There are blue Christmases and there are blue Christmases. This compilation represents a blue, blue Christmas, and is arguably the strongest blues Christmas album of the post-blues era. It helps that so many selections are either originals or non-traditional Christmas remakes, and the wide variety of modern blues styles works to keep things interesting, too (it also confirms that, contrary to its image, Alligator Records wasn't always strictly about house-rocking). Son Seals, perhaps the most underrated bluesman of his time, leaves no doubt as to what a "Lonesome Christmas" is like — it makes you wanna play real biting guitar solos — and Koko Taylor actually hints at a little menace in the otherwise-cheery "Merry, Merry Christmas." Little Charlie & the Nightcaps cut their usual deep and wide groove through "Santa Claus," and harmonica man Charlie Musselwhite imbues "Silent Night" with both pain and pensiveness. Throw in more good stuff by sadly-neglected swamp-blues pianist Katie Webster ("Deck the Halls with Boogie Woogie"), cocktail-blues pianist Charles Brown ("Boogie Woogie Santa Claus") and hard-blowing harp master William Clarke ("Please Let Me Be Your Santa Claus"), among others, and you've got yourself a stocking-stuffer with a little something for everyone.