John Denver and the Muppets - A Christmas Together

Might as well start at the beginning.

Of all the Christmas albums that have come through my life, this one is my favorite by a hair and the one I return to probably more than any other. It's also my first Christmas album, period. As a white suburban kid, how could I not love John Denver and the Muppets? I had an especially strong connection since I grew up in Colorado, and not liking John Denver in the late 1970s was just. Not. Possible. (At least for young Colorado kids. I had yet to stumble upon the idea that John Denver might not be cool.) And EVERYONE loved the Muppets. So...put the two together and make a Christmas special out of them! Then release a record of it! Yup. I ate it up.

For me, this record is as indelible a part of Christmas as eggnog, candy canes, Christmas cookies, presents, Santa, and the tree. This album was always on the turntable every year from the night we began decorating the tree until the last dead pine needle was vacuumed from the floor and Christmas was no more. My favorite songs?

• Twelve Days of Christmas - Because it seems like every Muppet gets a chance to sing here. Miss Piggy, ever the unabashed coquette, literally stops the song every time she mewls about five gold rings...then starts things back up again with a "ba-dum bum bum!" Hats off to Dr. Bunsen Honeydew and (especially) Beaker for their contributions too.
• Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas - Rowlf is the Muppets version of Tom Waits: a grizzled, world-weary bar entertainer who's seen it all and knows how to please a crowd without too much sugar on the proceedings. He and John transform this reliable chestnut into a spare, sentimental duet for the ages, and Rowlf's tiny asides render it perfect. You could imagine them at the piano after closing singing this one to the empty bar before heading out into the snowy night.
• Christmas Is Coming - Miss Piggy leads Scooter, Gonzo, and Robin in a spirited, hilarious round. Over almost before it's begun, and I won't complain at all if you want to play it again. And again.
• A Baby Just Like You - After the joy comes the biggest tearjerker of the whole album. John wrote this song as a Christmas tribute to his adopted son Zachary. Some might consider it a bit on the maudlin side, but this remains my favorite song of all on this album.
• The Christmas Wish - Personal story here. A few days before Christmas of 2014, my father abruptly and unexpectedly uninvited my then-partner from spending Christmas with the family. For...reasons...I still went. As I drove to the, uh, festivities, this simple, gorgeous song played in the car, and its earnest lyrics shoved a dagger in my heart: "Christmas is a time to come together/A time to put all differences aside...And if you believe in love, that will be more than enough/For peace to last throughout the coming year." I had to wipe away tears before I entered the house that day.
• Medley: Alfie, the Christmas Tree/It's In Every One Of Us - John blended a simple environmental message with Christmas sentiment for a sweet winner. It goes on a bit long, but it gives Fozzie a chance to show off his low range toward the end.
• Little Saint Nick - Definitely not one of my favorites back in the day - I felt it was too raucous, even as a kid - but as an adult who has more than an appreciation for the Beach Boys, I've grown to love this cover. Besides, who doesn't love Animal yelling "RUN RUN REINDEER!" in the middle? The Electric Mayhem can't reach the beauty of the Beach Boys' harmonies, but the song's still fun.
• We Wish You A Merry Christmas - For one reason: the banter between Gonzo and Miss Piggy. The song's just over one minute long, so just listen to it.

Now...I recognize that this album's appeal to adults who haven't heard it - and to kids who did not grow up in the 1970s or 1980s - will be pretty minimal. And that's fine. Most music hits you when you are young, and the possibility of having a new favorite of all time hit you in your middle age is also minimal. But everyone has music that brings back their childhood. This album brings back my childhood and Christmas, both, and for that, it is especially treasured.

If you're nauseated by the treacle, don't worry...there's plenty that will offset this album. Well, eventually. After the next album.

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Honorable mention for best Christmas album: The Carpenters - Christmas Portrait