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Our Review

This New Jersey band rocks the holiday house down on Christmas with The Smithereens. This music is raucous power pop from the 1960s; it is the Beatles, the Beach Boys, and the Who, and it is pure fun for aging Baby Boomers who want to remember the good ol' days here and now.

The Smithereens (Jim Babjak, Dennis Diken, Pat Dinizio, and Severo "The Thrilla" Jornacion) are having a blast on this album, and it's a great party pleaser (albeit a bit on the short side at 37 minutes). From the sharp harmonies opening Auld Lang Syne (with a rock guitar chaser) to Pete Townshend's marvelous Christmas (from the Who's Rock Opera "Tommy"), you will be grinning from ear to ear. Other strong tracks include Brian Wilson's Merry Christmas, Baby, which will have you brushing the sand off your surf board.

Christmas with the Smithereens is a relatively rare release, bringing well-executed classic rock home for the holidays with traditional seasonal flair. Rock on, Smithereens!

--Carol Swanson
(Reviewed in 2007)

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From the liner notes:

The Smithereens:
Jim Babjak: Guitars, Vocals (Lead Vocal on "Christmas" from the Rock Opera "Tommy"), Electric Bass Guitar on "Christmas Time Is Here Again"
Dennis Diken: Drums, Percussion, Vocals (Lead Vocals on "Merry Christmas Baby", "Twas the Night Before Christmas," & "Christmas (I Remember)")
Pat Dinizio: Vocals, Guitar, Harmonica
Plus: Severo "The Thrilla" Jornacion: On Electric Bass Guitar

Produced by Pat Dinizio, Jim Babjak, Dennis Diken and Kurt Reil
Recorded and Mixed by Kurt Reil

Our Guests:
David Marks: Guitar on "Christmas (I Remember)"
Dave Amels: Piano, Chimes, Marxophone, Wurlitzer Electric Piano, Organ
Chris Bolger: Bass, Baritone Guitar, Acoustic Guitar on "Christmas (I Remember)"
Kurt Reil: Additional Guitars, Vocals, Percussion


From the Website:

"THE SMITHEREENS set out to re-invent the Christmas album and turn the genre completely upside down with this record," says Pat Dinizio, the band's lead vocalist and principle songwriter.

"We made a real Smithereens rock & roll record that stands on its own, yet somehow channels the ghost of Christmas past, and in the process, also pays tribute to and reinvents some of our absolute all-time favorite rock & roll Christmas records. I don't think it's been done quite this way before, and hopefully it's an album you wouldn't mind listening to the other 11 months of the year."

The result is an amazing & rockin' collection of brand-new versions of classic Christmas records by The Beatles, The Beach Boys, The Who, Elvis Presley, The Ramones, Chuck Berry and other rock legends, done in the explosive trademark style of THE SMITHEREENS. The album also features 3 great brand-new original Smithereens Christmas songs, including the single "Waking Up on Christmas Morning" - the album's single that's destined to become a holiday classic on rock radio.

The package includes vintage holiday pictures of the band and liner notes by Smithereens drummer & noted rock historian Dennis Diken, who says, "When I dig out my holiday platters every December I feel like I'm visiting with some of my oldest and dearest friends. With that in mind, we humbly present 'Christmas With The Smithereens.' We've taken what we've learned from some of our favorite Christmas records and did our best to make these numbers our own. Plus we tossed in a few new treats and surprises as well. It is our hope that we'll be seeing you again and again at the end of every year."

The Smithereens

Christmas with the Smithereens

Artist link

Track List