Goo Goo Dolls "It's Christmas All Over"

 I aim to avoid petty, but not when it comes to music. I am a casual fan I will admit, but he was write, "Christmas is a rockin' time" and this enthralling missletune is a worthy addition to the Christmas Canon (Rock). The Goos manage to give this song a new energy, albeit staying true to the original, which I can say accounts for most of the covers but is not always a bad thing; the best being "Shake Hands with Santa Claus."

Robby sings with the Chipmunks in their version of "Christmas Don't Be Late," which is an oddly charming rendition; they both write good songs, but songs that Takac lends vocals for tend to stray from the bottle of "pop."

While "This Is Christmas" tends to bring visions of an angel city and a rush of endorphins for some, "You Ain't Gettin Nothin" features visions of presents instead of a sugar plum. The former song and its referential counterpart sing about the gravity of love, and the lengths they would take to see, or be the reason for, their smile. Their other original tune incorporates tough love for a kid, with a middle name of chaos, and may mirror the fun he has (without any of the trouble he causes). 

If original version praying for "Better Days", sung by Sydney McGorman in this version, was beckoning eye sweat, this one also will punch you in the gut. It straddles between sincerity and those poignant ads asking for donations; that is not to say it is not of good quality, it's just an observation.

The trio of traditional covers that precede "The Christmas Party" remind me of Scott Weiland's holiday declaration that it's The Most Wonderful Time of Year, and I would say that it can be, but their renditions never reach their potential of cool; like Weiland, they played it safe, yet sounded good enough doing it. Their collaboration with Union Square 5 was like hearing a different band, with a renewed vigor, and would have made the other covers more than good enough.

One last (original) tune about Christmas is one last acoustic number that continually states, "we don't need a reason to love one another again." It's enough for the Goos and Kudian Kai, and accompaniment to perform "I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm" in a brassy fashion.