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Christmas In The Heart
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Christmas In The Heart Image
Metascore
62

Generally favorable reviews - based on 17 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
7.0

Generally favorable reviews- based on 43 Ratings

  • Summary: This is the first Christmas album for the singer and proceeds will be donated to the charities, Feeding America, The World Food Programme, and Crisis UK.

Top Track

Must Be Santa
Who's got a beard That's long and white? Santa's got a beard That's long and white Who comes around On a special night? Santa comes around On a... See the rest of the song lyrics
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Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 9 out of 17
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 17
  3. Negative: 1 out of 17
  1. Slant Magazine
    80
    Profoundly weird but still cozy, Christmas in the Heart paints an appealing holiday picture: chestnuts roasting on an open fire, Jack Frost scratching at your ears.
  2. The Guardian
    80
    The result is polished without being glib, and a sympathetic listener may find it addictive.
  3. Billboard.com
    75
    Christmas in the Heart is an odd one-a collection of straight-ahead Christmas songs that benefits Feeding America, as well as food charities in other countries. But it will remind listeners that for nearly a decade Dylan has been working on his croon-exploring musical styles that are more polished than folk and blues.
  4. The A.V. Club
    67
    He fares less well on ballads--here’s hoping 'Hark The Herald Angels Sing' and 'O Come All Ye Faithful (Adeste Fideles)' don’t become live staples. But he eases into 'The Christmas Blues' adroitly, and rips up a cover of Brave Combo’s polka classic 'Must Be Santa' with lightning vocal delivery.
  5. Boston Globe
    60
    It's a decent album with good intentions.
  6. Drowned In Sound
    50
    It’s Bob Dylan’s Christmas gift to you, delivered with warmth from his heart, even if his tongue is in his cheek. Like eggnog, it’s something that will always go down well once a year, even if it is probably just the once.
  7. Under The Radar
    30
    Aside from the obvious point that it is strange hearing Dylan, née Robert Zimmerman, singing Christmas songs, it is often just awkward to listen to the elder's scraggly croak making its way through commonly known carols.

See all 17 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

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Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 3 out of 5
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 5
  3. Negative: 2 out of 5
  1. fdhill
    Nov 1, 2013
    10
    The negative reviewers are missing the tongue-in-cheek attitude with which Dylan pulls off this, my favorite of all holiday albums. And if youThe negative reviewers are missing the tongue-in-cheek attitude with which Dylan pulls off this, my favorite of all holiday albums. And if you haven't seen the video for "Must Be Santa" check it out on youtube.… Expand
  2. TimK.
    Oct 15, 2009
    8
    I'm not much for Christmas albums, but this one stands out!
  4. NickiR.
    Oct 15, 2009
    7
    Not everyone will like this, and if you'll only give it a listen or two, you will never return to it. But after the third time more and Not everyone will like this, and if you'll only give it a listen or two, you will never return to it. But after the third time more and more tracks will stand out. Best number from Santa Bob is without a doubt 'Must be Santa'.… Collapse
  5. GregJ.
    Oct 18, 2009
    1
    Don't be fooled by the critics - this is the nadir of Dylan;s career. Truly awful!
  6. BruceS
    Oct 14, 2009
    0
    Stupid.

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