What's New In 2005?
the best and brightest new Christmas releases
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I'll be honest: I've bitten off more than I can chew. Since last
year, I've reorganized my entire Christmas section, built a
huge Artists & Albums index, expanded
my Songs & Singles index, and written
a heap o' reviews. But, like the layers of an onion, I keep uncovering new, wacky yuletide
treasures - records, CD's, whatever - I can't resist.
So, I have hundreds Christmas CD's cluttering up my office - more, certainly, than the 200 or so already reviewed herein. They gather dust, waiting to be catalogued and reviewed in my usual obsessive-compulsive manner. Rather than throw this year's crop of holiday goodies atop that languishing pile, I'm giving you, faithful reader, 30 of the best and brightest rockin' Christmas CD's for 2005. So, what have I missed? Drop me a line...
Randy Anthony
Herb
Alpert & The Tijuana Brass, Christmas album
For years, idiots (like me) have paid way too much for the TJB's out-of-print
1990 Christmas CD (originally issued on LP in 1968). Now, Shout!
Factory has reissued Alpert's jaunty, Latin-flavored kitsch-fest, replete with
crystal-clear mastering, restored artwork, and a colorful, informative booklet. deluxe.
Not the Brass' finest hour (that came several years earlier), but loads of fun all
the same. [purchase]
Anita
Baker, Christmas Fantasy
The older I've gotten, the more orthodox I've grown in my approach to soul music.
Hence, I've all but lost patience with modern rhythm & blues, with its endless
seductions and bland arrangements. I stopped listening to Anita Baker for just such
reasons, but, man, can that lady sing! Christmas
Fantasy, however, leans towards jazz, and that's a major improvement - even if
it's still too smooth.... [purchase]
Charlie
Byrd, Christmas Carols For Solo Guitar
Among jazz circles, Mr. Byrd is revered as a six-string wizard of the highest order.
Outside, jazz circles, well, not so much. Don't let that deter you, however, from
rediscovering this quiet masterwork first issued in 1966. Byrd takes an acoustic
tack similar to John Fahey, though his tone is more
reverential and his technique more straightforward. Koch Records' reissue restores
the original cover art. [purchase]
June
Christy, This Time Of Year
Cool Miss Christy was nearing the end of her heyday when This
Time Of Year was released in 1961, but her characteristic wit and charm still
hold sway. This is a Christmas album with a difference, as roughly a third of the
record relates more to the season than the holiday, and many of the songs find comely
June pining away all by her lonesome. Issued on CD for the first time by Collector's
Choice. [purchase]
Nat
King Cole, The Christmas Song
Now in (at least) it's third incarnation during the digital age, Ol' King Cole's
holiday chestnut has swollen to over twenty tracks, including three renditions of
the celebrated title track. This may or may not be enough to force morons like me
to buy it yet again (oh, who am I kidding...), but it certainly adds value for the
regular Joe shopper. Also recommended: Christmas
For Kids (read more) [purchase]
John
Denver, Rocky Mountain Christmas
Since their merger, Sony/BMG has undertaken a minor refurbishing of John Denver's
catalog - once the crown jewel in RCA's crown. Included is yet another iteration
of Rocky
Mountain Christmas (read
more), an album he released in 1975 at the height of his popularity.
Notable mainly for several great originals, including "Please Daddy Don't Get
Drunk This Christmas." Includes two bonus tracks [purchase]
Everly
Brothers, Christmas With The Everly Brothers
Rhino Records released one of the last important missing rock-related Christmas CD's, Christmas
With The Everly Brothers (1962, read
more), earlier this year.
