CHRISTMAS COUNTDOWN Day 20: Walking In The Air (Howard Blake)

SONG: Walking In The Air
ARTIST: Howard Blake
ALBUM: The Snowman
RELEASED: 1982
AVAILABILITY: Amazon Marketplace ( CD | MP3 )



"The Snowman" is an odd little animated short. It sort of came out of nowhere, adapting a children's book most people weren't particularly familiar with. And the animation isn't really "good" on a technical level (although it definitely works, stylistically). And it's mostly silent, and a little depressing. But the score, by relative unknown Howard Blake, is legendary, and this main theme is the epitome of haunting Christmas music.

CHRISTMAS COUNTDOWN Day 19: Evergreen (Switchfoot)

SONG: Evergreen
ARTIST: Switchfoot
ALBUM: Happy Christmas Vol. 2 (BEC) / Happy Christmas Vol. 4 (Tooth & Nail)
RELEASED: 1998 / 2005
AVAILABILITY: Amazon ( original CD compilation [discontinued?] | newer CD compilation | MP3 )



This Switchfoot rarity, available only on compilations, is one of the better "I've got the Christmas blues" type of songs out there. It starts off with the usual stuff about not feeling too great on Christmas, but then it employs the frequently-forgotten symbolism of a Christmas tree -- a tree that lives all year round, ironically enough -- to turn the singer's pity party into an object lesson about the holiday.

CHRISTMAS COUNTDOWN Day 18: Adoration (Newsboys)

SONG: Adoration
ARTIST: Newsboys
ALBUM: Adoration
RELEASED: 2003
AVAILABILITY: Amazon ( CD | MP3 )



Without really being advertised as a Christmas song, "Adoration" was quietly snuck onto the Newsboys' "worship" album of the same name. Although I would generally regard this phase of their career as a mistake, some really high-quality songs still came out of it, and this is one of the best new Christmas songs in ages. It's a little sad how much better it is than the so-called Newsboys Christmas album that recently came out, which is really just a Michael Tait Christmas album with an indistinguishable studio backup band... but I digress.

CHRISTMAS COUNTDOWN Day 17: Take a Break, Guys! (The Brian Setzer Orchestra)

SONG: Take a Break, Guys!
ARTIST: The Brian Setzer Orchestra
ALBUM: Wolfgang's Big Night Out
RELEASED: 2002
AVAILABILITY: Amazon ( CD | MP3 | Greatest Hits CD/DVD )



Fulfilling the prophecy by Mr. Bean, this swingin' arrangement of "God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen" (think about the title for a minute) first appeared on Setzer's classical music reinterpretation project, but it's also showed up on his Christmas compilations.

CHRISTMAS COUNTDOWN Day 16: Siberian Sleigh Ride (Trans-Siberian Orchestra)

SONG: Siberian Sleigh Ride
ARTIST: Trans-Siberian Orchestra
ALBUM: The Lost Christmas Eve
RELEASED: 2004
AVAILABILITY: Amazon (CD | MP3 | 3-pack)



This probably needs no introduction at this point; it's another good Trans-Siberian Orchestra instrumental.  Enjoy!