CD REVIEW: Some new CDs to help jazz up the holidays
“Wintersong”
Sarah McLachlan
Grade B-
Sarah McLachlan has one of the most unique and beautiful voices in pop music today.
This album showcases her voice on a multitude of classic Christmas songs, which, at best, can be pretty ethereal and sublime.
However, most of the arrangements and songs on the album offer nothing new to the normal Christmas tunes beyond her voice.
Her covers of Joni Mitchell’s “River” and John Lennon’s “Happy Xmas (War is Over)” stick closely to the originals, and many of the standards are performed in a slow, overly earnest manner that bogs down the album.
While McLachlan fans will probably enjoy hearing her amazing voice more during the holidays, this album doesn’t offer much of the ambient musical touches, or songwriting talent, that make McLachlan’s best work interesting.
“New Orleans Christmas”
Various
Grade A
This song-list on this album sounds like any other Christmas CD, “White Christmas,” “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen,” “I’ll Be Home For Christmas” and the like. But this CD is anything but typical.
The CD features performances from many of New Orleans’ finest musicians and every song breathes with the soul of the city’s vibrant jazz and blues scene.
A song like “Silver Bells” in the hands of the Heritage Hall Jazz Band becomes an up-tempo and surprisingly fun tune you could dance to.
Every song has energy, rhythm and soul to spare, and should put a smile on anybody’s face.
Additionally, a portion of the proceeds from this CD goes to support the New Orleans Area Habitat for Humanity’s Musician’s Village Project, which will help to ensure that we always have the amazing sound of New Orleans.
So far the CD has raised over $200,000 for the charity, according to its record label.
“Elton John’s Christmas Party”
Elton John
Grade B+
Although he recently said that he doesn’t like religion much, this CD shows that Elton John throws a pretty darn good Christmas party. The album features a few standards performed in non-standard ways, such the Ventures instrumental surf-jam version of “Jingle Bell Rock.”
But most of the album features originals from a diverse array of artists, including two by John himself.
The songs are hit-or-miss. The ornate acoustic balladry of Rufus Wainright on “Spotlight on Christmas” and the 60’s soul of Otis Redding’s “Merry Christmas Baby” are definite highlights. Others, such as “December Will Be Magic Again” by Kate Bush, fall flat and some songs like U2’s “New Year’s Day” don’t really fit on a Christmas CD at all.
However, despite its misses, Sir Elton’s Christmas collection is consistently interesting and a lot more fun that most of what’s available.
Tom Liljegren is a music critic for The Utah Statesman who is now up to his elbows in holiday spirt. Comments can be sent to him at tliljegren@cc.usu.edu.