HOORAY

RELAXING YULE LOG-- BUT IT'S ALL GUITARS

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WHAMAGEDDON LIMBO

If you’re not already familiar with the concept of Whamageddon, feel free to get up to speed. And if you feel like you’ve got what it takes, join the fight! It’s the easiest game you’ll ever play. In fact, the less you do, the easier it is.

I’m facing an odd situation in my own particular Whamageddon experience this year, though. Here’s the deal.

The other day (either Dec 1st or 2nd, I don’t remember which, though I know it was one of those, so it’s in-bounds according to the rules of the game), on the way through the atrium of the downtown Target here in Minneapolis, I just barely caught the strains of “Last Christmas” on the way out the door. It wasn’t very distinct— the PA system wasn’t very high fidelity or anything— and I even went back inside to make sure that was what I’d heard. It did seem to be, and I was disappointed to have been Whammed so soon.

But then I wondered: was this the original version, or a cover? Given the lo-fi playback and low volume, plus the fact that I have only a passing familiarity with the song, I really wasn’t able to tell what version of the song it was. And if it’s a cover version, then it doesn’t count. So I have to wonder: if I don’t know whether I heard the original version or not, have I truly been Whammed?

What do you think?