VA - A Christmas Gift For You From Phil Spector + Christmas Album Genre Guide

No list of Christmas music would be complete without this album, what many consider to be the greatest holiday set ever cut, so it's with much celebration that we mention this recent reissue of the long out-of-print A Christmas Gift For You, originally released back in 1963.

While there's no question that most of us would balk at the thought of actually having Phil Spector himself over for the holidays, this record is truly something special. The marriage of his 'wall of sound' production style, a roster including Darlene Love, The Ronettes and The Crystals, and some of the most popular carols is divine.

If you're still stuck for some seasonal sounds to stuff into that stocking, let us direct you to our Christmas Album Genre Guide, with choice CD picks from this most maligned of album genres, running from classic and classy to modern and novel.

FAMOUS L. RENFROE AS THE FLYING SWEET ANGEL OF JOY - Children

An enigmatic release from an obscure artist named “Famous”? Well, the oddities don’t end there. Not much is known about Renfroe. We do know, though, that he recorded this record sometime around 1968 and that he self-produced this delicious slab of outsider R&B, playing most of the instruments himself except for drums. Not that this is a Numero-styled lo-fi soul release; no, this is highly esoteric soul, with just enough wrong to make Children a highly compelling listen without going off the deep end of weird and making the black American equivalent of a Shaggs album. Mind you, “His Love” rivals The Prodigals’ “Judy” as one of the most unintentionally out-of-tune basslines in soul history, but listen to that song with the bass turned down low and it’s hard to deny the pure passion in his performance. This is one for fans of late-'50s Specialty Records sides, boogie-woogie and rough guitar-led gospel. 

FLAMIN' GROOVIES - Flamingo/Teenage Head

Courtesy of the excellent Rev-Ola reissue label comes this terrific two-fer of the Flamin' Groovies' seminal 1970-71 albums, Flamingo and Teenage Head. It was from the latter that Hamilton's punk-rockin' finest got their name--fittingly enough, since the Groovies proved themselves to be perfect punk precursors, all the while mining the rich, raunchy heritage of '50s rockabilly and R&B. Both albums feature snarling Stones-y originals, often out-rolling and rocking Mick Jagger and co. The careening covers (including a Randy Newman number!), slide-guitar playing, Roy Loney's snotty vocals, and overall bad-ass attitude make this disc as essential as The Stooges or MC5. And the Groovies' later power-pop excursions are not to be missed either, but that's a whole other story...

VA - Sweet Soul Music: Scorching Classics From 1961-1965

Sweet Soul Music continues Bear Family's year-by-year exploration of R&B that began with the excellent Blowin' The Fuse series (1945-1960).  The first batch in this new series covers 1961-1965 and includes just about every classic soul single released during that period - no obscurities here, this is simply hit after hit compiled by Toronto's own Dave 'Daddy Cool' Booth.  It fills a void left ever since Rhino's Beg, Scream & Shout went out of print. Admittedly, these German imports are more expensive than a typical disc, but every track is a keeper plus you get an 80 page booklet containing stories, photos and cover art.  A must-have!

VARIOUS ARTISTS - Theme Time Radio Hour With Your Host Bob Dylan

It may not feature Your trickster Host intoning his hand of tall tales (most of which are true), but unlike another such compilation of tracks broadcast on Dylan's idiosyncratic and enormously popular satellite radio show, this new ACE collection comes fully licensed and approved by its producers. With liners by a crack team of writers that are nearly as entertaining and authoritative as the tangents dispensed on Dylan's Hour itself (and that's no mean feat), any fan of American music is going to find many a mind-blowing piece of the past here.

VARIOUS ARTISTS - The Best Of Bob Dylan's Theme Time Radio Hour

Started in 2006 and running for 50 episodes, the first season of Dylan's Theme Time Radio Hour confirmed a few things: he has a great affinity for the early country/blues/folk/jazz artists that shaped him as a youth; and he is a keen observer of modern culture, as evidenced by the occasional LL Cool J, Blur or Streets tune tossed into the mix. This 2CD, 52 song release takes at least one song from each of the programs, covering themes like Hair, Coffee, Weather, and The Devil. As a collection of the roots of American Music, it's dead-on and nicely balanced between the well-known and the obscure.