Eric Clapton "Happy X-Mas"

Although I am not attuned enough to his music to call him by his nickname, Slowhand, or say I have heard all of his albums, I can say that I respect him as an artist.
As I am a major fan of holiday music,  I was intrigued to see an artist of his stature release  a holiday-themed album after all of this time. Some may scream, "Cash grab! Clearly the revenue is his version of a Christmas bonus!" 
He bookends with the canon classics, "White Christmas" and "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas," and while they were good, we know the true value of the present lies inside. One of the most beautiful songs written finds itself on this record, Silent Night. One of the most intriguing covers was "Jingle Bells," which on first listen might be missed, but most of the elements of the original are there, just rearranged and repurposed; a Christmas dance party anyone? However, with its parenthetical appendation, it is not as surprising, in Memory of Aviici, which makes it even better.

 He throws in a few Christmas classics of the blues persuasion "Lonesome Christmas" and "Merry Christmas Baby," both of which were covered on A Christmas Celebration of Hope recorded  by another legend, B.B. King.
While now would be the time where I mention the rest of the album's "originals," I come to find that aside from "For Love On Christmas Day," the majority of the album is one of covers. I had my suspicions that "Away In A Manger (Once in Royal David's City)" was another blues interpretation, but the rest caught me by surprise. It's wonderful to hear more of the obscure Christmas tunes unearthed and included on more recent Christmas albums; all good songs that need to be heard and be paid their due, with your attention at least once, but worth more than that.
So while it took over five decades to release a Christmas Compendium, my final judgment is that it was well worth the wait; a consistent newsy, bluesy classic.