The
Beach Boys were on a very tight
schedule to put out product by
this time, and the success of
their Christmas single,
"Little Saint Nick"
meant that a full-blown album
was needed to be ready for the
holidays. Not surprisingly
(to this fan at least), the band
was able to pull it off with
eggnog to spare, creating a
timeless holiday classic.
Blending new rock originals
(most of which reflect the
rushed nature of their
creation), with lush,
orchestrated arrangements of
familiar classics,
"Christmas Album"
manages to have something to
please everyone. My
personal favorites are the
classic "Little Saint
Nick" (and the alternate
version sung to the tune of
"Drive In"), The lush
and slightly off-key "We
Three Kings of Orient Are,"
an atypical religious number;
"The Lord's Prayer," a
truly lovely "I'll Be Home
For Christmas," and the
traditional "Auld Lang Syne"
(in both the original version,
which has Dennis stuttering
through a spoken holiday
greeting, and on a CD bonus
track, without Dennis.)
Now, rock purists may balk at
the use of a 40-piece orchestra
to back up the boys on the
ballads, but I've always thought
the Beach Boys' shimmering vocal
blend and the dense
orchestrations compliment each
other well.
