Lesser-known carols you should probably know.

In case you're sick of Jingle Bells by now.

Third Christmas Random 12

The Little Drummer Boy - King's Singers
Winter Peace - Jim Brickman
Carols Sing - Michael W. Smith
Jingle All the Way - Lena Horne
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer - Steve Tyrell
Noel: Christmas Eve, 1913 - John Denver and the Muppets
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen - The Chieftains
I'll be Home for Christmas - Mindy Smith
This Christmas - Harry Connick Jr.
Merry Christmas Darling - The Carpenters


Bring a Torch Jennette, Isabella - New York Choral Artists
The Holly and the Ivy - Thomas Moore

2nd Christmas Random 12

Personent Hodie - David Willcocks and the Choir of King's College
Jingle Bells - Bing Crosby
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen - Nat King Cole
Deck the Halls with Boughs of Holly - Philadelphia Brass Ensemble
Rejoice (O Come, O Come) - Jim Brickman
The Wexford Carol - The Chieftains
Christmas Time is Here - Vince Guaraldi Trio
Silent Night - Sufjan Stevens
Silent Night - Kathleen Battle/Wynton Marsalis



Happy Xmas (War is Over) - Sara Mclachlan
The Boar's Head Carol - The Kings Singers
The First Noel - Azusa Pacific University Choir and Orchestra

Prepping

We gathered last night, coming in from the frigid arctic cold, bringing our instruments - trumpets, trombones, horns - to prepare for Saturday evening's Holiday Concert. The sanctuary was lit and warm, a haven from the dark winter's night outside. The music was festive, it was fun, from high baroque of Telemann to jazz versions of We Three Kings and Let It Snow. For three hours we blew duets and quintets, we hammered out chords and complex rhythmic structures, we site-read and we rehearsed. For three hours, Christmas music flew from our lungs, our fingers, our instruments into the open space of the church sanctuary. For three hours we made music, and it was good.

Then to pack up the instruments, return chairs and music stands to their proper locations, to say goodbye and to head out into the dark and the frost, to drive home past houses lit with twinkling lights, past parking lots full of pine trees waiting to find a home, underneath a heaven of sparkling stars, finally realizing that Christmas time is here. I know - Advent is a season of waiting. But I'm through waiting. Christ has already come. I'm in a mood to celebrate.

Christmas Random 12

O Tannenbaum - Nat King Cole
The Jesus Gift - Azusa Pacific University Choir and Orchestra
Santa Claus is Coming to Town - Dave Brubeck

Happy Holidays - Manhattan Transfer
Silver Bells - Mindy Smith
It's Christmas! Let's Be Glad! - Sufjan Stevens
Ole Santa - Dinah Washington
River - Sarah McLachlan
O Come, O Come Emanuel - Philadelphia Brass Ensemble
We Three Kings - Jim Brickman

Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming - Brass Mosaic
Myn Lyking - David Wilcocks and the Choir at Kings College

If you're looking for something to do. . .

On Saturday, December 12, at 7:00 p.m., the Gig Harbor Peninsula Symphony Orchestra will be holding its Christmas concert at St. John's Episcopal Church in Gig Harbor. The concert will include arias from Messiah sung by Meg Daly, organ solos by Jeff Orr, and quite a bit of brass music, including duets and brass quintets, featuring GHPSO's brass section: Manny Garcia and Dan Whitmarsh (that's me!), trumpet; Vince Young, French Horn, and Paul Casely, trombone. There will also be a holiday sing-along, giving the audience a chance to participate.

Admission is free, although there is a suggested donation of $10 per adult, $5 per student or child, or $25 per family.

For more information, including directions, check out the GHPSO website.
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In addition, this Sunday (12/6) is the annual tree-lighting and visit from Santa in Key Center. I'll be playing there with the Down Home Band, so stop by and say hi.

Thanks, Christian Radio

One of the 'marker' points throughout the year is the first Christmas song I hear on the radio. Usually, it's right around Thanksgiving, and usually it will be a traditional Christmas tune. Think Bing Crosby or Nat King Cole. It's one of the moments that releases me into the fulness of the Christmas season, setting the tone for the weeks to come.

Imagine my chagrine when, pulling away from the recycling station this afternoon, I flipped on the car radio and heard Christmas music. On Halloween. "Is this a commercial?" I asked myself?

