Why we have enough Christmas hits plus the greatest songs about money

Deck the halls with beers and Stoli! The nutcracker of scrutiny was applied to this week’s noisettes of news and the following discussed over a glass of port …  

... are a lot of new song catalogues just blogs set to music?

… can any actor be convincing playing someone really famous?

… Robbie Williams’ Better Man: it’s the way forward! Who can his CGI’s monkey play next?

… why no-one writes songs with opinions anymore.

… Lola Young’s ‘charming’ press release.

... when Elvis met Nixon (and was “crackling with drugs”).  

… why we miss the one pound note!

… Dickens, Bing Crosby and why the concept of Christmas is rooted in the past.

… is part of the joy of Powerpop that it’s doomed to commercial failure? Big Star, the Shoes – perfect; Blondie – too successful!

… St James Infirmary, I'll Never Get Out Of This World Alive, Stormy Monday – and other great songs about money - ‘These shabby shoes I'm wearing all the time/ Is full of holes and nails and brother if I stepped on a worn out dime/ I bet a nickel I could tell you if it was heads or tails’.

… the return of “a bankroll big enough to choke a donkey”.

… plus Hank Williams, Brenda Lee, Tom Waits and birthday guest Kevin Walsh wonders ‘what’s the classic Powerpop look and sound and who are its standard-bearers?’

Happy Christmas, all! … from us and ‘Bob Dylan’:

https://x.com/FallonTonight/status/1597460887446900736?lang=en

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