The Musical Box

george harrison: all things must pass (1970)

+ George Harrison: All Things Must Pass - Okay, so it’s not technically a holiday album. But the feel is Christmas all over, from the top of Phil Spector’s muddy but still spectacular production to the spiritual slant of Harrison’s greatest music outside of The Beatles. Still far and away the finest Fab Four solo venture. A spectacular listen.

todd rundgren: runt (1970)

+ Todd Rundgren: Runt - Also not a seasonal album, though released concurrently with All Things Must Pass in late 1970. Rundgren’s mix of Phily soul, power pop and fuzzy guitar psychedelia sets the stage. But the album’s air of wintry mystery sells the music. I listen to this every Christmas Eve, usually while on the road (to) somewhere.

john fahey: the new possibility (1968)

+ John Fahey: The New Possibility - Still my favorite Christmas album and, arguably, Fahey’s finest hour. The landmark guitarist plays carols and spirituals as though they were river tunes. Fahey’s unaccompanied acoustic guitar tone is alternately relaxed, brittle, warm and remarkably patient. Beautifully atmospheric and profoundly soulful.

waterson-carthy: holy heathens and the old green man (2006)

+ Waterson-Carthy: Holy Heathens and the Old Green Man - This is the one to reach for when you want a taste of tradition. Heathens is a set of vocally dominant tunes of ages-old seasonal celebration punctuated by brass, cellos and melodeon. Leave it to the British to make merry with wassails that shake Yuletide cheer down to its very traditional core.

paddy moloney: silent night, a christmas in rome (1998)

+ Paddy Maloney: Silent Night, A Christmas in Rome - A heavily orchestrated album by the chief of the Chieftains. While there are hints of animated Irish folk tradition, Silent Night bears a more global and ghostly sound. The mix of the late Derek Bell’s harp and the Bulgarian Voices Angelite on Hei Lassie is hair-raising stuff.