Customer Reviews

8 Days of Christmas

5 star:		(35)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(16)
2 star:		(19)
1 star:		(30)

 

 

This is the most awful Christmas CD i've ever heard! It's just terrible. They absolutly butcher almost every Christmas song and the originals aren't that great either. The song 8 days of Christmas is is catchy and cute but the words are so dumb it's unbelievable. This Cd is so bad.

Let me begin by saying that I love Destiny's Child. I think they all have extraordinary voices, with killer tracks. I was expecting a more lush Christmas album than what I was presented with. The girls are sounding their best in this album, but I missed the orchestras and horns which you hear of in other Christmas album. Anyway, the CD kicks off with "8 Days Of Christmas", which is a great R&B adaptation of a great Christmas classic, and follows into the "Happy Face"-esque "Winter Paradise". This song basically talks about how great it is during Christmas, which is a prevalant theme throughout the album. I did not really feel "A 'DC' Christmas Medley" very much. The song selection was odd, and a few different chord projections in the background music would have helped. Michelle sounded like she was struggling to reach the low notes in her solo. Beyoncé has the first solo in the album, singing "Silent Night", backed only by an acoustic guitar. The arrangement is nice, and Beyoncé sounds very good. "Little Drummer Boy" is next, with an "appearance" by Solange Knowles, Beyoncé's little sister (I don't know if one line counts as a featured appearance). The harmonies are killer in this track, and it overall is very good. Kelly jumps in with "Do you Hear What I Hear", and her rendition of the song helps to make it one of the best tracks in the album. Her sweet voice blends well with the upbeat accompaniment. "White Christmas" is another standout track, and Michelle sounds especially good in this song. The harmonies are very well arranged in this track. "Platinum Bells," a remake of "Silver Bells" seems slightly out of place here, with the whole "Ladies/Christmas dolls" intro. Michelle takes her turn at the mike with her rendition of "O Holy Night." This really was not as good as I expected. I love Michelle's voice, but she went flat more than once during the song. It should have been pitched a bit lower, which is where her voice sounds the best. "Spread A Little Love On Christmas Day" and "This Christmas" are two power R&B cuts, with the catchy hooks DC is known for. The final track, "Opera Of The Bells" is definitely the best track on the album, with the girls using those pipes to their full potential. This is a good album, but only Destiny's Child fans will truly enjoy it.

While Destiny's Child has great harmony and good producing skills, this album is somewhat lacking. The first three tracks are nice and enjoyable. "8 Days of Christmas" and "Winter Paradise" are nice Christmas songs for the new generation and "A DC Christmas Medley" fashionably mixes a number of good Christmas songs. After that, the rest of the songs are missing something. "Silent Night" seems to be extremely over produced with Beyonce' breathing over her singing just a little too much. The song is naturally beautiful and with Beyonce' singing, the song should have been a pretty good one. However, towards the end you are wishing that she would stop breathing so heavily and just sing the song. "Little Drummer Boy" claims to have Solange, but you barely hear her over Beyonce'. They sound so similar that you have to struggle to hear Solange's 15-year old vocals. The song is decent, but it leaves you wondering if Beyonce' steals the spotlight from everyone, even her little sister. Kelly and Michelle's solos stand out from the rest of the album... Maybe because you don't hear Beyonce' taking all of the good verses. "Do You Hear What I Hear" is definitely the best Classic song on the album. "O Holy Night" is mediocore with Michelle singing the entire song. She has a pretty voice, but it can be a bit irritating towards the end. "White Christmas" and "Platinum Bells" are both too short. They should be interludes instead of songs. But after hearing "Platinum Bells" a couple times, you are glad that it is so short. "Opera of Bells" is a great harmonizing song. However, it makes you wonder why they are a trio if Beyonce' does all of the harmony and sings over herself instead of having Kelly or Michelle cover her vocals. The entire song is vocals, but you never hear Kelly or Michelle. Nonetheless, it is a gorgeous song.

The album is a good album for teenage Christmas music. It is not however, a classic Christmas album... Unlike Mariah Carey's Christmas album, it will not contimue to sell after next Christmas. Furthermore, for Destiny's Child to be so religious, you wonder where is the soul? Christina Aguilera's Christmas CD has more soul and gospel music than Destiny's Child's CD. Christina Aguilera is more pop while Destiny's Child still try to link themselves with a R&B genre. If they are R&B, where is it in their Christmas album? The absence of soul or gospel really left the album incomplete. It is a nice ablum to have in your Christmas collection, if you have a Christmas collection, but it is definitely not one of the best.

