RETRO: ‘The Beach Boys’ Christmas Album’ (1964)
Ah, the classic Christmastime traditions — snow, lights, holly, Santa, and… Californian surf rock. If one of those things doesn’t sound like the others, it’s because nothing else is quite like The Beach Boys’ Christmas Album, a 27-minute burst of exuberant Beach Boys’ originals mixed with traditional holiday classics.
The album starts off in the inimitable Beach Boys’ style, opening with five original tracks that may be the only holiday songs that ever brought this much sun and surf into the cold Christmas season. They may have Christmas themes, but change the lyrics of “The Man with All the Toys” or “Merry Christmas, Baby” to be about surfing, cars, and girls, and the tunes would be at home on any early Beach Boys album. In fact, the fantastic opening number, “Little Saint Nick,” really is about a car…well, Santa’s sled, but it sure sounds like a hot rod!
Another standout is “Santa’s Beard,” the third of the five Brian Wilson/Mike Love originals. Despite its danceable surf-rock sound, it’s actually kind of a sad story about a little kid whose illusions are busted when he discovers that the mall Santa isn’t the real thing. Luckily though, there’s a happy ending, since the impostor is really “just helping Santa Claus.” It’s a weird and wonderful song that, at just under two minutes, ends way too soon.
The final seven tracks — rearrangements of classic holiday songs — move away from the surf sound and toward a more traditional holiday feel, ranging from the fun (“Frosty the Snowman”) to the solemn (“We Three Kings of Orient Are”). Unlike the originals, which were written and arranged by Brian Wilson and/or Mike Love, the Beach Boys turned six of the classics over to Dick Reynolds, a successful jingle writer and arranger for the Four Freshmen, a group Beach Boys, particularly Wilson, hugely admired. The difference in sound and feel is immediately evident; Reynolds arranges the Boys’ voices against a 40-piece orchestra, creating a sharp mood change from the first five tracks.
With their unique voices and multi-layered harmonies, the vocals are still unmistakably the Beach Boys, but this second part might as well be an entirely different album. “We Three Kings” is reminiscent of the Manhattan Transfer, “White Christmas” has an orchestration that calls back to Bing Crosby’s original, and “Blue Christmas” features a crooning Brian Wilson, who would be at home in a 1940s movie musical. All the songs are a great addition to any holiday collection, but when listening to the album as a whole, they feel a bit unexpected after the sunny sound of the first half.
Of the final seven songs, the most authentic Beach Boys sound is on the final track, “Auld Lang Syne.” Not surprisingly, this is the only traditional number that Brian Wilson personally arranged. In an album full of short songs, this is the shortest, clocking in at 1:20, and is centered around a spoken holiday greeting from Dennis Wilson. While the spoken part may keep this from being the version of “Auld Lang Syne” you play as the clock strikes midnight, it’s a sweet end to what has turned out to be a surprisingly eclectic album.
The Beach Boys Christmas Album — especially the first quintet of songs — is a must-have for any holiday playlist. With its unusual lyrics and distinct surf-rock sound, it’s a bright spot of originality among the hundreds of similar-sounding carols heard throughout the season. Plus, once the post-holiday blues start creeping up, these sunny tunes might remind you that summer is just around the corner.
