“God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” (Traditional; Arr. by Brian Wilson) – Chords, Tabs, & How to Play

“God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen”
(Traditional) Arr. by Brian Wilson

Intro:  (Bbm – F) x2

(nc)   Bbm     F        Bbm                F#                   F
God, rest ye merry gentlemen; let nothing you dismay.
Remember Christ our savior was born on Christmas day.

F   Eb        Ab         Bbm                         C#                       Ab
To save us all from satan’s power when we were gone astray…

Ab   C#           Ab              Bbm                    Ab
Oh, tidings of comfort and joy, comfort and joy.
Ab  C#            Ab              Bbm
Oh, tidings of comfort and joy.

From God, our heavenly Father, a blessed angel came,
and unto certain shepherds brought tidings of the same.

How that in Bethlehem was born the son of god by name.

Oh, tidings of comfort and joy, comfort and joy.
Oh, tidings of comfort and joy.

“Fear not, then,” said the angel. “Let nothing you afright.
This day is born a savior of a pure virgin bright

To free all those who trust in Him from satan’s power and might.”

Oh, tidings of comfort and joy, comfort and joy.
Oh, tidings of comfort and joy.

Instrumental:   (Bb   F   Bb   Eb) x3
Bb   F   Eb

To save us all from satan’s power when we were gone astray…

Oh, tidings of comfort and joy, comfort and joy.
Oh, tidings of comfort and joy.

Now, the Lord sings praises, all you within this place,
And with true love and brotherhood, each other now embrace.

This holy tide of Christmas that brings redeeming grace…

Oh, tidings of comfort and joy, comfort and joy.
Oh, tidings of comfort and joy.

God, rest ye merry gentlemen, let nothing you dismay.
Remember Christ our savior was born on Christmas day.

To save us all from satan’s power when we were gone astray…

Oh, tidings of comfort and joy, comfort and joy.
Oh, tidings of comfort and joy.

Instrumental (and fade…)

** These chords and lyrics are interpretations and transcriptions, respectively, and are the sole property of the copyright holder(s). They are posted on this website free of charge for no profit for the purpose of study and commentary, as allowed for under the “fair use” provision of U.S. copyright law, and should only be used for such personal and/or academic work. **

The Weekend Review: October 2011 Report

By Chris Moore:

 

Is for Karaoke EP (Pt. 2) (Relient K)

Released: October 4, 2011

Rating: 2.5 / 5 stars

Top Two Tracks: “Interstate Love Song” (originally performed by Stone Temple Pilots) & “You’re the Inspiration” (originally performed by Chicago)

This is already the second time this year that a young band has performed a cover of the Wallflowers’ “One Headlight”: first by Parachute in concert and now here as the opener to Is for Karaoke Pt. 2.  My first thought on this is that this is suggestive of some communal desire, subconscious or otherwise, for more of the sort of music Jakob Dylan specializes in.  His band’s masterpiece Red Letter Days (2002) may have gone even more unnoticed than 2000’s Breach (as if that was possible), and Rebel, Sweetheart (2005) fared even worse, but perhaps the time is right for a new Wallflowers record.  I think I heard something about that being in the works…  But we’re here to examine Relient K’s second EP of covers this year.  This seems like an odd distribution plan, and though I downloaded both, I must admit that these might as well have been a set of individual downloads than two supposedly cohesive EPs.  The production quality of this second set of covers may be as high as the first seven (who could deny that after hearing their take on Cake’s “The Distance”?), yet the selection is decidedly less dynamic.  One of the standouts is their version of Chicago’s “You’re the Inspiration,” taking this epic love song into our decade, perhaps reminding some who have forgotten it.  (Though I’m not certain how expansive the market is for Relient K covers…)  The presence of certain tracks defies understanding; I have to wonder if they decided to tackle “Africa” simply because they stumbled across the same keyboard effect that Toto took for their own in the eighties.  Still, other tracks, like “Interstate Love Song,” are remarkably true to the original performances, and serve to further stretch Matt Thiessen’s range and show off his capabilities.  All told, I would download “Interstate Love Song” and “You’re the Inspiration,” maybe “Motorcycle Drive By” (originally by Third Eye Blind), return to Bringing Down the Horse (1996) for the Wallflowers version of “One Headlight,” and forget the rest.

