Search - Bill Anderson :: No Place Like Home on Christmas

A welcome addition to the holiday CD carousel

hyperbolium | Earth, USA | 11/25/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

""Whispering Bill" Anderson's still in fine voice, 40-plus years after recording his first album. His latest adds several new songs to a collection of chestnuts, all rendered in Anderson's trademark laid-back style. His band, The Po' Folks, provide everything from twangy fiddle-and-dobro backed harmonies for "Christmas Time's A-Comin'" to gentle guitar and mandolin sounds on "Joy to the World."Highlights include a two-stepping "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" that swings on Donna Hammitt's fine steel playing, and Anderson's new tunes, including his tale of homemade holidays, "Po' Folks Christmas," and the hard-luck lost innocence of "My Christmas List Grows Shorter Every Year." Boudleaux Bryant's title track (recorded as early as 1953 by Little Jimmy Dickens) provides a wonderfully optimistic view of the holiday home.Though radio's no longer interested in the subtle talents of stars like Anderson, he's still a draw at the Opry, and his later-day albums (including 2001's "A Lot of Things Different") find his talent fully intact, amplified by the performer's finesse he's acquired over the years. Add this disc to your holiday CD carousel for a touch of class."