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Merry Texas Christmas, Y'all

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Merry Texas Christmas, Y'all
Studio album by
Asleep at the Wheel
ReleasedSeptember 30, 1997 (1997-09-30)
Recorded1997 (1997)
StudioBismeaux (Austin, Texas)
Genre
Length43:01
LabelHigh Street
ProducerRay Benson
Asleep at the Wheel chronology
Back to the Future Now: Live at Arizona Charlie's, Las Vegas
(1997) 		Merry Texas Christmas, Y'all
(1997) 		Ride with Bob: A Tribute to Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys
(1999)

Merry Texas Christmas, Y'all is the 14th studio album and first Christmas album by American western swing band Asleep at the Wheel. Recorded at Bismeaux Studio in Austin, Texas, it was produced by the band's frontman Ray Benson and released on September 30, 1997, by High Street Records. The album includes a mix of traditional and original songs, which feature guests including Willie Nelson, fiddler Johnny Gimble and former Asleep at the Wheel pianist Floyd Domino.

Asleep at the Wheel's first Christmas album received positive reviews from a wide range of critics, who praised the band's "fun" renditions of traditional holiday songs, as well as its original compositions. The album registered at number 75 on the US Billboard Top Country Albums chart in Christmas week 1997. The band issued a second Christmas album, Santa Loves to Boogie, in 2007, followed by a third, Lone Star Christmas Night, in 2016, featuring some of the same songs.

Background

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Asleep at the Wheel recorded its first Christmas album at Bismeaux Studios in the summer of 1997.[2] Merry Texas Christmas, Y'all features recordings of traditional Christmas songs such as "Feliz Navidad", "Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!" and "Here Comes Santa Claus", in addition to several original songs written primarily by the band's frontman Ray Benson.[1] Willie Nelson features as a guest vocalist on his own composition "Pretty Paper" and the recording of "Silent Night", the latter of which also features Don Walser.[3] The other featured vocalist is Tish Hinojosa, who performed on opening track "Feliz Navidad".[2]

Merry Texas Christmas, Y'all was issued on September 30, 1997, as Asleep at the Wheel's only release on High Street Records, a subsidiary of Windham Hill.[1] No singles were released from the album, although a music video was produced for "Xmas in Jail".[4] In 2006 the band released a second Christmas album, Santa Loves to Boogie, which featured new recordings of two songs from Merry Texas Christmas, Y'all: "Pretty Paper" and "Silent Night".[5] A third Christmas album followed in 2016, Lone Star Christmas Night, for which the group re-recorded three tracks: "Merry Texas Christmas, Y'all", "Xmas in Jail" and "Feliz Navidad".[6]

Reception

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Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]

Media response to Merry Texas Christmas, Y'all was largely positive. AllMusic's Ross Boissoneau wrote that "Ray Benson and company have outdone themselves, with nods to traditional country ... as well as the band's stock in trade, Western swing. All in all, it's a fun and amusing way to get your fill of the sounds of the season."[1] Similarly, Eric Fidler of The Daily News Journal noted that "The band manages to straddle categories, with a lovely straight-ahead version of "Silent Night" ... a delightfully swinging "Feliz Navidad" ... and novelty tunes such as "Xmas in Jail." The end result is one of the most satisfying Christmas albums in recent memory."[7]

Brian Wahlert of Country Standard Time called the release "a very enjoyable Christmas album" which "promises to add swing to any Christmas party",[3] the Los Angeles Times added that "The standard-bearers of Western swing music certainly know how to make the holiday spirit bright",[8] and Steve Hall of the Indianapolis Star suggested that "this one's a keeper for your holiday music collection".[9] Other publications, including the Albuquerque Journal, the Philadelphia Daily News, The Tennessean, The San Bernardino County Sun and the Wisconsin State Journal, praised Asleep at the Wheel for producing an album including humorous, fun and enjoyable Christmas songs.[10][11][12][13][14]

Some commentators were less positive about Merry Texas Christmas, Y'all. A review published in The Cincinnati Enquirer claimed that "The western swing revival band has a great concept here, but unlike AATW's multistar Bob Wills tribute, there's too much emphasis on Ray Benson's monotone vocals. He simply can't carry the CD. Appearances by Willie Nelson and Tish Hinojosa help, but not enough."[15] The Des Moines Register claimed that the genre did not work for Christmas music,[16] while a writer for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette simply wrote that the album "Doesn't work for me, y'all."[17]