 

People and Things (Jack’s Mannequin)

Producer: Jim Scott, Rob Cavallo, and Andrew McMahon

Released: October 4, 2011

Rating: 3.5 / 5 stars

Top Two Tracks: “Amy, I” & “10 Days Gone” (Amazon Bonus Track)

As with 2008’s The Glass Passenger – which, by the way, gets name-dropped in “Hey Hey Hey (We’re All Gonna Die)” – People and Things is eminently listenable: always energetic, accompanied with passionate vocals, and all upon a foundation of rock piano.  Andrew McMahon is like the poppier Ben Folds: using piano to characterize his somber and reflective tunes, yet more predictable and, specifically, more predictably pop/rock than the aforementioned Folds.  This familiar style of arrangement works against People and Things concerning repeated listens, but once in the mood to listen, the album rolls out one expansive, epic production after another.  Some blend into the mix, none really falter, and a few rise up from the median: the heavily rendered ballad “Amy, I,” the near –scream of “Release Me,” and the gorgeously layered “People, Running,” not to mention the outstanding bonus track “10 Days Gone” (how that didn’t make the final cut is a head-shaker at best).  Jack’s Mannequin is a band I want desperately to hate, to despise for churning out formulaic piano indie pop/rock, and yet… I’m taken by it, every time; if only for that reason, I must recognize their achievement.  And they seem to be one of the few acts today – with a few exceptions, like the Wallflowers (see: Rebel, Sweetheart) – that understand how to use a comma, so there’s that…

 

The Lost Notebooks of Hank Williams (Various Artists)

Released: October 4, 2011

Rating: 3 / 5 stars

Top Two Tracks: “How Many Times Have You Broken My Heart?” (performed by Norah Jones) & “You Know That I Know” (performed by Jack White)

I can’t stomach modern country music.  I review a relatively wide range of popular music: generally, if there’s a guitar or piano or some bass or drums in the mix, if the track is at least performed by an artist who wrote the song, I’m willing to give it a shot.  I’ve recently expanded my reach into rap a bit.  But country…  Country…  I’ll save this rationale for another time, but suffice it to say that my distaste for country music is specifically for that of the modern variety; when it comes to Johnny Cash, I’m in awe.  Some of his peers and predecessors receive the same reprieve in my book, Hank Williams being one of them.  How could I not reserve such a space in my musical heart for a hero of Bob Dylan?  So big a space, in fact, that I’m willing to grant the Alan Jackson performance of “You’ve Been Lonesome, Too” a thumb’s up.  Norah Jones, Jack White, Jakob Dylan, and Sheryl Crow: who could ask for a better variety of popular artists to balance out the more straightforwardly country artists who perform the other half of the songs on The Lost Notebooks of Hank Williams?  It’s a fascinating concept for a tribute album, really: take the lyrics to unfinished songs by Hank Williams, found with him after his death, and inject twelve new songwriting styles to put music to them.  What you end up with is a sort of collection of posthumous collaborations between Williams and contemporary artists.  Some have criticized the songs for being too flatly like Williams’ other originals, or too interpretive, strongly taking on the sound of the contemporary artist.  Regardless of your critical standpoint, it would be difficult to ignore this project as anything less than an interesting approach.  What would be the alternative: an album of covers?  Instead, curated by Bob Dylan and highlighting the second set of outstanding contributing performances by Norah Jones and Jack White this year, The Lost Notebooks is no Mermaid Avenue, but it’s almost on the level of Mermaid Avenue Volume II.  I would even recommend individual downloads for a more consistently enjoyable experience, but I wouldn’t suggest missing the liner notes that tie this project together.

 

The Best Imitation of Myself: A Retrospective (Ben Folds)

Released: October 11, 2011

Rating: 5 / 5 stars

Top Two Tracks: “House” (new Ben Folds Five recording) & “Rocky” (Ben Folds demo)

More than sixty songs, an additional five-song EP via free download, expansive and fittingly funny packaging, and all tied together with detailed liner notes by Ben Folds himself: The Best Imitation of Myself: A Retrospective is, without argument, the best packaged Folds effort in a decade and perhaps ever.  Ever since the poorly designed barrage of EPs post-Rockin’ the Suburbs (2001), I’ve been hesitant about Folds’ non-album releases.  There have been more recent releases of questionable overall quality (the a cappella album, anyone?).  And yet, I had a good feeling about The Best Imitation of Myself, one that was confirmed in every conceivable way.  Whether you have loved his work since Ben Folds Five or have never heard of him before, I would strongly recommend picking up this set of essentials, live tracks, rare/unreleased songs, and three new Ben Folds Five recordings.  Speaking as someone who is not generally a fan of “best of” and “greatest hits” collections, I have no doubts that you won’t regret it. 

