At long last, a Christmas album for the rest of us! Anyone who spends the month of December squirming as they hear a thousand trite and empty-headed musical declarations of holiday cheer finally gets a responsible statement of the opposing point of view with Bummed Out Christmas!, a collection of Yuletide music at its least cheerful.
While some of these tunes are actually pretty fun — most notably "Somebody Stole My Santa Claus Suit
," with Dan Hicks
fronting The Christmas Jug Band
, and Sherwi Linton's "Santa Got a DWI
" — several really are truly depressing stuff, particularly George Jones
' "Lonely Christmas Call
," Johnny and Jon's "Christmas in Viet Nam
" (in which the holiday cease-fire is violated mid-song), and the Everly Brothers
' just-plain-miserable "Christmas Eve Can Kill You."But the rhythm and blues contingent really walk off with top honors here, thanks to Clyde Lasley's well-oiled "Santa Came Home Drunk
," the Staple Singers
' sincere "Who Took the Merry Out of Christmas?
," and the Youngsters' brilliant "Christmas in Jail
" (which wouldn't make a bad public service announcement).So, put away that Kenny G holiday CD and give Bummed Out Christmas! a try — it's a wonderful way to say "Bah Humbug!" to the special people in your life.
—Mark Deming, Allmusic.com
Track List
- Somebody Stole My Santa - The Christmas Jug Band
- Christmas Eve Can Kill You - The Everly Brothers
- Santa Came Home Drunk - Clyde Lasley And The Cadillac Baby Specials
- Don't Believe In Christmas - The Sonics
- Lonely Christmas Call - George Jones
- Christmas In Viet Nam - Johnny And Jon
- Santa Got A DWI - Sherwin Linton
- Who Took The Merry Out Of Christmas? - Staple Singers
- Who Say There Ain't No Santa Claus - Ron Holden And The Thunderbirds
- Christmas In Jail - The Youngsters
- Christmas Spirit? - The Wailers
- Christmas In Prison - Doug Legacy And The Legends Of The West
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