Today is Elvis Presley’s 75th birthday, so although I’m not what you
would call an especially ardent fan, I thought it would be fitting to
post a review of one of his albums in tribute. I still haven’t retired
the Christmas music in my house, nor do I expect to until February, so I
make no apologies about reviewing yet another collection of holiday
songs. Elvis Sings the Wonderful World of Christmas is the second
Christmas album he recorded; it was 1971, but the obtrusive choir makes
it feel a couple of decades older. Nonetheless, a nice collection for
Elvis fans.
O Come All Ye Faithful - A pretty
straightforward version of the classic carol, with Elvis backed by a
deep-voiced choir. The second verse adds in some heavy-handed brass and
percussion, as well as a female component to the choir; I prefer the
more sedate first verse.
The First Noel - Elvis has
part of this song to himself before the choir kicks in, and again I
prefer the less over-the-top portion, which is nicely reverent.
On a Snowy Christmas Night
- I really like this one, the first on the album that was new to me. He
sounds very sincere here as he croons about pristine winter landscapes
and gratitude for one‘s blessings. “Give thanks for all you’ve been
blessed with / And hold your loved ones tight, / For you know the Lord’s
been good to you / On a snowy Christmas night.”
Winter Wonderland
- A rockin’ version of the snowy staple, this boasts some peppy
percussion, rollicking sax, electric guitar and, my favorite, some
cheerful-sounding chimes. And the Elvis growl at the end is pure fun.
Wonderful World of Christmas - Similar in tone to On a Snowy Christmas Night,
this song again features chimes as my favorite bit of accompaniment.
The choir comes to feel a bit intrusive, especially on the chorus, but
it’s a nice song. “The wonderful world of Christmas / Is a joy from the
moment it starts. / The wonderful world of Christmas / Shall remain
everyday in our hearts.”
It Won’t Seem Like Christmas (Without You) - Elvis sounds truly despondent in this song that I prefer to Blue Christmas,
in part because it has more narrative heft and a nice country-western
feel to it. He almost reminds me of Johnny Cash here. “If I get the one
thing I’m wishin’ for / Then I’ll see you tonight in my dreams...”
I’ll Be Home on Christmas Day
- Rather similar to the last song in that the speaker is bemoaning his
inability to be with the ones he loves for Christmas. I like the whining
guitars on this one and especially the pounding piano, which reminds me
of Celtic Thunder’s similarly-themed Take Me Home. “If I had any sense at all / I'd just be on my way. / I'd catch that train tomorrow; / I'd be home on Christmas day.”
If I Get Home on Christmas Day
- This one, which has practically the same title, almost feels like a
continuation of the last song, though in this case it seems to be only
distance keeping the lovers apart. It’s more forlorn-sounding as well.
“If I get home before midnight / While you're still sleeping tight, /
I'll take you in my arms and there you'll stay / If I get home on
Christmas day.”
Holly Leaves and Christmas Trees -
Another pretty despondent song, making four songs in a row about being
separated from a loved one at Christmas. Nice song, but having these all
lumped together makes this album a bit of a downer... “As I walk, walk
this lonely street, / The sound of snow beneath my feet, / I'll think of
how, how it used to be / When holly leaves and Christmas trees / Used
to mean so much to me.”
Merry Christmas Baby - Now
we’re back to the songs I’m familiar with. I’m not a big fan of this
song in general, but I rather like this version, with the pianist
tickling those keys like there’s no tomorrow and the harmonica adding to
the bluesy flavor. Elvis brings a lot of soul to this one.
Silver Bells
- I really like Elvis’s performance of this, one of my favorite
traditional Christmas carols, but the choir chiming in with echoes on
the chorus gets to be rather abrasive. The verses, with the hint of
electric guitar adding a slight western flavor, are much nicer.
Blue Christmas
- This last track was recorded live, as evidenced by the squealing in
the background. Elvis introduces it as his favorite Christmas song, and
judging by their reactions, I would suspect that his audience members
agree. Certainly the most iconic of Elvis’s Christmas songs, though by
now I’ve heard so many versions I have a hard time thinking of it as
just Elvis’s. I do prefer this live version to the original, though, as
it dispenses with the loopy background singing. “I’ll have a blue
Christmas without you. / I’ll be so blue thinkin’ about you. /
Decorations of red on a green Christmas tree / Won’t mean a thing, dear,
if you’re not here with me.”
One of these days I’ll have to
check out Elvis’s first Christmas album and see how it compares. Of
course, I’ve heard many of those tracks on the radio, and stylistically,
they seem pretty similar. While I think the choir could have been toned
down a bit, the King is in fine voice on Elvis Sings the Wonderful World of Christmas.
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