The Spotlight Is On Other Entertainers at Elton John's Christmas Party

I’m a big Elton John fan, but I wasn’t sure what to think when I borrowed Elton John’s Christmas Party from the library. This is a compilation album, which to me feels a bit like just turning on the radio and seeing what comes up. Of course, more thought went into it than that; each of the 15 songs on this album were chosen for a particular reason, which Elton helpfully goes into in the liner notes. And there’s something appealingly humble about the project; while Elton does include two of his own songs (one of which is a duet), the spotlight is primarily on other artists, and it’s nice to see a pop superstar showing such sincere appreciation for his peers. I suspected that I would find one or two songs on the album I liked and give a shrug to the rest. But I really enjoy most what Elton terms his “Christmas favorites,” leaving me with several other musicians to investigate. Ultimately, this album surprised me. In a good way.

Step Into Christmas - It makes sense that Elton would kick off his “Christmas Party” with a song of his own. It’s one of the few songs on the album I was actually previously familiar with. It’s got a groovy guitar riff and sleigh bells, a nice combo of contemporary-sounding pop and traditional Christmassy sounds. The lyrics are rather frivolous and there‘s something really trippy going on with one of the instruments, but the song is enthusiastic and inviting, and it always gets me boppin’ when I hear it on the radio. “Step into Christmas / Let's join together / We can watch the snow fall forever and ever...”

Feliz Navidad - I never even heard of El Vez before, but he’s the man behind this hard-rockin’ version of the peppy song written by Jose Feliciano. The kids singing backup help keep a childlike sense of joy and wonder at the forefront. “Feliz navidad / Feliz navidad / Feliz navidad, prospero ano y felicidad.”

The Man With All the Toys - This isn’t my favorite of the Beach Boys’ Christmas songs, especially now that I’ve heard their Christmas collection, but it’s a fun little ditty. This vision of Santa is much simpler than the typical North Pole toy factory depicted in Christmas specials. I like it, but all the “bop!”s in the background annoy me a bit. “Someone found a lighted house late one night / And he saw through the window a sight: / A big man in a chair / And little tiny men everywhere. / He's the man with all the toys.”

A Change at Christmas (Say It Isn’t So) - I don’t know anything about the Flaming Lips, and I never heard this song before. I like the chimes, bells and shakers that turn up here, and the slightly rough quality of the lead singer’s voice fits with his rambling, yearning discourse, with each verse almost sounding like one long run-on sentence. There’s something very interesting and unconventional about this one, and I love the sentiments it espouses. “Oh, if I could stop time / It would be a frozen moment just around Christmas / When all of mankind reveals its truest potential / And there is sympathy for the suffering...”

It Doesn’t Often Snow at Christmas - This Pet Shop Boys song is backed by pounding percussion and takes a cynical view throughout the verses, but the choruses ends on a cheerier note. I‘m not familiar with this band, so I don‘t know if this track is typical of their sound; their voices sound high and forlorn, often approaching falsetto range, and the song is very techno-ish, particularly toward the end. “It doesn’t often snow at Christmas the way it ought to do / But I’ll still have a ball at Christmas because I’ll be with you.”

Spotlight on Christmas - I have a passing familiarity with Rufus Wainwright, but I’d never encountered this song before. A guitar-driven, folksy sort of song augmented by bells, it’s a sort of ragged-voiced protest anthem against crass commercialism and turning a cold shoulder to those in need. A really nice song. “But, don't forget Jesus, Mary, and Joseph / Once were a family poor but rich in hope, yeah / Don't forget Jesus, Mary, and Joseph / Running from the law King Herod had imposeth.”

Jingle Bell Rock - I’ve heard the song, of course, but never this instrumental version by the Ventures, which is one of the most jammin’ renditions I’ve heard, definitely putting the emphasis on the “rock”.

Run Rudolph Run - I’ve always found this Chuck Berry song rather odd; I don’t mind when the Muppets cover it, but the original just gets on my nerves. The word “reindeers” bugs me, as does the word “wet” as a verb and the fact that all of the verses end in such a way that they sound like there should be more to come. It’s a perfectly innocuous song along the lines of Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town, but it’s never been one I’ve particularly liked.

