Bob Dylan put out a Christmas album earlier this month, Christmas in The Heart, with all proceeds to go to charity. The songs are cheesy as hell but once you get past the surprise you start wondering if Dylan is in on the joke or if he’s serious in his Christmas revelry. He’s probably a little of both. The result can fill you with giddy seasonal mirth if you’re able to get past the shock and indignation that the great Dylan has been reduced to singing Christmas tunes. (This news came out a couple of weeks ago, so if you’ve already heard it please forgive our lateness. It’s news to me, though, and is so mind boggling I just had to cover it.)
It’s the worst album Bob Dylan has released since 1970’s Self Portrait. It’s a total ear-bleeder. It’s a hoax.
These are just a few of the critical judgments that have already seen print about Christmas In The Heart, which is, yes, the new Christmas album from Bob Dylan. It just goes to prove there’s nothing like a mixture of sincerity, self-deprecating humor and an appreciation for unfashionable aspects of the past to get people in full-bore sarcastic-cynicism mode.
Among those criticisms is the odd complaint that Dylan’s voice sounds awful. I’m sorry, have you not been listening to Dylan for the past decade — or for his entire career? An imperfect vocal instrument is at once characteristic of Dylan and a limitation he’s frequently turned to his advantage. And as far as the idea that covering songs such as “Christmas Island” and “Here Comes Santa Claus” is cornball, well, the flip-side of cornball is amusement in context. Dylan, producing himself under the name “Jack Frost,” is surrounding himself with sweet choral voices and arrangements straight out of a 1960s middle-of-the-road or “countrypolitan” album. It’s just that instead of hearing Johnny Mathis or Eddy Arnold crooning, you have Dylan croaking with both solemnity and a wink.
Come on — that’s fun, in the manner of other Christmas songs ranging from Eartha Kitt’s “Santa Baby” to the Waitresses’ “Christmas Wrapping.” So is Dylan’s polka-rhythm version of “Must Be Santa,” with help from Los Lobos’ David Hidalgo on accordion.
Yes, there are some lousy clunkers on this album. I don’t think anyone is capable of making “Little Drummer Boy” endurable. (Yes, I do remember the campy/sincere Bing Crosby-David Bowie collaboration from years ago.) And Dylan does make his slow, deliberate version of “I’ll Be Home For Christmas” sound more like a threat than a promise.
As is consistent with current Dylan, the album operates as a further exploration of American popular song in all its forms, no matter how uncool. In the same spirit as his satellite radio show, Christmas in the Heart contains some put-ons, some sincerity, some goofy humor and some deep dives into the mystery of what it means to celebrate the birth of Christ in both Latin and the language of kitsch.
Proceeds from this album will go to a charity, Feeding America. What can I say? This holiday season, while trimming the tree, I am just as likely to put on Christmas In The Heart as frequently as I do Phil Spector’s great album A Christmas Gift For You. Ho-ho-ho.
[From NPR]
Gawker has a montage of the “most Dylanesque” songs on the album, and you can head over there to check it out. You can also hear more at the audio link on the NPR editorial I quoted above. He does “Silver Bells,” “Hark The Herald Angels,” “O’ Come All Ye Faithful” and other classics, both serious and funny. It’s insane, right? It made me smile from ear to ear, though, and Dylan is donating all US proceeds to the the charity Feeding America. International proceeds go to the United Nations’ World Food Programme and the group Crisis. Some people will inevitably bash it, but Christmas From the Heart has plenty of fans as well as detractors – it’s #15 on the Amazon music charts.
Dylan has expressed his desire to address the hunger issue around the world, and said in an announcement “It’s a tragedy that more than 35 million people in this country alone—12 million of those children—often go to bed hungry and wake up each morning unsure of where their next meal is coming from. I join the good people of Feeding America in the hope that our efforts can bring some food security to people in need during this holiday season.” Dylan is also bringing us joy with his unique gravelly voice. It’s nice to see him poke fun at himself in honor of a good cause.
Bob Dylan: Christmas Blues (this has an ad in a foreign language on it, but the song is there.)
Header image via BobDylan.com
Love Bob Dylan. He’s an original.
He’s paid his dues in full and can do whatever he wants.
I can’t wait to listen to the whole album. Dylan was great on his first 4 or 5 albums. Then he lost something. I’ve seen him live twice in the last couple years. We walked out halfway through both times. I consider him one of my favorite artists and one of the best living artists, but he is just awful live.
I respect Dylan’s contribution to music, but in all honesty, the last thing I want to hear at Christmas is an album by him.
Seriously Jillian?? I’ve seen him live twice as well and thought he was great. I also think the last three albums he’s released have been pretty amazing. Granted everything he did in the 80’s was terrible, but then again everything from the eighties was pretty bad. I’m pretty meh about a Christmas album, but at least it’s for charity.
