Paul Simon - "Getting Ready For Christmas Day"
Nov 26, 2010 11:48:34 GMT -5
Post by Deleted on Nov 26, 2010 11:48:34 GMT -5
This is great. It's from Paul's new album So Beautiful Or So What which is out next spring.
Simon's Christmas single eschews the corny musical clichés of sleigh bells and choirs in favour of pursuing its own seasonal high spirit, riding on a shimmering bluesy acoustic guitar and foot stomping, hand clapping percussion.
Despite its very American musical milieu, its rough charm and spirit brings to mind the glory days of Simon's South African dalliance on his classic Graceland album, along with the ragged charm of the Simon & Garfunkel gem "Cecelia".
Loose, extemporised gospel interjections from what sounds suspiciously like a roomful of gnarly old bluesmen getting high on mulled wine adds a sense of family celebration. Its like a Christmas campfire (or maybe log fire) singalong, with flowing lyrics that conjure up a working man’s anticipation of holiday release, subtly underpinned with a contemporary political edge:
"I got a nephew in Iraq / Its his third time back / But its ending up the way it began / With the luck of a beginner / He'll be eating turkey dinner / On some mountaintop in Pakistan".
Despite its very American musical milieu, its rough charm and spirit brings to mind the glory days of Simon's South African dalliance on his classic Graceland album, along with the ragged charm of the Simon & Garfunkel gem "Cecelia".
Loose, extemporised gospel interjections from what sounds suspiciously like a roomful of gnarly old bluesmen getting high on mulled wine adds a sense of family celebration. Its like a Christmas campfire (or maybe log fire) singalong, with flowing lyrics that conjure up a working man’s anticipation of holiday release, subtly underpinned with a contemporary political edge:
"I got a nephew in Iraq / Its his third time back / But its ending up the way it began / With the luck of a beginner / He'll be eating turkey dinner / On some mountaintop in Pakistan".