Merry Christmas Baby - The Muppets have done this song as well, and I dislike their version, featuring Pepe the prawn, heartily. This rendition, by Otis Redding, comes complete with sleigh bells and background instrumentals that occasionally hint at Jingle Bells. Oddly, while I’ve heard this song several times before, I’d never come across Otis‘s; it’s the least campy version I’ve heard, and I almost like it coming from him. “Merry Christmas baby, you sure did treat me nice...”

Christmas Island - This fun cover by Jimmy Buffett is along the lines of Melekalikimaka, imagining a very different setting for Christmas than the one presented in most seasonal songs. I love the instruments, which all evoke tropical beaches; the percussion is especially bouncy. Given Jimmy Buffett’s association with sunny beaches, this seems like the perfect Christmassy representation of him. “How’d you like to spend Christmas on Christmas Island? / Howdja like to spend the holiday away across the sea?”

Christmas Must Be Tonight - A humble Christmas song in extravagant electronic trappings. Other than knowing they were associated with Bob Dylan, The Band is another group I’m not familiar with, but I was entirely charmed by this reverent song about the Nativity from the perspective of a shepherd. “I saw it with my own eyes, written up in the skies / But why a simple herdsmen such as I / And then it came to pass, he was born at last / Right below the star that shines on high.”

2000 Miles - I think I may have heard this song by the Pretenders before, though not this version. Chrissie Hynde has an unusual voice that suits the despondent lyrics.  “The snows falling down, / It's colder day by day. / I miss you. / I can hear people singing, / It must be Christmas time.”

December Will Be Magic Again - The second song on the album to mention Bing Crosby by name. Kate Bush is an artist entirely unfamiliar to me; I was so discombobulated by her high voice that it took half the song before I could properly concentrate on the track at hand. There’s a very creepy quality to her voice; she sounds crystalline, which is fitting since in this song, she is the personification of snow. “Ooh, dropping down in my parachute, / The white city, she is so beautiful / Upon the black-soot icicled roofs, / Ooh, and see how I fall.”

New Year’s Day - Elton couldn’t let the album conclude without a contribution from U2. Bono, after all, is the epitome of cool. This is what I have gathered, though I must confess that I’m familiar with very little of U2’s music, and this song was new to me. Definitely a rock song. Not so much in my style, but I like the hints of activism running through the lyrics. “Under a blood red sky / A crowd has gathered in black and white / Arms entwined, the chosen few...”

Calling It Christmas - Elton teams up with Joss Stone for this lovely song that ends the album on a surprisingly reverent note. It’s strange to hear Elton sing something so hymnlike, but he sounds sincere, and Joss’s vocals are glorious; she sounds like a soloist in a church choir, especially when a chorus swells behind her and Elton. A piano solo toward the end of the song morphs into a guitar solo before we return to the singers, now belting the lyrics out with all the enthusiasm they can muster. I don’t know how this song, written by Elton and his longtime songwriter partner, Bernie Taupin, eluded me for so long, but I’m very glad I found it. “We've been calling it Christmas / Keeping the faith / Knowing the reason / We're saving the day. / We've been calling it Christmas / Down through the years / Spreading joy to the world / When Christmas is here.”

This last track alone makes the album a major discovery for me, with Spotlight on Christmas and Christmas Must Be Tonight competing to be my second-favorite track. The one downside I stumbled upon is the fact that this is a re-release, pared down from the Starbucks exclusive CD from the year before. Six tracks are absent. I don’t really mind missing out on the Ronettes’ Frosty the Snowman, which I find annoying. Bruce Springsteen’s Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town plays on the radio about ten times a day, as does the Eagles’ Please Come Home For Christmas. I don’t know if I’ve heard the Crystals’ version of Rudolph or not, but I doubt it’s earth-shatteringly unique. Nonetheless, that leaves Outkast’s Playa’s Ball and the much more intriguing St. Patrick’s Day by John Mayer. So even if I just whittle it down to those two, I’m feeling a little left out. So if you can find the 2005 version of this CD, you might want to give that a shot instead. But those types of issues aside, kudos to Elton John for such a terrific compilation.