Elmo & Patsy

For Elmo & Patsy fans -- or any admirer of tongue-in-cheek tunes with country flair -- the title track on this album alone is a good enough reason to purchase it for your Christmas collection. Elmo & Patsy are really characters portrayed by a man named Elmo Shropshire, a man who has lead a varied enough life to create many more characters, if he ever so chooses. He has spent stretches as a horse trainer, jockey, veterinarian, and even as a competitive runner. Somehow he found time to perform with a bluegrass band and work on some solo offerings. "Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer" was written and first performed in 1979. The video for the single debuted on MTV in 1983, and the full-length album that carries the same name was released a year later. The title track became an instant hit, moving above longtime favorites like "White Christmas" on the music charts. The album has sold more than seven million copies since it hit the store shelves. Other tracks on the recording include some fun Christmas classics like "Jingle Bells," "Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer," and "Jingle Bell Rock." Mixed in are a few humorous songs like "Percy, the Puny Poinsettia" and "Señor Santa Claus." Though not all tunes are done in what one would call perfect harmony -- like the clinkers listeners will hear in the rendition of "Silent Night" -- Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer is a merry offering to set to playing in the background of any Christmas get together that doesn't require evening wear. Some other albums Elmo & Patsy fans might want to check out are Dr. Elmo's Twisted Christmas, Up Your Chimney, Dr. Elmo's Twisted Tunes, and Love, Death and Taxes. ~ Charlotte Dillon, All Music Guide