Customer Reviews

Best Of/20th Century - Christmas

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I'm sure I sound like an overzealous Donna Summer fan praising this Christmas album, but in all honesty, this is simply a great album, whether it's Christmas or not.

Donna Summer once again shows her amazing versatility with this album. Obviously this was a labour of love, because she sounds like she is enjoying herself on this record, and her voice sounds better than ever. The album has a nice mix of holiday favorites ("The Christmas Song", "O Holy Night"), new favorites(the title song), and stunning spirituals ("Lamb of God", "Breath of Heaven"). The orchestrations are well arranged and blend well with Donna's voice. I love this album as much as I did when I heard it in 1994, and I cannot wait to play it for the holidays.

Anyone who ever though Donna was just a Disco Queen, I say buy this CD! This is Summer at her best. Every song here is pretty true to the original classic Christmas Holiday songs. She sings every song with such warmth and heart that it truly makes you feel the spririt of Christmas! My favorites are the original tunes Christmas Spirit & Christmas is Here. White Christmas, I'll Be Home for Christmas and Breath of Heaven are all amazing! Now we have this new issue which is remastered!! You'll be playing this CD every year! Thanks Universal! I say where is Christmas Spirit Vol 2??

See my review of Christmas Spirit, for this remastered release is the same exact CD. This release have the advantage of being remastered which simply makes the excellent tracks even more profound.

Hopefully this re-release will become a Christmas Season staple, and it makes a great Stocking Stuffer!

..Plus, any time of the year is a great time to enjoy this awesome release!

In 1994, Donna Summer released the seasonal CD `Christmas Spirit', a stunning collection of Christmas songs comprising seasonal favourites like `The Christmas song', `O holy night' and `White Christmas', along with 3 Summer originals. It was a collection that received high critical acclaim thanks to Summer's brilliant, versatile vocal delivery, and the lush, timeless production; No dance beats or wailing synthesizers anywhere in sight, just lush strings, angelic choirs, and the powerful voice of Summer.

This collection is simply a re-mastered CD with the same tracklist, but sounding much clearer and better.

'O holy night' (my absolute favourite) has never sounded better. Donna gives it a gospel treatment and makes it all hers. It starts out with gentle with just a piano and her vocals, and builds up to an awesome chorale finale with Donna belting out ferociously. Awesome!

Other standouts include 'White christmas' (with spine tingling strings), 'The Christmas song', 'O come all ye faithful' (with a hymnal reading, like she's singing it in church), the stunning 'Christmas medley' (comprising `What child is this', `Do you hear what I hear' and `Joy to the world'), the jolly sounding 'Christmas is here' replete with bells (written by Summer but already sounds like a classic Christmas song), the forlorn sounding 'I'll be home for Christmas', 'Breath of heaven', the anthemic 'Lamb of God' (penned by Summer and featuring a beautiful acoustic intro) and the title track (penned by Summer).

Her singing is in top form, matchless, crisp and clear, and you do feel the 'Christmas spirit'.

If there is only one Christmas CD you should own, look no further.

Melding together the trademark Summer soul and voice with a Classical/symphonic arrangement turns this collection into a majestic masterpiece. This album is forever a Christmas standard. Here's why:

For starters--quite the standout is Donna's rendition of Amy Grant's anthem "Breath Of Heaven." Combined with the majestic arrangement of Michael Omartian, the deeply soulful Summer vocal touch and an incredible opening narrative all of which gives "Breath Of Heaven" a life all its own that would make Amy proud. Donna's ability to infuse a wealth of feeling is what gives new dimension to an already stunning piece of musical artistry. Taking this even further, "Lamb Of God' is a masterwork. By fusing a closing narrative over "Breath Of Heaven" toward the close brings this album full circle--simply genius!

It's from this plateau vocal and emotional depth as well as the stunning orchestrations which are woven throughout these ten tracks that this becomes an absolutely amazing Christmas collage. With this foundation laid down, even Mel Tormé's classic gets the royal treatment (and rightly so!). Amid such powerful music, this "Spirit" still sparks of fun and spunk with such tracks as "Christmas Is Here" and the title track itself.

