Maybe you're young and single. Maybe you're struggling to make ends meet in (another) down economy. Maybe your love life, work life, and drug life are all tangled up. If so, you'll likely find the songs on the CD The Edge of Christmas relevant, not to mention rocking. It might even spark some warm feelings in your jaded old heart.
Then again, maybe you came of age about when Reagan rode into Washington with nuclear guns a'blazin. Like I did (came of age that is; I stay away from guns). If so, then this album is for you, too, even though the nostalgia factor may be a bit overwhelming.
Or, perhaps you just appreciate the artifacts of rock-pop culture, in which case you'll probably enjoy this blast from the 1980s, a decade that is in the spotlight right now on VH1's amusing series "I Love the '80s."
The Edge of Christmas collects 12 songs, 10 of which were recorded during the '80s, with the other two just before or just after that decade. They are all winners, save one. In a good many of the songs, Christmas is something desperately needed – either the idea of peace, the reuniting or reconciliation with loved ones, or the desire to put a positive exclamation point on another tough year. It's all exemplified by The Payolas' "Christmas is Coming."
"Christmas is coming/It's been a long year/I wish you were here" goes the chorus. The song details the singer's scrappy existence: unemployment, apartment kitchen in need of repair (an inch of water on the floor, but the landlord doesn't care, "he only wants more"), playin' records too loud.
The Payolas weren't familiar to me back in the day, but that song is a gem. Most of the artists on the CD are familiar, though. Here they are, in order:
Queen ("Thank God it’s Christmas" gotta love that title, and the song. Bombastic, yeah a bit, but Freddie pulls it off.);
Pat Benatar ("Please Come Home for Christmas" – don't laugh, it's a credible blues ditty and she belts it out nicely);
Article comments
1 - Jen Raj
All on frequent rotation on Z-100's (when they did not suck so much) (NYC) 24 hours of Christmas. As kids, my oldest younger brother and I would listen to about 20 of those 24 hours together as a sort of ritual. Count the repeats.. predict the next play, etc.
Now I can barely stand the stuff, but all of the above get a few free passes :-)
2 - Chris Clark
The Payolas were a Canadian new wave band who had a big hit with "Eyes Of A Stranger" (produced by Bowie guitarist Mick Ronson) that was featured in "Valley Girl."
If you're looking for a comprehensive list of rockin' Christmas tunes that don't suck, check out:
http://www.geocities.com/drclueful/christmassacre.html
3 - Eric Olsen
Mega-successful hard rock producer Bob Rock was in the Payolas, later Rock and Hyde.