All Country... All You!
The Best of Christmas 2008, Part One
Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year in my book. The sights, sounds, and meaning of Christmas bring warmth to my heart and a smile to my face. For me, Christmas is beautiful. And a lot of the beauty of the season comes from the songs we sing. In my opinion, the songs of the season bring to life the deep meaning of Christmas and the love we all feel for our friends and family.
So I've decided to blog about my favorite tunes this holiday season. My list is basically three albums, plus some honorable mentions. Come back tomorrow and I'll tell you what songs are must have this holiday season.
Let me say something before we get going - I'm a sucker for tradition. I love big band, I love hearing all the verses, and I don't like artists going "artistic" on Christmas songs. Sing them as they were meant to be sung. Ok, here we go!
To start, you can't go wrong with Martina McBride. We all know that a lot of the traditional holiday songs are, well, meant for big vocals - "O Holy Night," "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas," - and a lot of emotion. Who better than Martina for that? I have to tell you that her White Christmas album is probably one of the best pieces of holiday works that I have ever heard. If you were lucky enough to get to see her "Joy of Christmas Tour," you have an even greater appreciation of the music. But the best part about this album is it's roots in tradition. It is a big emotion, big vocal album. The album is more orchestra than country, but that's okay with me. If you are a iTunes person, I suggest you buy the whole album. There really isn't a bad cut on the whole disc - if I had to choose one, I would pick "Silent Night" or "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing!" I'm not a fan of Martina's whisper on "Night" and I feel that the arrangement is poor of "Herald." Neither really fit the mood of the album. As a note - you also get the wonderful gem of "Baby, It's Cold Outside," the jazzy duet between Dean Martin and McBride. Their voices sound velvety and classic - this duet really is perfect.
My next favorite Christmas album, and suggestion #2 this year, is an album you might be hard-pressed to find. But if you really want the magic of Christmas this year, you'll search high and low for Garth Brooks' album of the same name. Y'all Garth pulls out all the stops on this one. He re-released the album with bonus tracks from "Call Me Claus" (a TV movie with Whoopie Golberg) so make sure you pick up the expanded edition. It features Garth's cover of Lewie Armstrong's "'Zat You, Santa Claus?" Amazing track, wonderful vocal performance from Garth (like you've never heard him), and witty too! Again, this album is more big-band than country, but that won't be lost on you. His arrangements are spot on and very uptempo. The album is very Garth. I have to admit that I'm not a fan of the original tunes on the disc, except for the instrumental "Journey of the Wisemen." The track leads into "O Little Town of Bethlehem" and is supposed to be a musical interpretation of the Wisemen's journey to the manger. While McBride's album was more for a fire-side Christmas, pop this disc in and rock around the Christmas tree. You can't buy this album on iTunes, so go to the store and buy the whole thing!
Now I want to hit, quickly, on a few albums that are worth getting this holiday season:
1. George Strait - Classic Christmas: Want a true country Christmas? Do it with King George. With songs like "Joy To The World," "Jingle Bells," "We Three Kings," and "We Wish You A Merry Christmas," you can't go wrong with this Yule-tide st.
2. Patty Loveless - Bluegrass and White Snow: This album won't be for everybody, but if you want a Mountain Christmas, this is it! For sure, this is Christmas like you've never heard it. Patty sounds fantastic (like always) and you'll be really taken back by her arrangements. Beautiful and fascinating at the same time!
Ok, this is all for Part One. Check back tomorrow for Part Two - tracks you need to have a holly, jolly Christmas!
-Derrick
So I've decided to blog about my favorite tunes this holiday season. My list is basically three albums, plus some honorable mentions. Come back tomorrow and I'll tell you what songs are must have this holiday season.
Let me say something before we get going - I'm a sucker for tradition. I love big band, I love hearing all the verses, and I don't like artists going "artistic" on Christmas songs. Sing them as they were meant to be sung. Ok, here we go!
To start, you can't go wrong with Martina McBride. We all know that a lot of the traditional holiday songs are, well, meant for big vocals - "O Holy Night," "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas," - and a lot of emotion. Who better than Martina for that? I have to tell you that her White Christmas album is probably one of the best pieces of holiday works that I have ever heard. If you were lucky enough to get to see her "Joy of Christmas Tour," you have an even greater appreciation of the music. But the best part about this album is it's roots in tradition. It is a big emotion, big vocal album. The album is more orchestra than country, but that's okay with me. If you are a iTunes person, I suggest you buy the whole album. There really isn't a bad cut on the whole disc - if I had to choose one, I would pick "Silent Night" or "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing!" I'm not a fan of Martina's whisper on "Night" and I feel that the arrangement is poor of "Herald." Neither really fit the mood of the album. As a note - you also get the wonderful gem of "Baby, It's Cold Outside," the jazzy duet between Dean Martin and McBride. Their voices sound velvety and classic - this duet really is perfect.
My next favorite Christmas album, and suggestion #2 this year, is an album you might be hard-pressed to find. But if you really want the magic of Christmas this year, you'll search high and low for Garth Brooks' album of the same name. Y'all Garth pulls out all the stops on this one. He re-released the album with bonus tracks from "Call Me Claus" (a TV movie with Whoopie Golberg) so make sure you pick up the expanded edition. It features Garth's cover of Lewie Armstrong's "'Zat You, Santa Claus?" Amazing track, wonderful vocal performance from Garth (like you've never heard him), and witty too! Again, this album is more big-band than country, but that won't be lost on you. His arrangements are spot on and very uptempo. The album is very Garth. I have to admit that I'm not a fan of the original tunes on the disc, except for the instrumental "Journey of the Wisemen." The track leads into "O Little Town of Bethlehem" and is supposed to be a musical interpretation of the Wisemen's journey to the manger. While McBride's album was more for a fire-side Christmas, pop this disc in and rock around the Christmas tree. You can't buy this album on iTunes, so go to the store and buy the whole thing!
Now I want to hit, quickly, on a few albums that are worth getting this holiday season:
1. George Strait - Classic Christmas: Want a true country Christmas? Do it with King George. With songs like "Joy To The World," "Jingle Bells," "We Three Kings," and "We Wish You A Merry Christmas," you can't go wrong with this Yule-tide st.
2. Patty Loveless - Bluegrass and White Snow: This album won't be for everybody, but if you want a Mountain Christmas, this is it! For sure, this is Christmas like you've never heard it. Patty sounds fantastic (like always) and you'll be really taken back by her arrangements. Beautiful and fascinating at the same time!
Ok, this is all for Part One. Check back tomorrow for Part Two - tracks you need to have a holly, jolly Christmas!
-Derrick
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