Nope. Apparently the local Christian music station has decided it's fun to play Christmas music all day long on Halloween. Talk about upsetting the base forces of the universe. Talk about utterly ruining my tradition. Talk about abusing an entire season for a 'cute' marketing gimmick.

Maybe if it had been Sinatra I might have been a little more open to the idea. But the worst of it was that the first song I heard was that horrific, awful screaming metal guitar version of "Carol of the Bells." An idea that never should have left the recording studio in the first place.

Now I'm trying to figure out if I can give myself a mulligan. . .or if the die has been cast and I'm stuck with that song, on this day, as the first Christmas song of 2009. This is not the predicament I wanted to be in today.

This year's list of Dan's Essential Christmas Albums

That's right, kids. I said "albums." Some of you might remember those things, from before the days you 'downloaded' all those songs off the 'interwebs.'

In no particular order. . .

1. Andrew Peterson: Behold the Lamb of God - The True Tall Tale of the Coming of Christ
- Especially good are "Matthew's Begats," "It Came to Pass," and "Labor of Love."
2. The Chieftains: The Bells of Dublin
- Jackson Browne's "Rebel Jesus" is one of the highlights here.
3. Vince Guaraldi: A Charlie Brown Christmas
- Do they make Christmas albums better than this?
4. The Carpenters: Christmas Portrait
- Takes me back to gathering with the family at my aunt and uncle's house on Bainbridge Island, back in the day. And, of course, "Merry Christmas Darling" is an all-time favorite.
5. Diana Krall: Christmas Songs
- To add some jazz sophistication into the mix
6. John Denver and the Muppets: A Christmas Together
- 'cause, you know, it's got both John Denver AND the Muppets.
7. George Winston: December
- In my top three, I'm sure. This album got me through some cold, lonely days on the Canadian prairies.
8. Kenny Loggins: December
- This album grows more on me every year.
9. Harry Connick jr.: Harry for the Holidays
10. Michael W. Smith: It's a Wonderful Christmas
- Poke around this blog long enough and you'll notice I've talked about this album plenty of times. Simply put, it's a solid soundtrack to the holidays.
11. John Rutter (with the Cambridge Singers): The John Rutter Christmas Album
- Classical yet modern, simple yet elegent. A few Rutter songs have become some of my favorite carols, including "Candlelight Carol" and "Angel's Carol."
12. Mindy Smith: My Holiday
- To add a slightly country flavor into the mix
13. David Willcocks and the Kings College Choir: Noel: Christmas at King's College
- A Christmas Eve Necessity
14. Sufjan Stevens: Songs for Christmas (vol. 1-5)
- I did a review on this last month. Go read that.
15. Thomas Moore: The Soul of Christmas - A Celtic Music Celebration
- I picked this up for a buck out of the used CD bin at Rhino Records. One of the best bucks I've ever spent. Ever. Highlights include "Jesus Christ, the Apple Tree," "In the Blead Midwinter," and "Christ Child's Lullaby."
16. St. Olaf Choir: A St. Olaf Christmas in Norway
- This one is slowly making it's way upward on my favorites list.
17. Steve Tyrell: This Time of the Year
- For the Christmas Party Soundtrack
18. Sara McLachlan: Wintersong
- I think I would describe this album as "Delicious" - like hot chocolate on a snowy day.
19. John Doan: Wrapped in White - Visions of Christmas Past
- In my top 2 Christmas albums all-time. Seeing him live last year only makes it more enjoyable. His take on "O Come, O Come Emmanuel" is beyond exquisite.
20. Brass Mosaic: A Brass Christmas
- What could sound more like Christmas than brass instruments playing ancient and favorite carols?

So how many of those do you own? What albums would you add?

For your holiday listening pleasure

Folk Alley has their holiday music stream going now.

You can listen to it online here.

On the left column, scroll over "music" and then click on "listen." You'll see the link to the holiday stream pop up over there in the middle.

The Advent Song I want to sing someday

Seriously. . .one of my all-time favorites.




And this is another one.

Time for Christmas Music

Christmas is a big deal to me. Probably my favorite time of year. And Christmas music is a big part of that. Every year I buy a Christmas album or two, and quite often those albums go a long way in defining that particular Christmas.

