Album Review: Cheap Trick – Christmas Christmas (Big Machine Label Group)

Released on October 20th, quite early in most eyes but that hasn’t stopped Cheap Trick debuting their first ever Christmas album! Now, we here at Games, Brrraaains & A Head-Banging Life are big fans of rock & metal bands covering or releasing Christmas themed music. No matter if it’s the kind of cheesy goodness that is The Darkness or the powerful & emotive Rob Halford, we get a kick out of it provided it’s decent stuff.

Cheap Trick’s Christmas Christmas falls into the both categories. A Christmas album that mixes original songs & covers of some of the more famous Christmas tunes.

Opening with an original song, Merry Christmas Darlings. A song that gets the party started & one which has no right to be as catchy as it is.

Excellently done covers of I Wish it Could be Christmas Every Day & Merry Christmas Everybody will get you in the Yuletide spirit. Cheap Trick’s pop-rock/punk style fits these songs perfectly. More surprising though are their covers of the likes of Please Come Home for Christmas & Remember Christmas. The former nailing the bluesy sound & the latter bringing a more emotional side to things thanks to stunning vocals.

Where the album does falter is with a poorly done Silent Night. Taking itself far too seriously, the warbling vocals & slow distorted guitars do little to enhance such a well known song. Thankfully the short & punky Merry Christmas (I Don’t Want to Fight Tonight) stops the album from diving off the cliff.

The obligatory child choir makes an appearance on the penultimate track, Our Father Of Life. A soft & subtle rendition that works well. Cheap Trick’s valiant attempt at Christmas cheer comes to a close with the title track, a highlight of the entire album. Upbeat & bouncy, it’s Cheap Trick at their best & will leave a big silly smile on your face.

They’ve done well here. A real contender for this year’s best Christmas-themed release!

Cheap Trick – Christmas Christmas Full Track Listing:

1. Merry Christmas Darlings
2. I Wish it Could be Christmas Every Day
3. I Wish it Was Christmas Today
4. Merry Christmas Everybody
5. Please Come Home for Christmas
6. Remember Christmas
7. Run Rudolph Run
8. Father Christmas
9. Silent Night
10. Merry Christmas (I Don’t Want Tonight With You)
11. Our Father Of Life
12. Christmas Christmas

Check it out yourself below via Apple Music!