Meco - Christmas in the Stars: The Star Wars Christmas Album - 1980 (re-released in 1996, but now discontinued and no longer commercially available)
Well, here it is. The legend of this album grew over the years among obsessive Star Wars fans; before the re-release of this album, I remember seeing bootlegs at conventions priced upwards of $200. It became as sought after as The Star Wars Holiday Special. And in light of the existence of that steaming piece of Wookie crap, the existence of a Christmas album makes perfect sense. Hey, fans, George Lucas' merchandising of Star Wars used to be even more pervasive than it is now.
In fact, George Lucas had hoped this would be only the first in a series of annual holiday albums. Having already worked with Meco on Meco's The Empire Strikes Back record, Lucas granted not only the use of sound effects, but R2-D2 and C-3PO (played by Lucasfilm sound man Ben Burtt and Anthony Daniels). Even Star Wars concept artist Ralph McQuarrie painted the album cover.
The concept for this album is pretty weird. It's got R2-D2 and C-3PO getting ready for Christmas in some kind of droid factory where droids work all year making presents for "S. Claus." Most of the songs were co-written by Maury Yeston, who went on to write the musical Nine. If that piece of trivia needs to be repeated, Jon Bongiovi (later Jon Bon Jovi) sings the lead vocals on "R2-D2, We Wish You a Merry Christmas." His cousin Tony was Meco's producer for every one of his albums. I wonder if Jon was sucking in his cheeks and squinting into the distance even then.
Meco brought Harold Wheeler back on board for this album. And the arrangements are very good. What seems like it should be a goof is given a very professional, very full production, and the result is an excellent product that you're not really sure you want. A lot of work obviously went into this; it almost seems rude not to like it. It's so... sincere.
The songs are a mash-up of traditional Christmas music and Star Wars. For example, the song "Sleigh Ride" features C-3PO teaching R2 how to sing (which, of course, he can't). It's actually a fun album to listen to, and a big part of that is not only the presence of the real C-3PO, but also the full orchestral production. It was one of the first non-classical-or-jazz albums to be recorded and mixed digitally, and the sound spacing and layering is impeccable. If the album doesn't necessarily rise to the level of greatness, it's not really embarrassing to listen to. And it flows so nicely and has a short enough running time that despite some of the lamer songs (I've never cared for the album's single, "What Can You Get a Wookie for Christmas (When He Already Has a Comb?)," or the very twee "The Odds Against Christmas"), it doesn't linger around long enough to truly wear on the listener. Too bad it ends with "The Meaning of Christmas," which is too earnest and too long for its own good. Have you noticed how often Meco missteps at the end of his albums by bringing everything to a halt?
But I usually put "Christmas in the Stars" and C-3PO's dramatic reading "A Christmas Sighting ('Twas the Night Before Christmas)" in my Christmas rotation. It's impossible to hate (and I find it impossible to like anything ironically). The album only had one printing when RSO Records went out of business; they never made any more of them. If Star Wars fans hadn't become so humorless about Star Wars in the last 15 years, we'd still be seeing this sort of thing. Whether that's a good thing or not is up to the listener to decide.
Grade B+
A Side: "Christmas in the Stars"
BlindSides: "R2-D2, We Wish You a Merry Christmas," "Sleigh Ride"
DownSides: "The Odds Against Christmas," "Merry, Merry Christmas," "The Meaning of Christmas" (it's a morass)
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