Wednesday, December 23, 2009

The Smithereens "Christmas With The Smithereens"

MERRY CHRISTMAS ALL!

Some goodies to enjoy that you may not have.

Christmas with the Smithereens features three original tunes, and as rock & roll Christmas albums go, this is good fun and admirably eclectic. The Smithereens are pretty broad-minded when it comes to what constitutes a Yuletide melody, given the presence of "Christmas," a not especially seasonal tune from the Who's Tommy, and they dig up the Beatles rarity "Christmas Time Is Here Again," as well as cutting a version of "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" that's a dead ringer for the Fab Four.

Seasonal numbers from the Beach Boys, Chuck Berry, and the Ramones also make the set list, and you get a snappy spoken word rendition of "The Night Before Christmas" as well as some rollicking proto-surf boogie on "Auld Lang Syne." The big surprise here is that Pat DiNizio shares the vocal mic with his bandmates for a change, and if guitarist Jim Babjak and drummer Dennis Diken aren't quite up to DiNizio's standard as a singer, they fit their selections better than DiNizio's often-gloomy tone.

Fans waiting for a "real" Smithereens album will apparently have to wait a bit longer, but Christmas with the Smithereens is more thoughtful and intriguing than the average tossed-together holiday offering, and the best moments are a clear reminder of what makes this band worthwhile.

01 - Waking Up On Christmas Morning 02 - Santa Bring My Baby Back (To Me) 03 - Merry Christmas, Baby 04 - Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree 05 - Christmas Time All Over The World 06 - Christmas 07 - 'Twas The Night Before Christmas 08 - Run Rudolph Run 09 - Merry Christmas (I Don't Want To Fight Tonight) 10 - Christmas (I Remember) 11 - Auld Lang Syne
12 - Christmas Time Is Here Again

cwsmeen

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