Posted on: December 2, 2007 Posted by: James McQuiston Comments: 1

Larry the Cable Guy – Christmastime in Larryland / 2007 WB Nashville / http://www.larrythecableguy.com / http://www.wbrnashville.com /

As one can likely glean from the album title, “Christmastime in Larryland” is Larry the Cable Guy’s latest album. More so than just being Larry the Cable Guy’s latest album, this album has a decidedly Christmas feel to it. For those individuals that cannot wait, there is also a trailer for Larry the Cable Guy’s newest movie, “Witless Protection”. This is not a purely comedy album as one would traditionally have it; the skits present on this album were recorded in five different studios. What the finished product resembles is an old time radio show, one that is decidedly more raunchy and funny than anything else that was on the radio during the forties or fifties.

There are a number of guest stars that make their appearance on this CD, including Trace Adkins, Cowboy Troy, and Brandon Kinney. The one major difference that the skits on this album have from any other Larry the Cable Guy album is that the vocals seem to be a little more quiet, calmed-down, and detached from the rest of the audience. While this may be what was originally intended with this album, I feel as if Larry the Cable Guy is not talking at me, but rather to another group entirely. The opening monologue to “Christmastime in Larryland” provides Larry the Cable Guy’s riffing about Christmas-themed foods, whether they be Pepperidge Farms gift baskets or Peanut Brittle. The disc does not get fully started until Larry gets past “Lapquest”, a humorous take on the different GPS systems. “Eulogy” is sandwiched between “Lapquest” and the second hallmark of a classical radio show, what Larry takes the piss out of with “Tobacco Company Choir”.

The spastic bouncing around between topics and themes provides different things for listeners to be snagged onto, but “Nativity Scene” is the first track that brings some cohesion to the performance. This six-plus minute track shows Larry at eir best, riffing about the different versions of nativity scenes and possible changes to the traditional scene (throwing in individuals like Shrek to the mix). The theme that “Christmastime in Larryland” works under is strained at points; where I can appreciate what Larry the Cable Guy is attempting to do here, I think that just recording an entire set from Larry during the Christmas season would showcase more of eir funniest Christmas-themed skits without having to subordinate them to a specific theme.

Top Tracks: Magic O The Mime, Nutcracker

Rating: 5.5/10

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