Long Time, no post: Holiday Edition

So---its been busy. Same old thing, where's the fun in that? My Dad had gallbladder surgery and he's doing fine but that's been the only diversion lately.

The holidays are sincerely right around the corner. Am I ready? No. Don't make me laugh. This year I'm less prepared than ever. IDGAS, really, although I must get the tree up soon. In light of the frenetic last four months we've opted out of Mullen Movie Night which is perhaps the one thing I regret most about the changes we'll make to accommodate our situations (well, also the Snickerdoodles).

Holiday music, though, that's the easy, sure-fire part. It seems to me in all of the years of collective blogging most of us haven't talked a heck of a lot about our favorites. Let me put that in order now:

1. All-time favorite traditional and serious Christmas song?
No question: O Holy Night. I prefer it sung solo by a strong tenor with great swelling orchestration but I'll take it pretty much any way.
2. That one song that says, unequivocally, that the holidays have arrived?
"Santa Claus is Coming to Town" by Springsteen and The E-Street Band. I am a product of my generation.
3. Favorite Contemporary Carol and/or favorite contemporary cover of a traditional holiday tune?
This is tough and I'm leaning toward The Eagles' "Please Come Home for Christmas". There's no shortage of good candidates and I'm eager to hear from anyone who'd like to say. I do have a real fascination with Straight No Chaser's verion/mashup of "Twelve Days of Christmas" ("I miss the rains down in Africa....).
4. Carol that most reminds you of your holidays as a younger person?
Again, no problem on this one for me. My high school band played "Sleigh Ride" at every Winter show. It abolutely transports me and I even know all the words...
5. Favorite version of "Baby, it's Cold Outside"
This is a classic feel-good holiday tune and its been done over and over, mostly universally well. I'm gonna go old-school on this with Johnny Mercer and Margaret Whiting but I must give a nod to Zooey Deschnnel's duo with Leon Redbone from the "Elf" soundtrack. Zooey Deschanel's performance was PERFECT.
6. Finally, Your all time favorite disc--aka, if you could have only one holiday music disc, what would it be? I feel only slightly torn about this one. I would choose Aaron Neville's "Soulful Christmas". Yes: its that good. And I would definitely miss my Canadian Brass recordings.

So....get to work. Share, people, share.