 

Bad As Me (Tom Waits)

Producer: Tom Waits & Kathleen Brennan

Released: October 21, 2011

Rating: 4.5 / 5 stars

Top Two Tracks: “New Year’s Eve” & “Bad As Me”

Straight from the vocal chords that make modern-day Bob Dylan sound downright angelic comes an album from Tom Waits that, somehow without compromising his uniquely quirky – at times disturbing – sonic sensibilities, offers itself up as an immediately accessible work of artistic expression.  Its raw quality engineered by some of the best darkly folk musicians available, drawn together thematically by the failing state of the man, society, and morality in general, Bad As Me offers itself up to new realizations regarding vocals, instrumental performances, and perhaps most deeply through its lyrics with each listen.  The ramshackle stomp-rock of “Chicago” shakes the album to a start by riffing on escapist sentiments, “Raised Right Men” reinforces the reasons for leaving, and “Talking at the Same Time” adds a shockingly smooth quality to the mix, Waits’ voice rolling over the typically rough edges.  With nary a clunker in the set, all thirteen tracks of Bad As Me contribute hauntingly, fittingly to the stark culmination of the album in “New Year’s Eve.”

Mylo Xyloto (Coldplay)

Producer: Markus Dravs, Daniel Green, Rik Simpson, & Brian Eno

Released: October 24, 2011

Rating: 3 / 5 stars

Top Two Tracks: “Us Against the World” & “Hurts Like Heaven”

Mylo Xyloto isn’t a step forward from 2008’s Viva La Vida, or Death and All His Friends, but it would be overstatement to suggest that it denotes a regression.  Instead, it is the logical blending of the pre-Viva La Vida style exemplified on X&Y (2005) with their new big picture perspective on the album.  As such, the concept-level of Viva La Vida isn’t quite achieved here, but neither is the uniform pop soundscape that came to a head for Coldplay in 2005.  Here, there are instrumental pieces added to provide transitions at key moments, and there is a sense that Mylo Xyloto embodies an attempt at cohesion (stronger in the first third than thereafter), a mixture of art and consumption-ready pop, clearly weighted toward the latter.  This is, after all, the band that, for three consecutive albums, has hit number one in all eleven countries deemed worthy of recognition in their Wikipedia profile.  Not a number two to be seen.  Last time around, the band’s work seemed much more worthy of the aforementioned accolades than this latest record, but Mylo Xyloto is far from a throwaway effort.  Why the world at large seems incapable of balanced criticism of this band, tending instead toward either blind devotion or deeply felt disgust, I will most likely never fully understand.  Simply put, Mylo Xyloto is good: it isn’t bad, but it isn’t great.

 

In the Key of Disney (Brian Wilson)

Producer: Brian Wilson

Released: October 25, 2011

Rating: 3 / 5 stars

Top Two Tracks: “Colors of the Wind” & “You’ve Got a Friend in Me”

What, oh what, to write about an album of Disney covers…?  The eleven-track collection is surprisingly – or, given Brian Wilson’s legacy and recent track record, not surprisingly – In the Key of Disney is eminently listenable, adding maturity and characteristically Wilson-esque flairs to these children’s songs.  Some are transformed, as in the nearly perfect arrangement and performance of “Colors of the Wind” and the groovy rock version of “You’ve Got a Friend in Me,” while others offer greater resistance to assimilation into Wilson’s catalog at large, namely “The Bare Necessities” and, the admittedly typically brilliant vocal arrangements notwithstanding, the “Heigh-Ho / Whistle While You Work / Yo Ho (A Pirate’s Life for Me)” medley.  For the hardcore fan, In the Key of Disney won’t shake your faith in the master, but it probably won’t distract you for long from the news of the new Beach Boys material to be recorded by the four surviving members in 2012 either.

 

Ceremonials (Florence & the Machine)

Producer: Paul Epworth, James Ford, Charlie Hugall, Ben Roulston, Isabella Summers, & Eg White

Released: October 28, 2011

Rating: 3.5 / 5 stars

Top Two Tracks: “Never Let Me Go” & “Breaking Down”

As promised by Florence Welch herself, Florence & the Machine’s sophomore effort Ceremonials offers up more in the way of beats this time around, adding vitality to her murky lead vocals and the deep intonations of her piano work.  There is a decidedly heavier, more epic feel to much of her work here that makes good on the potential she demonstrated on 2009’s Lungs.  There is still a certain dynamic quality lacking in even Ceremonials, but this album certainly suggests a significant step forward, a surging of confidence in the tenor and energy of tracks like “Shake It Out” and “Never Let Me Go,” as in the compositional ambition and vocal saturation apparent in “Breaking Down.”