Sometimes I'm disappointed. I've purchased my share of Christmas albums that haven't made it into my extended playlist. Picked up some that just didn't cut it. There are those that, try as I might, I just couldn't bring myself to like. Carolyn Arends' Christmas: An Irrational Season comes to mind (made all the more disappointing because I love the album title so much). As does Kathy Mattea's Joy for Christmas Day. Last year's great disappointment was Selah's Rose of Bethlehem, although to their credit, I think I kept three songs from this CD in my music collection before donating it to the church library.

But more often than not, I've found myself delighted, especially at the unexpected finds. Last year's gems were Michael W. Smith's It's a Wonderful Christmas, and Mindy Smith's My Holiday. Over the last couple years I've also picked up Diana Krall's Christmas Songs, John Doan's Wrapped in White, and the John Rutter Christmas Album. And a lot more. But we'll probably get to that later, with some kind of top-ten list in another week or two.

The point here is that I found this year's Christmas album last week. I hadn't even gone shopping for it; I just happened to be in Borders, and it just happened to catch my eye. I actually bought it more for Karina than me, since she's a fan, but I've already grown to love it.

It's Songs for Christmas, by Sufjan Stevens.


Songs for Christmas is a veritable wonderland of Christmas music. Not just one CD, but five make up this box set of Sufjan's take on Christmas. Plus a lot of bonus materials: a singalong book complete with chord charts, a poster of Sufjan, a few Christmas stories and even a Christmas cartoon are all included. It's like getting a box from grandma with a whole bunch of presents inside. You certainly feel you got your money's worth.

As to the music itself: The set is the culmination of five years' worth of recordings. Every year from 2001 to 2006 Sufjan recorded a Christmas EP for his family and friends. This set pulls those five recordings together into one package, made available for the general public.

If you know Sufjan's work, then you generally know what to expect from this collection. Deep, rich, complex music set against fun, explosive, chaotic renderings. Some people might simply chalk it all up as "random," and they'd be right. Except that Sufjan has a solid core that guides and forms all he does, giving the music a soul and a center, even if it feels like it's been thrown into a blender and pureed for five minutes.

You get the classics here: "Silent Night," "Lo! How a Rose E'er Blooming," "I Saw Three Ships," "O Holy Night," and "Joy to the World." You also get some non-Christmas tunes, such as "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing" and "Holy, Holy, Holy," - both of them sensitive, fresh, yet powerful arrangements. But then you also get some soon-to-be classics as only Sufjan could deliver, such as "That Was the Worst Christmas Ever," "Come on! Let's Boogey to the Elf Dance!" and "Did I Make You Cry on Christmas Day? (Well, You Deserved it!)."

Backing up those songs is an eclectic mix of instrumentation, including plentiful banjo and glockenspiel. He gets his electronic mix in there, but allows the "real" instruments to carry most of the weight. As to the vocals - this is everything that afor-mentioned Selah album wasn't. It's simple, it's out-of-tune, it's prone to come in too early or hold on too long. In other words, it's not studio singers perfected by electronics; instead it's a bunch of friends sitting in a living room having a sing-along, inviting the rest of us in. At times it sounds like a frat party that's carried on just a tad too long, and now the egg-nog filled guys are stumbling out into the snow to carol the sorority sisters next door. And that's a good thing. It's fun, it's human, it's got a soul to it so much lacking in the rest of the studio-driven CDs sitting on the store shelves.

And yet. . .and this is the key to a Christmas album for me. It's the album I'd love to have playing in the background on Christmas Eve, once the candlelight service is over and the kids are in bed, and Karina and I are sharing a cup while sitting on the couch dreaming of snowfall outside. It's restful, it's soul-ful, it carries you away to simple places and glorious times, reminding you that, since the Light has come into the world, we can smile and rejoice and make merry and be glad. Maybe that's it; ultimately, it's a very happy album. It's a hopeful album. It's a good album.

One caveat: If you really, really loved that afor-mentioned Selah album, you probably wouldn't appreciate the subtlety of Sufjan. I get that. He's certainly not for everybody. I know a lot of people who would scratch their heads at this album. I understand that. It will probably never sell as many copies as, say, Mariah Carey's Christmas Album (which I wouldn't listen to, even if you paid me. . .). I accept that. (Of course, if you think Mariah Carey's Christmas album is actually good Christmas music, then we have nothing further to discuss)

I'm just saying that I really like Songs for Christmas. And that it's going to help define Christmas 2008 for us, and probably years beyond. So go support your independent musicians, take a risk, leave behind music the studios want you to buy, and add some truly great music to your collection. That would be a good thing.

