Comments on: All The Merry Little Elves

By: danhartland

danhartland — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 11:12:22 +0000

In the event, I think the performances on the album are often rather straighter than all that: although ultimately Dylan emphasises the secular side of the equation, naturally. Where the songs are twisted into new shapes is in Dylan’s application of his voice – it is at constant odds with the deliberately smooth arrangements, and a lot of texture comes out of this juxtaposition. He has also, of course, firmly contextualised his Christmas album as a sort of period piece, thus further distancing himself from questions of faith in favour of ones of aesthetics.

Ultimately, though, it’s just a very fun – and funny – little record. It fits in rather well with ‘Together Through Life’, actually.

By: Jack Fate

Jack Fate — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 14:09:31 +0000

I think it’s a brilliant business decision of Dylan. He’s really using his egg noggin.

By: John Hinchey

John Hinchey — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 01:51:02 +0000

“Contentious patience”–I like that. And I had predicted his next album would be a polka record–I guess I just wasn’t thinking far enough outside the box!

I can’t imagine a Dylan Christmas record amounting to anything I would much enjoy–except for the sheer weirdness of it–especially in his post-geriatric voice. On the other hand his rendition of “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” was strangely affecting–he sounded like an old geezer in midwinter pining for one last spring–so who knows, maybe he’ll pull it off. You certainly can’t fault his chutzpah.