In honor of the holiday, this year I put together a mix CD called "Angry Drunken Christmas."

The songs on it are as follows:


    1. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen--T-bone Burnett This is probably the most traditional song on the mix, a sparse, acoustic, take on the classic song. I put it on here because I wanted to star with something not too blatent. However, even when he sings something from the heart, T-Bone Burnett (a devout Christian) sounds sarcastic, snarky and pissed off.
    2. Fairytale of New York--the Pogues: This is one of the songs that started the concept. See above for a description of why.
    3. Christmas Song--Warren Zevon: If "Fairytale" hints at the possibility of redemotion, this version of the Christmas Song doesn't get the hint. The late, great, Warren Zevon recorded this only a few months before dying of inoperable lung cancer, and it shows. According to the [url=http://michaelwolff.com/news/default.htmliner notes[/url], "he came into the studio dressed for the occasion in a beautiful gray suit, totally prepared to give his all. He had a back story for each song. For Mel Torme’s “The Christmas Song”, Warren told me he was the divorced father at the bar on Christmas Eve wo wasn’t allowed to see his kids."
    4. Christmas From a Hooker in Minneapolis--Tom Waits: It's a song about getting a Christmas card. From a Hooker. In Minneapolis. By Tom Waits. What else needs to be said?
    5. River-Robert Downey, Jr.: There are other versions of this Joni Mitchell song. But given Downey's own history with the bottle, drugs and guns, it seemd the most appropriate for this mix. This song is from an "Ally McBeal" soundtrack, and may be, along with Lucy Liu, the only worthwhile things to come out of that damn show.
    6. Mr. Grinch--Mojo Nixon and the Toad Liquors: Sure, the definitive version is on the Grinch cartoon. But Mojo Nixon sounds totally ripped when he sings this version. And he ends the song muttering that the Grinch should "go to hell," something the Whos never dared say.
    7. Christmas Eve Can Kill You---the Everly Brothers:One critic said this song "has enough bad vibes to last till next summer."
    8. Silent Night (7:00 News)--Simon and Garfunkel: recorded at the height of unrest during Vietnam, the song is probably not drunken, but its angry. So I put it on. Besides both Mrs. G and the G daughters are big S&G fans so I threw them a bone.
    9. Murder of the Lawson Family--Dave Alvin: A man murders his family on Christmas Eve. You can't tell me anger and liquor weren't involved.
    10. Ave Maria--Warren Zevon: The other Warren Zevon Christmas Song. Acccording to the liner notes, "on “Ave Maria”, he was the soundtrack under a hit in a Martin Scorsese movie."
    11. Christmas Morning--Lyle Lovett: As near I can tell, this song is about a man who's sitting at home in an easy chair on Christmas morning, thinking about how his wife dicked him over. I picture a glass of Maker's Mark in his hand while he ponders that.
    12. Christmas Ball Blues--Leon Redbone: Everything Leon Redbone sings sounds drunk. It seemed to round out the mix nicely.


I tried to keep the sound reasonably consistent. Nothing too country. Nothing too rock. Basically, I wanted a CD that would sound at home in a smokey bar or a living room.

I gave copies to my wife, kids and friends at work.