The problem is, it's not very good: the famed duo's reverential reticence to rock
proved stifling. But, to fans - especially those interested in the Collector's
Choice Warner-era reissues - it's still a must-have. [purchase]
Rosie
Flores, Christmasville
Early in her career, this Texan vixen looked to be her generation's Wanda Jackson
(or Neko Case, if you prefer). Turns out, Rosie's ambition didn't burn that hot,
and she was just too darned nice. Which, it turns out, makes her an ideal
candidate for a Christmas record. Christmasville is
eclectic but relaxed, witty yet sincere, and leans heavily on Rosie's rockin' roots
rather than stuffy standards. Kudos! [purchase]
Diana
Krall, Christmas Songs
This young Canuck (widely-known as beauty to hubby Elvis Costello's beast) possesses
a startling mixture of talent and looks. I mean, she can really tickle those ivories,
and she sings with style and grace - but hubba hubba hubba! Christmas
Songs is her full-length follow-up to a 1998
EP, and the season allows our occasionally icy chanteuse to warm up bit. [purchase]
Loretta
Lynn, 20th Century Masters: The Christmas Collection
Despite the fact that she put so much effort into it, Loretta Lynn's 1966 Country
Christmas has largely languished during the digital effort. No less than six
of the songs are originals (Loretta wrote three), and they're all keepers. Universal
reissued the original Decca LP under their 20th
Century Masters umbrella, but it's all there: 12 remastered tracks, original
cover art, and liner notes by Mae Axton. [purchase]
Marah, A
Christmas Kind Of Town
On the Yep Roc website, these Philly roots rockers
list reasons for making Christmas
Kind Of Town. Among them, "Holiday songs allow decent 'liberal' folks to
celebrate 'conservative' values like family, friends, eating dinner together, roasting
chestnuts, and home fires burning without employing tactics like tightening borders,
tax cuts for the elite, veiled racism, and Old Testament brainwashing!" 'Nuf
said. [purchase]
Marshall
Tucker Band, Carolina Christmas
More than any band save the Allman Brothers, Marshall
Tucker embodied smart southern rock, mixing country, jazz, and accomplished
musicianship into a potent stew. Their Christmas is
a reunion recorded in the band's South Carolina hometown of Spartanburg. It features
four original tunes - including the hilarious "My Christmas In Custody" -
in addition to the usual carols and standards. [purchase]
Dean
Martin, A Winter Romance
Originally released in 1959, this LP was as much about winter (and romance) as Christmas,
though it's easily the best of Dino's two Christmas albums. And while Martin has
some great holiday compilations out there - such as Christmas
With Dino (2004, read more) - it's winter-themed gems like "June In
January" they omit. This newly remastered version was originally available exclusively from Collector's
Choice. [purchase]
Kate & Anna
McGarrigle, The McGarrigle Christmas Hour
These Canadian sisters entered the public ear as composers of the title track to
Linda Ronstadt's 1974 breakthrough, Heart
Like A Wheel. The duo has since flown under the radar, earning critical accolades
while remaining most notable for their associations - especially with Loudon Wainwright,
Kate's ex-husband and sire of Martha and Rufus,
both of whom cameo here along with Emmylou Harris. [purchase]
Aaron
Neville, Christmas Prayer
Aaron Neville possesses a voice unparalleled in the annals of pop - calling it angelic
doesn't do it justice. But, when his mellifluous pipes are divorced from the Crescent
City funk of his famous clan, Aaron sounds pious, ponderous, and self-impressed.
Which means Christmas
Prayer, a seasonal album nearly 100% religious in content, will please Neville's
devoted following - and the rest of us can go to hell. [purchase]
Tony
Orlando & Dawn, A Christmas Reunion
You probably haven't noticed, but we're in the midst of a Dawn renaissance. Yep,
the "Tie A Yellow Ribbon" trio are back, reissuing their back
catalog, including a boxed
set, a nice collection
of hits, and some cheese-stuffed DVD's of
their TV variety hour. The Michael Omartian-produced Christmas
Reunion is intended mainly for 70's diehards (like me) and included a new song, "Christmas
In New York." [purchase]
Paul
Revere & The Raiders, A Christmas Present... And Past
The Raiders' odd little Christmas album came during a period in which proper rock
stars didn't make Christmas albums. But, the Raiders (however popular) were never
that cool. Hence, A
Christmas Present (1968, read more), the holiday record the Turtles should have made - but
didn't. Reissued on CD by Sony in 1990, then quickly deleted, this latest incarnation
is courtesy Koch Records. [purchase]
Reverend
Horton Heat, We Three Kings
Once upon a time, these Dallas psychobillies were a truly awesome spectre of rock.
Early songs like "Bad Reputation" and "400 Bucks" were so intense
they were frightening. We
Three Kings is not - in fact, it's damn near convivial. But, I do not intend
to damn with faint praise - it's also a lot of fun. The good Reverend simply seeks
a graceful way to fade into the sunset, and I think he's found it. [purchase]
Brian
Setzer, Dig That Crazy Christmas
Last year I stated, "I have yet to write my review of the former Stray Cats'
2002 Christmas album, Boogie
Woogie Christmas, but suffice to say it's one of the best rock-oriented
holiday releases of all time." Well, I still haven't written that review - and
he's got a new one! Dig
That Crazy Christmas follows a similar formula: hip covers, rocked-up traditional
tunes, and some clever Setzer originals. [purchase]
Martin
Sexton, Camp Holiday
Forever the bridesmaid, critically-acclaimed singer/songwriter Martin Sexton has
watched peers like David Gray and Shawn Colvin achieve commercial success while his
career (relatively speaking) has languished. Still waiting for my copy of Camp
Holiday to arrive, but I anticipate great things, so long as Sexton applies
his usual grace and soul to these holiday standards (plus one original composition). [purchase]
Frank
Sinatra, A Jolly Christmas From Frank Sinatra
Christmas albums are often disappointing, usually because artists are reluctant to
attack the season with the same grit and verve they bring to the rest of their music.
