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Elvis' Christmas Album
Released: 1957/10 by BMG ND 90300
Classic Christmas album with a classic cover.
Tracklisting
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I don't care what anybody says, THIS is Elvis at his peak. Yes, he had a number of peaks, but none stand up to a 22-year-old Presley, lewd & crude, assaulting festive favourites, the Blue Moon Boys & Co. in full swing, Scotty tearing his guitar to shreds on the opening number. When my family ask for some soothing background music as they dress the tree, some Sinatra perhaps, I put El's xmas album in and crank up the volume. The Jordanaires' misleading intro to Santa Claus Is Back... tricks them everytime, then Elvis kicks in and catches them off guard. Arguably his greatest rock 'n' roll recording.
For a relatively old CD release, the liner notes and glossy full-colour photo booklet spoil the listener. Though the running time is relatively short, he packs a lot in. The perfect slices of 50's pop (Santa Bring My Baby Back To Me, Here Comes Santa Claus) sit agreeably alongside yuletide standards (Silent Night, O Little Town) and I relish in Irving Berlin's disdain for Elvis' interpretation of White Christmas. The heartfelt gospel numbers, recorded earlier in 1957, don't seem out of place in the slightest and they really do stir the listener's emotions.
My favourite Elvis album, in spite of (or maybe even because of) the fact that I only play it over the Christmas hols. I want to keep it special and refreshing. With each passing year I notice new subtleties, hidden in the magic. A perfect comrade during the Christmas period and as befitting to the scenes of winter merriment as a roaring fire or a snowman in the garden. It always goes down smooth!
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