The Asylum Street Spankers A Christmas Spanking Spanks-a-Lot Records by Scott Snidow

I have to admit that I am one of those folks who really enjoy a good Christmas record. The more obscure, the better. Nothing quite spells out Christmas like Leadbelly performing "Children All Get Happy on a Christmas Day," or perhaps Rockin' Dopsie and the Zydeco Twisters doing their rendition of "Jingle Bells." In my family's collection of Christmas music there is a wide variety of sounds, from folk to jazz to blues to rock to country to zydeco to swing. These are the sounds that make up a "traditional" Christmas around our house. So with that thought in mind, it should come as no surprise that this latest offering from the Asylum Street Spankers was met with a warm reception in my home when it arrived by mail a couple of weeks ago. A Christmas Spanking finds the Austin based Spankers bringing their irreverent jug band sensibilities to the most reverently commercial of all holidays. As a result, Christmas can never be viewed quite the same again. This is Christmas a la the Spankers, with a healthy mix of blues, jazz, and vaudeville, just brimming with that cheeky sense of humor that has become the band's trademark. The recordings for A Christmas Spanking came from two live performances last December, one at the Mucky Duck in Houston, and the other at The Scottish Rite Temple Theater in Austin. The tapes, and subsequently the album, capture the Spankers in all their live, unamplified glory. Highly unusual for a Christmas album, one may think, but then again this is not your parents' token holiday album. If you are looking for Bing or Frank or Perry, then look elsewhere. They have holiday albums in abundance. But if you are looking for a rare treat, a wild holiday ride, then this is the album for you. Upon first listen, one thing becomes glaringly clear. The Spankers, like so many of our generation, were influenced heavily by those old 1960's Christmas television specials. Two tracks on this album hearken back to those days when Rankin and Bass not only dominated the seasonal network specials, but also showcased their talents in the Norelco Christmas commercials. The record opens with the Spankers' rendition of "You're a Mean One, Mister Grinch." This track oozes with Spanker madness. It begins as a swing number, passes quickly to a country song, then on to a ska number and back again. This is a must hear track. The other television affected tune on the album is the band's unique instrumental treatment of "Lucy and Linus," the theme that runs throughout the timeless seasonal treat, "A Charlie Brown Christmas." The Spankers have branded this track with their unique sound, complete with dobro, harmonica, and even a little scat vocalizations thrown in for good measure. No doubt Vince Guaraldi would be proud. In repeated listenings to A Christmas Spanking, it became difficult to pick out a few standout tracks to highlight in this review. The reason for this is simple. Every track on this album is a standout. How can a reviewer be expected to choose from such tracks as the eerily beautiful version of "Silent Night" featuring the multi-talented Christina Marr on the saw, or Korey Simeone singing the old Louis Armstrong tune, "Zat You, Santa Claus?" Then of course, I would feel compelled to make mention of "Red Nosed Reindeer Blues," which could best be described as Wammo meets Muddy Waters and Gene Autry. In short, I would find myself listing and then going over at great length every track on the album, which would make for a very wordy article that would waste the time that you could be listening to such tunes as "Trim Your Tree" which is running over with innuendo, or the sultry duet "Baby It's Cold Outside." So, I will quit wasting your time on this review so that you can get busy enjoying the holiday season with the Spankers. Suffice it to say, if you really enjoy the offbeat, fun, and often humorous musical renderings of the Asylum Street Spankers, then this is the one "must have" holiday album this year. Christmas will never be the same again, and no doubt you will find yourself waiting for the season to roll around year after year just so once again you can receive your Christmas spanking. Yes Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. The line to see him starts right over there. It may only be exceeded in length by the line forming at www.asylumstreetspankers.com, where naughty music fans are queuing up to get A Christmas Spanking. You can contact Scott Snidow at: scott-at-rockzilla.net

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