9. March 2025
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Media Review

Lucinda Williams – Have Yourself A Rockin’ Little Christmas (Lu’s Jukebox Vol. 5)

Florian Buechtingby Florian Buechting

Lucinda Williams - Have Yourself A Rockin' Little Christmas

Lucinda Williams - Have Yourself A Rockin' Little Christmas
4.4

Rating

 4.4/5

Flyctory.com Pros

  • Great album of the jukebox collection
  • Very signature style
  • Great new version of the songs

Flyctory.com Cons

  • Just covers

Lucinda Williams is back. Just not too long after I at a look into the second episode of her Lu’s Jukebox, she is releasing music with a very different background in the fifth episode of this series. She meets Santa  and gives her 2021 interpretation of Christmas songs. The album is named Have Yourself A Rockin’ Little Christmas and has been released on 19th November 2021.

 

Lucinda Williams – About The Artist

This is already the third review of a Lucinda Williams album on Flyctory.com in less than one and a half year. I especially gave a deeper view into her bio when I shared my thoughts about her album Good Souls Better Angels in April 2020

 

Lucinda Williams – Have Yourself A Rockin’ Little Christmas – Track by Track

The twelve songs album lasts 39 minutes

1. Blue Christmas Lights

The opener is just as you would expect a Lucinda Christmas song to sound like: blues vibes, rocking riffs and the raspy voice of Lucinda Williams. Overall, a great listen.

2. Run Run Rudolph

The red-nosed reindeer rarely ever came with such a cool groove like the one produced by Williams and her band. Almost a bit of summer and surfing feeling in this Christmas song. Simply cool.

3. Christmas Tears

Christmas Tears just feels to be the perfect theme to play the blues at full force. The melancholy of the genre is just a perfect fit – and Lucinda Willians just does it in a lovely way.

4. If We Make It Through December

This fourth song is a cover of a 1974 original by legendary Merle Haggarrd. A nice, fluent, maybe rather quick version, which is feeling like a traditional country rocker – with a very special, groovy and flowing, touch.

5. Merry Christmas Baby

Back to the blues: on the melodic side, Merry Christmas Baby is majorly driven by a cool performance on the bass side. Memphis is calling under your Christmas tree when you go for this tune in 2021.

6. I’ve Got My Love To Keep Me Warm

Lucinda Williams is going for the deepest sounds to perform the 1937 Irving Berlin track. The song almost comes with a jazz touch at the beginning, but then is having more and more ease.

7. Santa Claus Wants Some Lovin’

Alber King released this song in 1974 – and Williams creates a powerful track with a lot of soul and rock based on the original. Great work on the guitar and bass strings.

8. Christmas In New Orleans

Magnolia trees at night, sparkling bright // Fields of cotton look wintry white // When it’s Christmas time in New Orleans – these lyrics have become famous by one of the finest artists ever, Louis Armstrong. Quite a challenge by Lucinda Williams to keep up with such a huge master. But she stands this self-chosen challenge as well. The key reason: again, she is treating the original with respect, but turns it into a Luncinda Williams song. Great.

9. Please Come Home For Christmas

The country-style by The Eagles, who performed this track since 1978, stays in the Williams way of interpreting Please Come Home For Christmas. However, you just cannot deny the additional blues touch to the sound. Nice.

10. Little Red Rooster

Little Red Rooster starts with powerful guitar riffs right at the beginning of the song. This is already the perfect basis for Lucinda Williams and her energetic voice. A lot of rock and the blues in this one.

11. Merry Christmas (I Don’t Want To Fight Tonight)

Yeah, that’s punk! And, indeed, the Ramones did this song originally. I like the original more, but Lucinda Williams again goes for a challenge and makes it. Cool, fast song, which is a really nice Santa track.

12. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas

The closing song is a classic – and Williams again presents it with her signature style. Her voice is just too characteristic. The blues-jazzy style is a great fit to the songs before and feels like a wise selection to close her x-mas song collection.

 

Lucinda Williams – Have Yourself A Rockin’ Little Christmas – Streaming

The album is only available physically / as a download on Lucinda Williams’ webstore

 

Lucinda Williams – Have Yourself A Rockin’ Little Christmas – My View

Even though it is a cover album, it feels like a Lucinda Williams one. She is doing perfect in balancing between preserving the spirit of the original songs on the one side and giving the tracks the Williams style on the other. If you like blues music with some country, rock and jazz in it underneath your Christmas tree, Lucinda is guaranteeing you an enjoyable, groovy listen.

 

Christmas Media Reviews

Here are all media reviews dealing with Christmas:

 

Finland at Flyctory.com

Here are all postings on Flyctory.com about Finland:

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