If there's one rocker whose name is forever linked to Christmas, that would be Brian Setzer. The former singer/guitarist of the greatest rockabilly revival group The Straycats branched out into swing during the mid-90's with his big band The Brian Setzer Orchestra. They released a number of Christmas CD's, but I won't be presenting one of those today: this one has a different, yet quite Christmas-y in its own way concept: playful swing versions of some of the most famous classics, starting with Beethoven's 5th Symphony, retitled "Take the 5th" - as in "I refuse to incriminate myself, so I'll take the 5th". Talk about starting off with a bang, doesn't get any better than this! The horns and drums sound the loudest but, as always with the B.S.O., there's some quite flashy guitar playing as well - just to showus that Ritchie Blackmore isn't the only rock guitarist to play Beethoven! It's followed by "One More Night With You" (actually Grieg's "Hall of the Mountain King"), one of only two tunes with vocals, which he sings with the help of a female chorus - Classical music done in Rat Pack Vegas-style, and very successful to boot! The girls return on "Honey Man" (a.k.a. Rimsky-Korsakov’s "Flight of the Bumblebee"), urging him to play "Faster!Faster!" - and he does, you can mentally see his guitar throwing sparks! Khachaturian's "Sabre Dance" is another fast tune that allows him to display his speed, while the other Beethoven track "Fur Elise" is given a more romantic Django-like gypsy swing flavour. The worst piece of classical music ever (Mendelssohn's wedding march) is spruced up and mingled with Wagner's "Lohengrin" to make it a bit less cliché. The title is, once more, a comical play of words: "Here Comes The Broad" (as in "here comes the bride"). Setzer continues his irreverent stance, giving Tchaikovsky's "1812 Overture" a mambo introduction and renaming "The Blue Danube" into "Some River in Europe". He intersects small musical phrases stolen from all over (from the French national hymn to "Smoke On The Water") and enjoys playing with the songs' titles. And, since Christmas is never far away with Setzer, he closes the album with the old English carol "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" done up in 60's spy-movie fashion and employing a heavier Hendrix-like style on guitar. A fun album that got Setzer one more Grammy nomination, this time in a most unexpected category as Best Classical Crossover Album - and rightly so, as he managed to transform ages-old overtly familiar melodies with playful and imaginative orchestrations, danceable rhythm, swinging drumming and his nimble guitar work. The album cover illustrates that idea by having the band posing as serious pouting composers on the one photo and partying rockers on the other - except for the guy (2nd on the left) looking like J.S. Bach, he just pouts twice! I'm pretty sure it's because Setzer forgot him. Get over it, Johan Sebastian! It's Christmas, live a little! Dance, drink, have some fun🍸 for Chrissakes!
**** for Take The 5th (Beethoven's 5th symphony), One More Night With You (Grieg's "In the Hall of the Mountain King), Honey Man (Rimsky-Korsakov’s "Flight of the Bumblebee"), For Lisa (Beethoven's "Für Elise")
*** for Wolfgang's Big Night Out (Mozart's "Eine kleine Nachtmusik"), Yes We Can Can (Offenbach's can-can "Orpheus in the Underworld"), Swingin' Willie (Rossini's "William Tell Overture"), Sabre Dance (Khachaturian's "Sabre Dance"), 1812 Overdrive (Tchaikovsky's "1812 Overture"), Take A Break Guys ("God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen")
** for Here Comes The Broad (Wagner's "Lohengrin"/Mendelssohn's "A Midsummer Night's Dream"), Some River In Europe (Strauss's "The Blue Danube")
Best wishes for Christmas and the New Year to you all!
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