I couldn’t bring myself to post this one on the actual Christmas Eve, but on the eve of Christmas Eve, sure! The Everly Brothers did not sound very merry on their 1972 album “Stories We Could Tell.” It’s a solid enough country rock album, packed with guest stars – David Crosby, Graham Nash, Ry Cooder, John Sebastian and Warren Zevon to name a few – and songs by top-notch writers like Kris Kristofferson and Rod Stewart, among others. But there’s also a lot of weariness and tension here; one of the songs is called “I’m Tired of Singing My Song in Las Vegas,” and the brothers themselves were about a year away from breaking up their duo onstage in the middle of a show.
That’s the context for “Christmas Eve Can Kill You,” a title that is somehow not as bleak as the lyrics. I found this on a compilation called “Bummed Out Christmas”: if you’re in the mood for it, there’s a lot to enjoy, but if looking for some late December cheer, don’t look here.