Bob Dylan has just released a Christmas album which features cutesy American songs like Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, Winter Wonderland and traditional carols like Oh Come, All Ye Faithful and Oh Little Town Of Bethlehem.

Aside from the fact that the icon of 60s rebellion was born Robert Allen Zimmerman to Abram and Betty Zimmerman into a small Jewish suburb of Minnesota, this has to be the weirdest and most incongruous thing since Michael Jackson and Rabbi Shmuley Boteach became BFFs back in the 90s.

As he half chirrups, half drones 'Here comes Santa Claus!" and "Tiny little tots with their eyes all a glow" on the album - entitled Christmas In the Heart - it sounds like his voice is being dragged through a rusty lawnmower ... while smoking a cigarette. It is reminiscent of the way Simpsons character Krusty the Clown (named Herschel Krustofski) half heartedly performs children's magic shows before retreating to his dressing room for a strong drink and a couple of Xanax pills.

While the album proceeds are going to charity, and while Dylan publicly became Christian in the 70s, with this latest stunt, I can't help thinking his intentions are half ironic.