Dan Hicks and the Hot Licks
Crazy for Christmas
Surf Dog
Most Christmas
albums of the last
20 years make
me feel more like
the Grinch than
someone filled
with cheer and
goodwill. They
seem so cynically “cheery,” shiny perfect,
and soullessly overproduced that they’re
like icicles in the ear canal. For me, old
holiday tunes are a lot more likely to have
that vibe that takes you back to your childhood—
back to relaxing in your jammies,
digging the smell of the Christmas tree,
and vegging by a crackling fire. I’m talking
about songs from cats like Burl Ives or
fun stuff like the tracks on the Christmas
Kisses compilation, which has an eclectic
mix of endearing performances by artists
like Leadbelly, Les Paul, Tex Ritter, Sugar
Chile Robinson, Mel Blanc, and Harry
Stewart (performing as “Yogi Yorgesson”).
There’s a soulfulness and warmth to these
recordings, and it’s not because there’s
a nostalgic connection. I didn’t grow up
with those songs, but I feel like I did. That
warmth is partially the production process,
sure, but there’s also a feeling of genuine
joy and awe that I just don’t hear in most
newer Christmas albums. But Dan Hicks
and the Hot Licks’ new Crazy for Christmas
is one of those rare exceptions. Besides
featuring production that has that ol’
magical vibe, it’s full of swingin’ archtop
solos from Gonzalo Bergara (“Santa Gotta
Choo Choo”), rootsy slide parts (“Santa’s
Workshop”), gypsy-jazz violin solos (“Here
Comes Santa Claus”), joyous singing (how
Hicks’ trademark voice can sound gritty
and smooth is a mystery), and humor that
kids and adults alike can enjoy (check out
the scat singing and comically sped-up
choruses of “Carol of the Bells,” or the
kazoo lines on “Cool Yule”). You may not
be able to believe in Santa anymore, but
thanks to Hicks and the Hot Licks you can
still believe in the infinitely more valuable
vibe and spirit that the Fat Man represents.
Crazy for Christmas
Surf Dog
Most Christmas
albums of the last
20 years make
me feel more like
the Grinch than
someone filled
with cheer and
goodwill. They
seem so cynically “cheery,” shiny perfect,
and soullessly overproduced that they’re
like icicles in the ear canal. For me, old
holiday tunes are a lot more likely to have
that vibe that takes you back to your childhood—
back to relaxing in your jammies,
digging the smell of the Christmas tree,
and vegging by a crackling fire. I’m talking
about songs from cats like Burl Ives or
fun stuff like the tracks on the Christmas
Kisses compilation, which has an eclectic
mix of endearing performances by artists
like Leadbelly, Les Paul, Tex Ritter, Sugar
Chile Robinson, Mel Blanc, and Harry
Stewart (performing as “Yogi Yorgesson”).
There’s a soulfulness and warmth to these
recordings, and it’s not because there’s
a nostalgic connection. I didn’t grow up
with those songs, but I feel like I did. That
warmth is partially the production process,
sure, but there’s also a feeling of genuine
joy and awe that I just don’t hear in most
newer Christmas albums. But Dan Hicks
and the Hot Licks’ new Crazy for Christmas
is one of those rare exceptions. Besides
featuring production that has that ol’
magical vibe, it’s full of swingin’ archtop
solos from Gonzalo Bergara (“Santa Gotta
Choo Choo”), rootsy slide parts (“Santa’s
Workshop”), gypsy-jazz violin solos (“Here
Comes Santa Claus”), joyous singing (how
Hicks’ trademark voice can sound gritty
and smooth is a mystery), and humor that
kids and adults alike can enjoy (check out
the scat singing and comically sped-up
choruses of “Carol of the Bells,” or the
kazoo lines on “Cool Yule”). You may not
be able to believe in Santa anymore, but
thanks to Hicks and the Hot Licks you can
still believe in the infinitely more valuable
vibe and spirit that the Fat Man represents.