Track listing

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No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Feliz Navidad" (featuring Tish Hinojosa; originally recorded by José Feliciano)José Feliciano (arr. Ray Benson)4:02
2."Xmas in Jail" (originally recorded by the Youngsters)
  • Bebe Black
  • Jack Hoffman
2:40
3."Swingin' Drummer Boy"Benson3:19
4."Merry Texas Christmas, Y'all"Benson3:06
5."Pretty Paper" (featuring Willie Nelson; originally recorded by Roy Orbison)Willie Nelson2:29
6."T'was the Night Before"Benson3:04
7."Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!" (originally recorded by Vaughn Monroe)
3:07
8."Jingle Bell Boogie"Benson2:56
9."A Christmas Wish"Johnny Gimble3:47
10."Silver Bells" (originally recorded by Bing Crosby and Carol Richards)
3:35
11."Here Comes Santa Claus" (originally recorded by Gene Autry)
2:57
12."Silent Night" (featuring Don Walser and Willie Nelson)
5:15
13."Swingin' Silent Nite"
  • Mohr
  • Gruber (arr. Benson)
2:44
Total length:43:01

Personnel

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Charts

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Chart (1997) Peak
position
US Top Country Albums (Billboard)[18] 75

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f Boissoneau, Ross. "Merry Texas Christmas, Y'All - Asleep at the Wheel: Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved July 4, 2020.
  2. ^ a b Mackay, Jordan (September 1997). "Yule Love It". Texas Monthly. Retrieved July 4, 2020.
  3. ^ a b Wahlert, Brian. "Asleep at the Wheel - Merry Christmas Y'All". Country Standard Time. Retrieved July 4, 2020.
  4. ^ "Video Monitor" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 109, no. 50. New York City, New York: BPI Communications. December 13, 1993. p. 77. Retrieved July 4, 2020.
  5. ^ "Santa Loves to Boogie - Asleep at the Wheel: Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved July 4, 2020.
  6. ^ "Lone Star Christmas Night". Asleep at the Wheel. Retrieved July 4, 2020.
  7. ^ Fidler, Eric (December 18, 1997). "Straddling fence". The Daily News Journal. p. 25. Retrieved July 5, 2020.
  8. ^ "Holiday". Los Angeles Times. November 20, 1997. p. 154. Retrieved July 5, 2020.
  9. ^ Hall, Steve (December 7, 1997). "Asleep at the Wheel "Merry Texas Christmas, Yall," High Street Records". Indianapolis Star. p. 162. Retrieved July 5, 2020.
  10. ^ "It's beginning to sound a lot like Christmas". Albuquerque Journal. November 27, 1997. p. 79. Retrieved July 5, 2020.
  11. ^ ""Merry Texas Christmas, Y'All," Asleep at the Wheel (High Street)". Philadelphia Daily News. December 19, 1997. p. 148. Retrieved July 5, 2020.
  12. ^ "Asleep At The Wheel, Merry Texas Christmas, Yall". The Tennessean. December 13, 1997. p. 39. Retrieved July 5, 2020.
  13. ^ Horowitz, Carolyn (December 17, 1997). "1997 holiday albums ring in the new year". The San Bernardino County Sun. p. 35. Retrieved July 5, 2020.
  14. ^ "Holiday CDs are here, from humorous to holy". Wisconsin State Journal. December 14, 1997. p. 45. Retrieved July 5, 2020.
  15. ^ "Asleep At The Wheel, Merry Texas Christmas Y'All, High Street". The Cincinnati Enquirer. December 19, 1997. p. 107. Retrieved July 5, 2020.
  16. ^ ""Merry Texas Christmas, Y'all," Asleep at the Wheel (High Street Records)". The Des Moines Register. December 5, 1997. p. 19. Retrieved July 5, 2020.
  17. ^ ""Merry Texas Christmas, Yall" (High Street) by Asleep at the Wheel". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. November 28, 1997. p. 99. Retrieved July 5, 2020.
  18. ^ "Billboard Top Country Albums" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 109, no. 52. New York City, New York: BPI Communications. December 27, 1993. p. 44. Retrieved July 4, 2020.
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