Couple O Things

Bookmark:
Classic King FM is streaming Christmas music 24/7. And you can bet that it's going to be quality Christmas music, based on the source. . .
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Go to your Itunes song list, or your Windows Media Player song list, or whatever you use to organize your digital music files. Have it sort your music by song titles. Then tell me what song you have the most versions of.

I ask because my #1 song is Silent Night, of which I have 16 different versions listed.
- Bing Crosby
- Brass Mosaic
- City of London Sinfonia
- The Carpenters
- Harry Connick, jr
- John Denver
- John Doan (2 versions)
- Nat King Cole
- Sara Maclachlan
- Selah
- Thomas Moore
- Kathleen Battle
- New York Choral Artists
- Michael Pritzl/Jenny Gullen
- Tom Howard

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Speaking of Christmas Music, does anybody want a free copy of Kathy Mattea's Christmas album, Joy for Christmas Day? I bought it a couple years ago and it just doesn't do anything for me, except for making me want to turn it off.

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The intelligence of a child: On the way into Seattle last night, Olivia piped up from the back seat, "Daddy, I know how to spell YMCA."

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Speaking of Seattle and Christmas music, last night was the Canadian Brass concert at Benaroya Hall. Olivia and I joined my brother Michael for a nice dinner, followed by the two hour brass extravaganza. The CB were superb, the musical selections were rich and broad, the night was a blend of high baroque art and typical CB silliness. Only 2 of the original 5 players remain, but the three who have joined are all very capable (if perhaps lacking a little of the CB quirkiness). From a cell phone ringtone medley to Frosty melting on stage, from Bach to Peter Schickile, the group covered a lot of bases, entertaining adults and kids alike. Truly a wonderful way to usher in the final week before Christmas.

Friday Random 10

Christmas edition

Nice to get some standards (#2, 6, 9, 10) and some not-so-traditional (#3,5). #4 is from my days at Azusa Pacific, arranged by Barrie Gott, the APU band director who recruited me. He was a trumpet player, which may explain the horrific trumpet parts we had to play in that one. As to #8 - how did this one album, this one TV special, become one of the iconic Christmas sounds? It's so simple, lacking flash and fireworks, and yet it says "Christmas" like nothing else America has produced.

1. Fredericka Von Stade and the American Boy Choir – Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming, from “A Carnegie Hall Christmas”
2. John Denver and the Muppets – Deck the Halls, from “A Christmas Together”
3. Steve Tyrell – The Christmas Blues, from “This Time of Year”
4. Azusa Pacific University Choir and Orchestra – King Jesus is His Name, from “Celebrate the Child”
5. Choir of King’s College – Blessed Be that Maid Mary, from “Noel: Christmas at Kings”
6. Jim Brickman – What Child is This?, from “Gift”
7. New York Pops – Christmas Fantasy, from “Christmas in the Country”
8. Vince Guaraldi – Skating, from “A Charlie Brown Christmas”
9. Bing Crosby – Silent Night, from “White Christmas”
10. Brass Mosaic – Away in a Manger, from “A Brass Christmas”

Dan's Desert-Island Christmas List

In no particular Order:

- Andrew Peterson, Behold the Lamb of God: The True Tall Tale of the Coming of Christ
- The Chieftains, The Bells of Dublin
- Vince Guaraldi, A Charlie Brown Christmas
- The Carpenters, Christmas Portrait
- Diana Krall, Christmas Songs
- John Denver and the Muppets, A Christmas Together
- George Winston, December
- Kenny Loggins, December
- John Rutter and the London Sinfonia, John Rutter Christmas Album
- Mindy Smith, My Holiday
- Thomas Moore, The Soul of Christmas: A Celtic Music Celebration
- Sarah Maclachlan, Wintersong
- John Doan, Wrapped in White: Visions of Christmas Past
- Michael W. Smith, It's a Wonderful Christmas
- David Willcocks and the Choir of King's College, Noel: Christmas at King's

Got my tickets

Tuesday night, December 18.
Benaroya Hall, Seattle, WA
Canadian Brass Christmas Concert

Handel: The Arrival of the Queen of Sheba from Solomon
Giovanni Gabrielli: Canzona
J.S. Bach: Concerto in D major
Barber: Adagio
Peter Schickele: Horn Smoke

The world-renowned Canadian Brass quintet returns to Seattle to celebrate the sounds of the season! Featuring traditional holiday tunes, selections from the quintet's High Society album and a Glenn Miller medley!

