This Year's Christmas Albums

A post about the holidays requires a holiday-themed fractal. Since I have already used all my "Christmas" fractals I had had to create something new. This one reminds me of of poinsettia blossoms in the snow--thus the name, Holiday Poinsettias. Now on with the review!
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I really like Christmas music: there--I've said it. (Of course I said it about this time last year as well.) You might be shocked or scandalized to know how many Christmas albums I actually OWN. (I'd tell you but, in all honesty, I've lost count.) Every year I promise myself I'm not going to buy anything new: I already have enough and I don't need any more. Of course then I find something by an artist I like or discover somebody new and I end up adding another album to my collection. This year I bought four new albums (above my average of two) and rumor has it "Santa Claus" is going to be leaving a fifth one in my Christmas Stocking. So--since I haven't been to any movies recently (and I feel the need to post) here's a review of this year's crop of Christmas music.
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MANHEIM STEAMROLLER: CHRISTMAS--25th ANNIVERSARY EDITION
I've been a fan of Manheim Steamroller since they were a "fringe" group that nobody knew about. I remember the days of having to go to BIG record stores (when we actually HAD such things) to find their albums--and still having to scour the place to find their new music. But times have changed: record stores ("big" or others) have all but vanished and, thanks to main stream radio playing non-stop Christmas music six weeks before the holiday, Manheim Steamroller has become as much a part of Christmas as Santa and Gingerbread. They've made quite a little industry for themselves out of Christmas and Chip Davis, founder and driving force behind the group never passes up an opportunity to squeeze a few more dollars out of the franchise. The 25th Anniversary of the release of their first (and probably best) Christmas Album was an opportunity that could not be passed up.
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The album contains 25 songs on two discs. There are a few new songs (original compositions that are pleasant enough but so forgettable I couldn't tell you what they are without looking them up. The other cuts are old songs nicely arranged for pleasant listening. Davis did an excellent job selecting representative works from his albums and there's only one clunker in the bunch. Their version of The Christmas Song (featuring vocals by Johnny Mathis) is a torturous dirge that all but drowns the listen in the audio equivalent of treacle. I've never been a fan of Mathis' particularly "precious" style of singing and this song shows his instrument isn't what it once was: not even recording trickery can disguise the fact that Johnny Mathis is getting OLD!) Still, for completeists like me, or those who want something nice, this is a good album to have. You can listen to it and enjoy it or put it on as background music for your holiday party and not have the music intrude. FINAL GRADE: A-
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MARY CHAPIN CARPENTER: COME DARKNESS, COME LIGHT
Mary Chapin Carpenter is hardly your typical Country artist. Yes, she'll tackle the usual themes but there's a certain charm and, dare I say it? intellectualism that draws the listener in. Yes, she the kind of Country artist for people who don't like Country Music. Her first Christmas Album (released last year) follow her usual path of slightly downbeat songs, simply yet elegantly crafted and melancholy themes. People looking for "fa-la-la-la-la" and "Jolly Old Saint Nicholas" won't find that here: the traditional songs would probably be unfamiliar to most people. (Since I like Christmas music so much I'm familiar with everything on the album.) The newer songs are contemplative ruminations on the season that tend to suck you in. This isn't Christmas party music: it's music you listen to with close friends and people you love by a fireplace in a darkened room.
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My favorite cuts on the album are the title track, Come Darkness, Come Light--a Christmas Song of deep faith and hope done in the spare elegant manner that Carpenter does so well. Candlelight Carol, written as a choral piece by John Rutter, is stripped down to the bare essentials that allows the beauty of the song to shine through like a lighthouse in the darkness. There is one critical misstep on this album: the final cut, Children Go Where I Send Thee is an old gospel song that follows the pattern of The 12 Days of Christmas. Like the "12 Days" this song goes on and on without really going anywhere (and it meanders on for over eight minutes!). I don't "quite" wants to claw my ears off but I don't want to listen to it either. In an album chock full of elegant little gems this song sticks out like a gigantic lump of coal! FINAL GRADE: A- (It would have been A+ except for the last song.)
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LORENNA McKENNIT: A MIDWINTER NIGHT'S DREAM
Lorenna McKennit gives her New-Age-Celtic-Meets-Middle-Eastern style of arrangements to traditional English and French Carols. Fans of her style will probably enjoy the album: I certainly did. Her musical style isn't for everyone but at least her music has an original sound you won't find elsewhere. Be warned though--this stuff won't appeal to mainstream music fans. Still, I felt a little cheated by this album: several of the songs here were included in other albums (although with new arrangements) and I really think I should have gotten something new for my money. FINAL GRADE: B+ (because she cheated her listeners).
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STRAIGHT NO CHASER: CHRISTMAS CHEERS
Straight No Chaser is definitely a "one trick pony"--but that trick they do VERY well. For those of you who don't know, that "trick" is close harmony singing--unaccompanied by only what they can produce out of their own bodies. Their clever take on The 12 Days Of Christmas was a massive YouTube hit was enough to get them a record contract. Their first album, Holiday Spirits, sold well enough to get them a second Christmas album and the group stayed true to what got them there with Christmas Cheers. There are "clever" songs (The Christmas Can-Can might well be called "12 Days Part Deux" since it shamelessly copies the first hit. The rest of the album is a mix of carols and novelty songs that work pretty well.
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Still, this wouldn't be my blog if I didn't find something to complain about: their version of Jingle Bells is a shameless rip-off of the Barbara Streisand version. (True, a lot of listeners wouldn't notice--but I certainly did.) I hope they gave her Arranger royalties for copying his work. Their version of It's Christmas Time Pretty Baby (which I actually like a lot) features a bad "Elvis as Santa" joke that goes on too long and qualifies as "funny once" (maybe). After that it gets old real fast. Their "one trick" is starting to wear a bit thin and I'm not sure I'll buy a third album from the group. FINAL GRADE: B+
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A FEAST OF SONG: HOLIDAY MUSIC FROM THE MIDDLE AGES. BETH and BARRY HALL.
"Period" music played on "period" instruments isn't for everyone: I happen to like that (in small doses at least). Beth and Barry Hall sing all the parts and play all the instruments (thanks to the wonders of modern technology), The songs are (relatively) accessible but I wouldn't recommend this disc to those who are not fans of Ancient Music. FINAL GRADE: A