Normally, I only write reviews for items which I feel people will benefit from. However, after hearing this piece of tripe, I have to step in and warn fellow shoppers of just how bad this is. Don't listen to the "music" reviewers who laud this effort from the most over hyped group this side of Milli Vanilli. Geeze, where to begin.....

1) Beyonce Knowles has absolutly no business attempting to arrange anything! All she seems to be able to do is sing scales like Mariah Carey and pretend that it's good.

2) Beyonce Knowles has absolutly no business attempting to write anything ever. Her phrasing is so inept and all it seems like she's doing is trying to cram as many words into a song as possible. It just doesn't work!

I'm unsure as to why the reviewers have liked this CD as much as they have. The lyrics to the songs written by Beyonce Knowles are as shallow and dead as I would expect from someone who only wants a "CLK Mercedes and a diamond belly ring". Please, spend your money elsewhere for the love of God!!!!

That Eight Days of Christmas track really says it all about this shallow,tacky, soul-less drivel. Also, I admire her, but Beyonce needs to stop working on blue jeans and become a better musician. You can always tell a song she's written because her melodies and choruses are limited to the same four repetetive notes. See if the 8 days doesn't sound just like Independent Woman. Seriously. Why is she afraid to use the whole scale?

How is it possible to completely butcher tried and true Christmas classics? Well, let Destiny's Child take a shot. The word 'subtle' has never been associated with this group and this debacle is a perfect example. Hey Beyonce! Is it physically possible for you to sing a line of a song without having your voice fluctuate 20 times(this affliction also effects Christina Aguilera). She begins to sound like a wounded woodland creature at times. I defy you to sit through their version of Silent Night and not become totally and completely annoyed to the point of hurling the disc across the room. I did, I was just borrowing it though. Thank goodness that I did not waste any of my hard earned money on this nonsense, and you shouldn't either. There are some fine examples of current artists doing the classic Christmas songs, but this is certainly not one of them. Be afraid, be very afraid!!!

all i have to say is OH...MY...GOD...! i like destiny's child (aka "beyonce and co."), but i'm not that big of a fan. i was thinking of buying the album because i heard ahem..."opera of the bells" on that victoria's secret commercial. i must admit they did a pretty good job on that song. however, i heard "8 days of christmas" (what happened to the other 4?)on EXTRA just now, and talk about materialism! Beyonce brags..."On the eighth day of Christmas, my baby gave to me a pair of Chloe shades and a diamond belly ring." now i know some of you would say "it's not meant to be taken seriously", but COME ON! this is sickening! some people comment on how well done the lead vocals by Beyonce are, with Michelle and Kelly chiming in on background...well how bout they switch leads???? if you want to hear an INCREDIBLE female vocal group, listen to Wild Orchid (shameless plug). They switch lead on almost every song, while writing most of them. plus, they have some pretty nice christmas songs. one of which is called "KRIS-mix". All a cappella, all Wild Orchid. "DC3" don't need promotion. Wild Orchid does...(yet another shameless plug)

I enjoy the Destiny's Child sound so looked forward to their holiday CD. If they had just done the classic songs in the manner they are meant to be done they would have made beautiful music. Instead it was a horrible mix. It was almost painful to the ears and bordered on disrespectful of what the holiday means to most people. A real disappointment. The star spangled banner and the classic holiday songs - why can't people learn not to mess with them?

on their solo songs

beyonce-did a good job on her silent night, she did not over do it she did her thing.

kelly- her solo do you hear wht i hear is soft and pretty and cute her vocals are organized well.

michelle- the music was louder than her voice. and she sounds as if she was straining she seemed drowned out by the music

opera of the bells- was good and very creative but the rest proud family, platitinum bells white christmas, were overdone with the lyrics a bit too ghetto

but this cd is not a masterpeice but its fun

I've loved Destiny's Child sice their first album back in 1998. I still love them now- Michelle and Beyoncé's debut singles are excellent. But I can honestly say that this album is utter rubbish. I was mortified to hear how bad DC had done- why oh why did they release this dismal collection?
Nothing's 100% original and it all sounds way too sugary and light. Perhaps if they'd done a gospel Christmas album it would of been better.
The only song I kinda liked was the 8 Days of X-mas song, but it wasn't on the high standard of the songs on Survivor.
I'm sorry to say IT'S NOT WORTH IT!