I heard about Bob Dylan's new Christmas album on last week's Culture Gabfest. On the Gabfest, Julia Turner and the others emphasized how it's unclear if Dylan is laughing at (and sending up) Christmas kitsch or seriously exploring Americana -- but that in either case it's fun listening.They are exactly right: I love Dylan's take on the Christmas classics! I downloaded three this morning so my sample size is small, but his voice and phrasings are fantastic. I have been laughing out loud when I listen to "Do You Hear What I Hear," and the cheesy chorus -- plus his distinctive grovel -- in "Winter Wonderland" is also great. "Adeste Fidelis" is probably the weak link of the three songs I chose, so perhaps he can't do the spiritual songs quite as well as the popular ones.
Overall, though, Dylan's songs have got the Christmas carol listening season off to a superb start!!