Such was the case with Frank Sinatra's 1957 Capitol LP, A
Jolly Christmas (read more), though Frank's worst is better than most people's best.
This reissue includes a bonus track that's the best thing on the album - the Chairman's magical rendition of Jules Styne's "Christmas
Waltz." [purchase]
Jimmy
Smith, Christmas '64
You wouldn't know from looking, but jazz organist Jimmy Smith's Christmas
'64 has been available for years - reissued on CD as Christmas
Cookin', same as the 1966 LP version. Either way, jazz heads and regular folk
alike will appreciate Smith's funky, tender approach to the season. The Cookin' reissue
added two seasonal tracks, but the '64 version
presents Smith's original vision - artwork intact. [purchase]
Jo
Stafford, The Joyful Season
Suave, smooth Jo Stafford was a major pop star for ten solid years before rock 'n'
roll drove her (and a lot of other talented singers) off the airwaves. Her first
Christmas album, Happy
Holiday (1955), is her best, but The Joyful Season (recorded nearly a decade thereafter) has its charms. Issued on
CD for the first time by DRG Records with five bonus tracks featuring Gordon MacRae. [purchase]
Brian
Wilson, What I Really Want For Christmas
Many years ago, Brian Wilson's Beach Boys cut one
of rock's finest Christmas albums, and the troubled genius has revisited the subject
fitfully ever since. What
I Really Want For Christmas, however, is his first officially released Christmas
album since 1964, and to call it "anticipated" would be putting it mildly.
His collaborators include Jimmy Webb, Bernie Taupin, and members of the Wondermints. [purchase]
Various
Artists, Forty Years: A Charlie Brown Christmas
I wouldn't give this CD - a tribute to Vince Guaraldi's 1964
jazz classic - the time of day except that the original is so freakin' brilliant
it makes me cry like a little girl. In fact, to turn such genius into smooth jazz
pablum borders on criminal. So, skip David Benoit, Dave Koz, and the execrable Rippingtons
and go buy Guaraldi's soundtrack instead. That, Charlie Brown, is the real meaning
of Christmas. [purchase]
Various
Artists, Happy Christmas, Volume Four
Sorry, but for me, Jesus is not the reason for the season. Not too hot on Moses or
Mohammed, either. Christmas long ago became a secular holiday in my house, but I
gotta hand it to the holy punks on Happy
Christmas - they rock like hell. Admittedly some of the artists on this unsung
series fall prey to wussy Christian pop clichés, but mostly, they make a joyful
- and raucous - noise. [purchase]
Various Artists, Holiday
Heart
Subtitled An Eclectic Aural Celebration of Christmas and Chanukah,
this festive, alternative-leaning double CD raises awareness of and money for vital
hospice care (read more). Not as star-studded as Ho
Ho Ho Spice (2002), Holiday
Heart is a nevertheless a worthwhile, wide-ranging album featuring Rick Derringer,
Ron Sexsmith, and the Dismemberment Plan. Exclusively at CDBaby. [purchase]
Various
Artists, Merry Christmas: The Chronicles Christmas Box
Words can't really express my disappointment. When I heard the "Chronicles" folks at
Universal were compiling a Christmas box, I got a tingle right down to my toes. Imagine
the possibilities were they to plumb the rich depths of the Decca, Verve, Fontana,
ABC, Motown... Instead, we get a modicum of well-worn classics and not one iota of
annotation. Great for novices, lousy for collectors. [purchase]
Various
Artists, Merry Mixmas: Christmas Classics
Remixed
This ambitious album is the capper to a recent trend (cf. Christmas
Re-Grooved, Christmas
Remixed, Reindeer
Room) recasting classic holiday songs as modern dance grooves. The difference
here is, Capitol Records let leading DJ's plunder their deep vaults for the real
thing - classics from Bing, Dino, Ella, Eartha, Julie, and June. Personally, I like
my vintage music straight, no chaser. But, you go, girl! [purchase]
Various
Artists, To Kate: A Benefit for Kate's Sake
Very nearly a "who's who" of Americana, To
Kate benefits the Children's Organ Transplant Association in
honor of Kate Kirk, a North Carolinian
youngster who recently received a life-saving blood transplant. To
Kate features BR-549, Jim Lauderdale, Buddy & Julie Miller, Joe Ely, Jason & The
Scorchers, Steve Earle, Rosie Flores, John Prine, and the Mavericks' Raul Malo. [purchase]