“On Christmas Day” (Brian Wilson Christmas Cover)

Welcome everyone to a special holiday edition of the Laptop Sessions cover songs music video blog with me, Jim Fusco!  It’s become a Laptop Sessions music blog tradition to do at least one Christmas song every year.  This is my fourth Christmas doing the blog and I’ve amassed a great collection of my favorite Christmas songs in acoustic guitar and piano cover video form.    In fact, if you go to my YouTube page at http://youtube.com/jimfusco, you’ll see I’ve made a video playlist of all my Christmas song videos.  So, if you’re in the holiday spirit (in December, or any other time you need some Christmas cheer), you can click on that playlist and go through every cover song video I’ve done for Christmastime!

Before I get started with tonight’s music blog post, allow me to wish you a great Christmas (or any other holiday you may be celebrating this time of year).  It’s been a crazy year for me and I’m glad I’m back doing the Laptop Sessions videos on a regular basis.  I really do get a lot of joy doing these cover song videos.  Getting to a million views was a big deal for me, as it seemed to reinvigorate my efforts to make the Laptop Sessions the best music blog on the internet.  Next year promises to be another banner year, as my new album, “Those Around Us” is released in January.  For more details on “Those Around Us”, please visit my website at http://jimfusco.com.

Onto tonight’s cover song video.  You know, it’s rare to find a new Christmas song that isn’t overly cheesy and especially over-produced.  The problem with Christmas songs is that there’s only a finite amount of things to write about.  And, believe me, every single one of those things has been written about.  So, after a while, every new Christmas song starts to sound the same with very, very similar lyrics.   Every artist these days has to have a Christmas album.  I guess I can’t blame them- it’s a built-in excuse to have people play your music at least once a year.  Look at the older artists like Bing Crosby.  I honestly don’t know one Bing Crosby song that isn’t Christmas-related.  To me, in pop music, Christmas songs make you somewhat immortal.  I mean, who listens to Perry Como anymore?  But, come the day after Christmas, “Home for the Holidays” plays on every radio station across the country.  Even Elvis Presley’s music is now considered too “old” for even our local “oldies” station, as they only play music from the 60s, 70s, and 80s.  But, they break their own rule and play “Blue Christmas” about ten times a day.  Christmas songs, if they’re popular enough, are the great musical equalizer.

Maybe that’s why I love Christmas music so much- my favorite artists, like the Beach Boys, are brought back into the public’s consciousness every Christmas with song like “The Little Saint Nick”.  Speaking of the Beach Boys, I was given an early Christmas present this year with the announcement of the Beach Boys’ 50th anniversary reunion tour and album.  I cannot even begin to express how excited I am about this.  It’s a dream come true.

Tonight’s video also has to do with the Beach Boys because it’s one of Brian Wilson’s original Christmas songs!  I’ve loved this song ever since I first got a semi-bootleg copy off of his website a few years ago.  Brian used to come out with a Christmas song each year and put it on his site for his fans.  So, I recorded it off of the site.  Thankfully, though, it came out as a bonus track on his recent Christmas album, “What I Really Want For Christmas”.  “On Christmas Day” is a great tune and has a nice chord progression to it.  I’m not sure if I’m the only one who notices this, but to me, it sounds an awful lot like “Belles of Paris” from the Beach Boys’ “MIU Album” in 1978.  Anyway, “On Christmas Day” is a better arrangement and is in a better key- Brian sounds great on his recording.

I chose to do this song on piano because I thought it would translate better than on acoustic guitar.  Plus, it felt more Christmasey (to quote another Brian Wilson Christmas song) to sit at the piano and sing a Christmas song.  I hope you enjoy my rendition!

I hope everyone has a healthy and happy New Year, too.  I’ll be back after the first of the year with an original song from my forthcoming album, “Those Around Us”.  Then, we’ll all celebrate the release of this new album on January 13th!  Take care and see you in 2012!

“Dream Angel” (Brian Wilson Cover)

Hey, hey everyone and welcome to your “no bad stuff” edition of the Laptop Sessions.  Geesh, say one thing about your current state of well-being and they jump all over you… 🙂  Anyway, I’m back tonight with another acoustic cover song music video for you all to enjoy!

