Christmas is always a strange mix of sober observance and carefree merrymaking. Whether you're cheering for the baby Jesus or for the Heat Miser, Christmas has the best characters, the best stories, and of course the best songs.
So this year, when Bob Dylan released a Christmas album, critics rushed to determine whether it was a joke, a marketing ploy, or some meta-commentary on contemporary society. While in fact, much like his radio show, it's about the songs. And like the holiday, it runs the gamut from the sacred to the profane. It has tender moments ("I'll Be Home for Christmas"), esoteric moments ("Christmas Island"), and classic moments ("Little Drummer Boy"). What makes them work is that Christmas music is not for listening...it's for singing.
All great Christmas albums inspire and encourage you to sing along. You don't have to be a good singer, you just have to sing. Hell, if Bob Dylan is willing to try to sing "Adestes Fideles" then I will too. By far the most popular at our house has been "Must Be Santa," Dylan's take on the Brave Combo polka version of a Mitch Miller classic. It's a fun song, with a great video (Yes, that's him dancing in the Santa hat). Watch it, sing along with it, and read all about how it was made. Also check out this great interview about the album. And don't forget to have yourself a raucous, merry little Christmas.
-Chris Walsh
