Ally McBeal: A Very Ally Christmas [SOUNDTRACK]

Vonda Shepard, Various Artists - Miscellaneous - Holiday

Product Details

• Audio CD (November 7, 2000)
• Original Release Date: November 7, 2000
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Soundtrack
• Label: Sony
• ASIN: B000050HV4
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (61 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #50,958 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
Ally McBeal has dominated television for three years, so why not a Christmas album for fans who number 20 million or more? Truth be told, this is really a Vonda Shepard record (she's Ally's TV singing voice), with a little help from the McBeal cast, including Ally (née Calista Flockhart), who successfully tries on Eartha Kitt's silly, sassy, seductive "Santa Baby." With 14 tracks and Macy Gray's distinctive "Winter Wonderland" included, the album covers lots of turf, as Shepard and company cover hymns and carols that are sparsely arranged and appealing for their soulful simplicity. Shepard's soprano talent continues to reveal its many riches. Here's a singer who's at home in a gut-bucket blues tune such as "Please Come Home for Christmas" and strolling down Broadway, joyfully swinging on "The Man with the Bag." Additional surprises include Shepard's duet with Robert Downey Jr. on "White Christmas" and Joni Mitchell's "River." Recommended. --Martin Keller

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Downey's A Stand Out On Fun Xmas CD, November 14, 2000

By	Brett Benner (Los Angeles, CA USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

What a fun Christmas CD! Like many people I've come back to the series this season after last year's more than disappointing outing. And like many people the reason I've watched was Robert Downey, Jr. After hearing his two tracks on this CD I can't wait to see the episodes! His version of "River" is great, his voice rich and throaty. Jane Krakowski is up to her Broadway standards with her fun versions of, "Run, Rudolph Run", and "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus."

Diehard fans of the show will want the CD just for Vonda Shepard's soulful takes on the traditional holiday classics. My two bummers with the CD and the reason I didn't give it 5 stars was I (and I'm probably in the minority here) felt the Macy Gray track was so out of place.It sounds like Louis Armstrong, does Xmas. The second reason is at thirty seven minutes, the disc is way too short. There should be at least twenty more minutes of holiday cheer. Well, maybe I just didn't want it to end.

30 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Christmas Cheer & Tears, November 29, 2000

By A Customer

Four stars because the cd's too short. Give me more! I bought this because I'm an Ally fan and enjoy the music from the show. I enjoyed Vonda's vocals on her cuts, and thought Calista's song, "Santa Baby" was perfect for her Ally "I want, I want" character. Lisa Nicole Carson's song is much too short, she's got a powerhouse of a voice. Jane Krakowski's two songs are sung with tongue firmly in cheek and give the cd a light-hearted touch. However, the song that absolutely blew me away is Robert Downey Jr.'s take on a nearly 30-year-old Joni Mitchell song "River". If you saw the show where he sang it, it didn't do it justice. They should have let him sing the whole song (on the show). This bleak song is certainly no Jingle Bells. Adding to the poignancy of the song is RDJr.'s well-publicized troubles with the law. With his most recent arrest the song reads like it could be a page out of his journal. Perhaps he even wishes he could just "skate away" but if he did the world would be missing a most gifted and talented person. Hey Robert, are you listening? Get Well.

30 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best Christmas album to date!, November 22, 2000

By	Miss L K Messenger "Laura" (United Kingdom) - See all my reviews

I hate Christmas albums. I very nearly never bought this. But in the end I gave in to fandom (and my wallet) and I'm glad I did. The CD is a new take on traditionally cheesey songs, with most of the Vonda Shephard stuff done as smooth jazz, Macy Gray's voice fitting perfectly with Winter Wonderland, and Robert Downey Jnr surprises everyone by his ability to sing. The contributions by the female cast members are also nice little additions, although I have to complain about Lisa Nicole Carson's all too brief offering. And where's Richard Fish singing 'I love you even more today (than yesterday)'?