IT WON'T BE CHRISTMAS WITHOUT YOU finds Brooks and Dunn wisely foregoing the drippy, synth-laden production that ruins many contemporary country Christmas albums, instead relying on the neo-honky tonk sound that made the duo famous.
Though there are several of the usual chestnuts here, the group's originals are often highlights, especially Ronnie Dunn's "It Won't be Christmas Without You," which shows the singer to be a powerful balladeer equally as talented as some of his better known pop contemporaries.
Kix Brooks gets to strut his stuff on the funky "Rockin' Little Christmas," which features a New Orleans piano groove straight out of the Professor Longhair songbook.
A Christmas album can often separate the men from the boys, and Brooks and Dunn prove themselves here by attacking even the most oft-covered tunes with aplomb.
"Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town" gets the total Bob Wills makeover, complete with righteously swinging fiddles and jazzy key changes.
To their credit, Brooks and Dunn treat IT WON'T BE CHRISTMAS WITHOUT YOU as much more than holiday product; the joy they bring to what could easily have been a throwaway is truly a cause for celebration.
| Title/Composers | Performer | Listen | Time | Size | Size | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | It Won't Be Christmas Without YouSteven Busch, Ronnie Dunn, Jerry Lynn Williams | Brooks & Dunn | Play | 03:42 | 8 MB | 0 MB |
| 2 | Rockin' Little ChristmasDeborah Allen, Bruce Channel | Brooks & Dunn | Play | 03:06 | 7 MB | 0 MB |
| 3 | I'll Be Home for ChristmasKim Gannon, Walter Kent, Buck Ram | Brooks & Dunn | Play | 02:42 | 6 MB | 0 MB |
| 9 mins | 21 MB | |||||
| 0 mins | 0 MB | |||||
| Artist | Job | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Deborah Allen | Composer, Vocals (Background) |
| 2 | Irving Berlin | Composer |
| 3 | Felix Bernard | Composer |
| 4 | Larry Boone | Composer |
| 5 | Bekka Bramlett | Guest Artist, Vocals (Background) |
| 6 | Brooks & Dunn | Primary Artist |
| 7 | Kix Brooks | Composer, Producer |
| 8 | Steven Busch | Composer |
| 9 | David Campbell | Arranger, Conductor |
| 10 | Bruce Channel | Composer, Vocals (Background) |
| 11 | Lisa Cochran | Vocals (Background) |
| 12 | Don Cook | Composer |
| 13 | J. Fred Coots | Composer |
| 14 | Eric Darken | Percussion |
| 15 | Greg Droman | Engineer, Mixing, Producer |
| 16 | Dan Dugmore | Guitar (Steel) |
| 17 | Ronnie Dunn | Composer, Producer |
| 18 | Shannon Forrest | Drums |
| 19 | Paul Franklin | Guitar (Steel) |
| 20 | Kim Gannon | Composer |
| 21 | Haven Gillespie | Composer |
| 22 | Barry Green | Trombone |
| 23 | Kenny Greenberg | Guitar (Electric) |
| 24 | Todd Gunnerson | Assistant |
| 25 | Bill Hayes | Composer |
| 26 | Mike Haynes | Trumpet |
| 27 | Aubrey Haynie | Fiddle, Guest Artist, Mandolin |
| 28 | Carie Higdon | Project Coordinator |
| 29 | Jim Horn | Flute, Sax (Baritone) |
| 30 | Wade Hunt | Cover Design |
| 31 | Jay Johnson | Composer |
| 32 | Walter Kent | Composer |
| 33 | B. James Lowry | Guitar (Acoustic) |
| 34 | Brent Mason | Guest Artist, Guitar (Electric) |
| 35 | The Nashville String Machine | Orchestra |
| 36 | Steve Nathan | Keyboards, Organ (Hammond), Piano |
| 37 | Paul Nelson | Composer |
| 38 | Steve Patrick | Trumpet |
| 39 | Buck Ram | Composer |
| 40 | Michael Rhodes | Bass |
| 41 | Brent Rowan | Guitar (Electric) |
| 42 | John Wesley Ryles | Guest Artist, Vocals (Background) |
| 43 | Dick Smith | Composer |
| 44 | Denis Solee | Flute, Sax (Tenor) |
| 45 | Harry Stinson | Vocals (Background) |
| 46 | Mel Tormé | Composer |
| 47 | Robert Wells | Composer |
| 48 | Hank Williams | Mastering |
| 49 | Jerry Lynn Williams | Composer |
| 50 | Mark Wright | Executive Producer |
| Quality | Format | Encoding | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | MP3 | 320kps 44.1kHz | MP3 is an audio coding format which uses a form of lossy data compression. The highest bitrate of this format is 320kbps (kbit/s). MP3 Digital audio takes less amount of space (up to 90% reduction in size) and the quality is not as good as the original one. |