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28 October 2009

Bob Dylan Has a Christmas Album →[More:]
And tonight I heard a review of it on Fresh Air by Ken Tucker, who loves it. They played excerpts from a bunch of tracks, and I hate it. So, OK, I pretty much hate Christmas music, but I'm open minded and will listen. I think my favorite Christmas Soundtrack is from "A Charlie Brown Christmas", and a close second is Mojo Nixon's "Horny Holidays". So I do like a range of stuff, but man, this is just horrible. Dylan's voice is worse than ever. Some of the arrangements sound like they'd be fun, but then Dylan sings, and it sounds like someone doing a poor version of a Tom Waits impression. What's even worse, is that by doing traditional Christmas songs, you strip away Dylan's strength, which is songwriting, and you're left with an empty shell of an empty shell of someone who was once quite talented. If he's trying to kill the genre, then he's doing a good job.

post by: eekacat at: 00:11 | 12 comments

ruh roh ... this sounds like a really bad idea

posted by Claudia_SF 28 October | 00:26

But sort of funny in some way -- like, sure, Christmas, I think, Dylan! Or, hey all-y'all-family-members-who-are-driving-me-bsi-over-the-holidays -- let's all listen to this Christmas album!!! "I really like it, it speaks to me." (head nod, eyes wide)

posted by Claudia_SF 28 October | 00:29

Aww, I'm sad that you don't like it. I'm with Tucker, it is kind of ridiculously fun. I was pleasantly surprised, and I hope it catches on.

Also, I'm not sure songwriting is Bob Dylan's best suit. Take "The Times They Are a-Changin," the lyrics are really quite trite, but Dylan gives the song such an energy that it rightfully became a classic, transforming the words into something special.

posted by The Devil Tesla 28 October | 02:14

Also, they didn't play the best song from the album, which is the one they made the single. A player is on the left hand side a ways down this page.

posted by The Devil Tesla 28 October | 02:17

Oh wait, they just did it!! Must be Santa, must be Santa, must be Santa, Santa Claus!!!

posted by The Devil Tesla 28 October | 02:19

DO NOT WANT

posted by Specklet 28 October | 04:50

Apparently, people at various record companies and whatnot have been encouraging Dylan to do a Christmas album for years--it's supposed to be a reliable source of annual royalties and back-catalog sales, money in the bank, that kind of thing.

I agree with you, eek, but I also think that Dylan's smart enough and self-aware enough to pretty much agree with you too. I'm a huge Dylan fan (though, to be fair, I lose interest sometime around the born-again days), and it's hard to take this album as anything other than a big joke.

posted by box 28 October | 08:32

When I contrast our impression of Dylan today with the way he would be remembered had he died in that '66 motorcycle crash, I think a strong argument can be made for dying young.

posted by Joe Beese 28 October | 10:40

I like it fine.

Dylan steers by his own lights and he should do whatever he likes. I'm glad he's not dead.

Joke or not, the album's certainly listenable, and I think it might be a little wry, but who cares? It's better than a lot of Christmas music, and I won't mind being able to listen to Christmas music and Bob Dylan at the same time. It's silly. So what.

The only problem Dylan has,or has ever had, is other people's expectations of him. I think that, if there is a joke in this (and there probably is), that's the joke.

posted by Miko 28 October | 12:47

Also, I wouldn't base an estimation of Dylan's songwriting on "The Times They Are a-Changing," (even though at the time it was written it was anything but trite) - it's a good song, but formulaic, and built on an older melody. But it's hard to argue he's not a good songwriter. Songwriting is indeed his strength, and he changed what popular music could be by crafting a highly original approach and working with language and imagery in a way no pop songwriter had ever done before, paving the way for the Beatles, and everybody else, to follow.

posted by Miko 28 October | 12:50

I dislike Dylan and most of his songs, with the occasional exception for great covers. The Sound Opinions review of this album last weekend had us giggling but was also a very thoughtful assessment of the record.

posted by crush-onastick 28 October | 13:47

Awesome review crush.

posted by arse_hat 28 October | 23:19

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