Mike Oldfield Christmas Songs

Here's my next Christmas music post. This one is all Christmas-related songs by Mike Oldfield, best known for his "Tubular Bells", used as the theme for "The Exorcist"

The first one is called "The Time Has Come". The graphics look rather Commodore 64, don't they? Oldfield make the computer graphics animation himself, or so I've heard. I listened to this song many many times before I ever saw the video. The lyrics describe the coming of a messiah. I thought it fit Jesus, somewhat. Part of them appear below:
"A thousand years they waited for
someone who would be true
and now the empty years have passed
the sunlight shines anew
(Chorus)
Someone who knows no fear
I feel him near
The child was born to be a king, a king,
And The Time Has Come
He tamed the wild wind when he passed
the birds and beasts he knew
until he came to rest at last
the tall gates he passed through..."

If not Jesus, perhaps they at least fit Rand al'Thor, the Dragon Reborn. Yet in Oldfield's video, it appears that the song is about King Tut.

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The next one was actually a big hit in the UK, but it just about unknown in the US. It's "In Dulci Jubilo". It is best known as "Good Christian Men Rejoice". There is even a modern painfully politically-correct version that is "Good Christian Friends Rejoice". In the US, probably the best known version of "In Dulci Jubilo" is the one by Mannheim Steamroller.

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Oldfield has also done a version of "Silent Night":

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Finally, there is a Christmas-related track on Oldfield's uneven album entitled "The Millennium Bell". The lyrics to the track, "Peace on Earth", are short and simple:

"In a manger lying
Silent stars are shining
Rest in dreamless slumber
Eyes around all in wonder

Heaven and earth are turning
Round the hearth fire is burning
Sheltered from the cruel storm
Peace on earth is new born"

"Breath of Heaven" (Christmas Music)

I'll probably be doing Christmas music related posts through Friday.

This one is "Breath of Heaven", which comes to mind as the best Christmas song of the modern era (modern era being the last 20 years or so). It tells the story of the Nativity from Mary's point of view. I've never understood the Catholic fixation on Mary, and it seems Protestants hardly mention her.


What are my readers' favorite "serious" or religious Christmas songs?

Aled Jones "Walking in the Air"

I've been listening to Sky FM a lot lately for music, in particular the Sky FM Christmas music station. I guess I'm kind of retro when it comes to stereos, as the main stereo in the house is a 15 or so year old silver Cylon-head boombox, typical of how they looked in the 1990s. A few weeks ago, I decided to update it and get it into the Internet age. I plugged a 5 year old laptop computer I got for free into it, and the sound is amazing. The only cost really was a $30 Wifi card, which lets the laptop get the music web stations from the Internet hub without having to have a network cable.

One song I've heard on the Christmas station is "Walking in the Air" by Aled Jones. I loved this song right away, but I can't for the life of me figure out why they are calling it a Christmas song. Give it a listen:



You might want to listen to Sky FM on your computer, even if you are not hooking a dedicated laptop to your stereo. It's free, and they have a wide variety.

"Avatar" North American Premiere

Thank you Michael Moore and James Cameron.

I had to get in line pretty early to get a ticket earlier tonight (as the movie had quickly sold out the day before), but I did manage to get into the State Theatre in downtown Traverse City, Michigan for the first (only) North American premiere of James Cameron's "Avatar" (or maybe the Hollywood premiere was first?). I stood in line next to a woman with an Australian accent who went to school with the main star, Sam Worthington. It's very late at night, and I could write more, but I will say that this movie is the best thing I have seen in a long time, and it probably comes close to living up to Roger Ebert's extremely glowing review in which he said it was a game-changer like "Star Wars".

Watch the video below. James Cameron's now way cool in my book.


I'll write more later.

