Christmas Songs (Bad Religion album)

Christmas Songs
Compilation album by Bad Religion
Released October 29, 2013
Recorded 2013
Genre Punk rock
Length 19:01
Label Epitaph
Producer Joe Barresi
Bad Religion chronology

True North
(2013)		 Christmas Songs
(2013)

Christmas Songs is the fourth Compilation album by California punk rock band Bad Religion, released October 29, 2013 on Epitaph Records.[1] It is their first full-length Christmas album, featuring eight covers of seasonal songs and an "Andy Wallace mix" version of "American Jesus".[2] This is also the first Bad Religion album not to feature Greg Hetson on guitar since 1983's Into the Unknown, and the first time they recorded as a five-piece since 2000's The New America.

Background

Although Bad Religion had played many Christmas songs in the past, mostly during the KROQ Almost Acoustic Christmas shows,[3] the band had reportedly turned down offers to release a Christmas album.[2] After three days of speculation, the official announcement of Christmas Songs came via Epitaph press release on September 10, 2013.[2] 20% of the proceeds from Christmas Songs will go to SNAP (Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests).[4]

Cover

The cover picture comes from a picture titled "New Shoes" by Gerald Waller (Austria 1946). It is of an orphan boy who received new shoes from the American Red Cross.[5]

Reception

Critical

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
Source Rating
Metacritic 61/100[6]
Review scores
Source Rating
Allmusic [7]
Alternative Press [8]

Christmas Songs received mixed reviews from music critics upon its release. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album has received an average score of 61, based on 13 reviews, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.[6]

Track listing

No. TitleWriter(s) Length
1. "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing"  Felix Mendelssohn, Charles Wesley 1:59
2. "O Come All Ye Faithful"  John Francis Wade, Frederick Oakeley 2:04
3. "O come, O come, Emmanuel"  Traditional, John Mason Neale 2:07
4. "White Christmas"  Irving Berlin 1:49
5. "Little Drummer Boy"  Katherine Kennicott Davis 2:04
6. "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen"  Traditional 1:39
7. "What Child Is This?"  William Chatterton Dix 1:53
8. "Angels We Have Heard on High"  Traditional 2:07
9. "American Jesus (Andy Wallace Mix)"    3:19
Total length:
 19:01

Personnel


Additional Musicians

Chart performance

Chart (2013) Peak
position
US Billboard 200[9] 101
US Top Holiday Albums (Billboard)[10] 7

References

  1. ↑ "Bad Religion: Christmas Songs: Music". Amazon.com. Retrieved 11 September 2013.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "'BAD RELIGION To Release 'Christmas Songs' On October 29". Epitaph Records. 10 September 2013. Retrieved 10 September 2013.
  3. ↑ "UPDATE: Bad Religion to release Christmas songs!". The Bad Religion Page. 7 September 2013. Retrieved 10 September 2013.
  4. ↑ "Stream Bad Religion's Christmas Album Now". 30 September 2013.
  5. ↑ http://www.flickr.com/photos/grammardog/505296833/
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 http://www.metacritic.com/music/christmas-songs/bad-religion Critic Reviews for Christmas Songs. Metacritic. Retrieved 23 December 2013.
  7. ↑ Christmas Songs (Bad Religion album) at AllMusic
  8. ↑ Ham, Robert. "Bad Religion - Christmas Songs EP". Alternative Press. Retrieved 6 November 2013.
  9. ↑ "Bad Religion Album & Song Chart History" Billboard 200 for Bad Religion.
  10. ↑ "Bad Religion Album & Song Chart History". Billboard Top Holiday Albums for Bad Religion. Prometheus Global Media.