Things have been crazy lately, but what else is new.  I’ll be happy when my 2009 taxes are all done and the end is in sight.  I’m keeping my fingers crossed on a couple of fronts.  Work has been busy, as usual, but manageable.  I’m getting a bit worried about my after-work work (lack of productivity in recent days), but I hope to rectify that tomorrow night.  My 5k, that I’m running with my brother Mike, is coming up this weekend and there’s still plenty of training to do.  Also, we’ve set up three parties/get-togethers here at the new house for those who haven’t seen it yet.  Considering that we’ve lived here for four months now, these are people we haven’t seen in a long time, so it’ll be great to host them here.  This weekend, as well as the next two weekends after that, look to be fun and eventful.  It’ll be nice talking with my friends from my Italy trip and my old college buddies.

On the music front, I did three very important things tonight that I want to share with you before I get into the body of the post:

1. I got The Laptop Sessions music blog listed on about 200 Social Bookmarking sites (like Digg and Del.ic.ious).  This will give the site more inbound links and will give it a chance at some real popularity.  I’m hoping it will bring the site to new heights.  And it wasn’t too expensive (besides, I’ve been saving-up!).

2. I also submitted the music video blog to 195 directories with a Google PageRank 2 or higher!  This is really good, as these will count as 1-way inbound links that are categorized, so we should see some major increases in Google traffic soon.  I really hope many eyes will be seeing this site soon.  I’m really hoping for 2,400 views a day (we got almost 2,200 yesterday).

3. Finally, I did something I should’ve done about seven months ago- I registered my new album, “Halfway There” on CD Baby.  This allows me to sell the album digitally on services like iTunes and Amazon MP3.  I’m getting anxious (and a bit excited) to play shows again.  My brother and I are planning on attending a local open mic night in the next couple of weeks.  I’ll keep you posted on that.  There’s a couple more areas of promotion I want to try, but until the FMP Store is back up and running, I don’t want to spend the money.  Also, I’m hoping that I can get some new fans and finally sell some copies of “Halfway There”, as the production (not to mention the packaging and the album cover) is really good.

Okay- onto tonight’s acoustic cover song music video!

Everyone knows that Brian Wilson is my musical hero.  I’ve met the man, met his band, and was a big part of the online community.  That is, until life stepped-in.  After I moved-out, there was little time to read the message board and post my thoughts.  I hope those folks there will understand that a 25 year old just needs a bit of “growing up” time before he can join a community like that again.  We’ll see if they’re understanding.

A few weeks ago, I wanted to play Becky a song from Brian Wilson’s second solo album, “Imagination” from 1998.  I then realized that it wasn’t on my iPod!! How could this be??  With over 11,000 songs, I didn’t have one of my absolute favorites of all-time??  Then, I remembered- the family copy (that my father owns) is now scratched and/or just won’t rip into my iTunes.  I tried it a couple times back when I was making my collection, but it wouldn’t work.  So, while I was on a nice weekend trip with Becky over Valentine’s Day, we stopped at this cool (but kind of overpriced) underground (literally) record store in Northampton, MA.  They had a copy of “Imagination” on CD!!  So, I bought a used copy (that had never been played before) and we got to listen on the way home.

The album rekindled my love for the song “Dream Angel”.  This is a great tune with some amazing harmonies, all sung by Brian Wilson.  This is really a perfect song- a great sound, great vocals, and even a nifty guitar solo.  No, it’s not going to win any lyrical awards, but it’s a happy tune and that’s good enough for me.  Brian is really at his best, vocal-wise, in this song.  I’ve even placed it in my Top 10 songs list in the past- looking back, I think it was a wise decision.

If you’ve heard the song before, you know what I’m talking about.  If not, then you’re about to hear a great tune and I hope you’ll listen to the rest of “Imagination”, too!  I hope you enjoy my acoustic cover version of this song- I’m back on the nylon string guitar tonight.  It gave a more smooth sound and it was so fun to play.  Make sure to watch it in HD, too!  Because not only is the picture clearer, but the audio is done at a higher quality, as well.  I hope you enjoy tonight’s Laptop Session and come back next Tuesday for an all-new video from a new artist on the blog.  And this is a big one- they’ve had NUMEROUS Number One hits and they’re one of the most popular acts of the past 30 years.  Why haven’t we covered a song from them yet?  Well, I’ll explain that next week.  And, see if you can guess in the meantime.  First correct guess gets a free CD!  Talk to next Tuesday.