Everybody Knows It's Christmas

by Chris Isaak

Overview

Chris Isaak distinguishes his second holiday album -- the first, the plainly titled Christmas, arrived back in 2004 -- by designing Everybody Knows It's Christmas as a throwback to the pre-Beatles days of rock & roll. Not for nothing is this released on Sun Records; the album consciously evokes the simple, spare rockabilly pioneered at the landmark Memphis studio in the 1950s. That doesn't mean this is a greasy, Dixie-fried affair, though. Working with producer Dave Cobb, Isaak achieves a clever blend of the Sun aesthetic and the form of early Elvis RCA Records. It's lighthearted and playful -- it's a Christmas record, after all -- but it's not drenched in extraneous studio sweetening; whenever there are supporting vocal harmonies, they're not pushed into the forefront, they're used as subtle coloring. Isaak and Cobb get the vibe just right, and the singer/songwriter also contributes a number of snappy originals, like the clever "Almost Christmas" that bops like vintage Ricky Nelson. All of it adds up to a minor Christmas miracle: a deliberate throwback that feels fresh and fun. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Product Details

Release Date:	10/20/2023
Label:	Chris Isaak
UPC:	0792755802366
Rank:	30590

Tracks

1. Winter Wonderland
2. Jingle Bell Rock
3. Holiday Blues
4. Run Rudolph Run
5. I Believe in Santa Claus
6. Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree
7. Everybody Knows It's Christmas
8. Christmas Comes But Once a Year
9. Help Me Baby Jesus
10. Dogs Love Christmas Too
11. Wrapping Presents for Myself
12. Almost Christmas
13. O Holy Night
14. Jingle Bells
15. Begging Forgiveness
16. Dogs Love Christmas Too
17. Silent Night

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Chris Isaak   Primary Artist
Jess Dunbar   Primary Artist,Vocals
Matt Price   Vocals

Technical Credits

Johnny Marks   Composer
Pete Lyman   Mastering
Marvin Brodie   Composer
Adolphe Adam   Composer
Dave Cobb   Mixing,Producer
Chris Isaak   Composer,Producer,Illustrations
Felix Bernard   Composer
James Boothe   Composer
Brandon Bell   Engineer
Sheryl Louis   Management
Chad Smith   Graphic Design
Richard B. Smith   Composer
Joe Beal   Composer
Andrew Brightman   Project Coordinator
Phillip Smith   Engineer