''Christmas with The Smithereens'' is the eighth studio

album An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early 20th century as individual 78 rpm records co ...

The Smithereens The Smithereens are an American rock band from Carteret, New Jersey, United States. The group formed in 1980 with members Pat DiNizio (vocals & guitar), Jim Babjak (guitar & vocals), Mike Mesaros (bass guitar & vocals), and Dennis Diken (drum ...

, released 9 October 2007 by

Koch Records MNRK Music Group (pronounced "monarch", formerly known as Koch Records and eOne Music) is a New York City-based independent record label and music management company. It was formed in 2009 from the music assets of Koch Entertainment, which had ...

. The album features the band covering nine Christmas-themed songs along with three originals.

Critical reception

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databa ...

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rated the album 3½ stars out of 5 and said that "as rock & roll Christmas albums go, this is good fun and admirably eclectic." He added that the album "is more thoughtful and intriguing than the average tossed-together holiday offering, and the best moments are a clear reminder of what makes this band worthwhile." Mike Rea of ''

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'' also rated the album 3½ stars out of 5, saying that it sounded like "an entirely Smithereens album", with the songs sounding like originals, "a hark back to the days when bands would make and release Christmas albums and songs without any trace of irony". He felt that the three Smithereens' originals "fit in perfectly". Zach Freeman of the ''Blogger News Network'' gave the album a B+, stating: "''Christmas with The Smithereens'' is more than a Christmas-time cover album. This quartet does an impressive job of channeling the spirt icof 1960s rock, and solidly interpreting each memorable tune." Freeman added that the band's originals "add a nice twist to an otherwise familiar record, and are written with such '60s-savviness that without prior knowledge it would almost be difficult to decide which songs were covers and which were originals."

Track listing

Personnel

Credits adapted from the album's liner notes.The Smithereens: Christmas with The Smithereens
. Discogs.com. Retrieved on 7 January 2018. ;The Smithereens *

Pat DiNizio Patrick Michael DiNizio (October 12, 1955 – December 12, 2017) was the lead singer, songwriter, and founding member of the band The Smithereens, which he formed in 1980 with Jim Babjak, Dennis Diken, and Mike Mesaros, from Carteret, New Jerse ...

– vocals, guitar, harmonica, production *

Jim Babjak Jim Babjak (born November 17, 1957) is an American guitarist and ex-banker. He is the lead guitar player and co-founder of The Smithereens. Babjak has written and sung several songs for the band. He also is the leader of the band ''Buzzed Meg''. ...

– guitar, vocals (lead vocal on "Christmas"), bass on "Christmas Time Is Here Again", production *

Dennis Diken Dennis Diken (born February 25, 1957) is an American drummer, DJ, author, music historian, and founding member of the band the Smithereens, which he formed in 1980 with Pat DiNizio, Jim Babjak, and Mike Mesaros in Carteret, New Jersey. Besides ...

– drums, percussion, vocals (lead vocal on "Merry Christmas, Baby", "'Twas the Night Before Christmas" and "Christmas (I Remember)"), production *Severo "The Thrilla" Jornacion – bass ;Additional personnel * Kurt Reil – additional guitar, vocals, percussion, production, recording, mixing *

Dave Amels Dave Amels (born 1960) co-founded music technology companies Voce musical instruments and Bomb Factory. Both companies are known for detailed and realistic mathematical models of complex physical systems. Amels also plays organ in The Reigning ...

– piano, chimes, Marxophone, electric piano, organ *Chris Bolger – bass, baritone guitar, acoustic guitar on "Christmas (I Remember)" *

David Marks David Lee Marks (born August 22, 1948) is an American guitarist who is best known for being an early member of the Beach Boys. While growing up in Hawthorne, California, Marks was a neighborhood friend of the original band members and was a freq ...

– guitar on "Christmas (I Remember)" *Joe Lambert – mastering *Paul Grosso – creative direction *Andrew Kelley – art direction, package design *Frankie Galasso – CD cover illustration, caricature art

References

{{Authority control 2007 Christmas albums Rock Christmas albums The Smithereens albums