Only A Hippopotamus Will Do
It's that time of year again, where I make relatives (and sometimes non-relatives) mixed CDs for presents. Frequently of holiday music, to keep with a theme. I seem to have about 15 hours of holiday music. Oy. Mostly xmas, but there are some Solstice and Hanukkah songs in there, too. I'm trying to find more that I like of those, because, well, variety, it's the spice of life. Like nutmeg.
One of the small difficulties in making these CDs randomly from year to year, is that I forget what songs I've used before for whom. I should keep a list somewhere, but I, um, don't. Seems too late to start now! I also don't keep a list of those to whom I've given these (submitted for awkward-but-correct sentence structure prize), so who knows who's getting repeats, anyway! And it's mixed CDs, so likely you're getting something new, right? Especially as I keep adding to my extensive, eclectic collection. PS, Eclectic Collection would be a good name for a band.
I like to have a random mix of the fun, the funny, the dancey, the pretty, the sentimental, and the weird. I think this reflects my personality, don't you? (No, I don't include the grumpy songs. Who writes grumpy holiday songs? I mean, except for Stephen Colbert. And those aren't grumpy so much as cynical. And funny. Did I mention the funny? Anyhoozle, no grumpy. That's for Flag Day. Plus, what are you trying to say?) (Besides, when it's December and I'm grumpy I just buy holiday music.) (Um, ignore the fact that I've bought about 50 holiday tunes in the past week, 40 of them tonight. That is immaterial.)
I ... forgot where I was going with that. Ahem. Let me have some chocolate and get back to you. Mmm, chocolate for dinner.
Oh, yes. Mixed offerings are, well, mixed. and if they're not targeted to a single person, I sometimes feel concern that not everyone will like the entire set, so I try to include a little bit of something for everyone. For holiday mixes, this generally includes a few traditional classical tunes played traditionally, a couple played non-traditionally, one or two recent pop holiday songs, a few classic pop holiday songs from the 30s-60s, a few pop-culture happy childhood songs (like Alvin & co), and a couple of off-the-wall weirdo songs: because if you can't be startled into confused laughter at the holidays, well then, what's the point? (This also explains my stocking stuffer shopping. Archie McPhee plays a major role, is what I'm saying.) (This tendency to the happily weird is what I think Saves Christmas Every Year. Let this be a lesson.)
My first and possibly best holiday tune purchase this year was "I Want A Hippopotamus for Christmas," which I actually am surprised I never bought before. Well, I do own it, but on a cassette tape, and that hardly even counts anymore. (Who plays cassette tapes! Were any of us even born then?! Ha!) (Please to ignore the 8-track in the corner.) The first time I remember hearing this song, I was in college, driving somewhere ... I can only assume it was December at the time. It was on the radio, and I nearly had to pull over from laughing so hard. It's so bizarre, and unexpected, and absurd, and I LOVE IT. I had it on a tape with other Dr Demento randomness, and I put that tape in every time I drove down from Humboldt to Davis, and sang along. Because who doesn't want a Hippopotamus for Christmas, huh? This year I also found a super-hilarious version of "Mele Kalikimaka" By KT Tunstall, a Hanukkah pop song called "Candlelight," and I found a song I almost forgot from childhood, "Suzy Snowflake." Wow, that song takes me back to good old North Fondy, Ms. Berg's music class, sitting on those blue plastic chairs and holding mimeographed music that I'm pretty sure we were all huffing. But before anyone knew what huffing was. Good times.
So what's my point, here? I don't think I have one. I'm just rambling on about music, and what I put into a mixed CD. Work, is what it is. I put them into the new playlist queue, move them around, make sure there's enough music to fill it up but not overload the CD. I go through my whole list of songs, look for fun new ones, spend money I don't have, and rearrange until I like the new order. (PS New Order would be a good name for a, oh wait, nevermind.) Then I listen to the whole set several times to make sure it all either hangs together nicely, or startles with incredulity in capricious and abrupt mood changes. Because that's what the holidays are all about.
Capricious and abrupt mood changes. Followed by a lot of food.
One of the small difficulties in making these CDs randomly from year to year, is that I forget what songs I've used before for whom. I should keep a list somewhere, but I, um, don't. Seems too late to start now! I also don't keep a list of those to whom I've given these (submitted for awkward-but-correct sentence structure prize), so who knows who's getting repeats, anyway! And it's mixed CDs, so likely you're getting something new, right? Especially as I keep adding to my extensive, eclectic collection. PS, Eclectic Collection would be a good name for a band.
I like to have a random mix of the fun, the funny, the dancey, the pretty, the sentimental, and the weird. I think this reflects my personality, don't you? (No, I don't include the grumpy songs. Who writes grumpy holiday songs? I mean, except for Stephen Colbert. And those aren't grumpy so much as cynical. And funny. Did I mention the funny? Anyhoozle, no grumpy. That's for Flag Day. Plus, what are you trying to say?) (Besides, when it's December and I'm grumpy I just buy holiday music.) (Um, ignore the fact that I've bought about 50 holiday tunes in the past week, 40 of them tonight. That is immaterial.)
I ... forgot where I was going with that. Ahem. Let me have some chocolate and get back to you. Mmm, chocolate for dinner.
Oh, yes. Mixed offerings are, well, mixed. and if they're not targeted to a single person, I sometimes feel concern that not everyone will like the entire set, so I try to include a little bit of something for everyone. For holiday mixes, this generally includes a few traditional classical tunes played traditionally, a couple played non-traditionally, one or two recent pop holiday songs, a few classic pop holiday songs from the 30s-60s, a few pop-culture happy childhood songs (like Alvin & co), and a couple of off-the-wall weirdo songs: because if you can't be startled into confused laughter at the holidays, well then, what's the point? (This also explains my stocking stuffer shopping. Archie McPhee plays a major role, is what I'm saying.) (This tendency to the happily weird is what I think Saves Christmas Every Year. Let this be a lesson.)
My first and possibly best holiday tune purchase this year was "I Want A Hippopotamus for Christmas," which I actually am surprised I never bought before. Well, I do own it, but on a cassette tape, and that hardly even counts anymore. (Who plays cassette tapes! Were any of us even born then?! Ha!) (Please to ignore the 8-track in the corner.) The first time I remember hearing this song, I was in college, driving somewhere ... I can only assume it was December at the time. It was on the radio, and I nearly had to pull over from laughing so hard. It's so bizarre, and unexpected, and absurd, and I LOVE IT. I had it on a tape with other Dr Demento randomness, and I put that tape in every time I drove down from Humboldt to Davis, and sang along. Because who doesn't want a Hippopotamus for Christmas, huh? This year I also found a super-hilarious version of "Mele Kalikimaka" By KT Tunstall, a Hanukkah pop song called "Candlelight," and I found a song I almost forgot from childhood, "Suzy Snowflake." Wow, that song takes me back to good old North Fondy, Ms. Berg's music class, sitting on those blue plastic chairs and holding mimeographed music that I'm pretty sure we were all huffing. But before anyone knew what huffing was. Good times.
So what's my point, here? I don't think I have one. I'm just rambling on about music, and what I put into a mixed CD. Work, is what it is. I put them into the new playlist queue, move them around, make sure there's enough music to fill it up but not overload the CD. I go through my whole list of songs, look for fun new ones, spend money I don't have, and rearrange until I like the new order. (PS New Order would be a good name for a, oh wait, nevermind.) Then I listen to the whole set several times to make sure it all either hangs together nicely, or startles with incredulity in capricious and abrupt mood changes. Because that's what the holidays are all about.
Capricious and abrupt mood changes. Followed by a lot of food.