It’s a fun danceable tune, but just ‘cuz he’s Texan–does that mean he’s gotta be into corporal punishment?!

Unconvincingly, Erik Alexander of Endless Hiway man-chants his version of country in “Santa is a Cowboy.” This booted-up version of ‘Night Before’ smells of barn.

In not quite a parody, Jackson Turner tells an involved I-hear-it-from-a-guy tale about how “Santa was a Cowboy.” It’s a gentle country ballad for listening next to a smoldering fireplace.

Red Sovine, that cool country western trucker singer, takes a shot at pinning down the kind of wrangler Santa is in “Santa Claus is a Texas Cowboy.” But i think someone put him up to it. Someone with lots of talentless children to sing back up. If they shoot like they sing, we’ll be safe.

Better (and more retro) is the over-orchestrated novelty “Cowboy Santa” by Larry Cartell. His Santa yodels too, but i believe he’s win the yodeling contest, this feisty fellow.

A lone fella with a guitar suits “Cowboy Santa” so much better for me. Neal harmonizes with Leandra for the chorus though, but despite a few fun word-plays his country tune brings me down. Seems that if Santa don’t stop messing around, Christmas will be ruent. I guess that’s more authentic country.

More mellow from back of the range Bill Lacey & The Ebonaires from Ebony Records 1959 mix guitar swing with doo wop harmonies in “Cowboy Santa Claus.” I hear the horse trotting in the tune, but it’s no hayburner.

The Prairie Ramblers harmonize nearly as well over the campfire for a more lively “Cowboy Santa Claus” (from Santa Fe this time). Now this is a Santa i’d watch in rollicking adventures before the feature film every Saturday at the moving picture show.