A Lump of Coal (1991)

A Lump of Coal, a disrespectful holiday primer from a bunch of alternative bands, is a mixed bag. Traditional ballads include both the tongue-in-cheek (Young Fresh Fellows' deadpan ''O Little Town of Bethlehem'') and others seemingly more sincere (the heart-tugging and forceful ''O Holy Night'' from Divine Weeks). There is one bad idea pursued to a dopey concluson (the Wedding Present's cover of Elton John's ''Step Into Christmas,'' hardly a classic) and one sicko triumph: Henry Rollins' unrepentantly punked-out reading of ''Twas the Night Before Christmas.'' B