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Too darn weird

Too Many Santas
Too Many Santas
By The Bobs

Rounder Records: 1996


This review first appeared in the December 13, 1996 issue of the North County Times.

This may be the most annoying Christmas album since "Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer." Heck, it may be the most annoying album period since Donny and Marie broke up.

Weird isn't necessarily bad, but when a Christmas album gets too out there it stops being a Christmas album. And that's a line the normally entertaining vocal group The Bobs crosses again and again on "Too Many Santas."

It starts with "Yuleman vs. The Anti-Claus," the album's opening track – the dissonance makes it impossible to listen to the lyrics. The title track is equally impossible to listen to. You need the patience of Job and the attention span of Einstein to make it through this album, and for what? Cleverness that's not clever? Oy, my aching head.

You know, even the Grinch wouldn't buy this album.