This is an excerpt from the print edition of Dirty Linen magazine #103 (December 2002 / January 2003). The magazine is available on newsstands and by subscription.

Holiday Hoopla

The Campbell Brothers
Sacred Steel for the Holidays
Arhoolie 504 (2001)

Considering that sacred steel music is hot, both in a musical sense and as a genre (at least among connoisseurs), a Christmas album was inevitable. And why not? With the religious fervor of the music, the reputation of the participants, and the integrity of the label, it was a logical step. The Campbell Brothers try their hand at well-known seasonal chestnuts, starting with “Silent Night” and ending with Mel Torme's “The Christmas Song.” Sandwiched between those two are “Go Tell It on the Mountain,” “Rock of Ages,” “Joy to the World,” “The First Noel,” “The Little Drummer Boy,” and half a dozen more. Dan Tyack adds his steel guitar to half a dozen tracks, and the selections are more or less evenly divided between instrumental tunes and those with vocals by Denise Brown. The performances are more temperate than sacred steel live shows, and the group chose not to venture much beyond familiar material. While the instrumental tracks are unique, the ones with vocals sound slightly more conventional. Sacred Steel for the Holidays is Arhoolie's first-ever Christmas album and a very worthy acquisition for fans of seasonal music.
—Paul-Emile Comeau (Comeauville, NS, Canada)

There are 18 more recordings discussed in this column from Dirty Linen #103 (Dec. '02/Jan. '03). Read the full text in the magazine, available via subscription or on newsstands and in bookstores.