X it's Xmas!

December 1 means we can finally start playing dome fucking Christmas music thank you very much!

Slice du Jour: John Lennon's classic Happy Xmas (War is Over), which was released in the United States 50 years ago today. It's holds the mark of a great Christmas song: would it be great if it wasn't pigeon-holed into being "Christmas music"? And the answer is a resounding YES, as it's just a flat-out amazing song. Both lyrics-wise (Christmas AND 'oh by the way you people should GTFO of Vietnam'? YES please!) and sonically, as it was Phil Spector being Phil Spector. The song's a painful reminder of what Lennon was capable of had he 1) not spent most of the decade doing therapy 2) not gotten shot in 1980.

Happy Christmas, peoples!!