12/9/13

Dwight Yoakam's COME ON CHRISTMAS [1997]



Dwight Yoakam released two albums in 1997: an album of covers called Under The Covers in July and then a month later, an album of Christmas songs he called Come On Christmas.  It had been a solid decade since Yoakam released his first Christmas single, a cover of Elvis's "Santa Claus Is Back In Town" (the b-side is above), which had only whet HERC's appetite for more Yuletide Yoakam.


Although Come On Christmas starts off on a bit of a melancholy note with the Yoakam-penned title track (which always reminds HERC of Joni Mitchell's absolutely heartbreaking "River"), the album soon picks up as Dwight rearranges Christmas chestnuts like "Silver Bells", "Here Comes Santa Claus" and "The Christmas Song" to suit his own multifaceted style.  Another Dwight original closes the album, an alternate reality version of "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" called "Santa Can't Stay", which was the album's only single.  Organ, church bells and fiddle along with Dwight's drawling delivery makes for a Holiday album like no other.


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