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Non-Prog CD Reviews

Charlie Christmas Spotty Coverage Review by Gary Hill I previously reviewed another set by Charlie Christmas and was really impressed by it. I like this, too, but not as much as that. Perhaps part of that is because this is all cover songs. There are some really surprising treatments, too. There is a raw edge to this in a lot of ways. This isn't over-polished music at all. It's quite effective in some ways because of the warts left without air-brushing. They bring character and charm. This review is available in book (paperback and hardcover) form in Music Street Journal: 2020 Volume 6. More information and purchase links can be found at: garyhillauthor.com/Music-Street-Journal-2020.

Track by Track Review

Wild Honey The set is opened by a cover of The Beach Boys. I dig the cool guitar lines that open this. The cut drives out with a great classic rock meets psychedelia vibe from there. There is a definite folk rock element to it. This makes me think of The Beatles to a large degree.

Our House This song from Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young gets reborn here as a rather punky kind of number. It's definitely a different vibe, and somehow it works.

Only You Banjo is an interesting touch on the arrangement to this. The song has a folk rock vibe that feels a bit like Canned Heat meets America. Of course, the song was originally done by Yazoo.

I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry This is a cool rockabilly rendition of the old Hank Williams tune. It starts more or less purely country, but then gets into the rockabilly angle as it electrifies. There are some killer guitar parts on the tune.

You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet This old BTO tune gets a strange, but cool reworking here. The timing is changed, and the tune almost gets a blues meets Beatles treatment. This is oddly compelling. There is a drop down movement with just bass and vocals.

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