| Barenaked for the Holidays | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio album by Barenaked Ladies | ||||
| Released | October 5, 2004 | |||
| Recorded | May 2004 | |||
| Genre | Alternative rock | |||
| Length | 46:28 | |||
| Label | Desperation Records | |||
| Producer | Barenaked Ladies | |||
| Barenaked Ladies chronology | ||||
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| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic | [1] |
| Rolling Stone | (Favourable) [2] |
| Sputnik Music | [3] |
Barenaked for the Holidays is a full-length holiday-themed album released by Canadian band Barenaked Ladies on October 5, 2004. The album includes Christmas and Hanukkah songs as well as "Auld Lang Syne", which is traditionally sung on New Year's Eve. There are also several songs that are simply about the winter season. The album was the first album recorded at Steven Page's studio, Fresh Baked Woods and was the first released independently by BNL's Desperation Records label (and distributed by the Warner Music Group). It was the band's first studio album for which a "naked track" was not recorded.
Contents |
While the album contains some faithful interpretations of traditional songs, much of the album plays true to Ladies' off-kilter spirit. "Jingle Bells" begins as a slow, faithful rendition before breaking into an up-tempo version, including the "Batman smells..." lyric variation, and Page breaking down laughing. Several existing songs are included in the form of keyboard interludes; "Happy Birthday to You" is included as a hidden track in the form "Happy Birthday Jesus". The song "Deck The Stills" is an adaptation or parody of the song "Deck the Halls" with the lyrics Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young repeated in place of the real lyrics (it was an in-joke with the band at the time to use these lyrics in other songs). The album also includes the Band Aid charity song, "Do They Know It's Christmas?", all the royalties from which the band donates to the Stephen Lewis Foundation. Finally, the album includes seven songs written by the band.
The album was a popular release during the Christmas season of 2004, and reached #64 in the regular Billboard album charts.
There were two "sub-releases" of this album. The first was an E.P. available as a digital download, released November 15, 2005. It contained a live version of "Hanukkah, O Hanukkah" from their Toronto concert on November 20, 2004, as well as the album versions of "Hanukkah Blessings" and "I Have a Little Dreidel".
The second release was called Barenaked on a Stick, and was 128MB USB flash drive that contained the Holidays CD, live songs and ad libs, a demo recording, videos of the album recording, promo photos and buddy icons for instant messaging programs. It was sold initially at the 2005 holiday concert tour, and then through Nettwerk's online store, and though Amazon.com.
The song "Hanukkah Blessings" was released on the Rock Band music store on December 23, 2008.
Former member Steven Page later admitted that the album was not his idea, and that a holiday themed album was not what he wanted to do following Everything to Everyone.[4]
All songs are based on traditional arrangements, except where noted.
| No. | Title | Lead vocals | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Jingle Bells" | Steven Page | 3:57 |
| 2. | "Green Christmas†" (Steven Page, Ed Robertson) | Ed Robertson | 2:34 |
| 3. | "I Saw Three Ships" | Kevin Hearn, Steven Page, Ed Robertson | 1:07 |
| 4. | "Hanukkah Blessings" (Steven Page) | Steven Page | 3:27 |
| 5. | "O Holy Night" | instrumental | 1:09 |
| 6. | "Elf's Lament" (Ed Robertson) | Michael Bublé, Steven Page, Ed Robertson | 3:34 |
| 7. | "Snowman" (Ed Robertson) | Ed Robertson | 2:59 |
| 8. | "Do They Know It's Christmas?‡" (Bob Geldof, Midge Ure) | Steven Page, Ed Robertson, Tyler Stewart | 3:32 |
| 9. | "Hanukkah, Oh Hanukkah" | Steven Page, Ed Robertson | 2:11 |
| 10. | "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen/We Three Kings§" | Sarah McLachlan, Ed Robertson | 3:26 |
| 11. | "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" (Johnny Marks) | instrumental | 0:59 |
| 12. | "Carol of the Bells" (Leontovych, Wilhousky) | Kevin Hearn, Jim Creeggan, Steven Page, Ed Robertson | 3:00 |
| 13. | "Footprints" (Ed Robertson) | Ed Robertson | 3:14 |
| 14. | "Deck the Stills" | Jim Creeggan, Kevin Hearn, Steven Page, Ed Robertson, Tyler Stewart | 0:32 |
| 15. | "Christmastime (Oh Yeah)√" (Kevin Hearn) | Kevin Hearn | 2:16 |
| 16. | "Sleigh Ride" (Anderson, Parish) | Jim Creeggan, Kevin Hearn, Steven Page, Ed Robertson | 0:46 |
| 17. | "Christmas Pics" (Jim Creeggan) | Jim Creeggan | 2:13 |
| 18. | "I Have a Little Dreidel" (Goldfarb, Grossman) | Steven Page, Ed Robertson | 0:52 |
| 19. | "Wonderful Christmas Time" (Paul McCartney) | instrumental | 1:18 |
| 20. | "Happy Birthday" (Preston Ware Orem, R.R. Forman) | Jim Creeggan, Kevin Hearn, Steven Page, Ed Robertson, Tyler Stewart | 0:15 |
| 21. | "Auld Lang Syne" | Steven Page, Ed Robertson | 3:04 |
† re-recorded; originally from the 2000 soundtrack for How the Grinch Stole Christmas
‡ Previously released in a live version
§ recorded backstage at WPLT Planefest, 1996
√ Re-recorded; originally with Page on vocals for a compilation album
Barenaked Ladies
Additional personnel
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