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appears on Kevin and Bean Present: Swallow My Eggnog (2001)
Itâs the most wonderful time of the year, according to Andy Williams and all major retailers, and here at Rock Song of the Week we donât shirk on the gifts. No Lynx Africa gift sets here, thatâs right - in keeping with the theme of the season, my present to all you lovely folk this year is a treat of a track thatâs all about the best part of Christmas â receiving (stop giggling!).
Yes, Tenacious D and Sum 41 wrote a Christmas song all about the things they want for Christmas, and I was just as surprised as you possibly are now to discover that it existed. In fact, Iâm willing to bet a good amount of you have never even heard of it, despite the two big name artists attached. And I donât say that in a too-long-for-my-beard-moustache-twirling-hipster-way, because my beard is a true rock-and-roll affair that, in hardcore fashion, will be full of clip-on baubles on the big day.
No, I mention it because this track has its origins with KROQ-FM stalwarts Kevin âKevinâ Ryder and Gene âBeanâ Baxter, they of âKevin and Bean in the Morningâ and their holiday tradition of getting all their musician friends together to record an album that was given away as a promotion at Christmas. Itâs a twenty year old track, given away on a promotional CD that I couldnât find a single listing for online. Thereâs a good reason it has gone under most peopleâs radars!
Family-friendly Yuletide sing-a-longs those albums werenât, by the way, with most of the tracks varying from tongue-in-cheek bawdry to flat out filthy. This one treads a little more lightly; Jack Blackâs sonorous demands ranging from the sublime âall of the Beatlesâ copyrightsâ to the ridiculous âa statue of Moby on the surface of the sunâ and further beyond that to the insane âa cannibal chef to serve me sweet and sour buttâ. You canât fault Black for his songwriting enthusiasm, even if he does rhyme the word âbuttâ with âbuttâ.
Sum 41 and in particular guitarist Dave Baksh bring their best Maiden-esque heavy metal jam to accompany the proceedings. You know the part at the end of the Fat Lip music video where Pain for Pleasure starts and itâs basically the best part of the whole thing? Itâs basically that for three and a bit glorious minutes.
Itâs a brilliant, silly track that deserves far more attention, so fix yourself a stiff drink (remember, the Christmas starting line is roughly ten oâclock in the morning) turn The Pogues off and enjoy this to the fullest. Stay safe, wherever you are and whatever youâre getting up to, and make it a good one!
If you like what you hear, please consider purchasing via Bandcamp if the option is available as this is usually the best way to support the artist.
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