1. It's Christmas Time
2. I Will Wait
3. Christmas In Ol' San Antone
4. Together Soon
5. What Child Is This
6. Sant's Right-hand Man
7. Plane From Prague
8. Silent Night
PURCHASE THE ALBUM HERE
For "Our Kind Of Christmas", the Dave Rawlinson Band has recorded eight songs (six originals and two traditional carols), including "I Will Wait", "Christmas In Ol' San Antoine", "Together Soon", "Plane From Prague (Christmas Night)", "Santa's Right-hand Man", and "It's Christmas Time". One of the original songs on the album, "Together Soon" was first released on the band's CD "Workin' Man" in late 2006. This new version has been completely re-recorded with new instrumentation and vocals. Rounding out the eight-song line-up are two traditional Christmas carols, "What Child Is This?" and "Silent Night", sung by Dave's daughter, Sasha Rawlinson. Special guests include Lenny Price (courtesy of Midshipman Records), plus a very special choir! A great gift for the holidays.
Remember in The Blues Brothers when they ask the bar owner what kind of music they feature and he says something like "We get both kinds, Country and Western"? Well, there actually is a difference between Country music and Western music, and good Western music isn't made in great abundance these days. So when I came across this project over the summer (the working title had been "Christmas In Ol San Antone" after the track of that name, here) and sampled some of the group's most recent album, "When She's Around", I was really looking forward to this one. Dave Rawlinson has the perfect voice for Western music and the song "I Never Get Hurt (Unless She's Around)" proved he has the ability to write classic, hit-worthy songs. Only, more recently, digger deeper, did I learn that that album was a bit of an anomaly. Earlier releases from The Dave Rawlinson Band leaned more toward bar rock. Some country rock, some blues rock, the occasional slightly jazzy ballad. But Dave Rawlinson's voice is so suited to Western music that I find myself disappointed by anything less.
I will be buying this. I just hope it leans more toward the Western style than the earlier Rawlinson efforts. Certainly, "Christmas In Ol San Antone" promises to be full on Western, featuring fiddle and harmonica. "It's Christmas Time" features the lap-steel guitar of Brandon Brooks, so that looks solid as well. "I Will Wait", a war-related ballad, has violin from Heather Netz rather than fiddle. And Dave, himself, describes "Together Soon" as Easy Listening, with sax and keyboards from Lenny Price. I'm guessing the traditional tracks were done fairly...traditional (a nice Western sound would be most welcome on those). And "Santa's Right-hand Man", featuring a full horn section, promises to be the real rocker in the set.
As I say, I'll be buying it. For anyone else, I'd suggest checking the song samples when the disc arrives at CD Baby.
And, honestly, check out "When She's Around". It's really, really good.