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I first saw the Canadian Brass 20 years ago, fittingly, in Canada. They performed Barber's Adagio that night as well. And any night that includes a Peter Schickele number has to be good. Plus, what is more fitting for Christmas than live brass?

One more Christmas Offering

A decade and a half ago, Michael W. Smith blessed us with his first Christmas album. Departing from his pop/CCM vein, MWS moved into the arena of cantata, delivering an album full of choir and orchestra, with tender moments like the Amy Grant solo on "All is Well," and the excitement of the synth/brass pop version of "Angels We Have Heard on High." I had been a MWS fan before, but that album raised his credit with me.

Then he went back to pop music. And it was still good pop music, some of the best in the world of CCM, but it seemed as if he'd given us a glimpse of his potential, only to pull back into the middle of the crowd.

He eventually came out with a second Christmas album, which, while going in a different direction than the first, was also very good, and a staple in my Christmas rotation.

Through the years, though, he has moved in the arena of pop - drums, synths, electric guitars, even through a couple of decent worship albums. And it's all been good; it just never seemed to live up to the potential shown in his first Christmas album.

This year he released It's a Wonderful Christmas. It showed up in the Amazon box the other day.

And finally, all these years later, I think he's done it. He's gone back to the symphonic, choir and orchestra mix that made the first one so exquisite. While not entirely leaving the pop world behind, MWS has loaded this album with charging brass, lush strings, full choirs, bells and tympani, all coming together to create a gorgeous, hook-filled, exciting, tender, deep, rich masterpiece that runs like a soundtrack to Christmas. At moments it plays like the Nutcracker, at others like David Foster, and still at others it's the opening of your favorite holiday specials. It is powerful, it is deep, it is fun, it is, truly, amazing.

And it's all new. Which, as I mentioned before, is risky. How to add something to the collective consciousness of Christmas. How to write new music that fits in with the classics, yet adds something fresh and different. And MWS does it just fine, thank you very much. Yes, there are tastes of Joy to the World, and hints of other well-known standards. But mostly, it's brand new, yet classic enough that it seems to fit well into the Christmas mold.

Oh, and this. One of the criticisms MWS often receives is for his nasal voice, that works somewhat well in some pop, but doesn't mesh well with a more choral-driven sound. I admit that the only place I cringe in the first Christmas album is when, in the opening number, the choir swells into a great crescendo, and then gives way to MWS in solo, his voice clashing with the richness of the choir. But something is different here. It's almost as if MWS went out and got some voice lessons, or he's mellowing as he grows older. I don't know. He still sounds like MWS, but his voice is rounder, it blends better. He actually almost sounds like a decent soloist to be fronting this group.

In case you hadn't figured it out, I really like this album. And I think you will, too.

A (slight) moderation on the previous post

About 12 years ago Van Putman put it this way: "Dan, you're a musical bigot." He was only 1/2 joking. I guess I do have pretty definite opinions as to what constitutes good music. Of course, 25 years of studying and playing, a music degree, and time spent playing some of the world's best music gives me perhaps slightly more authority on the subject than your average player of Guitar Hero.

But, in the end, it's still my opinion. If you like Selah, Celine Dion, Carman, and Kenny G, you're welcome to listen to it, and even enjoy it. You can argue with my high-fallutin' opinions on the comments section on any post I make. I'm man enough to take it.

I must also recognize this fallacy in yesterday's post. I was comparing the best of "the world's" music with some of the cheesier product out of the CCM world. In the interest of honesty, I should admit that I do have some "Christian" Christmas albums I like very much - Andrew Peterson's Behold the Lamb of God, Amy Grant's 1st Christmas Album, the first 2 Christmas albums by Michael W Smith ( I haven't heard the 3rd yet); there were parts of the Jaci Velázquez Christmas album that I really liked. And, of course, "the world" has produced its share of hideous Christmas albums. The $5.99 CD bin at Big Lots is full of these. Even at Borders the other day I looked through the Christmas display and realized I wouldn't want 75% of their product. Perhaps it's just the sheer numbers of albums that make it seem weighted. If "the world" produces 300 Christmas albums, there's bound to be 20 or 30 that are worth buying. Whereas, when the CCM industry produces 10 Christmas albums a year, and I find one decent one every 3 years, those probably average out.

