About this Artist

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Editorial Reviews

All Charlie Daniels had to do to look like Santa Claus for the cover shot of his first Christmas album was to put on the red suit. For the most part, the music this right jolly old elf produces here is suitably mellow, good humored, and always deeply felt. "I'll Be Home for Christmas," "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," and "The Christmas Song" get languorous treatments featuring Daniels's engaging croon and bluesy fills from with his longtime ace keyboardist, Taz DiGregorio. Never one to be contained for too long, though, Charlie and company cut loose a couple of times with some blazing southern rock, most impressively on a fierce interpretation of "Blue Christmas" and on Daniels's self-penned mean-woman blues, "It's Bad to Have the Blues (At Christmas Time)," both songs featuring stinging, protesting slide guitars wailing all around our frontman's gritty, gutsy vocals. These are effective changes of pace, but the reflective moments are the ones that linger in memory, such as a striking instrumental "What Child Is This," led by Daniels's evocative acoustic guitar and a somber orchestral backing. Good work throughout on a worthy addition to the country Christmas canon. David McGee, Barnes & Noble

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