Oct 15, 2009
My half Scroogish, half positive take on Bob Dylan’s Christmas album.
How’s Dylan’s voice on his Christmas album? Even better than usual.
How’s the music? As kitschy as……Christmas music.
What’s your take?
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© 2012 Abuyo. All rights reserved.
My take is that, I have found new peace in making up words…if Abraham can boldly use “Scroogish”, my vocabulary has new freedom.
That is a constant secondary goal of mine with this blog, so…mission accomplished.
I was surprised at how much I liked it. I was surprised that he did it. I don’t think I’ll buy it.
That pretty much describes how I feel. I didn’t expect to like it at all. But it seems OK.
I’m not buying it either.
You should. The proceeds are going to charity.
Dylan and kitschy: not a match made in heaven. The only explanation that would make sense is that he did it as a joke.
That possibility crossed my mind. I wonder…
I thought it was cool the minute I heard about it on NPR. What was not cool was the 5AM sample blaring from NPR as I woke up this morning. But I was up, so Dylan’s work at my house is done. Maybe I might buy it, or tracks. Haven’t made up my mind.
I had mental whiplash after NPR’s early morning audio assault. But fair warning of a repeat @ 7:45am ensured I’d be off the road while others were driven to insanity. Probably good for scaring warmth-seeking rodents out of the house, though – should have left it on while we were away. I enjoy Christmas music as long as it’s, well…music. Fail.
I love Dylan. I love Christmas. I’m buying it.
My take is this: Why you gotta go all hateful on Christmas music?
I tell him it’s because he’s dead inside. I mean, who doesn’t like *Christmas music*???
I love male singers with strange voices (Dylan, Prine, Kristofferson, Arlo Guthrie) and I have a zillion Christmas CDs. But I just listened to a preview of all the songs and don’t think I’ll be buying it. I just can’t wrap my head around Bob Dylan singing “Here Comes Santa Claus.”
sadly, Dylan’s post-1970s voice is like torture to my ears. even a nice, cleaned-up post-production version singing about Santa.
i love that dylan is from mn. i don’t love his voice.
Isn’t Bob Dylan still Jewish?
Please tell me this is a joke. My ears hurt.
The cover reminds me of the 80s or those old albums from the 70s that mom kept around. The sound of the recording reminds me of the same. His voice… I’m speechless.
Funny thing. A friend of mine engineered on a Dylan record and swears the man can actually annunciate and not sing through his nose quite well. He just chooses not to.
I have never understood people enjoying Dylan’s singing. He’s an AWESOME writer, but I just can’t listen to him sing that much – and I typically like folksy music!
I think it’s quite kitschy. I’m not impressed.
“Winter Wonderland” kind of creeps me out.
I think his voice is perfect on Little Drummer Boy. You can just hear all the cigarettes and booze, plus decades of shredding those vocal chords. I can’t tell if I really like it or if I’m just fascinated by it because it’s so unusual.
Has Tom Waits ever recorded a Christmas album? I couldn’t find one on Amazon, but I didn’t look very hard.
Tom Waits–Christmas Card from a Hooker in Minneapolis
My husband is a big Dylan fan. When he told me about this CD I thought he was joking and made him prove it. I also told him that this could ruin my love of Christmas music. I haven’t listened to it yet though.
I think that Bob sings like an angel from Heaven. I will definitely buy this glorious album.
His voice sounds bad, like he has a smokers voice, very harsh and scruffy. Most singers voices get worse as they get older, he should of quite singing professionally along time ago.
I like Dylan’s older music and his harmonica playing. Have you heard Dylan’s playing the harmonica in this Keith Green’s song…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HBafBWx7q34
Being Jewish didn’t stop, oh lets see Bette Midler and Barbara from going after the gain in recording Christmas music..and since Jesus was a Jew…Bob could never sing anyway…I’ll stick with Handel and Reliant K for my Christmas music. Heard a bit of this on Michael Medved…it was humbugable.
Wow, that is a lot of negative talk on fellow Minnesotan, Bob Dylan. He sings like that because it’s his sound. If you want to hear a different Bob Dylan (while he was still trying to find his sound) listen to the song, Lay, Lady Lay.
For the person who likes ‘different’ male voices – try the Bruce Cockburn Christmas CD.
Isn’t the question, “Is Dylan still a Christian?”
I do think this sounds like an odd combo, but I wouldn’t mind listening to it. (I haven’t tried from here.)
Terrible. Couldn’t reconcile his voice with Christmas music.
It sounds like he is on the verge of giggling in some of the songs; and the backing vocals are rich. This is one I’ll be buying several copies of to pass around-word is there’ll be an LP out too.
Buying it now. Amazing sound.