Bob Dylan - Christmas in the Heart - Music & Performance - CD

CHRISTMAS IN THE HEART is Bob Dylan's 47th album. All of his U.S. royalties from sales of these recordings will be donated to Feeding America, guaranteeing that more than four million meals will be provided to more than 1.4 million people in need in this country during the 2009 holiday season. Bob Dylan is also donating all of his future U.S. royalties from this album to Feeding America in perpetuity. Songs performed by Dylan on this new album include, "Here Comes Santa Claus," "Winter Wonderland," "Little Drummer Boy" "Must Be Santa."

After the initial shock fades, the existence of Christmas in the Heart seems perhaps inevitable. After all, the thing Bob Dylan loves most of all are songs that are handed down from generation to generation, songs that are part of the American fabric, songs so common they never seem to have been written. These are the songs Dylan chooses to sing on Christmas in the Heart, a cheerfully old-fashioned holiday album from its Norman Rockwell-esque cover to its joyous backing vocals. Apart from the breakneck "Must Be Santa," which barrelhouses like a barroom, Dylan doesn't really reinterpret these songs as much as simply play them with his crackerjack road band, dropping in a little flair -- restoring "we'll have to muddle through somehow" to "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," singing the opening of "O Come All Ye Faithful" in its original Latin -- but never pushing tunes in unexpected directions. Many would argue having Dylan croon these carols is unexpected enough and, true, there are times his gravelly rumble is a bit pronounced, but nothing here feels forced, it all feels rather fun, provided you're on the same wavelength as latter-day Bob, where the sound and swing of the band is as important as the song, where there's an undeniable nostalgic undertow to all the proceedings. And, of course, there's no better time for celebratory sound, swing, and nostalgia than the holidays, which may be why Christmas in the Heart is a bit of a left-field delight. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide

Performer	Bob Dylan
Music genre	Christmas Music
Music subgenre	Xmas
Music release type	Release
Media format	CD
Original release date	2009
Edition	Standard
Language	English
Has parental advisory label	N
Number of discs	1
Series title	Bob Dylan - Christmas in the Heart [COMPACT DISCS]
Track listing	Here Comes Santa Claus, Do You Hear What I Hear?, Winter Wonderland, Hark the Herald Angels Sing, I'll Be Home for Christmas, Little Drummer Boy, The Christmas Blues, O' Come All Ye Faithful (Adeste Fideles), Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, Must Be Santa, Silver Bells, The First Noel, Christmas Island, The Christmas Song, O' Little Town of Bethlehem
Record label	Sony
Songwriter	songwriter
Occasion	Christmas
Track name	Here Comes Santa Claus, Winter Wonderland, Little Drummer Boy, Must Be Santa
Duration	42 min
Music media format	CD
Is edited	N
Is enhanced	N