Redd Kross: Super Sunny Christmas (Insipid Vinyl/1991)

Which brings me to Hawthorne California's other favorite sons of Summer Redd Kross.

"Super Sunny Christmas" is perhaps my favorite holiday single. It was recorded shortly after lead guitarist Robert Hecker left the band after the Third Eye tour in 1991. It was only released in Australia on Insipid Vinyl and came out on black, red and green vinyl. It features then-Redd Kross keyboardist Gere Fennelly on the picture sleeve. The song hasn't too many appearances anywhere. It's on Vital Juices - a compilation on Insipid Records and Rodney Bingenheimer's Santa's Got A GTO: Rodney on The ROQ's Fav X-Mas Songs. The B-Side is the non-holiday song "Huge Wonder" which was re-recorded for the bands' Phaseshifter album. This is the superior version of the two.

"Super Sunny Christmas" is a straight-forward power pop song with nice harmony vocals from the McDonald brothers. It's basically a Christmas-in-July song with lyrics such as "I'm so glad there ain't no snow/It's gonna be a Super-Sunny Christmas I know". The song features synthesized harpsichord (which is fairly unique for a Redd Kross song) and sleighbells in the bridge and coda. This isn't the only Christmas song that Redd Kross has written & recorded. The other being, "Mary Christmas" which appeared on the A Home For The Holidays: Phoenix House compilation in the late 90's. Also worth checking out if so inclined.


Here's the video review:

A very special thanks to: Cassandra Fowler.

The Beach Boys: The Beach Boys' Christmas Album (Capitol/1964)

The Beach Boys' Christmas Album was released just in time for the Christmas holiday season, on November 9th 1964. The album was undoubtedly conceived as a result of Capitol's persistent pressure for product from the band for the Holiday season. But it was perhaps inspired by Phil Spector's A Christmas Gift To You, which Brian Wilson has stated is his all-time favorite recording. So how do the boys of Summer from Hawthorne California fare on a recording of Christmas music? Exceptionally well.

The record was split into two conceptual sides; side one is the pop side for the teens and features the band on all instruments while side two is the traditional side for the adults. Side two was arranged and orchestrated by Dick Reynolds, whose work with The Four Freshman Brian Wilson was a fan of. The band was backed on the Dick Reynolds tracks by a forty-one piece orchestra.

"Little Saint Nick" returns here as it had already been a hit from the prior holiday season of 1963 (reaching #3 on Billboard's Holiday Charts). And it has gone on to become something of a holiday classic. "The Man With All The Toys" was the single from the album and  while not becoming the classic that "Little Saint Nick" has, it was successful, reaching #6 on Billboard's Holiday Charts.
"Merry Christmas Baby" was also eventually released as a single in 1966 in the German market.
"Christmas Day" (which was Al Jardine's first lead vocal performance with the band) and "Santa's Beard" round out the originals.

"White Christmas", "Blue Christmas" and "We Three Kings Of Orient Are" are Wintery-cold in the vocal performances and the arrangements mirror that. "Frosty The Snowman" and "Santa Claus Are Coming To Town" are playful and lighthearted and these are the two non-singles that still get airplay around the holidays. "Auld Lang Syne" closes things out and features a flubbed spoken-word thank you from Dennis Wilson over the band's accapella version of the song.

The album reached #6 on Billboard's Top 100 charts and has subsequently gone Gold.  It has been released numerous times over the years in many different variations. The best of these is Ultimate Christmas, which was released in 1998 and also features the bands later holiday recordings from the the mid 70's. It's one of my favorite holiday recordings by default as it features the ultimate Summer band in Winter holiday mode.

Here's the video review:

A Very Special Thanks to: Cassandra Fowler.

The Replacements: Songs For Slim (New West Records / 2013)

Bob "Slim" Dunlap was the Replacements lead guitarist from 1987-1991, having replaced original guitarist Bob Stinson. He joined the band following the recording of Pleased To Meet Me and was the lead guitarist in-tow for the accompanying tour. He played on their Don't Tell A Soul and All Shook Down albums. In February of 2012, he suffered a massive, debilitating stroke. With Slim and his family facing considerable expenses for his rehabilitation and care, the surviving Replacements (Chris Mars, Tommy Stinson & Paul Westerberg) decided to set up a fundraiser. The result was the songsforslim.com website, collecting numerous auctions and merchandise for fans to purchase with the proceeds going to the Slim Dunlap Fund.

                                       
                                          The Replacements in 1987 with Slim (on far right).

One of these releases, Songs For Slim was a five-song EP that was initially was pressed on 10" vinyl with a limited pressing of 250 and were auctioned online with all proceeds going toward Slim and his medical expenses. Later pressings were sold on 12" on magenta-colored vinyl (with a download card). Tommy Stinson & Paul Westerberg reunited to record four songs - one of which "Busted Up" was written by Slim the others being covers. "Radio Hook Word Hit" (also written by Slim) was recorded entirely by former Replacements drummer Chris Mars. The project was produced by former Replacements mentor/manager Peter Jesperson. The cover art was also done by Chris Mars (who's had a lucrative career as a visual artist since the demise of the Replacements).

There's also been a series of eight 7" singles on colored-vinyl released of Slim's
songs as performed by such artists such as The Young Fresh Fellows, Peter Buck of R.E.M., John Doe of X and Frank Black of The Pixies. These songs (as well as several others) were also collected on the benefit double-album Songs For Slim: Rockin' Here Tonight - A Benefit For Slim Dunlap. All this activity spawned an unlikely Replacements reunion with the band performing at Coachella, Riotfest and on the Tonight Show. I personally saw them at the Forest Hills Tennis Stadium in September of 2014 and it was an exceptional performance.

This is recommended for The Replacements fan (if you haven't already picked up a copy). But it's not a great starting point for the non-replacements. That would be Tim, Let It Be or Pleased To Meet Me.

Here's the video review:

Special thanks: New West Records, Chris Mars Publishing.

The Surfsiders Sing The Beach Boys Songbook (Design Records/1965)

Wow. Where to begin with this kitschy doozy of a collection. This was released in 1965 on the budget sound-alike label Design Records which was a subsidiary of Pickwick International based out of Long Island City, Queens, New York. The Surfsiders were a studio outfit which featured a pre-Velvet Underground Lou Reed as a vocalist on a few tracks.

I'd like to think that a flurry of illegal substances and adult beverages were at play here when it comes to explaining the goofy, punkoid arrangements. But somehow I know that's not the case.
There are multiple laugh-out-loud moments on this release. Imagine the T-Birds clowning around singing together in Grease (or even better Grease 2) but, if they were Beach Boys fanatics.

"Little Honda", "When I Grow Up To Be A Man", "Help Me Rhonda" and "Little Deuce Coupe" are all mangled in unimaginative doo-wop - and unlike Brian Wilson's beautiful vocal arrangements - are basically all sung in the same octave.

The back-cover "artwork" features virtually no information about what was inside, as was par for the course with this and many other budget labels of the time. The front cover features a couple of laughing blonde teenagers yucking it up while running into the ocean with a surf board.

It's pretty safe to say that I struck kitsch gold with this purchase. Only recommended for masochistic Beach Boy fans or Lou Reed completeists. Maybe?

Here's the video review: