Christmas in the Heart
| Christmas in the Heart | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | October 13, 2009 | |||
| Recorded | May 2009, Santa Monica, California, United States[1] | |||
| Genre | Christmas music | |||
| Length | 42:21 | |||
| Language | English | |||
| Label | Columbia | |||
| Producer | Jack Frost (Bob Dylan's pseudonym) | |||
| Bob Dylan chronology | ||||
| ||||
Christmas in the Heart is the 34th studio album and first Christmas album by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, released on October 13, 2009 by Columbia Records. The album comprises a collection of hymns, carols and popular Christmas songs. All Dylan's royalties from the sale of this album benefit the charities Feeding America in the USA, Crisis in the UK, and the World Food Programme in perpetuity.[2]
Dylan said that, although he was born and raised Jewish (he converted to Christianity in the late 1970s), he never felt left out of Christmas during his childhood in Minnesota. Regarding the popularity of Christmas music, he said, "... it's so worldwide and everybody can relate to it in their own way."[3]
The album opened at No. 1 on the Billboard Holiday Album chart, No. 5 on the Folk Album chart, No. 10 on the Rock Album chart and No. 23 on the overall album charts.
Recording
The album was recorded at Jackson Browne's Groove Masters Studio in Santa Monica.[4] In addition to Dylan's Never Ending Tour band, the sessions featured contributions from Los Lobos' David Hidalgo, Chess Records veteran Phil Upchurch and a choir that included Amanda Barrett and Abby DeWald (better known as folk music duo The Ditty Bops).
When asked in an interview if Dylan played classic recordings of Christmas songs for the musicians as reference points, Hidalgo responded:
I mean, these songs, you know, they’ve been around forever and everybody knows them. And you have to be reverent, and you have to do them justice in a way. So, before we did 'Silver Bells,' that first day, I think we listened to Bing Crosby and Dean Martin doing it. We’d listen to, say, 'The Christmas Song.' We’d listen to Nat King Cole’s version, and we’d listen to Mel Tormé’s version, and it would be like: Well, we can’t do that – but we’ll do something that works, we’ll make it our own. You know: to try and one-up Nat Cole isn’t going to happen. So we’d come up with a different arrangement…Other songs, we’d listen to Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra doing the same song, Burl Ives doing the same song, we’d listen to The Louvin Brothers doing that same song, and just kind of pick a direction, you know, take elements from each one, and just kind of try and find something, until Bob felt the band had a feel for it. If we started playing and it wasn’t happening, we’d go back and rethink things. There were a few times we’d do a song and Bob would take it home and listen to it overnight, and next day he’d come back: 'Let’s try that again. We’ll do a different take on it.' It was wide open the way he works."[5]
In an interview published by Street News Service, journalist Bill Flanagan asked Dylan why he had performed the songs in a straightforward style, and Dylan responded:
There wasn't any other way to play it. These songs are part of my life, just like folk songs. You have to play them straight too.
When Flanagan reported that some critics thought the album was an ironic treatment of Christmas songs, Dylan responded:
Critics like that are on the outside looking in. They are definitely not fans or the audience that I play to. They would have no gut level understanding of me and my work, what I can and can't do—the scope of it all. Even at this point in time they still don't know what to make of me.[6]
Release and promotion
Dylan released a music video for the song "Must Be Santa" directed by Nash Edgerton. The video depicts Dylan and some holiday revelers having a raucous Christmas house party, until one of the guests instigates a fight and leaves the party by jumping through a living-room window. In the closing scene, Dylan and Santa Claus are on the front porch together watching the rabble-rouser's departure.[7]
An animated music video was also released for the song "The Little Drummer Boy" directed by Jeff Scher, and a music video ecard[8] was released for "Must Be Santa".
Reception
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AnyDecentMusic? | 5.6/10[9] |
| Metacritic | 62/100[10] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [11] |
| The A.V. Club | B−[12] |
| Robert Christgau |  [13] |
| The Guardian | [14] |
| Paste | 7.5/10[15] |
| Pitchfork Media | 6.8/10[16] |
| PopMatters |   [17] |
| Rolling Stone | [18] |
| Slant Magazine | [19] |
| Tiny Mix Tapes | [20] |
At Metacritic, the album currently holds a score of 62 out of 100 based on 17 reviews, indicating generally favorable reviews.[21]
While the unexpected move by Dylan to record a Christmas album was received with skepticism at first, the outcome of the project was lauded by critics for bringing a fresh breath of air into these classics.[22]
Slant Magazine's critic Jesse Cataldo awarded the album 4 stars out of 5 and said:
This enjoyable sense of exploration, which prizes levity in a genre that usually amounts to an artistic wasteland, is invaluable. It also proves how much life is left in the songs, and how much other artists have succeeded at butchering them.[23]
Se7en magazine's critic agreed, writing:
The arrangement of his band mixes up the style of the songs, resulting in a repertoire of Christmas songs that genuinely sound like modern material, while avoiding ever being cliché.[24]
The critic for Tiny Mix Tapes rated the album 4 stars out of 5, writing:
On Christmas in the Heart... it's not the heat, but the bitter cold, the kind you feel in northern Minnesnowta[sic]. These are traditional numbers, aged but not antiquated. In keeping with releases like Good as I Been to You and World Gone Wrong, the album features Dylan exorcising the musical spirits of the land. Some will rank it among other gimcrack releases, like Dylan & the Dead. Still others will categorize it as an oddity, like Self Portrait. It's all and none of these. These songs are Dylan's latest exploits, but they're deathly sincere (and jolly), as serious and kitschy as Theme Time Radio Hour. It's the music that introduces old Disney films, an album as dense and allusive as his other recent outings.[20]
In 2020, Rolling Stone placed Dylan's version of "Must Be Santa" 24th on a list of his best songs of the 21st century.[25]
Charity project
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.
Bob Dylan[26]
Feeding America received Dylan's royalties from sales in the USA, while two further charities, the United Nations' World Food Programme and Crisis in the UK, received royalties from overseas sales.
Dylan said:
"That the problem of hunger is ultimately solvable means we must each do what we can to help feed those who are suffering and support efforts to find long-term solutions. I'm honoured to partner with the World Food Programme and Crisis in their fight against hunger and homelessness."[27]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Here Comes Santa Claus" | Gene Autry, Oakley Haldeman | 2:35 |
| 2. | "Do You Hear What I Hear?" | Noël Regney, Gloria Shayne Baker | 3:02 |
| 3. | "Winter Wonderland" | Felix Bernard, Richard B. Smith | 1:52 |
| 4. | "Hark the Herald Angels Sing" | Felix Mendelssohn (music), Charles Wesley (lyrics), arranged by Bob Dylan | 2:30 |
| 5. | "I'll Be Home for Christmas" | Buck Ram, Kim Gannon and Walter Kent | 2:54 |
| 6. | "Little Drummer Boy" | Katherine K. Davis, Henry Onorati, Harry Simeone | 2:52 |
| 7. | "The Christmas Blues" | Sammy Cahn, David Jack Holt | 2:54 |
| 8. | "O' Come All Ye Faithful (Adeste Fideles)" | Traditional, arranged by Bob Dylan | 2:48 |
| 9. | "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" | Hugh Martin, Ralph Blane | 4:06 |
| 10. | "Must Be Santa" | William Fredericks, Hal Moore | 2:48 |
| 11. | "Silver Bells" | Jay Livingston, Ray Evans | 2:35 |
| 12. | "The First Noel" | Traditional, arranged by Bob Dylan | 2:30 |
| 13. | "Christmas Island" | Lyle Moraine | 2:27 |
| 14. | "The Christmas Song" | Mel Tormé, Bob Wells | 3:56 |
| 15. | "O Little Town of Bethlehem" | Traditional, arranged by Bob Dylan | 2:17 |
Personnel
- Bob Dylan – vocals, guitar, electric piano, harmonica
- Tony Garnier – bass guitar
- George Receli – drums, percussion
- Donnie Herron – steel guitar, mandolin, trumpet, violin
- David Hidalgo – accordion, guitar, mandolin, violin
- Phil Upchurch – guitar
- Patrick Warren – piano, organ, celeste
Additional musicians
- Amanda Barrett, Bill Cantos, Randy Crenshaw, Abby DeWald, Nicole Eva Emery, Walt Harrah, Robert Joyce – choir
Technical personnel
- Bob Dylan – producer
- David Bianco – recording, mixing
- Bill Lane – assistant engineering
- David Spreng – additional engineering
- Glen Suravech – assistant engineering
- Rich Tosti, Ed Wong – studio support
Artwork
- Olivia De Berandis – inside cover illustration
- Ewin Fotheringham – back cover illustration
- Leonard Freed/Magnum Photos – inside photo
- Coco Shinomiya – design
- VisualLanguage.com – front cover
Charts
| Chart (2009) | Peak |
|---|---|
| Austria Albums Chart[28] | 44 |
| Belgian (Flanders) Albums Chart[28] | 22 |
| Belgian (Wallonia) Albums Chart | 89 |
| Canada Albums Chart | 33 |
| Denmark Albums Chart[28] | 14 |
| Dutch Albums Chart[28] | 34 |
| French Albums Chart[28] | 119 |
| Germany Albums Chart[28] | 37 |
| Norway Albums Chart[28] | 5 |
| Irish Albums Chart[28] | 34 |
| Italy Albums Chart[28] | 27 |
| Spain Albums Chart[28] | 54 |
| Sweden Albums Chart[28] | 6 |
| Switzerland Albums Chart[28] | 80 |
| UK Albums Chart[28] | 40 |
| US Billboard 200 Albums Chart[28] | 23 |
| US Billboard Holiday Albums Chart[28] | 1 |
| US Billboard Folk Albums Chart[29] | 1 |
| US Billboard Rock Albums Chart | 9 |
References
- ^ "BBC review". Retrieved December 2, 2019.
