Yuletunes - Part Three

The spirits have done it all in one day! Here's Part Three of a Post Of Christmas Past for the various artists holiday compilation, Yuletunes.

Songs don’t come much happier than Bill Lloyd’s “Underneath The Christmas Tree,” which depicts a guy and his girlfriend spending an evening trimming their tannenbaum. Set to a catchy, guitars and drums arrangement, it sounds like it could have been a 1960s Top 40 hit. Lloyd conveys the holiday fun with lines like, “Tinsel in your hair, presents everywhere” and “You’re a sight to see underneath the Christmas tree.”

Meanwhile, Kelly Ryan is inconsolable on the somber ballad, “It’s Not Christmas,” as she spends the holiday alone “for the first time in years.” For Ryan, whose emotional vocals display a hint of Country & Western twang, all of the season’s colorful traditions have turned a deep blue. It’s not clear why the longtime beau is no longer there, but a reference to her looking longingly at the phone suggests there’s hope for a reconciliation.

Singer-guitarist Herb Eimerman’s gorgeous ballad “You Gave Me” celebrates family traditions at Christmas, as well as the way love and values are passed on from one generation to another. The lyrics take us to a festive holiday gathering at the parents’ home where their children and grandchildren bask in “the love from this fine house.” Eimerman compares himself to a tree that has grown stronger over the years and tells his Mom and Dad, “I learned all my love from all your love you gave me.” Note: Herb Eimerman has created a video for “You Gave Me” that can be viewed on YouTube. Other tracks from Yuletunes can also be found there.

The Critics uncork an irresistible energy reminiscent of The Beatles on their romantic “She Feels Like Christmas Day.” This is probably the only song on Yuletunes that would fit in just as well on a non-holiday CD. Especially when you consider the way the band uses Christmas as a metaphor for the overwhelming joy of finding love on lines like, “Let me be your favorite toy”.