I’ve seen Bobby D live a few times as well – and yes the “uninitiated” or those who don’t do their research are often disappointed.
He rarely does album versions of his songs – he’s been touring constantly for 40 years, he wants to mix it up! In fact the one time I saw him when he was actually in a good mood and played versions we could recognise and sing along to (I’m in Ireland, it’s what we do), was in Kilkenny about 3 years ago (Michael Jackson was rumoured to be backstage), and the Violent Femmes and Flaming Lips opened for him. The ‘Lips did such an amazing set that lifted everyone – probably including our own R Zimmerman. 😀
For anyone who hasn’t seen Bob live, the best piece of advice I can give you is to listen to a live album a few times first. It’ll get you used to songs sounding different from the album versions. I’d recommend “After the Flood” that he recorded with The Band in the 1970s.
Holy Shiite, Batman! Shecky heard a few bars of “Like a Rolling Stone,” the version heard on “Self Portrait,” and did his disdainful woof. The Maltese speaks and he says it’s a dog! NPR is right, Self Portrait is “an ear-bleeder,” and this Christmas kitsch from Robert Zimmerman won’t be played at Shecky’s Hanukkah party.
I heard this NPR interview as well. The songs are so weird they’re almost kind of cool in a somewhat creepy old man way.
I wish I could say my experience seeing Big Bob live was as wonderful as some of yours has been. I caught him over the summer. Not only did he rush through the songs, he didn’t acknowledge his audience (he came across as annoyed with us), and he practically ran off the stage. I knew going in how he likes to ”mix it up”, but any time the audience was able to sing along, he’d change the way he was singing. He played for approximately an hour and didn’t do an encore — even with the audience clapping for almost 20 minutes for one. I talked to a security person after the show and he said Bob was gone within 10 minutes of walking off the stage. Despite his greatness (which I would never dispute — Blood on the Tracks? How could one?) his ego has become even greater. It seems he’s forgotten who put him where he is.
At least he’s using his celebrity to feed the hungry, since he doesn’t seem to care if he leaves his audience (who inadvertently is paying for his ‘charity’) starving for his attention. Lord knows that $250 I dropped should have been reason enough to satisfy, but I guess Gods don’t have to care about those who believe in them.
Never, ever thought I’d say Dylan was the worst concert I’ve ever seen.
Mairead: You got to see Dylan AND The Flaming Lips at the same show? Bitch! 😉
Anyway, I’ve seen several of his shows, and was blown away each time. The first two times, he played an incredible blues rock set with plenty of extended jams and a few surprise covers. I’d go see him again in a second, but nobody cool ever comes through this damn town.
For a minute I thought this was Adam Sandler playing a new role.
Raven – I didn’t say he was fantastic everytime I saw him and he was downright cranky the first time (it was in the old Point Depot – I hated that venue too, so I don’t blame him), but he’s not known for his cuddliness so I can’t say I was disappointed. The second time was better and the Nowlan Park concert was brilliant however.
@Coddie – aliens on one side of the stage, Santa Clauses on the other and walking over the crowd in a giant bubble… sure what more could you want? 😉
Kind of reminds me of Tom Waits
@Mairead — Now, if the Lips would’ve opened for him instead of Willie Nelson (who I thought would’ve put on a heck of show but played things just like Bob) that would’ve made up for his anti-social behaviour. I realize it’s a crap shoot when it comes to concerts. I saw the Dead twice. The first time was boring. The second? Well, from what I recall (which isn’t much 🙂 ) it was a rip-roarin’ good time. I was just a bit heartbroken because I waited a lot of years to see the big guy. I really wanted one of the good gigs (and a duet or two with Willie would’ve been awesome). Believe me, I meant no offense.
I’ve heard this man live and it was amazing. Concord Pavilion – about 45 minutes outside SF – where the earth is dry and moonlike, sitting on a hillside as the sun was setting behind the bandshell listening to Dylan and his “sharp as hell” band playing “It’s Not Dark Yet.” One of the truly amazing concert appearances …
i saw dylan a couple of weeks ago in Seattle. it was the best of approx. 25 times i’ve seen him. saw him with a group of 12 friends. he was absolutely on fire: loudest, hottest, best rock-n-roll show i’ve ever seen; reminded me of one of my all time favorite live performances: Miles Davis at the Paramount Theater in Seattle. Miles didn’t talk to the audience either!
Ho ho ho. Is “Arbor Day in the Heart” far behind? He is entitled to do as he pleases but he’d better not expect anyone to take him seriously from now on. The cowboy hats and roaming minstrel act have worn so thin they’ve become transparent. John Lennon was right. Serve yourself, Bob.
Whoa…to be fair, I don’t listen to him, so I don’t know how his voice has aged over time. But as I listen to it now, having only heard him sing in his younger days, I feel he sounds as if he’s doing a Tom Waits impression. But the song sounds like a regular Christmas song. A little trite, but warm in the end.
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