Here's What I'm Gonna Do

Here’s what I’m gonna do for Christmas. My holiday schedule, so to speak. I’ve managed to pull together a few Christmas songs (let me apologize now to my fellow bloggers from whom I got some of these songs; I didn’t keep accurate track of what songs came from where. I know, I suck.).

Starting December 21, which is the first day of winter everywhere except Miami, I’m gonna post a couple of holiday-type songs each day. I’m not going anywhere or doing anything, so there should be no interruption in those plans. This will lead into Christmas Day when most of us will be blissfully dosed with tryptophan or something and sleeping in front of the TV.

Nextly, I’m not doing any sort of top-anything lists. I’ve thought about what I’ve listened a lot to over the last year and the Raconteurs disk is the only album from 2006 that I listened to more than a few times. So that would be a short list. And lists are always so subjective anyway, omitting someone’s favorite and opening the door for conflict. And God knows I don’t need any more conflict this time of year. If it’s lists you want, check Large Hearted Boy’s master list of lists. Or go corporate with Rolling Stone’s list of 2006’s top 50 albums. Hey, I have listened to Rolling Stone’s top album a few times this year.

Then, for tonight, I’m going back to 1975 and Saturday Night Live’s debut season. The original Not Ready for Prime Time Players: Dan Aykroyd, John Belushi, Chevy Chase, Jane Curtain, Garrett Morris, Laraine Newman, and Gilda Radner. Following the show’s first season, Arista Records decided to capitalize on the success by releasing a soundtrack album of sorts. This album caught some of the highlights of the first season, with guest hosts such as Lily Tomlin, Paul Simon, Peter Boyle, and Richard Pryor. A few of the sketches are now classics, such as the “Word Association” sketch I’ve included here.

I realize most comedy recordings wear thin after a listen or two, so you can listen and delete like we’re supposed to do with MP3 files anyway (nudge, nudge, wink, wink). Then go buy the SNL Complete First Season DVD.

Gerald Ford / Opening.mp3 Chevy Chase, Don Pardo, Howard Shore and His All-Nurse Band
Dueling Brandos.mp3 Don Pardo, Peter Boyle, John Belushi, band
Weatherman.mp3 Chevy Chase, John Belushi
Word Association.mp3 Chevy Chase, Richard Pryor

posted by aikin @ 10:49 PM