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 The
novelty record has had a long love affair with Christmas (or vice versa). Many
of the
best-selling Christmas records have, in fact, been novelties ("All I Want
For Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth," "Grandma Got Run Over By A
Reindeer," "The Chipmunk Song," "Nuttin' For Christmas," etc.),
and most great Christmas rockers have an element of the ridiculous in them
- intended or not. On Dr.
Demento Presents The Greatest Christmas Novelty CD Of All Time (1989),
the high priest of hilarity exposes the best of this rarified genre, and the
results can be hilarious (comedic tracks from Cheech & Chong and Doug & Bob
McKenzie), crazy (Spike Jones) or just plain weird (Gayla Peevey's "I
Want A Hippopotamus For Christmas"). While a few cuts rate a little higher
on the I.Q. scale than most - Tom Lehrer's sadistic "A Christmas Carol" and
no less than three Stan Freberg tracks (including the acerbic "Green Christmas")
- the fun peaks only when the brain goes on holiday.
It can be argued that we don't really need to hear some of these songs ever
again. As popular as they are, the selections by Elmo & Patsy and Weird
Al Yankovic (not to mention the good Doctor's self-serving duet with Wild Man
Fisher) are truly annoying. Others (Singing Dogs, Chipmunks) are similarly
tainted but have achieved a certain timelessness. Personally, I'd much rather
hear some of the notable omissions - Buchanan & Goodman's wacky "Santa & The
Satellite" (available on the vinyl precursor to this CD) springs to mind
. Like all entertainers, though, the Demented One must play to the cheap seats,
so let's all howl along for one more chorus of "Jingle Bells" and
shed a tear for the old lady with hoof prints on her ass. The
Greatest Christmas Novelty CD Of All Time lives up to its billing, and
any Christmas collection will be incomplete without it. [top of page]
 Albums
Songs
- All I Want For Christmas
Is My Two Front Teeth (Spike Jones, 1948)
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The Chipmunk Song (The Chipmunks, 1958)
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A Christmas Carol (Tom Lehrer, 1954)
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Christmas Dragnet (Stan Freberg, 1953)
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Green Christmas (Stan Freberg, 1958)
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I Want A Hippopotamus For Christmas (Gayla Peevey, 1953)
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I Yust Go Nuts At Christmas (Yogi Yorgesson, 1949)
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Jingle Bells (Singing Dogs, 1956)
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Nuttin' For Christmas (Stan Freberg, 1955)
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Santa Claus And His Old Lady (Cheech & Chong, 1971)
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The Twelve Days Of Christmas (Bob & Doug McKenzie, 1981)
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The Twelve Gifts Of Christmas (Allan Sherman, 1963)
Further
Listening
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Top 20 Album
