Christmas In The Heart

You are a rock and roll legend. You rushed through middle age by constantly touring. You are now past retirement age of the people you grew up with and you have tried everything that show business has to offer. But there is one thing you have not tried. This is what you think (translation is offered for the Bob Dylan impaired)

“A Crismus albem (Christmas Album). Yeah, just like that ones they sold at Westurn Otto (Western Auto), with jangle buells (jingle bells) and background singers like Bang C’sby (Bing Crosby) and Per Cumo (Perry Como)”.

The legend of all legends, Bob Dylan, has recorded a Christmas album titled, Christmas In The Heart, and to say the least, it is different. Because when one thinks of Christmas, Bob Dylan does not leap to mind.

Christmas is comfort and joy. Christmas is merry and bright. Christmas is about hope and light.

None of these things are close to the image of Bob Dylan. Dylan has become very rich by being sarcastic, moody, pessimistic, and snarky. When you think of Nat King Cole, you think of a man smiling about the thought of chestnuts roasting on an open fire. When you think of Bob Dylan, you think of a man scowling at the thought of those stupid chestnuts having the nerve to roast on an open fire while people aren’t allowed to be free.

You cannot understand Bob Dylan without understanding that he is all about music. It’s the only true love of his life and he likes all of it. As with the last three or four albums, Christmas In The Heart, is a tip of the hat to the songs and the songwriters that he heard as a youth in Hibbing, Minnesota.

While it is great that Dylan is acknowledging the poetic work of “O Little Town Of Bethlehem”, it must be noted that most Bob Dylan fans want to hear him song his own songs. It has to do with his voice, which, like cappuccino, is an acquired taste. I like Dylan singing “Like A Rolling Stone”. Dylan singing, “Ave Maria” would be another matter.

I need to stop right here and confess that I am a Bobcat. I have been with Bob every step of the way since Slow Train Coming. I liked some of Budokan and I was there for Empire Burlesque. I think Love and Theft ranks right up there with all the great rock and roll albums.

However, his version of “Hark The Herald Angels Sing” (or as he says, “Hurk The Harawld Anjells Sing”) should be used to torture prisoners at Gitmo. This is not a track to listen to-this is a track to avoid. If someone behind you at church sounded like this, you would drop your hymnbook, turn around and stare at him.

The pattern Dylan uses in Christmas In The Heart is a “secular” song followed by a hymn or religious song. Dylan does better with the secular songs like “Christmas Blues” and “Christmas Island” than he does on the religious songs, although his version of “Do You Hear What I Hear?” and “Little Drummer Boy” are surprisingly good, considering what he did to the Herald Angels.

The best performance on the album, “Must Be Santa”, provides another one those patented Dylan surprises: a polka that rocks.

Dylan is accompanied by his band, led by bass player Tony Garnier (my nominee for the Nobel Peace Prize since he has worked for Dylan for twenty years) who prove that they can just about play anything, anyway, at any time. The background singers, who have taken some heat in the Dylan internet world, are great. There are times when you wish Bob would lay down his weary tune and let them sing.

Only Bob Dylan could record a “controversial” Christmas album. It should be noted that all of his royalties from Christmas In The Heart are going to the charity Feeding America.

Just for fun, here is a link to the video for "Must Be Santa". Yes, Dylan is wearing a wig.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a8qE6WQmNus