Release date: October 15, 1957 (RCA Camden reissue: November 1970)
Singles: Santa Claus is Back in Town, Blue Christmas, Mama Liked the Roses
So after selecting this album, "research" revealed that the copy I have is actually the 1970 "budget" reissue of Elvis' Christmas album, which has a slightly different track lineup than the original 1957 release. So for those of you following along (as I'm sure all of you are), that's what I'm working with.
Of course the big hit everybody knows is "Blue Christmas." It's probably playing on the radio right now (assuming you're reading this around Christmas). On the original release, "Blue Christmas" was the fifth track on side one, but on the reissue I have, it leads off the album. Give the people what they want right away, I say. The rest of the album is pretty much all standard Christmas album fare, except "Mama Liked the Roses," which isn't a Christmas song at all, and seems rather out of place. Merry Christmas, here's a song about your mother being dead!
Rating: 7 swans-a-swimming - Elvis was and will always be the king. This album delivers everything you'd expect of an Elvis Christmas album: upbeat Elvis rock Christmas songs and slow Elvis ballad Christmas songs. And then it gives you "Mama Liked the Roses," because screw your merry Christmas. Seriously, I have no idea why this was included on the album. They couldn't have him record "Jingle Bells" or something?
And now, your non-Blue-Christmas, non-single Elvis Christmas song: "Santa Bring My Baby Back to Me."
No comments:
Post a Comment