So, for the moment, I'll be quiet about "the industries" and simply comment on the specific albums, and if you want to agree or disagree, feel free to do so.

BTW - on the 10th time (or so) through of the Mindy Smith, all I can say is I think it makes my all-time top 10 list, and makes #1 for this year. You really ought to get it.

And if you want to listen to the Selah album, I think I'm donating my copy to the church's library.

On Christmas Music

Over the weekend I read an old article by John Fischer, in which he takes a swipe at the CCM industry. He essentially talks about how lifeless, so plastic, so un-original most of CCM turned out to be.

That article came to mind the moment I popped the new Mindy Smith album, "My Holiday," into the CD player.
Because it's that good. Because it's both fresh and classic. Because it's edgy yet traditional. Because she risks singing many of the standards (The Christmas Song, Silver Bells, What Are You Doing New Years' Eve? Away in a Manger) yet makes them her own, and thus makes them sound new again. And also because she includes new Christmas songs, a proposition always fraught with danger, yet they end up songs already sounding like classics. Because she stays true to the soul of Christmas, not pulling any "cute" tactics to try to make a quick sell, but also because she brings something new to the table.

In short - at the first take, I already love this album.

Back to the Fischer quote. It was on my mind because all last week I was listening to the Selah "Rose of Bethlehem" CD.

Somebody had recommended it back when I was looking for new Christmas music for our church. This was the 2nd to arrive, following the schmaltzy Hillsongs Christmas I panned a few weeks ago. And this one, well, at least it was better than the Hillsongs album. In fact, I'd give it a 5 out of 10. But in the end, it is still that pre-packaged, slick, glossy Nashville sound. It's the same formula, a studio-driven vocal group with whiny electric guitars and soaring string machines. The classic songs are overdramatized (I guess that sells big in Nashville), and the new ones just try too hard to be "catchy." And the theology is a little circumspect, especially the line "God predestined that his son would die, but he made man anyway." Why are we doing Calvinist theology in a Christmas album?

The big difference between these two albums is the question of soul. Mindy Smith's album has a soul, and everything on the album comes from that place. The Selah album is more like a Big Mall Christmas, with flashy lights and lots of eye candy to grab your attention, but with no real center to grab you once you've looked their way. In fact, I've probably listened to it 6-8 times in the last week, and I hardly remember anything about it. It's just. . .generic.

It's like there are two Nashvilles. The real one that produces Mindy Smith (and Allison Kraus, who sings backup on Mindy's Away in The Manger) and the Christian Nashville, that continues to spew forth bland, formulaic background music. So why is the Christian version always the cheesy, unoriginal, banal version?

Oh, except for this: Mindy Smith sings about Jesus too. She's just a Christian who eschewed the Christian Nashville promo machine, and we're better off for it.

Dreaming of Christmas

A couple weeks ago I asked some friends for some advice. I was looking for some new Christmas music to include in our worship at Lakebay. If you know me, you know I'm a pretty traditional guy when it comes to Christmas. You don't mess much with Christmas, if you want to keep me happy.

But, our church has a fairly contemporary feel, which means suddenly shifting to the traditional carols, done in a traditional manner, can be a little bit of a hiccup. I thought finding a new song or two might be worth investigating.

One that came highly recommended was the Hillsong Christmas album.

I checked it out, and discovered they have a couple Christmas albums. I ordered this one:


And I don't know. Maybe I bought the wrong one. I'm a little surprised, because Hillsong tends to be edgy. This is a lot more like Smooth Jazz Christmas. Seriously. I kept waiting for Kenny G to jump in with a solo. There's just way too much electric piano, 7th chords, and silky smooth jazz voicings. I don't mean to be mean. . .but most of this sounds like what you play in the background at your office Christmas party. I don't think there's anything on here I would want to use. I'm not sure I'll want to keep this album around once this year is over.

But there are a couple more on the way, so maybe I'll find a nugget or two in one of those.

On another note, the Fed Ex guy just showed up with a box that looks suspiciously like a new guitar. . .gotta run!