Various artists, 'Little Steven's Underground Garage Presents: Christmas A Go-Go'

The buzz: Little Steven Van Zandt is best known as a sidekick to Bruce Springsteen and Tony Soprano, but he’s the center of attention on the popular radio show “Little Steven’s Underground Garage.” This “Christmas A Go-Go” compilation shows off Van Zandt's taste as a curator, featuring rare tracks from Keith Richards, Bob Seger and Soupy Sales—along with holiday chestnuts from the Ramones, Brian Setzer and, um, Joe Pesci.

The verdict: Van Zandt’s solid, if limited, taste (he likes that old time rock 'n' roll) creates a cohesive collection with numerous highlights for listeners seeking some volume in their Christmas catalog. The best tracks avoid novelty (sorry, Mr. Pesci) and skirt rehashing standard fare; on the flip side, Tina Sugandh’s “White Christmas” sounds anonymous, and “Silent Night” never needed to be set to the tune of “Norwegian Wood.” As a whole, these rockers are more inspired by Santa than Jesus, leading to the Kinks’ cheerfully punked up “Father Christmas,” the bawdy swagger of Clarence Carter’s “Back Door Santa” and Seger’s “Sock It to Me Santa,” in which he enthusiastically lives out his fantasy of being James Brown. The Chevelles channel the Stones in their shout-out to Santa, while real Stone Richards recalls Chuck Berry (per usual) with his rambunctious “Run Rudolph Run,” setting the tone for “Christmas A Go-Go” right from the start.

Did you know? A number of recent blogs devoted to the worst Christmas music of all time have set their sights on the Ramones and Soupy Sales tracks included here.

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