- ^ "CAFAmerica to distribute royalities [sic] from Bob Dylan's Christmas album to Crisis". UK Fundraising. 2009-12-14. Retrieved 2009-12-19.
- ^ Bob Dylan brings Christmas cheer to those without homes, Reuters, November 26, 2009
- ^ "Bob-Bob-Bobbin' Along: A Peek Inside Bob Dylan's Christmas Album". Damien Love. 2020-12-14. Retrieved 2020-12-15.
- ^ "Bob-Bob-Bobbin' Along: A Peek Inside Bob Dylan's Christmas Album". Glasgow Music City Tours. Retrieved 2021-02-03.
- ^ Flanagan, Bill (2009-11-23). "Bob Dylan Discusses Holiday Music, Christmas and Feeding The Hungry With Bill Flanagan". Street News Service. Retrieved 2009-11-26. [dead link]
- ^ "Premiere: Bob Dylan's Must Be Santa Video From Christmas LP | Music News". Rolling Stone. 2009-11-16. Retrieved 2012-02-09.
- ^ "eCard Music Video – Bob Dylan – Christmas in the Heart". Hdgreetings.com. Archived from the original on 2012-02-09. Retrieved 2012-02-14.
- ^ "Bob Dylan: Christmas in the Heart". AnyDecentMusic?. anydecentmusic.com. Retrieved 13 June 2018.
- ^ "Christmas in the Heart Reviews". Metacritic.com. Retrieved May 31, 2016.
- ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. Christmas in the Heart at AllMusic
- ^ Matos, Michaelangelo (2012-02-10). "A.V. Club review". Avclub.com. Retrieved 2012-02-14.
- ^ Christgau, Robert. "Robert Christgau: CG: Artist 169". robertchristgau.com. Retrieved 11 September 2011.
- ^ Richard Williams (2009-12-10). "The Guardian review". London: Guardian. Retrieved 2012-02-14.
- ^ http://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2009/10/bob-dylan-christmas-in-the-heart.html
- ^ http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/13615-christmas-in-the-heart/
- ^ http://www.popmatters.com/review/114628-bob-dylan-christmas-in-the-heart/
- ^ "Rolling Stone review". Rollingstone.com. Retrieved 2012-02-14.
- ^ "Slant Magazine review". Slantmagazine.com. Retrieved 2012-02-14.
- ^ a b http://www.tinymixtapes.com/music-review/bob-dylan-christmas-heart
- ^ "Bob Dylan - Christmas In The Heart". Metacritic. Retrieved 2009-12-06.
- ^ "Isn't it ironic? Dylan surprises again with holiday CD - 2009-Dec-02 - CultureMap Houston". Culturemap.com. Retrieved 2012-02-09.
- ^ "Music". Slant Magazine. Retrieved 2013-07-25.
- ^ "Politics, Film, Music and Culture – A soundtrack for the holidays – Bob Dylan does Christmas". Se7en Magazine. Retrieved 2012-02-14.
- ^ Vozick-Levinson, Jon Dolan,Patrick Doyle,Andy Greene,Brian Hiatt,Angie Martoccio,Rob Sheffield,Hank Shteamer,Simon; Dolan, Jon; Doyle, Patrick; Greene, Andy; Hiatt, Brian; Martoccio, Angie; Sheffield, Rob; Shteamer, Hank; Vozick-Levinson, Simon (2020-06-18). "The 25 Best Bob Dylan Songs of the 21st Century". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2021-02-03.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ "Dylan to release Christmas album". BBC News. 2009-08-27. Retrieved 2010-06-29.
- ^ "Dylan royalties for Crisis charity". Daily Mirror. 2009-09-24. Retrieved 2009-10-24.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o "Christmas in the Heart". aCharts. Retrieved January 14, 2013.
- ^ Trust, Gary. Chart Beat Thursday: John Mayer, Folk Albums, David Guetta . Billboard. November 26, 2009. Retrieved December 6, 2009.
