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Our Review

Les Fradkin delivers pulsing pop/rock excitement in Spirit of Christmas, a rollicking collection of largely original holiday tunes. This is music in the vein of the Beach Boys and the Beatles; in fact, the Beatles contributed two tracks (Happy Xmas (War Is Over) by John Lennon, and Ding Dong, Ding Dong by George Harrison). The mood is brightly rockin', and the beat will have you bouncin' in your chair, if not gyrating on the dance floor.

Spirit of Christmas opens well with I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday. The memorable chorus hangs with you long after the cut ends. Fradkin's own numbers are equally memorable--his Say You Love Me for Christmas, for example, had me singing the refrain the first time through. Christmas Vacation (no relationship to the National Lampoon holiday film classic) is another terrific Fradkin creation; its wonderful steel pan island vibe will transport you to the tropics in December.

The Beatles' numbers are especially fine. George Harrison's Ding Dong, Ding Dong adds another dimension entirely. Although I am a big fan of the Beatles' work, both as a group and as separate artists, this number was unfamiliar to me. It's "Ring out the old, ring in the new; ring out the false, ring in the true" phrasing was a fun discovery. Fradkin's voice shines on Happy Xmas (War Is Over), especially on the opening bars. He also provides expressive vocals on the ballad A Christmas Gone Too Soon. Generally speaking, I wish the vocals had been given more prominence on this recording. The stars, however, tend to be the instruments--mostly, the Rickenbacker guitars. And Fradkin certainly knows how to milk those instruments for all they are worth!

Les Fradkin's Spirit of Christmas is a strong choice for those who crave creatively-penned holiday romps with a 1960s flair. Very nice!

--Carol Swanson
(Reviewed in 2006)

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From the liner notes:

Les Fradkin
Lead & Background Vocals
Rickenbacker 360/12 v 64 12-String Guitar
Rickenbacker 4001 v 63 Bass
Wilson Bros. VM-10 Electric Guitar
Wilson Bros. VM-65 Electric Guitar
Epiphone "Dot" Electric Guitar
Epiphone SJCE-300 Acoustic Guitar
Mason & Hamlin Grand Piano
Bells, Chimes, Timpany and Percussion
Roland VK7 Organ and Synthesizers
Roland GR33 Guitar Synthesizer
Mellotron Mk II, M400
Roland V-Drums

Cover Drawing by Les Fradkin

Guest Background Vocals on "Ding Dong, Ding Dong" by Amber Gomez

Produced by Les & Loretta Fradkin

Loretta Fradkin, Management

Les Fradkin

Spirit of Christmas

Artist link

Track List