review and contest: bette midler - cool yule

this is strictly gush.  i'm biased.  i'm a queer jew who once sang "friends" to myself 45 times in a row.  i'm a sucker for a mermaid in a wheelchair.  in another life, i was barry manilow accompanying miss m on piano at the continental baths.  she's flawless, okay?  i love everything about her, except her whole deal about cleaning up new york city parks and roadways and community gardens.  shouldn't nyc just be maximally filthy?

and i'm not going to bash her for being a jew singing christmas songs on the smooth, cozy, inviting, polished and lovely cool yule, shockingly her first holiday cd.   barbra streisand did a mean jingle bells, a lipsync drag queen classic, so why not?  these are fine songs and they're not all christmas songs actually, with "i've got my love to keep me warm" and "what are you doing new year's eve?" jazzing it up non-sectarian style.  plus she duets with creamy voiced johnny mathis on "winter wonderland/let it snow! let it snow! let it snow!", kicking it off with a little patter that would fit perfectly on a sesame street album:

bette: "you know johnny, you're the king of christmas, why don't you start the song?"

johnny: "i can't." 

bette: "why not?"

johnny: "because it's in your key."

bette: "sleighbells ring, are you listening..."

my favorite uniquely bette number is "mele kalikimaka", the perfect 1950's hawaiian bubblegum holiday pop song you didn't know you've always needed.  she was born in hawaii you know and the first song she performed in public was a christmas song.  she was afraid to tell her mother, but it turned out to be just fine and her mother was proud of her just the same.  it's music.  it's universal.  bette's not universal.  she doesn't need to be.  she's bette.

get the cd

contest:  i have one copy to giveaway with perfect holiday timing.  for your chance to win, just post a comment and make sure to include your e-mail.  you must be a u.s. resident.  i'll randomly draw the winner.  enter today and let ultranow and bette bring you some holiday cheer.

update:  thanks to those who entered.  randomly drawn winner is bonnie!  bette's on her way. 

Comments

[Aidan]

I'm another Jew who loves Bette -- and her Christmas songs. (Truth be told, I'd pay $16.99 just to watch her pick her teeth.)

There are no words to describe her...Divine doesn't do it. Bette-licious? Bette-tastic? Bette-tacular?

[jason]

"jazzing it up non-sectarian style"

That would be a great title for her next cd, don't you think?

[Bonnie]

She's just great! I've loved Bette for many, many years. Turned my daughter on to her music as well and she loves it to. There hasn't been a word invented yet that describes this wonderful lady!