Rhino's VH1: THE BIG 80's CHRISTMAS [2001]

Making good on a vow he made back in August, HERC kicks off 25 Days of Christmas Album A Day posts with Rhino's VH1: The Big 80's Christmas.  The fifteen song CD was originally issued in 2001 and is currently out of print but can still be had for a less than an astronomical price on the secondary market.  All of the songs have appeared on other compilations: eight of the songs are on Oglio's Edge Of Christmas [1995] and four are on Rhino's Just Can't Enough: New Wave Xmas [1996], to name but two earlier, similar compilations.  In case you were wondering, HERC likes all of the songs except The Alarm's cover of John Lennon's classic "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)" which he usually skips.

[song titles are video links]

• Christmas Is The Time To Say "I Love You" - Billy Squier [1981]
• Jingle Bell Rock - Daryl Hall & John Oates [1983]
• Christmas Wrapping - The Waitresses [1981]
• Please Come Home For Christmas - Pat Benatar [1991]
• Thank God It's Christmas - Queen [1984]
• 2000 Miles - The Pretenders [1983]
• Peace On Earth/Little Drummer Boy - David Bowie & Bing Crosby [1977]
• December Will Be Magic Again - Kate Bush [1980]
• Christmas Day - Squeeze [1979]
• Rudolph, The Red-Nosed Reindeer - The Smithereens [1984]
• Rock And Roll Christmas - George Thorogood & The Destroyers [1981]
• Merry Christmas (I Don't Wanna Fight Tonight) - The Ramones [1987]
• Rudolph The Manic Reindeer - Los Lobos [1988]
• Happy Christmas (War Is Over) - The Alarm [1991]
• Twelve Days Of Christmas - Bob & Doug McKenzie [1982]

HERC picked this disc up on of his annual Christmas CD pilgrimage in early December 2001.  The store was the much-missed Border's and they always put out a good spread of Christmas discs, new and old.  Among his other buys that trip were MTV TRL Christmas, Heart presents a Lovemongers' Christmas, Toni Braxton's Snowflakes and the first US volume of Now That's What I Call Christmas. He remembers taking a pass on both Destiny's Child's 8 Days Of Christmas and A Very Special Christmas 5, which were very prominently displayed.  He should have taken a pass on the TRL disc as well.  The less said about that disc, the better.