Happy Birthday, Wes Studi

I heard on the radio this morning that today is the birthday of Wes Studi. He has starred in many projects, and is one of the stars in James Cameron's "Avatar", which premieres tonight. To the right is a photo I took of him at a showing of his film "The Only Good Indian". I got to speak to him briefly then, and sometime might do a post about "The Only Good Indian". Even though it is late for such a post (I saw the movie this past summer), it might not be that late since the movie was only officially released this month.

Below to the left is an action figure of Studi's Avatar character, Eytukan. Studi, a Cherokee, is 62 today.

Buffy Slays Edward

I've seen the "Buffy Spikes Edward" meme a couple of times before. First, as a scribbled sign, then as a mash-up photo (with Blade doing the duty instead of Buffy). Now, someone has done an actual video-clip of it. It's really pretty well put together. One thing that stands out is how blue the "Twilight" footage is compared to normal real-world colors (the colors used in the "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" show)



Watching this is actually more than I've ever seen of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer". When it was first aired, it was banned from our area due to a government regulation (called "must carry") which prevented the cable company from showing the Detroit station that had "Buffy". I heard the show was good, however. Maybe some time the seasons of it will be available dirt cheap. It's not on Ch131.com yet, though.

Fitful Snowman

Tonight, I went downtown to the State Theatre to get tickets for tomorrow's premiere of "Avatar". I had no luck. But while I was waiting, they were setting up for the premiere of the latest Rich Brauer film, "Fitful". This new movie stars Renee O'Connor, who is best known for playing the sidekick Gabrielle in the "Xena" TV show. She wasn't going to be at the premiere, but Larry Joe Campbell was coming to town for the movie. Campbell has appeared in the TV shows "Weeds" and "According to Jim". The movie was filmed on a ship in nearby Manistee, Michigan.

In this photo, they get ready to put Campbell's name on the marquee. A dirty Jabba-esque snowman (with visor, sunglasses, and scarf) watches from a few feet away. I saw this snowman several days ago, and he looked a lot better then.

"I Saw Obama Kissing Santa Claus"

This morning, Dirk Van's morning radio program, "FirstLight", discussed favorite Christmas songs.

One caller mentioned "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus", and Dirk misheard it as "I Saw Obama Kissing Santa Claus", and they briefly joked that that would be a good song, as well. Well, just about everything is on Google, and I was able to find some lyrics to this already-existing song:

""McCain saw Obama kissing Santa Claus, underneath the mistle toe last night.
He didn't see McCain creep, down the stairs to have a peep, he thought that he was tucked up in his bedroom fast asleep.
Then he saw Obama tickle Santa Claus undermeath his beard so snowy white;
Oh, what a laugh it would have been, if Hillary had only seen Obama kissing Santa Claus last night.
He saw Obama, He saw Obama kissing Santa Claus"

Obviously, from a year ago, during the campaign. By now, everyone is probably going "McCain who?", thinking that Sarah Palin was Obama's only opponent in the election.

This song does not exist on video, however. It might be a funnier song if it weren't so completely dated by the lyrics.

What are my readers' favorite funny Christmas songs?

Let's hear it for Mr. Heat Miser

To the right is a close-up of Mr. Heat Miser. Probably too close for comfort. Laura B did a post that featured him a couple of days ago. So I figured I'd do another

The first of his three TV specials, "The Year Without a Santa Claus", came out ages ago, in 1974. Back then, the big fear of climate change was global cooling (the new ice age). So I suppose that Snow Miser was the big villain then. Now, in this decade, global warming is the big deal, so Mr. Heat Miser is the guy to stop now. To realize his goal of getting rid of white Christmases would require a significant rise in global temperature.

So, who does he remind you of? Here are some possible choices:

• Syndrome from "The Incredibles"
• Glenn Beck
• Bill Clinton
• Chris Matthews
• Don King

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A lot of you know the regular "Heat Miser" song. Much less well known is the song "Heat Miser" by Massive Attack:

Never heard it? Well, if you are a fan of prime-time medical dramas on TV, you probably know this much more famous track from Massive Attack: