Thursday, December 13, 2012

The Tolerable Christmas Playlist: Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band, "Santa Claus is Comin' To Town"



My memory of this song is so tied together with the Boss' anthemic repetition of the title phrase that I couldn't remember if this version actually contained any verses. I was pleased to find I wasn't far off. A lot of Christmas songs have obligatory 2nd verses that are not as iconic or well-remembered (and definitely not as good) as the first one, and I always thought this song had that going on in its other versions. Bruce's smart play with this one is to not waste any time on any part of the song that is not awesome.

That way, much better to emphasize the unique fervor Springsteen is capable of whipping up. His band is uniquely suited for that kind of brimming electricity. Dig Clarence Clemons' solo, which is one of those awesome moments in music of any kind.

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