-
So last year I promised myself I wouldn't add a lot of new Christmas albums to my collection but the plans have a way of changing. (So far) I've gotten six new albums (and might get more. So here's the reviews of everything I got (in the order of purchase).
-
WINTER CAROLS by Blackmore's Night
I found Blackmore's Night early last year on YouTube. I liked their Pop-Rock/Renaissance style and it intrigued me that Richie Blackmore Lead Guitarist for Deep Purple (the group that did Smoke On The Water) would get involved with something like this. When I found they had made a Christmas album and I could get it from Amazon for less than $10.00 I decided I'd give it a shot! What I got was pretty much what I expected--a bright blend of poppy, renaissance-infused song that are mostly up-tempo that fall nicely on the ear--especially if you like this sort of thing (which I totally do). Of particular note I found I enjoyed Ma-O-Tzur, a setting of a Hebrew poem and a mash up of Lord Of The Dance and Simple Gifts (which I don't think I'll ever get tired of). Still, there are a couple of things that bug me a bit about the album: first lyrics from traditional tunes are twisted to eliminate any reference to "Jesus", "Christ" or "the son of God". Not sure why they had to do that and it annoys me just a tiny bit. It also bugs me that they feel the need to randomly hash-up lyrics in ways that aren't beneficial to the song. Still, those are minor quibbles and I found that I have really enjoyed listening to the album.
FINAL GRADE: A-
-
GLEE: the Christmas Album Volume 2
I really enjoyed the first Christmas album from the cast of Glee. This one--not so much... Like a lot of Glee songs I found a lot of their arrangements to be frankly derivative (Santa Baby is almost a note-for-note copy of Madonna's version for example) and a lot of the choices are just weird. (I haven't seen their Holiday episode so I don't know the songs are supposed to fit into a story). The album has a has several new songs that are just plain BAD and there aren't many pleasant surprises like on the last album. Sadly, this albums feels like a blatant attempt to cash in and only the most die hard of die hard "Gleeks" is gonna love it. Don't bother to buy this album.
FINAL GRADE: C- (and that's because I'm being charitable)
-
THE SING OFF: Songs of the Season
I'm a sucker for acapella singing and, (in my humble opinion at least) a good voices-only choir can turn the most egregious crap into something you can listen to (take All I Want For Christmas as done by Delilah for example). Most of these are pretty darn good but a few songs take some very strange turns. Coventry Carol as done by Sonos is WAY too upbeat for the text and the wordless version of Carol of the Bells done by the University of Rochester Yellowjackets is nothing nothing short of awful (and I really liked them on the show). I could have done without the bonus track from Committed but I'm glad I got a little extra music for the money. This is a nice album and I think most people would like it.
-
FINAL GRADE: A-
-
CAROLE KING: A Holiday Carole
I've always thought Carole King could do no wrong since she put out Tapestry. (If you don't have it in your collection--you should!) The LP isn't the best Christmas Album you'll ever hear but it is still quite enjoyable. The album starts out with a nice version of My Favorite Things (which, IMHO, is NOT a Christmas song--no matter the mention of "sleigh bells" and "silver-white winters".) There are several new songs that are OK if not spectacular and, with two exceptions, the rest of the songs are older-ish popular tunes that she does pretty well. I was glad she included Chanukah Prayer (a nod to her Jewish faith: I found it the highlight of the album). This is a nice album for the holidays and a must-have for any fan of Miss Carole.
FINAL GRADE: A-
-
LIBERA: the Christmas Album
Libera is an English Boys Choir that has made several albums. Of course it was inevitable that they'd release a Christmas album sooner or later. The mostly-traditional songs have a delightfully ethereal quality and lush orchestration but you need to be a fan of classical music to really enjoy the album. I could have done without all the extraneous material that came with the album (a cheap ornament and a lot of material on each song, each on a separate pieces of paper) and would have been happy to pay a bit less for the LP. Still, there's a certain je ne sais quois to the album that I find oddly attractive.
FINAL GRADE: A
-
MISTLETOE AND WINE: A SEASONAL COLLECTION by Medieval Baebes
Robyn found this album in the Gaelsongs Catalog and thought it sounded good. (I found it for half the price on Amazon.com so I bought it.) Eight women (sometimes singing acapella and sometimes accompanied) perform a variety of holiday and winter-themed songs, equally balanced between traditional and new material. Robyn and I both enjoyed the album but if you aren't a fan of exotica or "classical" (or even pop-classical) music won't like it. Still, for those looking for something "different" this album is well worth a spin.
FINAL GRADE: A
-
CHIP DAVIS PRESENTS A RENAISSANCE HOLIDAY
Frankly, I felt a bit deceived by Amazon.com where I found the album. This was marketed as a Manheim Steamroller Christmas album. I thought I somehow managed to miss one so I was quick to order but what I got was a collection of Renaissance music "presented" by Chip Davis (the driving force behind the Steamroller). That being said the album is a pretty collection of (mainly) Christmas songs from the Renaissance done in the authentic style. This album is a definite "must have" for fans of Renaissance music but fans of the poppier influences that Manheim Steamroller brings to their songs may not enjoy it.
FINAL GRADE: A
-
Will I end up buying more Christmas music? You never know: if I find something I like at a good price I may just pick it up. And if I do you'll find a review on this blog. In the meantime...
-
'nuff said!
No comments:
Post a Comment