Higlights include O Come All Ye Faithful, Christmas Medley and O Holy Night

Back in the days when all my friends were saying bad things about disco (you know the phrase), I'd always respond, "Well, listen to Donna Summer. She can WAIL." Great pipes were not a prereq for dance music then--and still aren't I guess given that thin voiced Madonna Louise Veronica Ciccone Ritchie reigns over the realm once ruled by rich voiced LaDonna Andrea Gaines Sommer Sudano.

Of course, there was no convincing diehard disco haters. A few may have been won over by some of the rockier material like "Hot Stuff" and "The Wanderer." But in the ever fragmented world of rock and pop, it was doubtful that Donna was going to expand her base all that much. I doubt that I would have any better luck getting the skeptics to listen to Summer's Christmas record either. But this one certainly presents the case for Summer as a talented vocalist in yet another convincing context. For anyone who cares to listen.

If there's any formula for a Christmas album, it's got to be the old "something old, something new," principle. Donna Summer and her producers wisely choose material that will show off her vocal abilities to good effect--with a special emphasis on religiously themed traditional carols, and a few similarly themed compositions by contemporary artists like Amy Grant--and Summer herself (in collaboration with producer Michael Omartian and husband Bruce Sudano).

And a few secular standards are included too. No one can argue with selections like "The Christmas Song," "White Christmas," and "I'll Be Home For Christmas." Donna is able to add a little something of her own touch to these classics. But her re-imaginings of some of the more traditional numbers are perhaps the album's best moments. A "Christmas Medley," consisting of "What Child Is This?," "Do You What I Hear?," and "Joy to the World" is particularly inventive and very stirring. The singer's gospel roots are on display on this track and on several others (including a rousing "O Holy Night" with a full gospel choir).

Summer's re-embracing of her Christian faith in the 80s lends her interpretation of the religious themed tracks a special fervor. That feeling is contagious, no matter what one's own personal beliefs may be. It's nice hearing a singer tackling material she's committed to. Donna Summer sounds very much at home here. And a cozy home it is too.

This is an appealing mix of secular and devotional Christmas songs by the once upon a time disco diva. They are all ballads, there's nothing to dance to here, but the album is a classic of its genre. On several tracks Donna is backed by the Nashville String Quartet and by various choirs on others.

The two slow ballads White Christmas and The Christmas Song are followed by a rousing version of O Come All Ye Faithful, where Donna is assisted by a children's and men's choir. Another highlight is the Christmas Medley consisting of What Child Is This/Do You Hear What I Hear?/Joy To The World, a most impressive arrangement.

I'll Be Home For Christmas comes across as a bit mournful, whilst Christmas Spirit is joyful and optimistic. The beautiful devotional Breath Of Heaven has a spoken intro. It is a most stirring piece of music with a magnificent melody and soaring vocals. Equally moving is O Holy Night, a slow, tender song with a gospel choir.

The album concludes with Lamb Of God. This one also has a spoken intro from the Gospel and a lovely inspirational sound with its children's and adult choirs. This wonderful album is on a par with two other great Chrismas albums by female vocalists: Noel by Noel Baez and Light Of The Stable by Emmylou Harris. I highly recommend it.

This medley of songs is more appreciated around this time of year by me as each Christmas season passes. Anyone who wants a great collection of Christmas CDs, with old and original songs, should definitely have this one in their library. See my review under the (original) "Christmas Spriit" CD. Good listening; good holidays, everyone!

If you are a Donna Summer fan from years ago (or even if not), you will probably greatly like this CD. Good vocals and background instrumentation of Christmas classic songs.

I got this CD at a budget price at a store. Since Donna is known as the "Queen of Disco" I was expecting a couple of tunes with boogie beats behind them. I was pleasantly surprised. If you're expecting dance tunes, don't get this CD. If you want to hear fresh versions of some favorites along with some new stuff, you will like this CD.

Donna adds wonderful vocal touches to White Christmas and The Christmas Song that would make Bing and Nat proud. O Holy Night sounds great with the gospel choir. The Christmas Medley consists of What Child is This, Do You Hear What I Hear and Joy to the World. It is done tastefully and the songs mix well. Donna also contributes some original material. Christmas is Here, Christmas Spirit and Lamb of God. They give Donna a chance to use her vocal range and show that she's still got the pipes.

I saw Donna perform at Universal Studios in Florida in 2004. She did two encores. She had just signed with Sony at the time. Haven't heard much from her since. But I would highly recommend this CD.