73-year-old British music legend Eric Clapton has managed the unthinkable with his 22nd studio album in a solo career now in its 48th year. The much loved guitar god has, unintentionally perhaps, gone and made the perfect Christmas album for those who hate Christmas music. Much of what Clapton conjures up for his third album in five years cleverly belies the records Christmas theme despite the inclusion of many holiday standards. In fact, nowhere on the record does the word “Christmas” actually appear, a cheeky Clapton substitutes the informal Xmas abbreviation throughout for all song titles as well as the name of the album itself.
Nearly an hour in length Happy Xmas is a diverse eclectic mix of 14 tracks featuring everything from familiar Christmas fare (White Christmas) to a newly penned Clapton Christmas original (For Love On Xmas Day), traditional Christmas hymns (Away In A Manger, Silent Night) ‘60s Stax Records R&B soul (William Bell’s Every Day Will Be Like A Holiday) contemporary pop ballads (Home For The Holidays, Sentimental Moments) , acoustic country western swing (Sonny James’ Christmas In My Hometown) lots of blues (Sonny Thompson’s Christmas Tears, Lowell Fulson’s Lonesome Christmas, Charles Brown’s Merry Christmas Baby) and a surprise appearance of electropop Christmas dance in the form of Clapton’s re-working of Jingle Bells dedicated to late EDM music star Avicii. Throughout Clapton’s customary guitar licks feature prominently second only to the surprising strength of the septuagenarian’s well preserved singing voice. From beginning to end Happy Xmas will both please and appease haters and lovers of Christmas music alike.
Rating 7.5/10
Star Rating 3.5/5
2018 Song Of The Day Club Album Review 37/52