It's a long way from Jacksonville, Florida, to the North Pole, but first generation Southern rockers Lynyrd Skynyrd put antifreeze in the old touring van and set a course for Santa's workshop with this seasonal outing. The band, which now consists of three founders and a handful of later recruits, mix Yule warhorses ("Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer," "Greensleeves") and more recent fare ("Santa Claus Wants Some Lovin'," "Run Run Rudolph," Eddie C. Campbell's customized-for-Christmas take on "Messin' with the Kid") with a smattering of originals. Guests Charlie Daniels and .38 Special check in with one song apiece, giving the whole project a kind of TV variety-show feel--that is, if you can picture a bearded Perry Como with a stack of Marshall amps at his back. --Steven Stolder