Disappointing Christmas album by an artist you like

I am a big fan of Christmas music, and some of my favorite artists have done great Christmas albums. But sometimes an artist I like has done a Christmas album that's a letdown in some way. I'm curious to hear examples of this.

My own example would be Christmas With The Everly Brothers And The Boystown Choir. This album was released in 1962, when the brothers were still at the peak of their artistic powers (though their commercial fortunes were starting to decline). What's wrong with it? Well, although the Everly Brothers were rock and roll pioneers who were also adept at country, folk, and R&B, this record contains none of those genres. In fact, it does not even feature a single guitar. Rather, it is a collection of very traditionally-arranged hymns, on which the Brothers are accompanied by nothing but an organ and a boys choir. That's it. Imagine you attended the same church as the Everlys, and happened to be sitting in the pew next to them during a Christmas service, and you have a pretty good idea what this album sounds like. No effort is made to do anything creative or anything that plays to their unique strengths as artists.



So, what are some other peoples' examples of this? A couple rules going in:
1. Please only post examples of Christmas albums by artists you generally like. If you hate Elvis, you are probably not going to like his Christmas albums for reasons that are obvious and boring.
2. Please do not post here if you dislike Christmas music as a whole. If you hate Christmas music, you will probably not like a Christmas album done by your favorite artist, again for reasons that are obvious and boring.

 

That new Clapton Christmas album?

 

I’m only disappointed when an artist I like makes a Christmas records

 

I know a lot of people like it, but I can't stand to listen to Dylan's Christmas album. (With the exception of Must Be Santa.) And I do like all of his recent albums otherwise, as well as his classics of course.

 

REO Speedwagon

 

I thought Charles Manson’s Christmas album was a downer.

 

Jimmy Buffet's 'Tis the Season. Christmas Island, which he released in 2006 was enjoyable, but 'Tis the Season from a couple of years ago was not really very good.

 

I picked up Jewel's Christmas album for $2 at a thrift store. I overpaid.

 

After the triumph of Good Times, I was really let down by the new Monkees' Christmas album.

 

Scott Weiland’s was a disappointment to me. Maybe because I couldn’t imagine him doing a Christmas album in the first place.

 

I really like Donna Summer, but 1994's Christmas Spirit is pretty underwhelming. Kinda bland and uninspired, "spirit" is the main thing lacking.

 

Most of James Brown's Christmas albums are essential. The final one was not. Sounds like he dubbed some completely random lyrics over some very pedestrian tracks.

 

I love me some 'Cash', but many years back I bought this, and I actually returned it!

It was released in 91', and has never been re-released again.
Sounds like Cash is singing to midi or karaoke tracks.
Between Mercury and American contracts, this one appeared.
Read about it here:
Johnny Cash Country Christmas - Wikipedia
You can listen online to judge for youself:

 

I usually dig Handel... but I think he sold out a bit when he did Messiah.

 

That Brady Bunch Christmas album was pretty lousy.

 

I had no idea he made a Christmas album! I wonder if Cobain would have made one too....doubt it.

 

The second Sarah McLachlan Christmas album was actually a re-titled version of the first one (shades of Chicago! ), only with four extra tracks. And honestly, I think she could have just re-sequenced it with the same title and a sticker on it, or "deluxe" or something, which would have made up for the "meh" I got from the first version. And a rebate on the second, with proof I bought the first one.

Anuna (originally toured with Riverdance, then sort of became Ireland's de facto "National Choir") did an excellent, varied and fresh Christmas album. Then, thanks to their apparent exposure on PBS, they followed it up with a much more standard, "Americanized" one...which stays in the Holiday Box every year.

Amy and Emily made an Indigo Girls Holiday album, but somehow I felt it was less about Christmas, and more about Amy and Emily re-positioning Christmas with an Indigo Girls album. I can see how their target audience might appreciate the extra work and songwriting that went into it. But it neither satisfies me as a Christmas album, or an Indigo Girls album. Sad, because I like both things.

I wish Dan Fogelberg got back into the frame of High Country Snows when he did his yuletide album later on in life. The only thing I thought was original and "him", was a verrrrry diiirrrrrrrrg-ey "In The Bleak Midwinter".

Pink Martini, a great ensemble very comfortable entertaining at DC State Dinners, managed to make a Christmas album for...people who need something to be acceptable to play at DC State Dinners.

Honestly though...that's a pretty great ratio between disappointments and knockout holiday music in my collection!

 

Gotta say, the only artists in my collection who have done Christmas music well are a pretty eclectic bunch: Low, Saint Etienne, and the assorted crew of Blues artists on Alligator Records. Aside from that, it's all oldies at my house. (Bing, Elvis, John Fahey, etc.)

The disappointing Christmas music never really gets in the door, as I spray those songs with Raid.

 

Paul Revere & The Raiders..."A Christmas Present ....and Past"...
One of my favorite bands of the 60's, deliver an Xmas turkey that followed up a couple of great albums.
Other than "Rain, Sleet and Snow" it's pretty much unlistenable.

 

Merry Christmas Strait To You by George Strait never sounded inspired to me at all.
However, his daughter was killed in June 86 and the album released Sept 86 so that certainly could have been a factor.

 

Considering how boring most of his recent albums (ok, last 25 years*) have been, EC's Christmas album wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. Though there's one song on there that I'm ignoring & pretending he never recorded.

* From the Cradle and Sessions for Robert J are the two exceptions. But different strokes...

 

I like most Christmas albums by artists I like but the ones on Santa's naughty list are the ones who release Christmas albums that contain only Santa Claus and Winter songs and no songs of the Nativity. Mitch Miller and the Gang did a whole album of secular Christmas songs but they also made another one of all sacred ones so Mitch gets a pass.

 

I didn't know about that tragedy. The only George Strait Christmas album I've heard is Rough Cut Christmas and I like that one a lot.

 

Frankie Valli's Tis The Seasons is an awful Christmas album. I only picked it up because I saw it for $5. I'm not sure there is one good track on the album.

 

Nick Lowe. I had great hopes for Quality Street, even after having seen the cheesy artwork. The only decent song is A Dollar Short Of Happy which, as far as I can tell, has nothing to do with Christmas.

I'm going to have to try and find that John Fahey record that everyone talks about