This holiday season, fans of Barenaked Ladies are in for a treat with the worldwide vinyl debut of the Canadian alt-pop icons’ bestselling album, Barenaked for the Holidays. First released in 2004, the 20-track album blends original tunes (“Christmas Pics,” “Hanukkah Blessings,” “Green Christmas”) and seasonal classics (“Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” “I Have a Little Dreidel,” “Auld Lang Syne”), with a heavy dash of the band’s signature wit. Adding a twist of holiday magic are special guests Michael Bublé and Sarah McLachlan, who lend their vocals to “Elf’s Lament” and “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen”/“We Three Kings,” respectively.
Arriving October 18 via Craft Recordings, Barenaked for the Holidays will be available in a variety of festive colors, in addition to classic black vinyl, including Candy Cane Split (exclusively through the band’s official store), Translucent Forest Green (Barnes & Noble), and Christmas Tree (Craft Recordings).
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Long beloved for their quick wit and hook-filled blend of alt-rock, pop, and folk, Barenaked Ladies (aka BNL) became international sensations in the late ’90s, thanks to a slew of memorable hit singles. But the Scarborough, ON band had been fixtures in the Canadian music scene for nearly a decade by then. Formed in 1988, BNL gained notoriety three years later when their self-titled demo tape (featuring the fan favorite, “If I Had $1000000”) became the first independent release to be certified Gold in Canada. That success led to a record deal and a string of best-selling albums, including 1992’s Gordonand 1994’s Maybe You Should Drive.
It was 1998’s multi-platinum-selling Stunt, however, that catapulted BNL to the next level, thanks to such massive hits as “It’s All Been Done,” “Call and Answer,” and the US No.1, “One Week.” The band enjoyed their superstar status over the next few years—releasing their best-selling follow-up, 2000’s Maroon (featuring “Pinch Me”); performing at the 2002 Winter Olympics; securing songs on major TV shows and soundtracks; and touring the globe several times over. But by the mid-aughts, after the release of their sixth studio album, Everything to Everyone (2003), the band was eager to return to their indie roots—a move they made with 2004’s Barenaked for the Holidays. The album served as the launching pad for their independently owned label and ushered in a fresh chapter for BNL while serving as a jolly gift to their fans.
Offering something for everyone, BNL’s sole holiday release features 20 tracks that range from Christmas classics and Hannukah favorites to original ditties about the joys of winter and beyond—many of which are made even jollier, thanks to BNL’s humorous spirit. Opening Barenaked for the Holidays is a measured rendition of “Jingle Bells.” Halfway through, BNL breaks into the parody version (“Jingle bells/Batman smells/Robin laid an egg…”), setting the tone for the album.
The group takes a more traditional approach to songs like “Hanukkah, Oh Hanukkah,” “Auld Lang Syne,” “I Have a Little Dreidel,” and Band Aid’s “Do They Know It’s Christmas?,” while an organ-based instrumental of “Carol of the Bells” (accented with harmonized hums from the band) is a refreshing take on the Yuletide classic. On the other end of the spectrum—in one of the album’s most hilarious moments—is “Deck the Stills,” in which BNL breaks into a 30-second acapella interlude, singing “Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young” to the tune of “Deck the Halls.”
Nearly half of the album is comprised of original material, including the earwormy “Green Christmas” (which appears in the 1999 Ron Howard film How the Grinch Stole Christmas), “Hanukkah Blessings,” “Christmas Pics,” and the reflective “Footprints.” The whimsical “Elf’s Lament,” meanwhile, features a cameo by a then-relatively unknown Michael Bublé—fresh off his first Juno® win for Breakthrough Artist of the Year. The band is also joined by the celebrated singer/songwriter Sarah McLaughlan, who lends her voice to an upbeat medley of “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen”/“We Three Kings.”
Peppered throughout Barenaked for the Holidays is a selection of synth-y instrumental interludes, built around beats programmed on a classic Casio keyboard. They include a bossa nova-infused rendition of “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” an up-tempo take on “O Holy Night,” and a cover of Paul McCartney’s “Wonderful Christmastime” (which ends with a hidden round of “Happy Birthday” to Jesus himself).
Released in October 2004, Barenaked for the Holidays was embraced by fans and critics alike, earning a gold record in Canada, where it landed in the Top 30, and receiving high marks from the likes of Rolling Stone, who gave the album 4.5 out of 5 stars, praising, “Tapping into their inner child, the Barenaked Ladies make the holidays fun again.” AllMusic hailed, “The arrangements are nimble and…clever,” calling it, “more interesting and distinctive than the average holiday record.”PopMatters simply declared it to be, “silly, rollicking, goofy, and fun.”
Speaking on the album, co-founder Ed Robertson says, “Barenaked for the Holidays is a record I’m very proud of. It was fun taking a stab at a few holiday classics, but I think the real strength of the record is the original songs. ‘Footprints’ and ‘Snowman’ are among my favorites I’ve ever written. It’s always fun to revisit these songs around the holidays every year. It’s the only original music that we ONLY play for one month every year!!”
20 years later, Barenaked Ladies—which features Robertson (vocals, guitar), Jim Creeggan (bass, vocals), Tyler Stewart(drums, vocals), and Kevin Hearn (keyboards, guitar, vocals)—continues to hold a unique place in the modern pop canon. Over the course of 35 years, the beloved quartet has sold over 15 million records worldwide and built up an arsenal of hits such as "If I Had $1,000,000," "One Week," "Pinch Me," and "The Big Bang Theory Theme." Widely acknowledged as one of the best live acts on the planet, BNL has hosted a cruise, had their own Ben & Jerry’s ice cream flavor, and participated in the first-ever “space-to-Earth musical collaboration” with astronaut Chris Hadfield. To date, BNL has amassed eight JUNOAwards, garnered two GRAMMY nominations and was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame. In September of 2023, the band released In Flight, their 18th studio album.
This fall, BNL are on an extensive tour in support of their latest album, In Flight. Fans can catch them across North America with shows through the fall. Visit the band’s website for tickets and more info.
Track Listing (Vinyl):
Side A:
- Jingle Bells
- Green Christmas
- I Saw Three Ships
- Hanukkah Blessings
- O Holy Night
- Elf's Lament (with Michael Bublé)
- Snowman
- Do They Know It's Christmas?
Side B:
- Hanukkah, Oh Hanukkah
- God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen / We Three Kings (with Sarah McLachlan)
- Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer
- Carol Of The Bells
- Footprints
- Deck The Stills
- Christmastime (Oh Yeah)
- Sleigh Ride
- Christmas Pics
- I Have A Little Dreidel
- Wonderful Christmastime
- Auld Lang Syne
