I'm Gonna Lasso Santa Claus (Another Sackful Of USA Yuletide Tunes From The 1920s - 1950s)

Viper Records, that underrated British indie that puts together imaginative concept albums of vintage American roots music from the earlier half of the 20th century, scores again with this collection of 20 Christmas tunes. Like their previous comp Papa Ain't No Santa Claus, Mama Ain't No Christmas Tree, this is a wide-ranging selection of material from the 1920s through the 1950s that can actually be enjoyed on its own substantial musical merits no matter what the season. Mixing well-known artists like Les Paul, Brenda Lee, the Ravens, Bessie Smith, the Maddox Brothers & Rose, Louis Prima, Tex Ritter, Victoria Spivey, and Lightnin' Hopkins with plenty of little-known performers, the menu includes doo wop, a cappella gospel, electric blues, cowboy balladry, calypso, rockabilly, Western swing, mambo, swing jazz, and more. The common denominator is a sense of joy, often irreverent, that's a refreshing contrast to the commercialized sentimentality that overran the market for Christmas music by pop performers in subsequent decades. The quality is pretty consistently high throughout, but Babs Gonzales' hipster narrative "Be-Bop Santa Claus" is an especially oddball highlight. And really, how many other albums are there with three listenable versions of "Jingle Bells" by different performers? ~ Richie Unterberger|